European Union leaders are set to urge Facebook Inc., Google LLC and other online platforms to boost their efforts in removing misleading or illegal content ahead of the European Parliament elections in May, Reuters reported, citing a draft EU statement.

The bloc's heads of state, who will be at a European Council meeting on March 21-22, will highlight the risk of potential fake news and disinformation undermining the elections, and also call on EU governments to do more in safeguarding the elections.

According to the report, EU leaders will also ask governments to share information on such threats through a new system launched earlier this month.