WRITTEN QUESTION P-2927/96 by Gérard Caudron (PSE) to the Commission (25 October 1996)

Subject: Information about the Community for young people

I have regular contacts with European citizens, in particular teachers, and I am pleased to note that they have a lively interest in European issues and are especially keen to know more about how the Union and the European institutions function and about their objectives and achievements.

Unfortunately there is very little or no promotional material aimed at young - even very young - citizens of the European Union.

What are the Commission's objectives in the area of information for young people and children for educational purposes?

Will it produce and disseminate, without delay, promotional and educational material for children?

Answer given by Mr Oreja on behalf of the Commission (28 November 1996)

The Commission is aware of the importance of making information available to young people and has mounted a number of projects in this field. Indeed, publications designed for school-children figure in the priority publications programme.

Also, a new, thoroughly revised edition of 'Exploring Europe' will soon be coming out, and a cartoon and a CD-ROM for the 9-14 age group are being prepared. The production of various other information products for children is being considered by the Commission.

The 'Youth for Europe' programme includes an initiative which provides support for information projects relating to the objective of the programme - active citizenship among young people.

In 1996, over fifty information projects for young people received support under this initiative. Of these, eighteen projects involving information structures for young people in thirteen Member States, plus Iceland and Norway, were funded with a view to setting up a network (Eurodesk) aimed specifically at providing information to young Europeans on Community programmes and initiatives which are of interest to them.

Finally, the Commission has undertaken the development of a pilot project 'Teaching in Europe', with the participation of teachers from several Member States. The objective of this programme is to test material produced by the Commission from an educational point of view.

Information about Europe for young people is particularly important as the foundations of personality are laid at a very young age. The Commission, and, in particular, its offices in the Member States, have often noted the almost complete absence of such information. The Commission's task of producing promotional and educational material for children does come up against enormous difficulties. There is the risk that it may be viewed as propaganda, and it must also take account of the great variety of cultural approaches and educational programmes in the Member States.

Therefore, most of the information initiatives for this audience, embarked upon by the Commission to date, have been taken by the Commission's offices in the Member States. Interesting projects have been carried out by the Bonn, London, Rome and Milan offices. The warm reception received by these initiatives and the evident demand for them has prompted the Commission to create a central series of publications, in which a new, completely revised edition of 'Exploring Europe' appears. The other language versions of this brochure will be published before Christmas.

Among the other projects being developed, there is also a small encyclopedia (Europe from A to Z) and a strip cartoon on the Community. These first projects will be carefully evaluated with a view to establishing a medium to long-term educational publishing programme. The quality and effectiveness of this programme will be enhanced by the use of other educational material produced by the Commission and private publishers, a copy of the programme is being sent to the Honourable Member and to Parliament's Secretariat.