European news agencies must be recognized and supported as critical democratic infrastructure in the fight against disinformation, concluded the participants in the Spring Conference of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) hosted by EANA-member ANP - Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau - in The Hague over May 20 - 21, EANA said in a statement.

Under the theme 'The World of Disinformation: Challenges and Solutions for News Agencies', the conference brought together leaders of major European news agencies, technology experts, fact-checkers and specialists in influence operations to examine how coordinated disinformation increasingly threatens democratic societies and the media organizations that provide them with trusted information.

Participants stressed that news agencies are no longer merely reporting on disinformation but are themselves becoming direct targets of influence operations seeking to undermine trust in credible journalism, imitate trusted brands, harass journalists and weaken public confidence in democratic institutions.

'If disinformation prevails, democracy loses control. News agencies are the backbone of Europe's information ecosystem. And a strong ecosystem depends on strong agencies; when they weaken, the entire chain becomes more fragile,' said EANA President and ANSA CEO Stefano De Alessandri. 'If we want to reduce disinformation, we must strengthen independent and sustainable news organizations, with news agencies playing a central role,' he underscored.

Speakers highlighted how foreign and domestic influence operations increasingly exploit technological advances, platform vulnerabilities and synthetic content to manipulate public debate. They also underlined the growing economic dimension of the challenge, noting that the same digital ecosystems enabling disinformation often divert attention and revenue away from trusted journalism.

Agency leaders and experts discussed practical responses - from enhanced cross-border cooperation and improved verification practices to newsroom training, investigative collaboration, fact-checking methodologies and stronger engagement with policymakers and technology platforms.

A central conclusion was the need for a whole-of-society approach to counter disinformation, involving independent media, public institutions, civil society, technology companies and citizens. Protecting information integrity, participants said, cannot rest solely on journalists and fact-checkers, but requires coordinated systemic responses.

The conference featured contributions from ANP CEO Martha Riemsma and EANA President Stefano De Alessandri, who opened the event alongside keynote speaker Svitlana Slipchenko - Vox Ukraine's Deputy Executive Director. Sessions also included presentations by Mark Westerhoff, Saska Lensink (GPT-NL) and Niels Bouwman (Verify) on ANP's innovation and verification initiatives; Richard Carter and Liesa Pauwels on AFP's fact-checking work; Arturo Peres Amores from sponsor WESOG; Saman Nazari of Alliance4Europe; and Nataliya Kostina, Ukrinform Deputy Director General, representing EANA's Committee Against Disinformation with a draft report on an Alliance-led study.

As part of the program, participants visited the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) of the European Space Agency, where they met ESA's communications team to discuss the growing challenges posed by disinformation in the fields of science, space and public trust. The exchange explored how false narratives, information manipulation and geopolitical tensions increasingly affect scientific institutions, underscoring the importance of credible, evidence-based communication.

The EANA Spring Conference reaffirmed the Alliance's commitment to strengthening cooperation among European news agencies in addressing shared threats, reinforcing editorial independence and ensuring that Europeans continue to have access to reliable, fact-based information. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Codrut Balu; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)