EANA celebrates 70 years of supporting news agencies across Europe
Seventy years ago today, on 21 August 1956, European news agencies came together in Strasbourg to establish the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). What began as a forum for cooperation among a handful of European agencies has grown into a network of 33 member organisations representing 33 countries and over 670 million people, from Helsinki to Nicosia, from Lisbon to Baku.
Seven decades later, the principles that inspired EANA's founding remain at the heart of its mission: to safeguard the common interests of member agencies, to ensure they can operate as providers of unbiased news, and to uphold press freedom as a cornerstone of democratic societies.
The Alliance exists not as an institution unto itself, but as a collective platform where European news agencies share knowledge, coordinate responses to common threats, and advocate jointly for the conditions that allow independent news agency journalism to flourish.
Each member agency brings unique national expertise while contributing to a shared European standard of factual reporting.
"Our members are what makes our organisation strong," said Alexandru Ion Giboi, Secretary General of EANA. "Every individual member agency strengthens the whole. In an era when independent journalism faces mounting pressure from multiple directions, our unity is more important than ever, and our diversity is what makes us stronger."
EANA's twice-yearly conferences provide a space for members to exchange experiences, develop joint strategies, and build the professional relationships that make cross-border cooperation possible.
Today's challenges for the news agency environment
The news agency landscape in 2026 bears little resemblance to the world of 1956, yet our core mission remains the same. What has shifted dramatically, though, is the environment in which member agencies operate.
Copyright and content provenance. The rapid development of artificial intelligence has created new tensions around the unauthorised use of news agency content for AI training, leading to the erosion of licensing revenues of both news agencies and our customers from the news media sector. The basic principle that we support is "no consent, no content" when it comes to the use of our copyrighted work.
Disinformation amplified by technology. AI-generated content, automated amplification networks, and coordinated manipulation campaigns have made false information cheaper and faster to produce than ever before. News agencies are now facing industrial-scale disinformation operations designed to undermine public trust in verified reporting. Our most valuable tool in this fight for truth is our journalism.
Threats to journalist safety. Physical attacks and harassment unfortunately continue to escalate. News agencies in conflict-affected regions face particularly severe risks, with staff working under direct threat to deliver verified information to citizens who need it most. Many news agency journalists have lost their lives during these past years while doing their job in Ukraine, Gaza and other war-torn regions.
Seventy years on, the mission endures
EANA was founded in a post-World War Europe divided by the beginning of the Cold War. Agencies from both sides of the Iron Curtain eventually found common ground within the Alliance, proving that cooperation around factual reporting could transcend political boundaries. That lesson resonates powerfully in 2026.
Stefano De Alessandri, President of EANA and CEO of ANSA, said: "Seventy years ago, in Strasbourg, European news agencies started EANA with a clear idea in mind: that verified information serves the public interest, regardless of national borders. Today, as we celebrate seven decades of cooperation, that idea remains more relevant than ever.
EANA is the collective voice of agencies that provide the verified information citizens need to participate in democratic life and, unfortunately, in 2026, that duty faces unprecedented tests. AI-generated content, in still too many cases based on the unauthorised use of journalistic content, can now mimic human reporting. Fakes spread faster than they can be debunked. Meanwhile, the cost of news gathering and verification are growing. Truth still requires investment and resources, while democracies rely on that truth in order to function properly.
In this difficult context, collaboration is the foundation on which independent journalism survives. EANA enables that collaboration across borders, cultures, and languages.
As we mark this anniversary, I am proud to serve alongside colleagues who understand that news agencies are the backbone of the European information ecosystem. We will continue working to secure recognition for that role, to defend the conditions under which unbiased reporting can flourish, and to uphold the principles that brought us together in 1956.
Thank you to every member agency whose participation makes EANA's work possible. Together, we need to make sure that the crole of information remains accessible to all."
Claudia Nicolae, member of the Board of EANA and Director General of AGERPRES, said: "EANA means 70 years of solidarity, cooperation, and a common voice for news agencies across Europe. For AGERPRES, being part of EANA has meant, over these years, institutional development, access to European know-how and best practices, but also real solidarity in difficult moments - whether concerning the economic challenges facing the sector or the need to adapt quickly to technological change. This network of mutual support among national agencies is the most valuable legacy of these 70 years."
Patrick Lacroix, member of the Board of EANA and CEO of Belga, said: “Seventy years after its foundation, EANA remains important because independent news agencies are part of the information infrastructure of democratic societies. Technology is changing rapidly, but the need for verified, professionally produced and economically sustainable journalism is not. Our responsibility is not only to defend that role, but to adapt it to a new technological environment while preserving the independence and value of our journalism.”
Aimilios Perdikaris, member of the Board of EANA and media and communications executive at ANA-MPA said: "EANA’s 70 years represent a significant legacy of cooperation, reliability and a shared mission among European news agencies, including AMNA from Greece. EANA brings news agencies and their people together and represents their interests, strengthening their voice while promoting news exchange, innovation and high journalistic standards at a time of major technological change and new challenges, like the daily fight against disinformation. Our Alliance and our members should play an even stronger role in safeguarding reliable information and shaping the future of news agencies, which are a cornerstone of our democratic societies."
"As we mark 70 years, we recognise that the challenges have evolved, but the overall purpose of our organisation has not changed," said Alexandru Giboi. "Our member news agencies continue to provide the verified information that citizens need to make informed decisions. That responsibility has only grown more consequential with time."
EANA enters its eighth decade with renewed commitment to its founding principles and to the members who give those principles meaning.
About EANA
The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) was founded on 21 August 1956 in Strasbourg. Now headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, EANA serves as a forum for cooperation and exchange among its members.
Major objectives for EANA are:
To secure a business environment where news agencies can fulfil the task of independent and unbiased news reporting. This includes recognition of copyright and related rights for news agencies and access to sources of information.
To promote cooperation and information exchange between member agencies.
To offer member agencies a Pan-European professional forum for discussions and exchange of experiences and know-how.
For more information:
Alexandru Ion Giboi, EANA Secretary General
secretarygeneral@newsalliance.org
