Brussels, 20/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has opened a frank debate on how the European Union communicates, often viewed as the reason for the disenchantment of European citizens. The CoR brought together communication experts to consider the issue on 15-16 October, on the occasion of the European Conference on Public Communication (EuroPCom, fifth conference).
While the gulf between the EU and its citizens widened further during his term of office, which coincided with the economic crisis, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy highlighted the need for “positive language” on Europe and called on politicians at all levels “to speak publicly of their European conviction”.
CoR President Michel Lebrun stressed the importance of being clearer about the EU's values and ambitions. “No communications strategy, no advertising campaign will have any impact on public opinion and civic commitment unless they reflect a deeper vision of Europe.” He also highlighted the need for more straight talking to bring people together in support of a decentralised European project that fosters both participation and creativity.
The Committee of the Regions also brought forward a draft communications strategy 2015-2019 for the European institutions at the EuroPCom conference. This five-year plan recommends that 20% of the European communications budget be decentralised to national or local level. The strategy also recommends that the European commissioners visit each region of Europe at least once and suggests establishing a citizens' dialogue on the EU with local representatives in cities and regions. (MD)