Brussels, 22/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions would like to shift the European debate on the cities and regions closer to citizens, by way of a communications plan. A draft opinion in this connection on the 2015-2019 period is therefore on the table of this advisory body. This will involve beginning a decentralised and participative debate on Europe and reconnecting citizens with the European project. The rising Euroscepticism in Europe during the most recent European elections has pushed the CoR towards elaborating a robust response on this issue. It is proposing to deliver a communications plan by the time of the next elections in 2019 and ensure that 20% of the EU's communications budget is decentralised at national and local levels, particularly by way of “Europe Direct” Information Centres and local and national media channels. The other flagship ideas in the communications plan will involve launching 500 “Citizen Dialogues” in the cities and regions of Europe, in partnership with the Parliament and the Commission, and also calling on each European region to be visited at least once a year by a European Commissioner. Finally, by 2019, at least 5,000 local municipalities, cities and regions should be able to state that they are supporters of the “Friends of Europe” initiative. The opinion proposing this communications plan is expected to be adopted next December during the Commission of the Regions plenary session and will be debated during the Europcom meeting on 15h and 16 October next. (MD)