"This publication describes the many ways in which public authorities and private enterprises empower users against disinformation online. The first chapter sets the scene by discussing relevant concepts, such as mis-, dis- and malinformation, empowerment, and media literacy. It further discusses th ... e way in which disinformation affects users, why it has become such an issue, and how to measure it. Chapter 2 presents the international and EU legal and policy framework, with special emphasis on the different measures introduced by the European Union to fight disinformation. Chapter 3 covers responses at national level, highlights some examples of legislative and non-legislative responses to online disinformation in Europe, and shows how states are placing user empowerment at the centre of their approach to the issue. Chapter 4 focuses on self- and co-regulation, providing an overview of the Strengthened EU Code of Practice on Disinformation, delving into the role of national regulatory authorities, and looking at the practical implementation of measures by Big Tech platforms. Chapter 5 presents relevant judgments of both the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights in which they had to rule on cases that are connected, directly or indirectly, to the issue of disinformation. Wrapping up the publication, Chapter 6 presents stakeholders’ reactions to the 2022 Code and recent developments at EU level." (Foreword) more

"In total, a yearly average of EUR 2.53 billion went to the 214 funds in a sample including 33 countries (Albania and Russia could not be tracked for this indicator) between 2010 and 2014 (a proportioned average of 196.2 funds a year, since not all the funds tracked existed over the entire period). ... The three main sources of income in Europe at the national and sub-national levels combined were contributions from the national/federal government (32%) followed by levies on broadcasters (31%) and contributions from regional government (13%). However, when outlying France is excluded from the calculation, the breakdown of the share of income by type of source is much more representative of the reality at the pan-European level, with contributions from the national or federal governments accounting for 53% of the total available resources. Taxes and levies reflected a steady downward trend in 2011, barely compensated until 2013 by the contributions from the national/federal governments and the surge in contributions from sub-national (regional, community and local) governments. Moreover, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain and Switzerland were the countries in which sub-national funds accounted for a larger share of the total income." (Executive summary, page 11) more