Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Communicating Europe in Partnership
Date: 2008-06-19
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: communications policy, cooperation policy, information policy, interinstitutional agreement, social dialogue (EU)

9.10.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 257/41

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Communicating Europe in Partnership

(2008/C 257/08)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— believes that it is essential to strengthen communication with the European public by engaging them
in a permanent dialogue in order to establish a debate which is democratic and based on trust and
solidarity so as to promote a truly European spirit and make it easier to espouse active European citi-
zenship;

— stresses the joint responsibility of national, regional and local elected representatives to integrate a
European dimension into their actions; requests, accordingly, that a communication partnership be
encouraged between EU institutions, national governments, national parliaments and local authorities
in order to provide the public with a better knowledge of Europe and to convey clear and objective
messages on the measures taken at EU level;

— welcomes the new ‘Debate Europe’ phase of Plan D, which maintains the ‘going local’ approach and
which provides an additional means through which people can be reached, get connected and act in
partnership in the wake of European elections and in the context of the ratification of the Lisbon
Treaty;

— welcomes the Commission's decision to co-fund a new series of Plan D civil society projects, and
agrees with the focus placed on decentralised calls and actions supporting local projects; strongly
welcomes the fact that these calls place the involvement of members of the Committee of the Regions
and facilitation of dialogue with local political decision-makers at the forefront of the objectives;
however, calls on the Commission to ensure that local and regional authorities themselves are eligible
under such calls for proposals;

— proposes that the Europe Houses should not be limited to the Member States' capital cities alone and
that local and regional authorities and other cities should also be able to establish such institutions, in
line with a fixed set of criteria; in this sense welcomes the Commission's intention to go ‘even more
local’ by encouraging debates beyond Europe's capital cities with the Commission Representations and
the second generation of Europe Direct centres foreseen for 2009;

— is ready to actively contribute and participate in initiatives launched by other institutions, including

citizens' summits which could be organised by EU Presidencies.

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Official Journal of the European Union

9.10.2008

Rapporteur: Ms DU GRANRUT (FR/EPP), Regional Councillor for Picardy

Reference documents

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic
and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Communicating Europe in partnership

COM(2007) 568 final

Commission Working Document: Proposal
Europe in Partnership

COM(2007) 569 final

for an Inter-institutional Agreement on Communicating

Communication from the Commission: Communicating about Europe via the internet. Engaging the citi-
zens

SEC(2007) 1742

Communication from the Commission: Debate Europe — building on the experience of Plan D for
Democracy, Dialogue and Debate

COM(2008) 158 final

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

I. Communicating Europe: a joint responsibility

1.
supports the European Commission's initiative to devise a
new strategy for communication with the European public, in
accordance with the wishes of the European Council, by invol-
ving the European institutions and the Member States more
closely and recognising the importance of action taken at local
and regional level;

2.
believes that it is essential to strengthen communication
with the European public by engaging them in a permanent
dialogue in order to establish a debate which is democratic and
based on trust and solidarity so as to promote a truly European
spirit and make it easier to espouse active European citizenship;

3.
reiterates its belief in the crucial need to encourage, via a
decentralised dialogue, a debate on our common values, the
achievements of the European venture and the impact of Com-
munity policies on people's lives, and the challenges for the EU's
future, as well as to promote better knowledge of European
issues among the people of Europe;

4.
stresses the joint responsibility of national, regional and
local elected representatives to integrate a European dimension
into their actions; requests, accordingly, that a communication
partnership be encouraged between national governments,
national parliaments and local authorities in order to provide
the public with a better knowledge of Europe and to convey
clear and objective messages on the measures taken at EU level;

5.
requests therefore that the European Commission provide
the instruments whereby people can truly participate; highlights,

in this respect, the role of primary means of communication,
especially the internet as a means of bringing government closer
tool,
fundamental
to citizens
including for local and regional authorities;

communications

and as

a

is pleased that the Commission intends to strengthen the
6.
principle of partnership between the European institutions and
the Member States; strongly emphasises the need to recognise
its vital role in this process, as well as that of local and regional
the
authorities; notes
the European Union is
public's
primarily due to a lack of
the
Member States, whilst acknowledging the positive effects of
decentralised cooperation, as well as the need to act at local and
regional level;

that
lack of knowledge about

involvement on the part of

the Commission concedes

that

welcomes the new ‘Debate Europe’ phase of Plan D, which
7.
maintains the ‘going local’ approach and which provides an
additional means through which people can be reached, get
connected and act in partnership in the wake of European elec-
tions and in the context of the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty;

8.
calls on the European Commission to include the require-
ment to communicate in the formulation of every European
policy, particularly policies which have a direct impact on the
regions, such as the Structural Funds; and believes that the
revised EU budget should provide a chapter for communication
with citizens;

9.
believes that it would be useful to capitalise on the ratifica-
tion phase of the Lisbon Treaty and the forthcoming European
elections to encourage a true debate on Europe; to this end, it
has set up a specific working group to optimise its members'
capacity to communicate with the public on Europe;

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II. Strengthening the policy of partnership for coherent

and integrated decentralised communication

part of multi-level governance. This two-way exchange of infor-
mation could involve the regional offices,
local and regional
authorities in Brussels as well as national and European associa-
tions of local and regional elected representatives;

10.
notes the content of the declarations by Commissioner
Wallström regarding the territorial approach and the essential
role of
local and regional authorities in reaching out to the
public and explaining the general thrust and benefits of the EU's
political action on economic development, territorial cohesion,
the environment, security and social advancement during the
many events organised as part of Plan D throughout the Euro-
pean Union;

the

11.
reaffirms, in this context, its intention to build on the
terms of
cooperation agreement with the European
Commission, particularly in the light of
its addendum on
in order to organise discussions and
communications policy,
events on issues touching the public's everyday life such as
employment, security, migration, fundamental rights, environ-
mental conservation and energy supply, thereby demonstrating
the added value of Community policy when combined with the
powers of local elected representatives;

12.
asks for contact persons in each Commission representa-
tion, who were appointed in accordance with the CoR-Commis-
sion cooperation agreement and are responsible for the local
the communication activity themes
and regional rollout of
to
outlined by the Interinstitutional Group on Information,
become truly operational
information relays between the
Commission and the members of the CoR. They should facilitate
the involvement of local and regional authorities in decentra-
lised events and in the official visits of Members of the Commis-
sion to the Member States;

13.
notes that while a new communication strategy requires
that the EU institutions and bodies become more interactive, it
should also be fuelled by contributions from the grass roots,
which can only be evaluated and passed on by authorities who
not only have a good knowledge of the EU's decision-making
process, but also have a duty of responsibility towards and are
close to their fellow citizens; emphasises the terms of
the
protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and
proportionality outlined in the Lisbon Treaty which require the
Commission to take account of the financial and administrative
impact on local and regional authorities when drafting legisla-
tive proposals;

14.
notes that engagement with local and regional stake-
holders and local and regional authority participation in the
Commission's
new legislation
consultations
strengthens the activities of towns and regions as information
and communication channels within the European Union and is

formal

on

III. Communicating Europe: act locally by involving the
citizens and getting local and regional representatives
involved

15.
draws attention to the need to ensure that information
on the EU is tailored more towards the different target groups
in question and takes a form appropriate to the local situation;

asks that lessons be drawn from the events organised by
16.
local and regional authorities under Plan D as outlined in the
two progress reports on the implementation of decentralised
communication by the Committee of the Regions;

17.
welcomes the Commission's decision to co-fund a new
series of Plan D civil society projects, and agrees with the focus
supporting local
placed on decentralised calls and actions
projects; strongly welcomes the fact that these calls place the
involvement of members of the Committee of the Regions and
facilitation of dialogue with local political decision-makers at the
forefront of the objectives; however, calls on the Commission to
ensure that local and regional authorities themselves are eligible
under such calls for proposals;

18.
stresses that in order to make the ‘Debate Europe’ phase
of Plan D efficient in every Member State, greater synergies need
to be sought between MEPs, local and regional elected represen-
tatives, spokespersons of national governments, heads of the
the European Parliament and the
representation offices of
Commission and representatives of national associations of
local and regional authorities;

proposes that

19.
the Europe Houses, public institutions
which aim to attract the general public with a large range of
activities, should not be limited to the Member States' capital
cities alone and that local and regional authorities and other
cities should also be able to establish such institutions, in line
with a fixed set of criteria; in this sense welcomes the Commis-
sion's intention to go ‘even more local’ by encouraging debates
beyond Europe's capital cities with the Commission Representa-
tions and the second generation of Europe Direct centres fore-
seen for 2009;

emphasises

that communication with young people
20.
should seek to disseminate information which makes young
people realise that it would be in their interests to become
involved in European integration;

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21.
calls on all spheres of government to ensure that, during
the course of their school career, young people are given a basic
grounding in EU affairs allowing them to understand the EU's
powers, how it functions, its activities and the opportunities it
offers for both their personal and professional future and the
21st century challenges;

— organisation of the sixth Open Days event (6 to 9 October
2008), which will welcome some 5 500 participants to
Brussels, and involve some 220 towns and regions across
Europe, as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities.
In 2008, this initiative will also include more than 150 local
events across the partner regions;

22.
recommends that Member States' communication actions
be implemented in collaboration with local and regional repre-
sentatives, for instance through the organisation of decentralised
events in the regions and regular discussions with local and
regional assemblies on current EU policies, if possible with an
MEP and representative of one of the Commission's directorates-
general, as is the case for national parliaments;

a

two-way

communication process

notes that local and regional politicians could be vital in
23.
launching
aimed at
informing the public about the role and real nature of the
Union, eliciting a reaction from the public to such information
and bringing Europe closer to the regions which such politicians
represent; similarly they are in a good position to pass on the
views of the grass roots, i.e. public, local and regional opinion,
to those responsible for preparing and deciding on EU policy;

24.
stresses the role that political parties can play in local
and regional communications promoting the European project,
and calls on local and regional elected representatives to educate
young politicians on European affairs so that tomorrow's deci-
sion-makers can integrate the European dimension into their
activity;

25.
believes that it is essential to present the text of the
Lisbon Treaty in a clear and trustworthy way, setting out its
benefits, the logic behind it and its improvements as regards the
transparency, efficiency and legitimacy of the EU's action and
citizen involvement in policy-making;

— the holding of a Forum on Intercultural Dialogue (25 to 27

November);

— publication of a monthly electronic newsletter on the CoR's
political news, aimed at the regional media, local politicians
and the representatives of associations, and a monthly news-
letter in hard copy form on the CoR's political and consulta-
tive activity, the European institutions and the regions, sent
to 25 000 regional decision-makers;

— welcoming 600 local and regional journalists a year to the
CoR in Brussels in connection with the political activity of
the CoR's members, for special events, or in cooperation
with other European institutions;

28.
wishes to cooperate closely with the European Commis-
sion to draft a ‘working plan’ based on communication initiatives
within the framework of inter-institutional cooperation, and by
increasing the number of operational management partnerships
with the Member States on a bilateral basis;

29.
is ready to actively contribute and participate in initia-
tives launched by other institutions, including citizens' summits
which could be organised by EU Presidencies;

IV. Integrating the Committee of

the Regions into the
future inter-institutional framework for communication

recommends that local and regional councils organise a
26.
special session open to members of
the
Regions and the European Parliament from the same constitu-
ency, dedicated to the achievements of European integration and
the workings of the EU institutions for instance on Europe Day
(9 May);

the Committee of

30.
is convinced that an inter-institutional information and
communication framework could bolster the principle of part-
nership between the EU institutions and bodies, the Member
States and the local and regional authorities; such a framework
should be adequately funded;

27.
announces the following priority actions planned by the
Committee of the Regions for 2008 in the field of communica-
tion:

— organisation of a forum on ‘the cities of the future’ (8-10

April 2008);

— holding of the 3rd Annual Forum on Communication (17-

19 June 2008);

emphasises the benefits of its participation in the Interin-
31.
stitutional Information Group (G.I.I.), plans to present its annual
programme on decentralised communication on a yearly basis
and therefore asks to be involved in the preparation of the
annual inter-institutional programme on this matter;

32.
is in favour of assessing the activities of the G.I.I. to iden-
tify any possible improvements and to see whether a group
should be created to coordinate the measures implementing the
general guidelines laid down by the G.I.I.; the CoR would be
happy to participate in this;

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33.
is delighted at the opportunity to take part in an annual
inter-institutional debate on communication and, accordingly,
asks that it be recognised alongside the European Commission,
European Parliament and Council as a key partner in a decentra-
lised communications strategy;

V. Reinforcing information channels:
media, TV, radio and the internet

local and regional

that

stresses

in order

34.
to achieve the objective of
increasing EU citizens' knowledge of EU affairs, there is a need
to increase the number and effectiveness of existing information
channels and to make them more accessible. Cooperation
between local and regional authorities and media should be
improved and new technologies deployed;

35.
expresses satisfaction at this year's launch of the Euro-
pean Commission's pilot information network project, which
will seek to get national parliaments more involved in the Euro-
pean debate and requests that it be associated with this initiative,
along with local and regional elected representatives;

36.
asks the European Commission to link up the websites
of its representations in the 27 Member States with the websites
of national associations of local and regional authorities, cities
and regions and that the information provided be tailored to
local audiences, particularly information on the implementation
of European policies;

37.
recommends that the Europa site contain a separate page
on the role of local and regional authorities in the European

Brussels, 19 June 2008.

decision-making process highlighting the fact that almost 75 %
of European legislation is implemented at local and regional
level; this page should also include a link to the Committee of
the Regions' website and the websites of any European and
national associations of local and regional authorities which so
wish;

38.
stresses the importance of the European Commission's e-
participation initiative, which aims to enable the public to partici-
pate in formulating policies, particularly at local and regional
level, and, accordingly, invites local and regional authorities to
develop their local websites in a way that allows citizens to
express their opinions as part of an online process of consulta-
tion and interaction, in particular their expectations regarding
European policies;

urges

39.
the European Commission to include videos
produced by the Committee of the Regions on the EU Tube
website;

40.
lastly, requests that the European Commission provide a
platform for discussion with local and regional elected represen-
tatives on the Europa website to respond to questions from the
public, e.g. as part of the Debate Europe forum, as this initiative
could help increase the interaction between CoR members and
the public in their respective Member States;

41.
underlines the importance of there being a wide range of
different information and communication channels so that all
EU citizens have an opportunity to acquire information on the
EU on an equal footing.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Luc VAN DEN BRANDE