WRITTEN QUESTION E-3014/01

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(29 October 2001)

Subject: Funding of information campaigns in the applicant countries

What resources have been used to fund information campaigns and influence public opinion in each of the applicant countries since they submitted their applications for EU membership?

Who have been the ten biggest recipients in each country? Will the Commission forward a list of all recipients separately, stating the amounts received and the purposes for which funding was allocated?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(16 January 2002)

Up until 1998, the Commission carried out its communication activities in the candidate countries largely on the basis of funds provided from the budget of the former DGX (information policy). This involved the Delegations participating in a number of public events, seminars, conferences and similar activities.

In 1998, the Commission launched an enhanced effort to inform the citizens of the candidate countries about the Union. This communication strategy was implemented via one central contractor, funded by the PHARE programme (Regulation EC 3906/89) and a series of sub-contracts in each candidate country. This contract ended in December 2001. The activities have included the establishment of European Union information centres in all capitals of the candidate countries, staffed by information officers responsible for dealing with the public, either in person or via web sites that have been established. It also includes assistance with the establishment by the local authorities of other information points, for example in libraries, universities or town halls.

These centres are also involved in preparing brochures, fact sheets, and other material to explain the EU to the citizens. They have helped organise debates, seminars, press conferences and so on, sometimes linked to the partner countries' own efforts. While the main focus of this effort was initially to inform the general public about the EU, the launch of the negotiations has led to an increasing interest in the process and consequences of enlargement. Hence the Delegations and their information activities have become increasingly oriented towards explaining the decisions taken in the negotiations and providing information about Community pre-accession assistance.

In May 2000, as a third pillar of the pre-accession strategy, the Commission launched a comprehensive communication strategy involving activities in both the present and future Member States. This has involved a change in the contractual situation, with Delegations assuming direct responsibility for the contracts with their information companies.

In addition the communication strategy foresees an increasing role for representations in the Member States, who have begun during the year 2001 to carry out research into the state of public opinion in order to orient their Communication strategy to hold seminars and discussions with the public and interested groups. Some have already begun producing brochures and leaflets explaining enlargement. The activities in member states will increase over the next few years as enlargement approaches and do not aim to influence opinion, but to inform the public in the present and future member states on all aspects of the enlargement process.