After awareness, citizens need to know where to go for more detailed information and for help in seeking redress if things go wrong. It is the job of public administrations at all levels to help improve awareness and the availability of information. The Forum has provided the Commission and public administrations with the opportunity to show what they do in this area, and for others to say where they see gaps. Officials and law-makers at all levels must avoid thinking that we know it all. We need to listen to citizens concerns.
Dialogue means what it says.
We want to hear from citizens and businesses as well as to inform them. It is an exchange of information. We are, I think, getting better at organising feedback and the Commission's Dialogue with Citizens and Business has improved and greatly expanded its service. The next challenge is to ensure that this results in more responsive policy-making from administrations reflecting the needs of citizens, consumers and business. Citizens want to know that their concerns or complaints will be properly and quickly dealt with.