Brussels, 10/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - Every European region should be visited at least once a year by a European Commissioner, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) believes. The suggestion is part of a communication plan aiming to reconnect Europe with its citizens ahead of the next European elections in 2019.
This communication plan, which was adopted unanimously at last week's plenary session, focuses on participative, decentralised and creative communication (initiative by Christophe Rouillon - PS, France).
As they start their new mandates, all of the European institutions should make a contribution to this communication plan and respect its measurable objectives, the CoR recommends. The idea is to ensure that by 2019, Eurobarometer surveys report a majority of European citizens having a positive image of the EU, understanding its policies and the decision-making processes and being provided with information on this. Among the activities recommended, a European Commissioner should visit all the regions of the Union, and 500 “Citizens' Dialogues” should be arranged by the national offices of the European Parliament and the Commission over the next five years, with the involvement of regional and local officials. The CoR also hopes to gather at least 5,000 municipalities, cities and regions, to be known as “Friends of Europe”, which can be used to mobilise those responsible for national communication. Additionally, the communications budget of the European Commission should provide subsidies for the local authorities within this framework. (MD)