A4-0485/98

Resolution on the communication from the Commission on the information strategy for the euro (COM(98)0039 - C4-0125/98)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission (COM(98)0039 - C4-0125/98),

- having regard to the communication from the Commission on the update on the practical aspects of the introduction of the euro (COM(98)0061 - C4-0142/98),

- having regard to Commission recommendation 98/286/EC concerning banking charges for conversion to the euro ((OJ L 130, 1.5.1998, p. 22.)),

- having regard to Commission recommendation 98/287/EC concerning dual display of prices and other monetary amounts ((OJ L 130, 1.5.1998, p. 26.)),

- having regard to Commission recommendation 98/288/EC on dialogue, monitoring and information to facilitate the transition to the euro ((OJ L 130, 1.5.1998, p. 29.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 13 January 1998 on the Euro and the Consumer ((OJ C 34, 2.2.1998, p. 38.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 10 March 1998 on the practical aspects of the introduction of the euro and the Commission Working Paper entitled 'Preparations for the changeover of public administrations to the euro' ((OJ C 104, 6.4.1998, p. 69.)),

- having regard to the Memorandums of Understanding concerning information on the introduction of the euro, which have been agreed by eleven Member States, the Commission and Parliament,

- having regard to the hearing of the Subcommittee on Monetary Affairs of 21 September 1998 on the euro information campaign,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and Media (A4-0485/98),

A. whereas the introduction of the single European currency, the euro, will affect all the inhabitants of the European Union more than any other single measure of the EU,

B. whereas the euro, apart from its economic, geo-economic and geo-political advantages, will constitute an important factor for building a common European identity,

C. whereas information and communication on the euro is an essential step towards ensuring the success of economic and monetary union,

D. whereas the success of EMU and its acceptance by citizens will be decisive for pursuing European construction,

E. whereas a large part of the EU population feels ill informed about the euro,

F. whereas, according to the OECD, around 30 - 40 % of the European population experiences difficulty comprehending written information,

G. whereas disadvantaged groups of society such as the blind and partially sighted or the

poorest have specific communication needs,

H. whereas an important part of the population (around 30%) may not be reached by the usual communication tools, for many reasons: illiteracy, economically and socially disadvantaged situation, age, handicaps (the blind and the deaf), political or philosophical position,

I. whereas an information campaign may have negative repercussions if the message and the instruments are not tailored to the needs of specific target groups,

J. whereas money is not only a technical instrument to facilitate exchanges, but has psychological, social, political, emotional and national dimensions,

K. whereas the acceptance of the euro by European citizens implies building their confidence in the euro, and in the institutions which create, survey, and monitor it,

L. whereas the changeover to the euro will change all existing scales of material values and public perceptions of prices, and whereas the time necessary to reconstruct scales of value and adapt to the new prices and to build confidence in the euro may be of several years for a large part of the population,

M. whereas from 1 January 1999 citizens will be able to use the euro to make payments with all money instruments other than cash (notes and coins), and whereas many professional operators will price and propose to pay their goods and services in euro from 1999 onwards,

N. whereas information, if not followed by practice, may trigger a negative response or be useless,

O. whereas the introduction of the euro may lead to fraud and abuse during the first years and whereas, among other actions, good information will contribute to prevent these abuses,

P. whereas information however is not sufficient to create the confidence of the citizen in the euro and in the European institutions indispensable to its success,

Q. whereas the behaviour of all the economic, political and social players will be judged by the citizen on the way they are handling the changeover to the euro and whereas, in consequence, they should be encouraged to adopt good practices and become involved in information activities on the euro,

R. whereas of all market players, banks and financial services will have the highest responsibility in raising consumer confidence, and whereas the distribution and tourism sectors are in the front line in the use of money by the citizens and will as such play an essential role in accustoming consumers to new prices and values, and the use of euro money instruments,

S. whereas the PRINCE budget for the year 1998 amounts to ECU 30 million and the proposed annual budgets decrease from ECU 38 million for 1999 to ECU 32 million for 2000 and ECU 30 million for 2001,

T. whereas the euro information campaign must be continually strengthened and developed from 1999 onwards,

1. Welcomes the Commission's communication on the information strategy for the euro;

2. Calls on the Commission and Member States to monitor and provide a regular and specific assessment of the campaign;

3. Asks for a substantial increase of the budget for the euro information campaign, from 1999 onwards, with a special effort for the year preceding the introduction of euro notes and coins;

4. Calls for the budget for the PRINCE programme to be maintained at the ECU 38 million level for both 2000 and 2001;

5. Calls for the euro information campaign to be extended until the end of 2002;

6. Recommends maintaining the information effort in 2002 at EUR 30 million;

7. Insists that the Community information strategy on the euro is financed by the EU budget under a specific programme;

8. Recommends that the new guidelines on the contents of the Prince programme, concentrating on a single campaign in favour of the single currency, be submitted to the working party for priority actions;

9. Proposes that the Prince programme (B3-306) should remain a separate budget line in title B3-3; that its appropriation be determined by the budgetary authority on an annual basis within the current financial perspective; that these actions be determined by the working party and the funding decided on an annual basis by the budgetary authority;

10. Recommends that part of the funding is kept available for actions in the countries not belonging to EMU;

11. Considers the Commission decision as a sufficient legal basis;

12. Suggests that Community co-financing on the basis of partnership with the Member States should not be allowed to exceed 50% of the total cost of the joint action;

13. Supports the establishment of observatories on the changeover to and progress in the use of the euro at local level, as such bodies help to increase citizens¨ confidence in the way the introduction of the euro is being handled, and may play an important role in monitoring the impact of information campaigns and helping to adapt them to the needs and demands of all citizens;

14. Recalls that all partners of the national tripartite committees should exert equal influence on the implementation of national information plans;

15. Reminds the Commission and all the public authorities of the Member States of the specific role which Members of the European Parliament, by virtue of their representative status and their European democratic legitimacy, can and must play in informing citizens and that they must therefore be involved in the euro information campaign ;

16. Recommends that 'euro mediators' be introduced for disadvantaged groups and trained for that purpose;

17. Recommends that the general public be among the main target groups of the euro information campaign with special attention being given to particular sections of society such as the elderly, economically and socially disadvantaged citizens, those suffering visual, auditive, mental or physical handicaps, and illiterate people;

18. Calls in particular for at least 10% of the information campaign resources to be made available for special forms of communication with the disadvantaged sections of the information society of the 21st century, while paying special attention to the population of remoter regions;

19. Insists on the role of information multipliers that young people and specifically the youngest may play; and on the necessity, as future European citizens, to give them the largest information on European culture and history, the construction of Europe and the European institutions in a way that places the euro in its historical and political context, as well as on technical aspects;

20. Recommends tailoring specific tools and means to inform disadvantaged groups of society, and isolated persons;

21. Recommends targeting women not in paid employment, whose household budgetary powers and influence on opinion within the family should not be underestimated;

22. Insists on the role that the regions and local authorities have to play in the information campaign by virtue of their proximity to the citizen specifically for disadvantaged groups of society (for economic, social, age or handicap reasons);

23. Recommends that all existing communication means be mobilised (written, audio, and audio-visual media, leaflets, brochures, free answering services, hotline, Internet and CD ROMs);

24. Recommends that the main focus be put on schools (primary and secondary), on universities and on mass media (radio, television) as well as the local press;

25. Stresses also the importance of using other media aimed at specific population groups such as the associative press (consumers' associations, the elderly, associations of parents of school children, trade unions and women's organisations);

26. Points out that information cannot be a one-way street, that preparations should be made for receiving information, and the parties involved (business, associations and the public) must therefore be encouraged by the information campaigns to take part (e.g. by games, competitions, essay competitions in schools, etc.);

27. Recommends providing small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in the retail and distribution sector, with more information on the euro especially through their professional associations, starting as soon as possible, in view of the ground to be made up;

28. Recommends doing the same for the distribution and tourism sectors and providing them with visual information on the euro, especially on notes and coins, well before 2001;

29. Points out that those active in tourism and sales involving international contacts will be expected to have especially high levels of information and knowledge, will be in a position to promote or discourage acceptance of the euro, and should therefore be given information and training as a matter of priority;

30. Takes the view that dual indication of prices and values should be optional during the transitional period in order to give markets greater flexibility in finding the optimal solutions which strike a balance between consumers' demands and the needs of shopkeepers in adapting to utilisation of the euro;

31. Considers nevertheless that national, regional and local authorities as well as professional associations should encourage distributors, retailers and the tourism sector to adopt the rules of good practice negotiated at European level by associations for the blind and consumers¨ associations and European professional associations of these sectors; considers it necessary to promote widely and monitor the use of the European logo linked to compliance with this agreement;

32. Considers, however, that if dual indication of prices and values fails to catch on properly because it is optional, the public authorities will have to introduce measures for its promotion in the retail sector;

33. Considers indispensable that from 1999 onwards the principle of free conversion whether in bank money or in cash (from 2002) between the relevant national currency and the euro (or the reverse) be secured and that for other banking or financial operations in euro charging be completely transparent and not discriminate negatively the use of the euro;

34. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council.