News agencies represent the critical infrastructure of European democracy and must be treated as such in the digital and legislative architecture of the European Union, stressed the participants in the debate organized on Tuesday, in Brussels, by the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) and co-hosted by Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament (EP), and Pina Picierno, also a Vice-President of the EP.

The event, dedicated to the role of news agencies in combating disinformation in Europe and moderated by EANA Secretary General Alexandru Giboi, brought together representatives of EU institutions and news agencies, with the participation as a special guest of Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, and European Commissioner for Digital and Frontier Technologies.

The CEO of the Italian news agency ANSA and President of EANA, Stefano De Alessandri, stressed that news agencies represent the 'backbone of the European information ecosystem', providing verified information to governments, institutions and the media on a daily basis.

He warned that disinformation had entered a new phase, being automated and amplified by generative artificial intelligence, capable of massively producing false content and manipulative narratives. In this context, De Alessandri called for the recognition of agencies as critical European infrastructure and insisted that the truth has a real cost, based on verification, correspondents on the ground and editorial standards.

He also drew attention to the economic imbalance in the industry, where digital platforms and AI companies use journalistic content without fair compensation, and called for licensing models adapted to the era of artificial intelligence, based on transparency and fair remuneration.

Along the same lines, Patrick Lacroix, CEO of the Belga news agency and Member of the EANA Board, described news agencies as a 'democratic information infrastructure', comparable to a data network essential for the functioning of society. He warned that the platforms' algorithms favor emotional and polarizing content, while generative artificial intelligence amplifies information 'noise' and erodes the public's ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Patrick Lacroix advocated for the introduction of a mandatory opt-in system for the use of journalistic data and press content in the training and operation of artificial intelligence models, stressing that this is not about restricting the open internet, but about protecting the verified information that underpins democracy.

He also called for transparency on the content used by AI models, through modern mechanisms that are easy to process automatically, including APIs (application programming interfaces) and advanced protocols, as well as the creation of tools through which rights holders can express their choices in a differentiated manner, including through a centralized register at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the management of opt-out options.

In turn, the Director General of AGERPRES, Claudia Nicolae, emphasized that the speed at which information circulates has increased significantly, and the volume of content made available to the public every day is unprecedented. In this context, an extremely worrying phenomenon has occurred, the extent of which is only now beginning to be quantified.

She underscored that verified information has a high cost, as it requires the presence of journalists on the ground, time to verify sources, the involvement of editors, the existence of an institutional infrastructure and the assumption of responsibility.

The Ambassador of Romania to the Kingdom of Belgium, Andreea Pastarnac, emphasized the relevance of the relationship of the Romanian community in Belgium and other European states with the press and correct information in diplomatic activity. She mentioned the existence of initiatives by Romanian journalists in the diaspora, focused on ensuring a flow of correct and relevant information, as well as the essential role of communication in the relationship between communities and states.

EC Vice-President Henna Virkkunen reaffirmed that the fight against disinformation is a strategic priority of the European Commission, warning of the growing economic pressures on the media and the impact of generative artificial intelligence.

The Commission is proposing media support programs worth billions of euros, including through the AgoraEU initiative (a funding framework dedicated to culture, media and civil society), and is developing instruments such as the Digital Services Act and the European Democracy Shield to combat disinformation and protect the integrity of elections.

The European Commission's representative drew attention to the changing information consumption behavior, especially among young people, where social platforms have become the main sources of information, raising issues of media literacy and critical thinking.

MEP Victor Negrescu stressed that disinformation and artificial intelligence are closely linked, as the same technologies that bring benefits can also be used for large-scale manipulation. He showed that news agencies have an essential role as trusted sources, by verifying and filtering information in an increasingly crowded content space.

At the same time, the MEP insisted on the need to support independent journalism, protect press freedom and provide resources so that media organizations can remain competitive in the digital environment. He also stressed the importance of media education, especially for young people, pointing out that the fight against disinformation is a shared responsibility of European institutions, authorities, platforms and journalists.

In her intervention, Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the EP, highlighted the current difficulty of distinguishing truth in the digital age, where artificial intelligence and online platforms amplify unverified information. She stressed the need for a functioning information ecosystem based on cooperation between institutions, media and decision-makers, insisting that European rules must not only be adopted but also effectively applied.

Pina Picierno, also a Vice-President of the EP, sounded the alarm on propaganda and external influence, stating that 'propaganda is not journalism' and that public or private platforms must not amplify the messages of authoritarian regimes. She argued that news agencies are essential for fact-checking and protecting democratic space, in a context where disinformation already affects the majority of European citizens.

Participants concluded that disinformation cannot be combated by a single actor or instrument, but requires a joint effort between European institutions, Member States, digital platforms and the media. News agencies were described as an essential element of the European democratic infrastructure, and their financial, legal and technological strengthening was considered a necessary condition for defending democracy in the age of artificial intelligence. AGERPRES(RO - writing by: Mariana Ionescu; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)