Dear participants,

• It is a pleasure to be here today, at the invitation of High Representative Kaja Kallas, for this annual conference on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) organized by the European External Action Service.
• I would like to thank the High Representative for her leadership, especially in the fight against FIMI.
• She can count on my support and that of the College of Commissioners in this fight.
• Today, I will describe some initiatives we in the Commission are using to combat this growing threat to our Union.
• I will focus on my responsibilities and the planned actions, particularly the upcoming European Democracy Shield.
• As Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, I am determined to step up the fight against FIMI.
• Where FIMI seeks to undermine public trust in the legitimacy and effectiveness of our democratic institutions, my mandate aims to strengthen that trust.
• FIMI aims to undermine the core of our European democracies, and therefore we must respond with determination to protect our Union against this threat.