European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 (listening room JDE 53) / Web streaming / EN-FR-ES-IT

We scroll, we click, we connect, but do we really feel close? This opening session kicks off EuroPCom 2026 by exploring the paradox of connection in today's digital world and by inviting public communicators to step into their roles as true connectors of people, democracy, and belonging.  

        Speaker TBC

        Kata TÜTTÖ, President, European Committee of the Regions

        Representative from the European Parliament TBC 

Moderation by Anna GUMBAU

Web streaming / EN-FR-ES-IT

We scroll, we click, we connect, but do we really feel close? This opening session kicks off EuroPCom 2026 by exploring the paradox of connection in today's digital world and by inviting public communicators to step into their roles as true connectors of people, democracy, and belonging.  

        Speaker TBC

        Kata TÜTTÖ, President, European Committee of the Regions

        Representative from the European Parliament TBC 

Moderation by Anna GUMBAU

European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 5 / EN

Three short and inspiring talks that explore how public communication can create connection across people, places, and time, from strengthening social bonds and amplifying diverse voices, to grounding European narratives in local realities and linking the past experiences to future challenges, these talks show how communication can turn fragmentation into shared meaning 

Connecting people 
        Sevim AKTAS, Founder, inside eu and Social Media Coordinator, Cabinet of Commissioner Micallef

Connecting places 
        Speaker TBC

Connecting times
        Dr Felix M. SIMON, Research Fellow in AI, Information, and News at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford  

Moderation by Anna GUMBAU

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 / Web streaming / EN-ES-FR-IT

From recognition to resilience: countering Foreign Information Manipulation Interference (FIMI) in regional elections 

FIMI doesn't just spread falsehoods, but it also turns people against each other. In the run-up to regional elections, this workshop explores how manipulation campaigns exploit fear, identity, and emotion to fracture communities and weaken election integrity. It challenges public communicators to move beyond debunking and focus on what really counters interference: rebuilding trust, restoring dialogue, and reconnecting people to democratic life. 

Keynote
        George PAPANDREOU, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, former Prime Minister of Greece, General rapporteur on Democracy in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

Speakers   

        Viktoras DAUKSAS, Head of Debunk.org 

        Péter KREKÓ, Policy Leader Fellow; Florence School of Transnational Governance and Director of Political Capital Institute and Head of HDMO-Lakmusz 

        Andrea LIEBMAN, Senior Analyst; Swedish Psychological Defence Agency 

Web streaming / EN-ES-FR-IT

From recognition to resilience: countering Foreign Information Manipulation Interference (FIMI) in regional elections 

FIMI doesn't just spread falsehoods, but it also turns people against each other. In the run-up to regional elections, this workshop explores how manipulation campaigns exploit fear, identity, and emotion to fracture communities and weaken election integrity. It challenges public communicators to move beyond debunking and focus on what really counters interference: rebuilding trust, restoring dialogue, and reconnecting people to democratic life. 

Keynote
        George PAPANDREOU, Member of the Hellenic Parliament, former Prime Minister of Greece, General rapporteur on Democracy in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

Speakers   

        Viktoras DAUKSAS, Head of Debunk.org 

        Péter KREKÓ, Policy Leader Fellow; Florence School of Transnational Governance and Director of Political Capital Institute and Head of HDMO-Lakmusz 

        Andrea LIEBMAN, Senior Analyst; Swedish Psychological Defence Agency 

European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 6 / EN

Run by the European Commission – details to come soon  

Facilitator

        First Name LAST NAME, Function; Organisation

        First Name LAST NAME, Function; Organisation

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 51 / Web streaming / EN

Data Storytelling

TikTok is one of the most influential and notoriously opaque platforms shaping political communication today. From election campaigns to disinformation networks, its dynamics are studied - but rarely accessible to the communicators who need to act on them. This hands-on workshop shows you how to collect, clean, and visualise TikTok data to produce compelling, evidence-based stories. 

Trainer
        Marcus BÖSCH, researcher and consultant specialising in propaganda, AI, and platform politics 

Web streaming / EN

Data Storytelling

TikTok is one of the most influential and notoriously opaque platforms shaping political communication today. From election campaigns to disinformation networks, its dynamics are studied - but rarely accessible to the communicators who need to act on them. This hands-on workshop shows you how to collect, clean, and visualise TikTok data to produce compelling, evidence-based stories. 

Trainer
        Marcus BÖSCH, researcher and consultant specialising in propaganda, AI, and platform politics 

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 / Web streaming / EN-FR

Europe speaks but who is really listening?  

This workshop will explore how European public communication is perceived from outside Europe. We will listen to bold provocative, and (uncomfortably) honest views - challenging the European lens, revealing blind spots, and unpacking how credibility and relevance are constructed (or lost) across continents. This session aims to break the autopilot of EU narratives.  

Speakers
        Shada ISLAM, Managing Director; New Horizons Project and Brussels-based EU analyst and commentator 

        More speakers TBC 

Moderation by Silke TOENSHOFF, Head of the Events and Local Dialogues Unit, European Committee of the Regions

Web streaming / EN-FR

Europe speaks but who is really listening?  

This workshop will explore how European public communication is perceived from outside Europe. We will listen to bold provocative, and (uncomfortably) honest views - challenging the European lens, revealing blind spots, and unpacking how credibility and relevance are constructed (or lost) across continents. This session aims to break the autopilot of EU narratives.  

Speakers
        Shada ISLAM, Managing Director; New Horizons Project and Brussels-based EU analyst and commentator 

        More speakers TBC 

Moderation by Silke TOENSHOFF, Head of the Events and Local Dialogues Unit, European Committee of the Regions

European Committee of the Regions, JDE Atrium 6

Nordic Focus - details to come soon

Facilitators
        TBC

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 53 / Web streaming / EN

Reclaiming social media: bold responses to online attacks 

Social media is a contested space where narratives collide and connection can quickly break down. This training will present the example of the French Response account to showcase how bold, realworld digital strategies can be used by public communicators to push back against disinformation, reclaim space, and build meaningful engagement.  

Trainer:
        Mélodine ALLAIRE, Head of the Influence and Strategic Communication Unit; French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affair 

Web streaming / EN

Reclaiming social media: bold responses to online attacks 

Social media is a contested space where narratives collide and connection can quickly break down. This training will present the example of the French Response account to showcase how bold, realworld digital strategies can be used by public communicators to push back against disinformation, reclaim space, and build meaningful engagement.  

Trainer:
        Mélodine ALLAIRE, Head of the Influence and Strategic Communication Unit; French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affair 

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 52 / Web streaming / EN, FR, IT, ES

Countering FIMI: practical strategies for political leaders at the regional level 

This interactive training brings together regional and local political leaders, Young Elected Politicians, and public communicators to explore how foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) affect regions and cities across Europe. Through real-life cases shared by CoR members and a minimasterclass led by Debunk, participants will gain practical experience from concrete cases, codevelop tailored response strategies for the regional and local context, and support the co-development of tailored, context-sensitive solutions to strengthen resilience at the regional and local level.  

Speakers

        Matteo PUGLIESE, Senior Analyst, Debunk.or

        Sophie SACILOTTO, Analyst, Debunk.org

Moderation by Mario GRUBIŠIĆ, Head of Future LAB Sector, Events and local dialogurd unit, European Committee of the Regions

Web streaming / EN, FR, IT, ES

Countering FIMI: practical strategies for political leaders at the regional level 

This interactive training brings together regional and local political leaders, Young Elected Politicians, and public communicators to explore how foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) affect regions and cities across Europe. Through real-life cases shared by CoR members and a minimasterclass led by Debunk, participants will gain practical experience from concrete cases, codevelop tailored response strategies for the regional and local context, and support the co-development of tailored, context-sensitive solutions to strengthen resilience at the regional and local level.  

Speakers

        Matteo PUGLIESE, Senior Analyst, Debunk.or

        Sophie SACILOTTO, Analyst, Debunk.org

Moderation by Mario GRUBIŠIĆ, Head of Future LAB Sector, Events and local dialogurd unit, European Committee of the Regions

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 52 / Web streaming / EN-FR 

Beyond Big Tech: shaping Europe digital future  

Europe is building its own digital kit. The workshop will explore alternative social media platforms, AI solutions, and LLMs in light of current EU priorities, including democratic resilience, the implementation of the Digital Services Act, and Europe’s strategic autonomy in the digital sphere. The focus is on what new models can structurally change public communication ecosystems and ensure technology serves connection rather than fragmentation.    

Speakers
        Anna ZEITER, CEO, W

        Gualtiero CARRARO, CEO, Carraro Lab

        More speakers TBC

      

Web streaming / EN-FR 

Beyond Big Tech: shaping Europe digital future  

Europe is building its own digital kit. The workshop will explore alternative social media platforms, AI solutions, and LLMs in light of current EU priorities, including democratic resilience, the implementation of the Digital Services Act, and Europe’s strategic autonomy in the digital sphere. The focus is on what new models can structurally change public communication ecosystems and ensure technology serves connection rather than fragmentation.    

Speakers
        Anna ZEITER, CEO, W

        Gualtiero CARRARO, CEO, Carraro Lab

        More speakers TBC

      

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 53 / Web streaming / EN

The programme will be updated continuosly until the event. 

More details coming soon

Speakers TBC

Web streaming / EN

The programme will be updated continuosly until the event. 

More details coming soon

Speakers TBC

European Committee of the Regions, JDE 62 / Web streaming / EN-FR

EuroPCom 2026 wraps up by reflecting on the ideas, insight, and experiments of the past two days. The session highlights how public communication can transform hyper-connectivity into meaningful human connection, reinforcing trust, engagement, and democratic resilience across people, places, and times. 

Speakers:  

        François-Xavier PRIOLLAUD, vice-president of the Normandy Region and Special Rapporteur for the CoR's Communications Strategy 

        Florian MARIN, member of the European Economic and Social Committee

        Inga ROSINSKA, Director for Information and Outreach, DG Communication and Information, Council of the European Union  

        Representative from the European Commission  

        Representative from the European Investment Bank  

        Gabriel GLÖCKLER, Principal Adviser, Directorate General Communications, European Central Bank Representative from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

Moderation by Anna GUMBAU 

Web streaming / EN-FR

EuroPCom 2026 wraps up by reflecting on the ideas, insight, and experiments of the past two days. The session highlights how public communication can transform hyper-connectivity into meaningful human connection, reinforcing trust, engagement, and democratic resilience across people, places, and times. 

Speakers:  

        François-Xavier PRIOLLAUD, vice-president of the Normandy Region and Special Rapporteur for the CoR's Communications Strategy 

        Florian MARIN, member of the European Economic and Social Committee 

        Inga ROSINSKA, Director for Information and Outreach, DG Communication and Information, Council of the European Union  

        Representative from the European Commission  

        Representative from the European Investment Bank  

        Gabriel GLÖCKLER, Principal Adviser, Directorate General Communications, European Central Bank Representative from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

Moderation by Anna GUMBAU