EU: The EU pledged to improve the way it communicates with citizens yesterday in a new white paper designed to halt an alarming slide in public support for the union
The paper contains specific proposals for a new communications charter, web-based citizens' forums and a beefed-up satellite television service to give Europe a "human face".
The paper, which was published by the communications commissioner, Margot Wallstrom, calls on member states and politicians to do more to promote Europe following the votes against the EU constitution in referendums in France and The Netherlands last year.
"Communication is first and foremost a matter for democracy," said Ms Wallstrom. "People have a right to know what the EU does and what it stands for. And they have a right to fully participate in the European project." The white paper said many people feel remote from decisions made in Brussels and the whole decision-making process at the EU. There is a sense of alienation from "Brussels", it says.
To address this problem the white paper proposes five areas of action: defining principles for communicating EU issues; empowering citizens; working with the media and new technologies; understanding public opinion; and co-operation at national and European levels.
The paper criticises the media for its coverage of the EU, saying that despite "the professional competence of Brussels correspondents, media coverage of European issues remains limited and fragmented". Communications should focus on giving Europe a human face, a national, regional and local dimension and exploiting the potential of new technology, says the paper, which proposes to upgrade its existing Europe by Satellite news agency service.