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COM(82)3
Vol.1982/0001

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(82)3final
Brussels/9thFebruary1982
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INFORMATION PROGRAMME FOR1982
(Communication fromtheCommission totheCouncil)
C0M(82)3final

INFORMATION PROGRAMME FOR 1982
.GUIDELINES
1.TheCommunity 'sinformation policy forthe '80s must reflectapolitical
and social context which differs radically from that ofprevious decades .
AsfarastheCommunity isconcerned ,,thecurrent crisis manifests it­
self intwoways :
J ...
onaneconomic levels inthe (re)emergence ofnationalism inpolicies
andattitudes ,inaproliferation ofconflicts ofinterest between
'"Member States (andbetween them andnon-member countries ),and last
butnot least ,inthesubstitution ofthenewproblem ofwhat todo
about thedrop ingrowth andtheattendant rise inunemployment for
theoldoneofhowtodivide thespoils ofaffluence . '
-onapsychological levels inafeeling ofinsecurity andevident dis­
enchantment with theCommunity ,which goes lisfarasoutright rejection
insome Member States (note theEurobarometgr surveys ). ' '
2.Inaddition ,ourefforts have tobesetagainst therapidly changing i
realities ofmass communication .Thepublic fsconstantly bombarded with
information from all sides and isreaching saturation point .Themass
media andpolitical performers broadcast messages which arebecoming more
and more simplistic andmore and more extreme .Theborderline .between
politics ,news andentertainment isblurred .^Ateassage like ours ,,often
complex andsubtle ,isfinding itharder andharder togetthrough -,ifit
. «
isnotgarbled onthe way.
3.Ourinformation activities cannot beconfined tovaunting thepositive
achievements oftheEuropean venture .Wemust take account ©fthenewcis-
givings being expressed bythepeople ofEurope andshow howtheCommunity
c^r .respond .Wemust strive tobeam amessage which will beheard .
'-V"-stalso bear inmind that theexistence ofanelected European Parliament
isr--ki.-.5increased demands bnus.From nowonelection campaigns inthe
••"er.b-'?r States will provide abetter indicator ofhowtheCommunity message
h;*penetrated andraised aresponse .Thelead-up tothenext European elec­
tions ,which hasalready begun ,will provide uswith agolden opportunity
formobilizing public opinion .

-2-
5.Seen from this angle ,information isnotmerely anoptional extra ,butan
essential component ofevery policy .
II.MESSAGE
1.inaworld w>\ich isthreatening tofall apart atthe seams ,theCommunity is
still aforce forcoherence andsolidarity .Itrepresents apolitical system ,
unique intheworld today ,based onright rather than might .Ituses a
democratic method based onapartnership ofpeers and the search for aconsensu :
togovern relations between States .This inevitably entails horsetrading ,
compromises anddelays *Farfrom trying togloss over conflicts ,which are
part oftheCommunity reality ,weshould :
-highlight thevirtues oftheCommunity 'swayofdealing with clashes of
interest ,stressing that decisions canonly betaken after anarduous
passage through theinstitutions ;
-strive tounderstand andpersuade others tounderstand theeotlves and
legitimate concerns ofourpartners ;
-explain andgain acceptance forsacrifices essential tothecommon good ;
-dare todiagnose andapportion blame between theInstitutions andthe
Member States when things gowrong .
2.Wemust eneea\.c ijrtoconvince thepeople ofEurope that theCommunity Is
here tostay ,that there isnoalternative totheCommunity when Itcooes to
problems which transcend tHenational dimension . .
JJ.UeDVJS:constantly project aconsistent ,comprehensive picture ofthe
Corrunity 'swork towhich theman inthestreet canpinthebits andpieces
ofinformation that rain down upon him .
4.Wemust ,ofcourse ,highlight achievements which areevident andquanti -
fiode (such astheexpansion oftrade andthegrowth ofCommunity funds )
cut weshnuld notneglect those which areprimarily qualitative (liberalisa -
«
ticnofcompetition ,consumer protection -thequality oflife -anInterna -
i .
tional presence andprestige ,etc.).

43·
5.IndetailingtheadvantagesthattheCommunitybrings,wemustnotconfine
ourselvestoaidswhicharepatentlyofCommunityorigin,butalsofeature '
•-thosewhoserootsintheCommunityhavebeenforgotten.Wemustclaimthe '
creditformeasurestoprotectanddefendthemaninthestreetwhichhave
losttheirCommunitylabel. .
6mAnotherpointwhichshouldbebroughtoutistheinnovativerole©fthe j
Community,andtheCommissioninparticular,indevisingandplanningnew.
policieswhichenablegovernments tofaceuptotheirresponsibilities .
Inmostcasesthisinvolvesmedium-andlong-tersaoptionsreachingbeyond J
theshort-term expediency whichtendstodominatepolitics.
7.In1982,twoimportanteventswilldominatetheCommunitysceneXand
*■ ■ ι
henceinfluencetheactivitiesoftheDirectorate-general forInfor- .
•mation:the25thanniversaryofthesigningoftheTreatyofRome'and
follow-uptotheMayMandate.Thesewillprovideanopportunityofex-''
plainingwhattheCommunityis,whatithasachievedandwhatitpro- j
posestodoaboutthechallenges nowfacingtheTen.
I t
8,TheCommission-anindependent institution withlargeresourcesfor
',.... ..1. !.. !information work-hasaduty,intheinterestsofalltheinstitutions , i
topublicizetheCommunityassuch.However,itisonlywiththehelpof '
theotherinstitutions thatitcandemonstrate that-despitedifficulties i
andvicissitudes alongthepathtointegration-thereisnoviable j
alternativetopoliciesfornulatedandimplementedatCommunitylevel. !
Interinstitutional cooperation willassumeparticular impcrtancein19S2 ;
whentheCommission andParliamentwillhavetoagreeonajoint i
informationcampaignforthenextEuropean;elections.Withthisinmind,j
presentcloselinkswithParliament'sCommitteeonYouth,Culture, j
Education,Information andSportwillbemaintained. I

_L-
III -TARGET AUDIENCES
1.IntheMember States the Community 'smessage must bebeamed atthe
general public .
Thetraditional ,indirect approach through multipliers totrade unionists ,
farmers ,women and soon'will bepursued .But wemust systematically widen
thescope forgetting ourmessage tothegeneral public direct .Since
resources are limited ,large-scale campaigns (theSilver Jubilee ,for
example )must continue tobetheexception rather than the rule .
2.The Spokesman 'sGroup isinaspecial position toprovide journalists
accredited toBrussels with information oncurrent developments .The
Directorate-General forInformation ,through its local offices ,should
provide follow-up tothePress ,regional and local papers included ,with
aview todeveloping channels ofcommunication .
3.The general public would feel more involved ifthe Community were to
tailor itsinformation activities toregional requirements .TheCommission
isdetermined topromote this type ofinformation inanumber ofways :
-byorganizing travelling exhibitions which should make itpossible to
make direct contact with theregional public ,politicians ,businessmen
and regional and local media ;
-bysupplying radio cassettes tolocal stations ;
-byorganizing visits toBrussels which would allow politicians ,businessmen
andrepresentatives oflocal press ,radio landtelevision tomake contacts
atheadquarters and see atfirst hand howthe Community works ;
-byencouraging exchanges between regional jTVnetworks .
TheCommission will examine thepossibility ofopening further regional
offices toback upitspolicy ofbringing information tothe regions .
4.Inthe case ofyoung people ,theCommunity must notonly tackle their
specific unemployment problems through econo^c and social action but
also respond totheir protest ,which highlights the fact that thepresent
crisis hasitsroots inthenature ofoursociety . '
There isaserious danger that theCommunity will lose thesupport ofits
>
young people forgood unless itcancome upwitharesponse which they
find acceptable .

-5-
5.Ourefforts toreach young people ,centred oncurrent affairs and
Community achievements ,should beamplified byatraining programming
using alleducational channels (schools ,universities ,schools
television ,training organizations ,associations ofvarious links ).
Atpresent these disseminate apredominantly national message which
weshould endeavour toenrich byadding aEuropean dimension ,stressing
thecultural aspects ofEuropean identity .
6.Eurobarometer (andother public opinion polls )whill show howthe wind
ofchange isblowing andallow the Commission toactaccordingly .
7.Innon-member countries theCommunity 'sinformation effort will beaimed
inthemain atpolitical andsocio-economic groups .TheCommission !
confirms that oneofitspriorities istoattach information offices
toexisting andnewdelegations andtoplace more emphasis onthe
information aspect oftheactivities ofitsdelegations inACPcountries
and the Mediterranean area .
IV"PRACTICABILITIES
1.Thesituation with regard tothepending ofinformation activities is
rather precarious .Theappropriation made available (approximately
12million ECU)ismodest ifthe information activities ofheadquarters
/
and 25local offices -not tomention thenewoffices approved in
principle -are tobefinanced .
2.The Commission confirms that itisprepared toconduct asystematic
review ofitsinformation tools andtomake savings bypursuing efforts
begun in1981 .
Inthis context the Directorate-General for Information isinstructed to
review all the information tools atitsdisposal :
1
-Areview body hasbegun tovet serial publications issued bythe
Directorate-Genera Ifor Information with thetwo-fold aim ofadapting
them tothe requirements ofCommission policy and cutting costs .A
proposal will beput tothe Commission within thenext three months .

-Proposals forrationalizing theflood ofpublications emanating from
other Commission departments will also beputtotheCommission ,
-Asimilar exercise will beundertaken with regard toinformation visits
with aview todefining thepriority groups tobeinvited ,improving
preparation andfollow-up ,anddeveloping training facilities for
Commission lecturers .
-With regard toradio andtelevision ,thekeytoreaching thegeneral
public ,amore determined effort must bemade toevaluate possibilities
atthe Commission 'sdisposal .Coverage ofCommunity news and the
implications ofthetechnological and cultural development ofthe
communications media for the Commission 'sinformation policy must also
beconsidered .Astudy ,which will take Parliament 'srecommendations
into account ,will beput inhand shortly .
-Finally ,the Directorate-General forInformation ,while maintaining
effective coordination with theSecretariat-General ,will beforced to
adopt arestrictive policy onsubsidies forevents ofCommunity interest .
Inpractice ,itwill have toconfine itself tobacking information
«
activities specifically linked totheCommission 'spolitical priorities
which itcanhelp toorganize and follow through .
The reorganization ofthe Directorate-General for Information took effect
«
on 1January 1982 .Themain objective wastoimprove monitoring ofpolicies
implemented bytheCommission andensure closer working relations between
headquarters and the 25local offices .Asecondary objective was to -\
increase other departments' involvement intflework oftheDirectorates
General .Afirst step inthis direction wastaken inJune 1981 in (
• 1connection with presentation ofthe Commission 'sMandate Report and the
discussions which followed .TheCommission would like tomake this approach
standard practice across the whole range ofitsinformation activities .
Inthis context information priorities for1982 will reflect thepolitical
priorities which theCommission will beputting toParliament when the
President makes his "State oftheCommunity "!speech atitsFebruary ;
part-session .