The establishment of these standards, as well as the mechanisms to assess compliance and to help organisations meet them, can only be carried out by European fact-checkers themselves through discussion and agreement. The task facing this consortium is to bring together European fact-checking and OSINT organisations to debate and agree on this set of rules. This consensus should result in a European Code of Professional Integrity for Independent Fact-Checkers, together with a mechanism to implement it and to support organisations in meeting its requirements.
As part of the Call of Integrity of Social Media, this pilot project will complement EDMOs efforts to provide specific support to the European strategy to address disinformation and to the development of a European ecosystem of independent fact-checking organisations that monitor, identify, study and develop campaigns to combat disinformation. The project will bring together fact-checking organisations from across Europe and will draft the European Code of Professional Integrity for Independent Fact-Checkers, test its implementation, and help relevant organisations adhere to it.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, and with the support of the European Commission, these six organisations will undertake the task of ensuring that the requirements and standards set out in the Code are the result of in-depth discussion and broad consensus among European organisations, enriched by input from academics and other experts in the field.
By representing both independent European fact-checkers and open-source intelligence organisations working on disinformation campaigns, the Code will have the full legitimacy required to be recognised and implemented. This legitimacy will be conferred by its Governing Body, appointed by the community, which will assess organisations’ compliance with the Code.
Members of the European Fact-Checking Standards Project (EFCSP) have extensive experience in activities that will ensure wide dissemination of the Code, as well as training and educational opportunities to help organisations meet its requirements.
The EFCSN is supported by the European Union under the 2020 work programme for the funding of pilot projects and preparatory actions in the field of “Communications Networks, Content and Technology”.