Second evaluation report CoPD in Bulgaria and Romania

Executive Summary

Bulgaria and Romania, situated on the EU’s eastern border, face persistent challenges in countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), exacerbated by geopolitical tensions and governance deficits. Russia’s hybrid operations, aimed at destabilizing the EU and NATO, target these countries heavily due to their strategic positions and historical ties to the Soviet Union. Tactics include disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks, and political interference, compounded by domestic issues like corruption and weak institutional capacity.

Both countries struggle with implementing EU regulations like the Digital Services Act (DSA) and with benefiting from the Signatories’ commitments to the Code of Practice on Disinformation (CoPD), hindered by limited administrative capacity and unstable governance. Moreover, major online platforms allocate resources disproportionately, allocating less human and technical resources in smaller markets like Bulgaria and Romania. For example, Facebook’s moderation in Bulgaria has sparked controversy over perceived biases and inefficiencies, while both countries also face challenges with pro-Kremlin networks exploiting online platforms for political gain.
In Bulgaria, discontent with Facebook’s moderation has persisted, particularly regarding pro-Russian content and alleged blocking of legitimate voices. Similarly, Romania grapples with disinformation networks tied to nationalist and populist movements. The recent cancellation of Romania's presidential election due to alleged Russian interference underscores the urgent need for robust regulatory enforcement.

Despite some progress, such as Romania’s designation of ANCOM as its national DSA coordinator, both countries lack comprehensive strategies for countering FIMI. The current EU approach, applying uniform regulatory standards, fails to account for the unique vulnerabilities of Eastern European nations, necessitating tailored timelines and enhanced support mechanisms.
The analysis of the most recent two rounds of transparency reports, published in March and September 2024, demonstrates a slight improvement in a few of the existing weaknesses and discrepancies in the platforms' compliance with the CoPD commitments. In general, the majority of recommendations for improvements, as previously outlined in the analysis submitted to the Commission in early 2024, remain valid. The general conclusion is that the platforms have continued to implement actions and measures addressing general issues, but have neglected specific improvements related to the requirements for more detailed, standardized, and structured data, which would allow independent experts to assess the impact of reported mitigation measures.

Recommendations include establishing independent national Digital Services Coordinators with a dedicated budget and technical capacity, enhancing transparency in platform moderation, and fostering EU-national collaboration to address coordinated disinformation activities. More granular, structured, and time-series data is needed to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of regulatory measures.
Ultimately, the effective implementation of EU regulations requires strengthened national frameworks and political commitment to address the specific challenges faced by these small - language markets. Without such efforts, Bulgaria and Romania remain highly susceptible to hybrid threats that undermine democratic stability and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Full Report:

Second evaluation report CoPD in Bulgaria and Romania.pdf