WRITTEN QUESTION E-2357/02

by Marie Isler Béguin (Verts/ALE), Catherine Guy-Quint (PSE),Elmar Brok (PPE-DE), Pedro Marset Campos (GUE/NGL), Lennart Sacrédeus (PPE-DE),Monica Frassoni (Verts/ALE), Hans Modrow (GUE/NGL)and David Martin (PSE) to the Commission

(2 August 2002)

Subject: EU information policy in the republics of eastern Europe

Knowledge and, therefore, an understanding of the projects and policies pursued by the European Union is gaining ground on a daily basis and in the field through the Union's information and documentation networks in the Member States, the applicant countries and third countries. These information networks comprise Info-Points Europe(1), European documentation centres(2), the rural information carrefours(3), the Euro Info Centres(4) and the Team Europe conference speakers(5) situated in towns and cities.

These Union showcases and databases are efficient and effective sources of information for the general public and other players in European societies, drawing their attention to and facilitating their participation in programmes, projects and debates launched by the Union

In the short term, the enlargement of the Union to include the central European countries will mean a shift in its eastern borders. This enlargement will produce a new EU perceived in a different light by countries such as Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, which have common links with European history and civilisation, even though they are not at present officially recognised as candidates for participation in the process of European integration. Although the Ukrainian Government has confirmed its willingness to forge closer links with and take its place in the European Community, sentiments also previously expressed by the leaders of Belarus and Moldova, Community information sources are at present confined to two European documentation centres in Ukraine (population 50 million), one in Belarus (population 10 million) and none in Moldova (population 4,5 million), whereas neighbouring Poland has some forty EU information centres for its population of 40 million.

Is it not appropriate, in the Commission's view, to continue with its information campaign on our institutions, our values and our policies, targeting the citizens of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova in their official national languages who will, in the short term, also be our immediate neighbours in an enlarged EU?

Within what time-frame is the Commission prepared to increase the number of information offices and networks in these three European countries and to how many?

(1) http://europa.eu.int/comm/relays/ipe/index_en.htm.

(2) http://europa.eu.int/comm/relays/edc/index_en.htm.

(3) http://europa.eu.int/comm/relays/carrefours/index_en.htm.

(4) http://bre.cec.eu.int.

(5) http://europa.eu.int/comm/relays/teameurope/index_en.htm.

Answer given by Mr Prodi on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2002)

The Commission welcomes the positive view expressed by the Honourable Members that knowledge and understanding of the policies pursued and projects implemented by the Union are gaining ground thanks to the information and dissemination networks in the Member States, the applicant countries and third countries.

Clearly the task of informing citizens about the Union's institutions, values and policies should also be undertaken in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova and the Commission has already started work in this area.

At the moment the European Information Centres (EICs) and European Documentation Centres (EDCs) are present throughout central and Eastern Europe, but the Info-Points Europe, the rural information Carrefours and Team Europe are only formally established in the 15 Member States. However, as stated in the Communication on An information and communication strategy for the European Union(1) preparations are being made to extend them to future Member States. There are no plans to extend them to Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova in the foreseeable future.

The extension of the full range of Commission information tools to the new Member States should not pose problems, given the work that has already taken place in the context of the Commission's communication strategy for enlargement. The Honourable Members will note that, as is described in the document Explaining Enlargement(2) there is now an extensive network of information centres throughout the candidate countries, managed by the Commission Delegations in the framework of their communication strategies. This network includes large, public information centres in all capitals of the region, which often in co-ordination with the Government, local authorities non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the EICs and EDCs are responsible for the increase in knowledge and understanding highlighted by the Honourable Members. In addition, a number of delegations such as the one in the Czech Republic have already established a functioning Team Europe, which provides members to speak at schools, conferences, and so on.

With respect to Euro Info Centres, the possibility of opening a Euro Info Correspondence Centre (EICC) in Moldova is currently being evaluated by the Commission.

As far as the EDCs are concerned, the Honourable Members rightly point out that there are currently two EDCs in Ukraine, and one in Belarus. The Commission has recently opened a new Documentation Centre in Moldova at the Academy of Economic Studies of Chisnau. The Convention was signed by the Commission on May 2002 and copies were sent both to the University and to the Delegation in Ukraine. There is, of course, no reason, why additional EDCs cannot be established in universities that are able to provide resources and meet the necessary criteria. Indeed, there may well be a new Centre in Lugansk, East Ukraine, in the near future since the Commission has already received a Convention signed by this University.

The Commission is currently reassessing the situation of the whole EDC network throughout the world, in order to be able to better define future priorities, and this will be completed before giving a positive reply to new applications. For the Honourable Member's information, in the evaluation of individual EDCs the opinion of the Delegation concerned is extremely important especially in terms of relevance and geographical balance. All EDCs are located in universities and depend upon the university for physical and human resources. The Commission provides information the majority of which is electronic , a support network and some assistance with the provision of hardware. The information provided by EDCs is only available, however, in the official languages of the Union.

An important source of information for the citizens of Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova is the Commission's Delegation in Ukraine. This Delegation was given the responsibility of providing information to Belarus and Moldova in 2001. The Delegation has an annual global budget of EUR 547 000 for information activities of which EUR 26 000 is dedicated to information work in Moldova and EUR 20 000 to information work in Belarus. This work includes the dissemination of publications, relations with the written and broadcast media and the organisation of seminars for decision-makers. At present the information policy in relation to third countries is under review but it is clear that, as a result of increased decentralisation in the External Service of the Commission, the responsibility of Delegations for the provision of information will be increased.

(1) COM(2002) 350 final.

(2) DG Enlargement web site http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/communication/index.htm.