STA, 21 January 2019 - Slovenia is getting ready to implement the EU disinformation rapid alert system, which the bloc expects to have up and running in March, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said in Brussels on Monday. In Slovenia, the national contact point will most likely be headed by the Government Communication Office (UKOM - Urad vlade za komuniciranje).
The foreign minister's statement comes after an EU ministerial on the action plan to fight disinformation, which is considered one of the key challenges due to the upcoming elections to the European Parliament.
The rapid alert system, which is part of the action plan, is to be set up in the coming weeks and is expected to start operating by March, Cerar said.
Slovenia's contact point will most likely be set up at UKOM. This will allow the country to directly cooperate with EU institutions and other member states in sharing information, and fighting and preventing the spread of disinformation, the foreign minister added.
He highlighted the importance of working together with the private sector and online content providers and of raising awareness about the dangers of disinformation in schools.
At the meeting with his counterparts, Cerar also highlighted the importance of EU strategic communication in the Western Balkans to prevent the spread of influence of those who want to create a negative image of the EU and could consequently harm the integration processes in this part of Europe.
"We live in a period of populisms when some policies are based on inciting hatred and prejudices and mislead people by means of made-up stories. In the society of modern networks we often witness lies, fake information and manipulations," he stressed.
Overall, disinformation is a new, great threat to democracy and democratic values, Cerar added.
