Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SAUFEX (Secure Automated Unified Framework for EXchange)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-02-01 bis 2025-01-31
SAUFEX – Secure Automated Unified Framework for Exchange
Although the European Union's disinformation policy has developed significantly since 2015, Russia’s war in Ukraine has been a sobering reminder of the urgent need for fortified resilience against the ever-evolving threat of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).
SAUFEX (Secure Automated Unified Framework for EXchange) partners are united in their understanding of the importance of consolidating and utilising available information to establish a collective approach to FIMI. To achieve this, our project proposes creating a unified FIMI data environment (which we will refer to as a FIMI knowledge database) as well as establishing a pilot Resilience Council to act as an intermediary and a secure data guardian between state and non-state actors, specifically regarding interventions and FIMI attributions.
The project therefore aims to increase overall resilience against FIMI by improving the solution space for cross-border AI-supported analysis for policymakers, private stakeholders, and civil society actors practically and democratically, fostering a mutual understanding through the establishment of both a secure data space and a solution-space that will facilitate a unified and systematic response to FIMI.
Our initiative pursues three objectives:
1. Standardise knowledge, building on existing good practices to further develop a common and standardised framework for FIMI analysis;
2. De-centralise and democratise processes around FIMI analysis and response;
3. Incorporate community-driven quality assurance processes and expand theoretical understanding of FIMI within the defender community.
The objectives aim to achieve the following outcomes:
● Enable proactive detection, analysis, and countermoves in case of foreign attempts to undermine democratic processes and develop a better understanding of the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) involved in these attempts.
● Create an improved response system for policymakers and other stakeholders so that they are better equipped to handle FIMI threats.
● Improve coordination among EU member states and international partners in combating FIMI and provide a better theoretical understanding of the tension between the tenets of democracy and FIMI.
We propose that the project pilots these outcomes initially within a small coalition of willing member states represented by SAUFEX (Poland, Lithuania, Finland, the Netherlands, and Ukraine).
PORT Polish Center for Technology Development develops advanced technologies for industry, coordinates international projects such as EU Horizon, and applies for grants from various financing sources.
The University of Warsaw (UW) is a leading centre of university-based strategic research on international security, recognised in Poland and abroad.
The Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ISP PAN) is a highly esteemed institution consisting of a society of scholars, research institutes, and expert committees, all recognised for their scholarly achievements and scientific advancements in research.
Debunk.org is an independent technology think tank and NGO founded in 2017 that carries out disinformation analysis and runs educational media literacy campaigns in 8 countries.
Faktabaari is a Finnish non-profit promoting fact-checking and media literacy, founded in 2014. It combats false information and misinformation via fact-checking, resources, and training. It works closely with the media and has a fact-checked claims database on its website.
DROG is an organisation based in the Netherlands which focuses on combating disinformation, promoting media literacy, and fostering a more informed and engaged global citizenry.
Consortium standing partner:
OSavul is a software company focused on countering disinformation, having emerged in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Partnering with Ukrainian government institutions responsible for informational defence.
Although the European Union's disinformation policy has developed significantly since 2015, Russia’s war in Ukraine has been a sobering reminder of the urgent need for fortified resilience against the ever-evolving threat of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).
SAUFEX (Secure Automated Unified Framework for EXchange) partners are united in their understanding of the importance of consolidating and utilising available information to establish a collective approach to FIMI. To achieve this, our project proposes creating a unified FIMI data environment (which we will refer to as a FIMI knowledge database) as well as establishing a pilot Resilience Council to act as an intermediary and a secure data guardian between state and non-state actors, specifically regarding interventions and FIMI attributions.
The project therefore aims to increase overall resilience against FIMI by improving the solution space for cross-border AI-supported analysis for policymakers, private stakeholders, and civil society actors practically and democratically, fostering a mutual understanding through the establishment of both a secure data space and a solution-space that will facilitate a unified and systematic response to FIMI.
Our initiative pursues three objectives:
1. Standardise knowledge, building on existing good practices to further develop a common and standardised framework for FIMI analysis;
2. De-centralise and democratise processes around FIMI analysis and response;
3. Incorporate community-driven quality assurance processes and expand theoretical understanding of FIMI within the defender community.
The objectives aim to achieve the following outcomes:
● Enable proactive detection, analysis, and countermoves in case of foreign attempts to undermine democratic processes and develop a better understanding of the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) involved in these attempts.
● Create an improved response system for policymakers and other stakeholders so that they are better equipped to handle FIMI threats.
● Improve coordination among EU member states and international partners in combating FIMI and provide a better theoretical understanding of the tension between the tenets of democracy and FIMI.
We propose that the project pilots these outcomes initially within a small coalition of willing member states represented by SAUFEX (Poland, Lithuania, Finland, the Netherlands, and Ukraine).
PORT Polish Center for Technology Development develops advanced technologies for industry, coordinates international projects such as EU Horizon, and applies for grants from various financing sources.
The University of Warsaw (UW) is a leading centre of university-based strategic research on international security, recognised in Poland and abroad.
The Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences (ISP PAN) is a highly esteemed institution consisting of a society of scholars, research institutes, and expert committees, all recognised for their scholarly achievements and scientific advancements in research.
Debunk.org is an independent technology think tank and NGO founded in 2017 that carries out disinformation analysis and runs educational media literacy campaigns in 8 countries.
Faktabaari is a Finnish non-profit promoting fact-checking and media literacy, founded in 2014. It combats false information and misinformation via fact-checking, resources, and training. It works closely with the media and has a fact-checked claims database on its website.
DROG is an organisation based in the Netherlands which focuses on combating disinformation, promoting media literacy, and fostering a more informed and engaged global citizenry.
Consortium standing partner:
OSavul is a software company focused on countering disinformation, having emerged in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Partnering with Ukrainian government institutions responsible for informational defence.
Conducting research, training, and practical implementation of deliverables within WP1 - Requirements Gathering and Analysis and WP3 - Social Science and Humanities Research.
Establishment of the pilot Resilience Council (WP1).
D1.1 - Report on Resilience Councils (WP1) – completed in 100%.
D1.2 – Report on the current state of detection and analysis of FIMI (WP1) - completed in 100%.
D3.1 – FIMI narratives Report by the end of July 2025 - completed in 20%.
Establishment of the pilot Resilience Council (WP1).
D1.1 - Report on Resilience Councils (WP1) – completed in 100%.
D1.2 – Report on the current state of detection and analysis of FIMI (WP1) - completed in 100%.
D3.1 – FIMI narratives Report by the end of July 2025 - completed in 20%.
A pilot Resilience Council was established as an advisory body to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. The first ever council of such a character was formed to coordinate activities to counteract FIMI threats, help achieve a standardised EUwide solution space, and improve intra-EU coordination. It is composed of representatives of organisations involved in the study and prevention of disinformation who are appointed by the scientific community, media, and nongovernmental and business organisations. This process has given the project the appropriate prestige and expertise to create an impact.