We often wonder, in Brussels and elsewhere, why the EU is not more popular with the public. There is no lack of wise explanations: lack of transparency, insufficient democracy, lack of political ambition…But sometimes the explanation is more simple: it rests in the false or twisted way, and simply incomplete manner in which European reality is put across to the public. Examples.
Eurocrats and restaurants. The French Finance Minister asked for VAT rates in restaurants to be brought down from 19.6 to 5.5%. The representatives of the profession (bars, restaurants, etc.) convinced national authorities of the interest of this measure and its positive effects for employment, and Jacques Chirac had made a promise of this in his electoral campaign. European Commissioner Frits Bolkestein replied that this measure was certainly possible, should the Council so wish, but that it would be difficult to introduce it from 1 January, as France wanted, due to the procedures to be respected. The professionals reacted with indignation, accusing "a Commissioner in Brussels vetoing one of the main undertakings of of the President of the Republic and his government". Where does the truth lie?
The decision on rates of VAT was taken unanimously by the EU Council, in the context of decisions on the application of reduced rates for "labour-intensive" services. At the time, the Commission had proposed that Member states be free to apply a reduced rate on a long list of services responding to certain criteria. Restaurants met these criteria. But the Council preferred a short list of specific services (repairing bicycles, shoes and clothing: renovation, repair and cleaning of private housing; home care; hairdressing) and restaurants were not part of it. It was with a certain amount of malice that Bolkestein's spokesperson (see our bulletin of 21 June, p.7), having stressed that it was a question of "a decision taken through unanimity by the Fifteen and not a dictate from the bureaucrats in Brussels", had recalled the declaration made on 12 July, before the EcoFin Council, by the French Finance Minister of the time: "I am against taking on board restaurants (in the list of services benefiting from a reduced rate) as a third of the cost of this measure would be a gift to tourists (…). The restaurant business is a luxury product and a cut in VAT would especially benefit the rich". It is to the stressed that Member States that already apply a reduced rate of VAT on the restaurant business have been able to retain it (in Spain, the Netherlands, Greece and Luxembourg rates are below 10%).
The Commission is beholden to ensure a Council decision is implemented, even when it does not agree with it. Clearly, Charles Pasqua and Philippe de Villers urged the government to "ignore the prohibitions of the Brussels technocrats", and the professionals said they were "indignant" at the explanations provided by Bolkestein. Social Affairs Minister Francois Fillon said that if the reduced rate was not introduced at the beginning of 2003, it could be early-2004. Meanwhile, for pubic opinion, it's the Commission's fault if meals are expensive and if the profession does not recruit more staff.
Erasmus in the cinema. The European Erasmus programme has the honour of being the central subject of a film. No, not a propaganda documentary financed by the European Commission, no, a real fiction film, a story of young people, sentimental, and dramatic at the same time, "L'auberge espagnole", by Cedric Klapisch. Presented in Paris and other cities, this film has had a great success among the public and critics, and the "Journal du Dimanche" (one of France's most popular newspapers) highlighted that the story was situated in the framework of Erasmus, essential element as it tells of meetings and loves between students of different countries who, thanks to this EU programme, meet, get to know each other, live together and at times fall in love. The film is described as follows to readers: "Average age: 25, Place: Barcelona. Atmosphere: joyful: Population: a female student following the Erasmus programme. Erasmus enables students of all countries to study a year abroad." Statement by the director: "Erasmus is something fantastic (…). It's a remedy to intolerance. Someone told me that, other than a small comedy, L'auberge espagnole was a political film. It's true".
Perfect, but for one thing: nowhere is it mentioned that Erasmus is an EU programme, financed by the Community budget, that would not exist without the European Commission. For the readers of "Journal du Dimanche", the EU continues to be an organisation busy with measuring the size of peas. Further point: the director Cedric Klapisch added: "L'auberge espagnole was filmed in digital, as that was perfect, given time limits. I had a wonderful feeling of freedom". Digital cinema is a technology backed by the European Commission, and Ms. Reding recently dealt with it. (F.R.)