WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3322/98 by Kirsi PIHA Information about the EU in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe
Date: 1998-11-10
Institutions: European Parliament, PIHA
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, Commission Delegation, European Union, accession to the European Union, centralisation of information, dissemination of information, information system, promotion of the European idea, public awareness campaign













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91998E3322

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3322/98 by Kirsi PIHA Information about the EU in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe  


Official Journal C 289 , 11/10/1999 P. 0037 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-3322/98by Kirsi Piha (PPE) to the Commission(10 November 1998)Subject: Information about the EU in the countries of Central and Eastern EuropeRecent opinion polls in several countries of Central and Eastern Europe have shown that citizens do not have nearly such a positive attitude to the possibility of EU membership as they did, for example, only a year ago. In Estonia, the approval figures have fallen by nearly 10 % over the year. One reason for the fall in approval may be a misdirected and patchy information policy, which has not succeeded in responding to citizens' uncertainty and suspicions.How and with what type of resources has the Commission hitherto organised its information activities relating to EU membership in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe? How does the Commission propose in future to cooperate more effectively with the candidate countries' own information providers?Answer given by Mr van den Broek on behalf of the Commission(11 January 1999)The Commission is well aware of the developments in public opinion in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe mentioned by the Honourable Member and recognizes the need to increase information efforts. It recalls that the issue was specifically raised in the conclusions of the Essen European Council in December 1994.However, the Commission is now spending some 3 million Euro each year on information in Central and Eastern European countries. A number of core services (European dialogue, Eurobarometer and the visits programme) are retained at the centre while Commission delegations each manage an annual budget of 250 000 to 750 000 euro in implementing country-specific information programmes designed locally and approved by headquarters. Thanks to this decentralisation, delegation infocentres have already opened in Prague and Budapest, and more are planned for the near future. Each delegation is planning the translation and dissemination of documents, brochures and leaflets. on Community policy; regional campaigns, involving Eurobuses; intensified audio-visual media relations and its own delegation web-site.Candidate country governments, with many pressing pre-accession requirements, are at different stages in tackling the information challenges from their side. However, the Commission, through its delegations in the Central and Eastern European countries, aims at strengthening links and offering co-operation to the candidate governments' own information efforts, at whatever level is appropriate. Such efforts, on both sides, do, however, require a certain degree of stability and predictability in their future funding perspectives.