Strasbourg, 17/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - Presenting before the European Parliament a Commission announcement on information policy, Commissioner Viviane Reding recognised that there existed a trench between the citizens and the institutions. "We all have, not only the Commission, but also the European Parliament and the Member States, made mistakes. We all should build a new information policy," she said in evoking a policy that should bring improvements to structures that should already work as "infopoints" and other delays in the Member States, but also use to their fullest the possibilities offered by new technologies. "One of the mistakes of the past was to make top down information giving the impression of making propaganda," said Mrs. Reding in asserting that in the future it will be necessary to better take into account the psychology of the public and "ensure the creation of a dialogue."
Taking the example of the debate organised in the Intergovernmental Conference, she said that it is necessary to move towards the public, the youth, the local, regional and national representatives" to really discuss with them and not to make a big speech. "If all the MEPs of this Parliament carry out their information work properly, and I will help them, the mentalities will change," she added. Mrs. Reding also indicated that she would present before the summer a communication on the new information policy that will be notably based on (9) the implemenatablility of all the institutions, (2) decentralisation, (3) proximity, (4) the greater involvement of all of society's actors. She insisted on the need to develop collaboration between institutions.