EC: Rapid Response System Activated Ahead of Elections in Bulgaria

The European Commission on March 24 confirmed that its rapid response system for disinformation and foreign interference has been activated ahead of Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections on 19 April. The system will remain in operation for one week after the elections.

A special task force to combat disinformation has been established within the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yesterday, Bulgaria requested technical and expert assistance from Brussels to help tackle disinformation and foreign interference during the campaign for the snap elections.

• Bulgaria Asks EC for Help to Combat Disinformation Ahead of Early Elections

The rapid response system is a voluntary EU mechanism designed for cooperation among signatories of the Code of Practice on Disinformation. The code has been signed by 44 online platforms, non-governmental organisations, and fact-checking organisations, which have agreed to activate the system before elections and maintain it for one week afterwards. The mechanism can be activated automatically, even if authorities in the member state do not request it explicitly.

The system ensures fast collaboration and information sharing among participating organisations before and during the election period, helping to prevent potential threats from disinformation and foreign interference.

The European Commission said today that so far it has not received a request from the Bulgarian authorities to organise a round table with online platforms specifically focused on the elections in Bulgaria. Some EU countries organise such meetings before important elections.