In January 2018, the European Commission set up a high-level group of experts ("the HLEG") to advise on policy initiatives to counter fake news and disinformation spread online. Their final report released on 12 March 2018 and signed by Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, review best practices in the light of fundamental principles and suitable responses stemming from such principles.

The analysis presented in the Report starts from a shared understanding of disinformation as a phenomenon that goes well beyond the term "fake news". Disinformation includes all forms of false, inaccurate, or misleading information designed, presented and promoted to intentionally cause public harm or for profit.

The HLEG's recommendations aim to provide short-term responses to the most pressing problems, longer-term responses to increase societal resilience to disinformation, and a framework for ensuring that the effectiveness of these responses is continuously evaluated, while new evidence-based responses are developed.