BRUSSELS – At today’s meeting of the General Affairs Council, EU Ministers were invited by the Commission and the Council Presidency to mark the start of the work of the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, European Commission stated.
The aim of the Centre, a flagship initiative of the European Democracy Shield, is to facilitate a consolidated approach involving all of society to increase awareness and boost the capacity to respond to the threats faced by democracies today, and build democratic resilience.
President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen stated that in a world where information is increasingly weaponised to undermine our democracies, we are taking action.
“With the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, we will level up our collective capacity to counter foreign information manipulation and disinformation. This will strengthen our resilience, ensure Europe’s public debate remains open and fair, and empower citizens to participate in democratic life”, Von der Leyen said.
Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, will discuss with EU Ministers how the Centre can facilitate the sharing of expertise and experience and support the development of effective responses to common threats, to deliver tangible results for our citizens.
The interest shown by all Member States in the setting up of the Centre demonstrates that the initiative responds to a clear need and it will be rolled out in a flexible way, with practical capacity-building projects that reflect Member States priorities.
The Centre will help avoid the fragmentation of existing efforts, connecting existing networks and structures which already work on the prevention, detection, analysis and response options to patterns of threats in the information space helping each one deliver to their full potential and avoiding duplication.
The European Centre for Democratic Resilience is a flagship initiative of the European Democracy Shield presented in the Joint Communication of 12 November 2025, as outlined in the political guidelines and the 2025 State of the Union address by President Von der Leyen. The European Democracy Shield set out a series of concrete measures to empower, protect, and promote strong and resilient democracies across the EU.
The European Centre for Democratic Resilience will serve as a voluntary strategic hub for cooperation amongst Member States. With the support of relevant EU institutions and bodies, it will operate in full respect of national and institutional competences while fostering fundamental rights and democratic values.
The Commission provides administrative and operational support to the Centre through a Secretariat. Supported by and in close coordination with the Rapid Alert System managed by the European External Action Service, the Centre will link together existing networks and structures.
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