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ComCom Member Takes Part in the 29th Plenary Meeting of CDMSI
Member of the Communications Commission Ivane Makharadze took part in the 29th Plenary Meeting of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI). The meeting focussed on reviewing the progress of the Committee’s expert bodies, discussing the future priorities, and addressing various organisational matters.
During the event, representatives of CDMSI member states reviewed the achievements and ongoing efforts related to the implementation of freedom of expression standards across Europe. Particular attention was given to the outcomes of the fourth meeting of national contact points for the Journalists Matter campaign, and the annual conference titled “Defending the Truth: Comprehensive Approaches to Journalists’ Safety and Quality Journalism,” in which Commissioner Makharadze took part in April 2026.
The 29th plenary meeting also featured presentations and discussions on several important policy documents and initiatives, including: the 2026 report of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, titled “New Democratic Pact for Europe in Times of Rupture”; a draft recommendation on protecting media pluralism in the online environment prepared by the MSI-ePLU Expert Committee; guidance on the role of media regulators in platform-based environments prepared by the MSI-eREG Expert Committee; and a feasibility study conducted by the PC-FIMI Expert Committee on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), including the potential development of a legal instrument to address disinformation and information manipulation.
The working session also addressed a broad range of important topics, including: the influence of social media and digital platforms on public thinking and behavior; opportunities and risks associated with social media influencers; building independent, sustainable, and pluralistic public service media; combating hate speech; implementing and enforcing Council of Europe standards on defamation; protecting media freedom and democratic values in the digital environment, etc.
In addition, CDMSI members also took part in the discussions with representatives of several international organisations, including the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO); the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA); the Forum on Information and Democracy (FID); the Media & Philanthropy Initiative (IMP); the Platform for the Safety of Journalists; and the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The Steering Committee on Media and Information Society is a Council of Europe body responsible for developing policies and standards related to media freedom and pluralism, access to information, internet governance, and protection of human rights in the digital environment. Georgia’s representative on the CDMSI Steering Committee is ComCom member Ivane Makharadze.
