European Digital Media Observatory hubs convened in Brussels to exchange best practices in fighting disinformation

BRUSSELS – December 5, 2025

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) hosted a cluster event in Brussels, bringing together representatives from the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) hubs and Safer Internet projects. The in-person event, held on December 5, focused on showcasing lessons learned and best practices specifically related to disinformation and media and information literacy.

Daniela Rosati, head of the Digital sector of HaDEA at the European Commission, opened the event, welcoming the guests. Then Alberto Rabbachin, deputy head of the Media Convergence and Social Media unit, and Elwira Navarre, policy assistant at the Accessibility, Multilingualism and Safer Internet unit did short presentations, dedicated to the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and the Safer Internet Centers, respectively.

Presentations from the HaDEA continued with on Anna de Luca, topic coordinator for EDMO; Mirela Gica, topic coordinator for Safer Internet; and Charmaine Kerr, call coordinator at the HaDEA Unit B2 Digital.

A central theme of the day was Media and Information Literacy (MIL). Anna De Luca, Topic Coordinator for EDMO, provided an overview of the hubs' activities alongside representatives from HaDEA. Later, Iglika Ivanova from BROD (the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media), offered a presentation detailing best practices and lessons learned in MIL.

During the BROD presentation, the results of the first project (2022-2025, BROD1.0) in the field of media literacy were presented. Тhe Centrul pentru Jurnalism Independent (CJI) 60-hours training course on media and information literacy for teachers was highlighted as success story that achieved remarkable results within BROD1.0 and continued in BROD2.0.

Attendees participated in the first breakout session focused entirely on MIL. These discussions explored key areas vital for combating harmful content:

• How critical thinking helps individuals recognize the fine line between harmless and harmful content online and protect themselves from misleading narratives. The session aimed to identify best practices for empowering children and young people to make smart choices on the internet.
• What are some effective strategies for promoting media literacy among diverse groups, including children, young people, parents, educators, and the elderly. The goal was to exchange actionable ideas for empowering these audiences to navigate the complex modern media landscape through training.
• How emotional storytelling can both foster digital literacy and increase vulnerability to misinformation, manipulation, and online harm, offering examples such as the spread of disinformation through emotionally charged posts and radicalization via persuasive narratives.

The second major focus area of the event concerned lessons learned related to communication campaigns to raise awareness of project focus. Tana Abrahamova from CEDMO (Central European Digital Media Observatory) and Dr. Nikos Sarris from MedDMO (Mediterranean Digital Media Observatory) delivered presentations on their respective hubs' best practices.

Breakout sessions in the afternoon allowed EDMO and Safer Internet projects to exchange successful strategies for communication campaigns. Key topics included:

• Best practices on designing compelling campaigns that emphasize clarity, relevance, emotional resonance, and audience alignment in the fast-paced digital environment.
• How to extend the reach and impact of campaigns, particularly for vulnerable, unaware, or disengaged audiences. Strategies explored included outreach methods like utilizing social media influencers, community partnerships, and multilingual or visual storytelling.

This meeting facilitated connection and exchange, deepening the understanding of success stories and challenges among the teams actively working to safeguard the integrity of the digital information space across Europe.

HaDEA currently manages grants for the 15 independent national and multinational EDMO hubs, which collectively strengthen the European response against disinformation across all 27 EU Member States, plus Norway, Moldova, and Ukraine.

EDMO is the EU’s largest interdisciplinary network dedicated to combating disinformation, uniting fact-checkers, academic researchers, and media literacy experts. The work of the EDMO hubs, which are funded through the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL), supports critical EU initiatives such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation, which aim to enhance user protection and platform accountability.

Two publicly available resources were highlighted by the representatives of the HaDEA:

The family-friendly booklet explaining in simple terms the European Commission’s guidelines on the protection of minors under the Digital Service Act (DSA), now available on all EU languages and the EDMO factsheet Combatting disinformation with DIGITAL (published on December 2, 2025).

Find out more information about:

• European Digital Media Observatory - EDMO
• DSA Guidelines on the protection of minors
• Digital Services Act: Questions and Answers
• The impact of the Digital Services Act on digital platforms
• European strategy for a better internet for kids (BIK+)
• Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal
• Digital Europe Programme
• European Democracy Shield and EU Strategy for Civil Society pave the way for stronger and more resilient democracies

Photos from the cluster event: Iglika Ivanova