Centre for Countering Disinformation to Report Directly to the President

The bill was considered today by members of the parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense and Public Order. The Centre for Strategic Communication and Disinformation Combat will be renamed the Centre for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation. The institution will focus its efforts on countering disinformation through prevention and public education in order to reduce the impact of disinformation and prevent its emergence, according to moldpres.md. The Director of the Centre will be included as a member of the Supreme Security Council by virtue of their position. According to the document, the direct subordination of the institution to the president of the country will contribute to better coordination of state policy, increased accountability and transparency. In addition, this change will contribute to more effective coordination of the state’s domestic and foreign policies, which stem from the president’s responsibilities in the areas of national security and international relations. The director of the Centre will be appointed and dismissed by the head of state. It is also proposed to create a new format for the Advisory Council at the Centre for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation. The council’s decisions will be advisory in nature. Its members may include civil servants, representatives of academia, individuals with recognized professional activities, representatives of strategic and developing partners, specialists or experts with recognized activities in the field of public communication, security and defense, public administration or international relations. Membership in the council will be voluntary. It will make proposals to improve the center’s activities and provide support in areas of competence. The draft revises certain terms, such as strategic communication, information manipulation activities and foreign interference, in line with the definitions used in the European Union. New definitions will also be included for terms such as confidential security information and social stability. Another provision aims to extend the validity of the Strategic Communication Concept until 31 December 2030 in order to strengthen the national strategic framework and ensure institutional effectiveness in the field of strategic communication and combating disinformation. The Concept has been approved for 2024–2028 and is a public policy tool derived from the National Security Strategy adopted for 2024–2030.