EU’s Green Deal target of disinfo ahead of June vote

(EurActiv, 6 May 2024) The EU’s Green Deal has been the target of virulent online disinformation ahead of European parliament elections in June, such as fabricated claims that Brussels plans to introduce a “carbon passport” or ban repairs of cars older than 15 years.

A key project for European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen as she seeks a second term, the Green Deal is an ambitious commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, making the 27-nation bloc the “first climate-neutral continent”.

But it has come under fire from the fossil fuel industry and the agricultural sector, as well as from the political right and far right.

One of the battlefields is social media, where the far right, climate sceptics and conspiracy theorists are using disinformation to try to delegitimise the deal, said Arnaud Mercier, professor in information and communication sciences at Universite Pantheon-Assas in Paris.

Emboldened by the combined clout of such players, social media users already suspicious of Europe or of climate science feel able to share false or misleading claims “in good faith”, Mercier told AFP.

State actors such as Russia are also seeking to undermine the EU through its green initiative, experts said..

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EurActiv, 6 May 2024: EU’s Green Deal target of disinfo ahead of June vote