Enhancing the Capabilities of CSDP Missions and Operations to Identify and Respond to Disinformation Attacks (EXPO_IDA(2023)702578)

Commissioned by the SEDE sub-committee, Fridman, Baudais, and Gigitashvili examine an underexplored dimension of the FIMI problem: the vulnerability of EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions and operations to disinformation attacks, and the inadequacy of current CSDP institutional capacity to detect and respond to them. The study provides regional analysis across the mission environments where CSDP is deployed — the Western Balkans, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa — documenting the specific disinformation threats each mission faces.

The study makes a distinction that is analytically important: CSDP missions are simultaneously targets of disinformation and potential vectors. This dual exposure creates distinctive institutional challenges. The recommendations — for dedicated StratCom capacity within missions, improved early warning systems, and better integration with EEAS analytical infrastructure — are directly actionable for EU institutional planners.