In the run-up to and aftermath of the bitterly contested Catalan independence referendum, EU officials have seen an increase in false information published in Russian and Spanish. Carles Puigdemont, who has replaced Mas as regional president, announces an independence referendum will be held on 1 October. Spain raised the issue on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers in Brussels. Sputnik put “an astonishing emphasis” on the tweets of the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in its reporting before the independence vote, he said. In 2016, EU member states, which control the purse strings and set the direction of EU foreign policy, rejected a proposal by MEPs to give the unit a larger budget.

Source: The Guardian November 13, 2017 09:58 UTC