Policy

EPD actively works towards improving democracy support policies and advising on foreign policies that can reinforce democracy in the face of global challenges. Through our head office in Brussels, we play a key role in contributing to improving democracy support policies, working closely with EU institutions, European governments, and building civil society coalitions together with our partners.

We engage in advocacy on the following areas:

Democracy Innovation & Inclusion
Safeguarding Democracy
European Policies for Democracy
Democratic Principles in the Digital Sphere

Advocacy news

Reaction to online political ads regulation proposal

Today, Vice President and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Jourova presented the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising. Online political advertising is a relatively new phenomenon that has not been thoroughly regulated…

Joint Statement on Recommender Systems

Thousands of internal documents from Facebook released by whistleblower Frances Haugen have provided undeniable evidence that Facebook’s engagement-based ranking system is knowingly causing harm to our societies and to vulnerable groups such as children and young girls. Despite this knowledge,…

The Summit for Democracy: A Menu of Commitments

With planning for the global summit for democracy well underway, numerous governments and democracy supporters around the world are reflecting on what they would like the summit to achieve. The Biden administration has clearly indicated that they expect concrete commitments…

Why the DSA matters to democracy

This week EPD was listed among the signatories of two joint civil society statements on the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). One statement issued by 50 CSOs called for the EU to increase the choice, transparency and oversight over recommender…

Joint Statement: Civil Society Recommendations for the Commission on the Rule of Law Report

As issues concerning the rule of law continue to threaten the fundamental rights of EU citizens, the Commission has released the 2021 Rule of Law Report, offering an overview of the current developments in the Member States. Recognising the key…

Joint Statement: Summit for Democracy

The global Summit for Democracy represents an opportunity for partners across the globe to reaffirm the importance of democratic governance after 15 years of democratic decline. Given the internal challenges facing democracies of all stripes and the challenges on the…

The EDAP: a welcome step in the right direction

Following a public consultation and various exchanges with civil society and member states over the last year, European Vice President Vera Jourova has published the European Democracy Action Plan (EDAP). The EDAP restates the EU’s commitment to democracy, the rule…

EPD Joins Call for Putting Meaningful Transparency at the Heart of the Digital Services Act

EPD has joined an initiative led by Algorithm Watch and the European Policy Centre that calls for putting meaningful transparency at the heart of the Digital Services Act. The statement provides three main recommendations that together can help achieve greater…

Joint statement: 5 demands for an ambitious EDAP

A joint statement with 5 demands for the European Democracy Action Plan was drafted and endorsed by a coalition of 46 organisations working on democracy, human rights, media and the rule of law in Europe. Together, they demand the European…