WHITE PAPER NGO Eurohouse Europe Direct Kuressaare inforelay Tallinna 10A, Kuressaare Phone and fax:

What is a ‘White Paper’? Commission White Papers are documents containing proposals for EU action. T he White Paper launches the consultation process – as well as putting forward ideas for joint action by various key players.

Why does the Commission think the EU needs a communication policy? Surveys show that most European citizens know very little about the EU, and many feel they have no say in its decisions. ‘ Brussels ’ seems remote from people’s daily lives. This gap between the people and the policy- makers is bad for democracy and for the EU’s legitimacy. The gap has to be closed, and part of the solution is better communication – not just by ‘ Brussels ’ but by the national public authorities and other interested parties.

Doesn’t the EU already put a lot of effort into communicating? (1) Till now, EU communication has consisted mainly of ‘ Brussels ’ informing the media about new EU initiatives. This is a very limited type of communication – essentially a monologue in which the EU institutions supply information and hope people will be interested. That is why the European Commission is now proposing a fundamentally new approach - a move away from monologue towards genuine dialogue between the institutions and the citizens.

Doesn’t the EU already put a lot of effort into communicating? (2) The Commission wants the EU as a whole to pay much more attention to consulting people from all walks of life and making sure their views are fed through into the policy-making process.

Isn’t ‘communication’ just another word for EU propaganda? The kind of communication the European Commission is arguing for is a two-way flow of ideas and information between the people and the policy-makers, so that both understand each other as fully as possible. People need to know what the EU is doing and why. And they need to have their say in its decisions.

What is the Commission itself doing to improve communication with the public? (1) In July 2005, it agreed an “Action Plan” setting out 50 practical steps the Commission will take, within its own organisation, starting immediately.

What is the Commission itself doing to improve communication with the public? (2) For example:  Public consultations will be better publicised.  Policy proposals will be drafted in clear language.  There will be a ‘layperson’s summary’ of key proposals The Commission will take account of the needs of specific audiences and communicate more through regional and local media.

What is the Commission itself doing to improve communication with the public? (3) The Commission will also take steps to improve the Europa website and to produce clear and easy-to-read publications that have more of a local focus to make them more useful to the reader.

Why should regional and local authorities ‘communicate Europe’? (1) ‘Europe’ is not just about decisions taken in Brussels: it is also about how those decisions are implemented on the ground, locally. The local environment is part of the European environment. Local businesses are a part of the wider EU business community. Local transport projects are part of the wider European transport network.

Miks peaksid piirkondlikud ja kohalikud omavalitsused osalema ELi teabevahetuspoliitikas? (2) So EU policies affect local activities and EU funding may well support them. Local people need to know about these things – and who better to inform them than the local authority responsible? ‘Communicating Europe ’ is not just a matter of ‘ Brussels ’ putting out information. It is a two-way flow of information and ideas between the citizens and public institutions at all levels.

What’s the connection between this White Paper, ‘Plan D’ and the ‘Action Plan’? (1) ‘Plan D’ for democracy, dialogue and debate is the Commission’s contribution to the EU’s current ‘period of reflection’. Its purpose is to involve EU citizens in a wide-ranging discussion on the European Union – what it is for, where it is going and what it should be doing.

What’s the connection between this White Paper, ‘Plan D’ and the ‘Action Plan’?(2) This White Paper has a more limited scope: it is not asking for people’s views on the European Union itself but on the question of how we can set up better communication between citizens and the EU policy-makers. The White Paper is also about what can be done in the long term – not just until the next EU treaty is drawn up, but for years and even decades ahead.

What’s the connection between this White Paper, ‘Plan D’ and the ‘Action Plan’?(3) The White paper also has a much broader scope than the Commission’s own Action Plan. The Action Plan concerns only what the Commission will do: the White Paper, on the other hand, is about how government (at all levels) and civil society organisations in the Member States can join together in a communication partnership with the EU institutions.

How can I get the Commission to answer my questions? (1) There is already a very good answering service called ‘Europe Direct’, which you can contact by ing europa.eu.int/europedirect or by phoning (free of charge) from anywhere in the EU. europa.eu.int/europedirect The person answering your call will speak your language and will give you (or help you find) the answer to any question you may have about the EU.

How can I get the Commission to answer my questions? (2) The Commission intends to upgrade and improve this service over the next year or so. It also plans to develop new online forums in which specific issues can be discussed and your questions answered. You can also get in touch with any of the Europe Direct information centres ('information relays') located in almost all EU countries. To find out their contact details, go to

Working with the media What the Commission would like is a voluntary commitment by the media to supply the public with regular, full and fair coverage of EU affairs. The Commission, for its part, proposes to upgrade and improve the Europe by Satellite service that supplies video, sound and images to the media.

What does the White Paper mean by ‘upgrading’ the Europe by Satellite service? Europe by Satellite is a service that helps TV and radio broadcasters to cover EU activities by transmitting – via satellite and the Internet – TV pictures of events. The pictures are accompanied by the original sound plus translations in up to 21 languages. Although EbS is greatly appreciated by journalists, they would like it to provide a greater variety and quantity of even better- quality material: more stories, better balanced information and livelier pictures.

Charter and code of conduct for EU communication The Commission is inviting all its potential partners (EU institutions, national, regional and local governments, non-governmental organisations and the media) to voluntarily commit themselves to respect certain jointly- agreed principles. The aim is to ensure that EU citizens’ receive a regular supply of factual information about European Union affairs, through a wide variety of channels, and to enable citizens to make their voices heard in the European debate – regardless of who they are or what views they hold.

The White Paper talks about a ‘European public sphere’. What does that mean? (1) Put simply, the ‘public sphere’ is the ‘place’ where people learn about politics and political issues and where they exercise their political rights. Most people learn about these things at school or college and via the media. They discuss them mostly with their friends and colleagues, and they exercise their democratic rights by voting in elections and referendums.

The White Paper talks about a ‘European public sphere’. What does that mean? (2) The White Paper points out that most of the forums in which this happens are local, regional or national. In other words, there is a well-developed national ‘public sphere’ in each country. What is lacking is a similarly well-developed European public sphere within which people can learn about and discuss European issues.

How can I tell the Commission what I think about the White Paper? Log on to the consultation website: paper and post your comments there. paper Alternatively, send us a letter. The postal address is: EU Communication Policy White Paper Consultation European Commission Directorate General Communication B-1049 Brussels - Belgium