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The Networks for Democracy (Nets4Dem) is a European-funded network of organisations active in the field of participatory democracy. Our network brings together diverse expertise from the academic, governmental and practitioner sectors.

The European Democracy Shield package

We are supportive of the Commission taking action to protect and enhance democracy within our Union and beyond.

We agree the issues are important to the future of democracy. Europe is also an appropriate level for action, as long as it is coordinated with national and local efforts.

Issues such as disinformation, increasing flows of false or inaccurate information through LLMs, and challenges to the rule of law must be tackled at European level as well as nationally and locally.

Working as we do on initiatives around participatory democracy, the research we have been involved in is centred primarily on issues of mis- and disinformation, rule of law, artificial intelligence, and democratic innovation. It is on these areas that this response will focus.