• The official page of the European Union Election Observation Missions (EU EOMs) aims to act as a central hub for all communication related to the EU election observation missions that are deployed to the field, ensuring a one-stop place where information and followers can gather. In particular, the page hopes to provide information for EU citizens on the impact that EU election observation is having worldwide. Content includes news and photos from each EU EOM deployed to the field, as well as official communications from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) on election-related issues.
• On average, the European Union (EU) deploys 30 electoral missions per year. That includes full-scale Election Observation Missions (EOMs), smaller EEMs (Election Expert Missions) and EFMs (Election Follow-up Missions), that return to the country during the election cycle to promote election reform. Missions are only deployed upon invitation by a partner country, and after a decision by the High Representative/Vice-President. EU EOMs are headed by a Member of the European Parliament as the Chief Observer.
• The EU deploys observation missions in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, while the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observes within its participating States, including in Europe, North America, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, regions which are not covered by the EU.
• EU Election Observation Missions are part of the EU’s commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Election observation contributes to the strengthening of democratic institutions, building public confidence in electoral processes, and helping to deter fraud, intimidation and violence.
• EU EOMs analyse the electoral process and provide an independent and impartial assessment of the elections. The methodology of the missions is based on a long-term approach, taking into account all aspects of the electoral process. The missions are grounded in international standards for democratic elections and provide recommendations to improve the democratic process around elections.
• In the past 20 years, the EU deployed over 200 missions in around 75 countries.
• The EU EOM page is developed and maintained by the Election Observation and Democracy Support (EODS) project. The EODS III project was launched in February 2021, being the sixth in a series of EU-funded projects supporting EU election-related efforts since 2002. The EODS III project builds on the activities and resources developed by those previous projects. It is implemented by a consortium led by GIZ, which also includes Democracy Reporting International (DRI) and Memo98 as partner organisations.
