The Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, visited half of the EU Member States between January and June 2024, in a ‘Democracy Tour’ in preparation of the elections for the European Parliament held on 6 to 9 June 2024. She discussed key aspects of the Commission recommendation on inclusive and resilient elections with national authorities responsible for conduct and integrity of elections and with representatives of civil society.

The ‘Democracy Tour’ focused on the resilience of the informational space online, and four key areas of particular threat emerged from the discussions with stakeholders: disinformation, foreign interference, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, and cybersecurity risks.

The Memo annexed here gathers the incidents recorded during the electoral period in connection to the four threat areas, based on data available at the time of writing. It focuses exclusively on aspects related to the information space online and does not cover other aspects such as the organisation of elections or physical threats.

It is a working document prepared to support discussions in the framework of the European Cooperation Network on Elections on 11^th October 2024 on the 2024 elections for the European Parliament and closing the ‘Democracy Tour’. Prepared under the authority of the Vice-President, it is offered as input to the ongoing preparatory work on the Commission’s broader post-election report, as announced in the Defence of Democracy Package issued by the Commission in December 2023.

Based on currently available information, no major information interference operation capable of disrupting the elections was recorded. At the same time, it is widely recognised that the threat levels for information integrity during elections were high, as confirmed by the activation by the European Council of the Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) arrangements for addressing foreign interference.

“Don’t miss a single screening – not even by a month,” says Maria, vice-president of a volunteer cancer support group in her workplace in Brussels. Maria was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 at the age of 38 through a routine check. “I was on sickness leave for a year and required heavy surgery. I was the youngest person in the hospital where I was treated – the age at which you can develop cancer is dropping dramatically.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, an opportunity to raise awareness of the disease, provide support to women with breast cancer and to highlight how early screening can significantly improve the chances of a successful outcome.

The EU plays an active part in this battle to beat breast cancer. As part of its European Health Union strategy, it has put in place a Beating Cancer Plan. Through it, it is working on meaningful change in EU countries to achieve better cancer prevention, treatment, care and quality of life for all EU citizens. In 2022, new updated screening guidelines were adopted based on the latest scientific evidence for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer. The EU’s goal is to offer screening to 90% of the eligible target population across the EU.

Currently, breast cancer accounts for almost 30% of all diagnosed cancers in women in the EU. There are, however, marked differences in screening participation among countries and population groups. In 2022, the EU set up the first-ever European Cancer Inequalities Registry, to identify trends, disparities, and inequalities between and within EU countries and regions. The results feed into the EU’s future policies and investment in breast cancer treatment.

“I was on my own when I was diagnosed,” says Valentina, who is a member of Maria’s cancer support group.  “The support group became like a second family to me. Life is made easier when you share with other people. Just a nice word from a colleague can make all the difference.” The group has 200 members, who have either had or have cancer or caregivers to people with cancer.

“Everyone should try to organise such a group,” says Valentina. The group provides support from advice on how to navigate “the sea of procedures” surrounding getting cancer treatment to laying on yoga classes and walks in the woods. Valentina stresses the importance of physical activity in improving energy levels following cancer treatment. “I was not really sporty before cancer,” she says with a laugh, “but now I’m exercising every weekend.”

As part of her recovery, Valentina signed up to a local scheme in Belgium which encourages women with breast cancer to engage in group physical activity to help them heal and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Valentina walked just over 100km in Iceland with a group of 10 women. “Even with a very heavy workload, I felt so energised when I found out I could take part.” The group called themselves Les Amazones. “We discovered only afterwards that the Greeks had made up an etymology, claiming it derived from a-mazos – without a breast.  These fearsome women cut off their right breasts to remove an obstruction to the bowstring,” explains Valentina.

A fellow cancer support group member, Alice, was initially diagnosed with breast cancer while working in Niger. “I had just finished breast feeding my 15-month-old daughter and it was the beginning of COVID. The doctor told me to go back to Europe to get a biopsy and I took the last flight before the airport was closed for several weeks. Unfortunately, the biopsy was positive and my treatment began. In Niger, women do not have the same opportunities.” How does she feel about the experience now? “I’m lucky I was born in Europe,” she says.

For more information

A cancer plan for Europe

European Health Union

#GetScreenedEU campaign, with information about cancer screening programmes in EU countries

Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Care

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe at its 47^th session has adopted recommendations on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government by Iceland, Latvia and Malta.

The Congress has called on Iceland to incorporate local self-government into domestic law. It concluded that Icelandic municipalities lead globally in terms of female voting and representation and welcomed the high level of fiscal autonomy in the country’s local self-government. However, despite previous Congress recommendations, Iceland did not incorporate local democracy and self-government principles into its law to ensure a clear division of responsibilities between central and local authorities.

Latviashould strengthen financial autonomy at local level, recommended the Congress. It called for an increase of revenue potential at the local level, aligning local financial resources with local competences, simplifying supervision and clarifying the division of competences.

As for Malta, the Congress praised it for Malta praised the 2019 local government reform, the lowering of the minimum age for local elections to 16, and Malta’s ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority. However, it local authorities’ competences should be increased and administrative supervision limited.