1. French interfunds communication strategy
French communication frame
Towards a national and interfunds coordination
The national interfunds communication plan
Action plan
Interfunds actions in regions : results and issues
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

2. French communication frame
Numerous programs and communication plans (CP)
Regional communication plans for ERDF
1 national communication plan for ESF with regional strands (+ 1 CP per overseas region)
1 national communication plan for EARDF with regional strands (+ 1 CP per overseas region)
Multiple strategies and communication officers
Prime Minister’s ordinance February 12th 2007
Strong message to managing authorities : make the public know about EU interventions
Some requirements beyond EU regulation
Spend more technical assistance on communication (target 10% of TA)
Announces a national interfunds CP
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

3. Towards a national and interfunds coordination
Diagnosis of a necessary coordination
To make communication officers share their practices
To strengthen communication function within MAs
To build a common message on EU involvement (opportunity of Lisbon strategy)
Create synergies (human and financial meanings, competences) on national and regional levels
Launching of a national communication committee
Ministries of employment, agriculture, overseas affairs and DIACT meet every 2 weeks since October 2006
First actions to impulse communication
National evaluation of communication
Conference « Objectif com’ » March 14th 2007
State of the interfunds communication plan
Document stabilised since March 2007
Still to be submitted to European Commission
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

4. The national interfunds communication plan
Horizontal and vertical complementarity
Create synergies between national CPs
Accompany and give tools to regional communication officers
Three strategical objectives
Mobilize program managers (communication officers, MAs, intermediate bodies)
Transmit information to the press and informing bodies
Convince the public of EU involvement (campaign)
Two perimeters
All strands common to structural funds
EARDF and EFF participate in public campaign (strand “convince”)
Steering principles
One fund and ministry cofinancing per action
Cost shared proportionally to each fund’s national weight
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

5. Action plan (1/3)
« Mobilise » strand (ERDF-ESF/MAs and communication officers)
National evaluation of communication
Objective : general view of and recommendations for
Achieved : Final report published on June 2007 (report in French)
Perspective : to be renewed on mid-term and ex-post
Networking the communication officers
Objective : share practices, boost interfunds coordination
Achieved : national conference on March 14th 2007 (program and report in French)
Perspective : frequent technical meetings and cooperative platform
Training sessions for communication officers
Objective : professionalize communication officers and strengthen their function
Work in progress : recruitment of a school and national enquiry on network needs
Perspective : 80 participants, hours in 2008 (2nd wave depending on turnover)
List of beneficiaries
Objective : save time for all MA’s by doing a national list
Work in progress : PRESAGE team configures the software for January 2008
Perspective : MA’s can link to or host regional database, multimedia applet to be developed
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

6. Action plan (2/3)
« Transmit » strand (ERDF-ESF/press and informing bodies)
Press relations
Objective : address usable information on Lisbon strategy and EUs’ interventions
Achieved : common press dossier and conference at national seminary in Bordeaux (22-24 October 2007)
Perspective : Recruiting and feeding a press relations agency
Publicity kit
Objective : help MAs to fulfil publicity requirements, motivate project holders to become ambassadors of Europe
Work in progress : agencies recruited, communication officers identify “ambassadors”, first shipments to MAs in February 2008
Perspective : approximately items attached to grant conventions (50% flyers for little projects, 50% full kits, few flags)
General information tools
Objective : give MAs and informing bodies general and accessible tools
Achieved : itinerant stand on cohesion policy (12 dates scheduled), brochures
Perspective : Reference guide on structural funds for a large public
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

7. Action plan (3/3)
« Convince » strand (FSE-FEDER/general public)
« l’Europe s’engage » logo >
Objective : does not replace EU logo but multiple OPs’ logos, common and adaptable message (EU involvement on national and local issues) for MA’s communication
Achieved : “l’Europe s’engage” chart sent to all MAs , widely used on events and documents
Perspective : post-test within the national opinion enquiry (see below)
National opinion enquiry
Objective : context indicator, national and regional poll, qualitative wave preparing public campaigns, methodology in accordance to Eurobarometer requirements
Work in progress : 6 qualitative groups beginning, final results in February 2008
Perspective : To be renewed on mi-term and ex post
Public campaign
Objective : Respond to public mistrust about EU, increase cohesion policy notoriety
work in progress : Opinion enquiry to con/infirm that cohesion policy corresponds to French public expectations on EU and to determine the best media
Perspective : public campaign during French EU presidency (2nd semester 2008)
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

8. Interfunds actions in regions : results and issues
A spreading interfunds approach
Interfunds communication groups and CPs in most regions
Opened to informing bodies (Europe Direct)
Consensus on common actions (launching events, public campaigns, websites, general documentation)
Ambitious events for launching programs, connected to the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome >
Some persistent difficulties
Gaps between funds’ agendas
Sharing of EU financing and public counterparts
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

9. For more details, do not hesitate to contact :
Vasilije Kujacic
Délégation interministérielle à l’aménagement et à la compétitivité des territoires (DIACT)
Tél : (0)
Fax : (0)
Thank you for your attention
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

10. L’Europe s’engage chart examples <
Document accompanying public campaign (posters on buses), Franche-Comté
Presentation of rural development national plan
ERDF OP , Aquitaine
Website, Pays de la Loire
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission

11. Lorraine region, September 18th 2007
Launching events examples <
Lorraine region, September 18th 2007
Champagne-Ardenne region, September 7th 2007, a European afternoon, debate about Europe during the regional fair, European projects awards with movies
Telling the story, November 2007, European Commission