Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-02-Speech-4-007"
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".
Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@en4
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"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@cs1
"Hr. formand, jeg vil takke Dem og medlemmerne for at være mødt op så tidligt i dag. Jeg takker Dem for at give mig lejlighed til at forelægge hvidbogen om en europæisk kommunikationspolitik, som Kommissionen vedtog på sit møde i går.
I hvidbogen foreslås det, at disse principper knæsættes i et rammedokument - f.eks. et charter eller en adfærdskodeks - således at alle de vigtigste aktører frivilligt forpligter sig til at overholde kommunikationsprincipperne. De fælles principper skal være styrende for vores fælles indsats og give vores kommunikationsaktiviteter troværdighed og legitimitet. De skal gøre det klart, at EU's kommunikation ikke drejer sig om at sælge Europa eller fremstille propaganda, men om at forbedre vores demokrati. Den er et redskab, som borgerne kan bruge til at vurdere, om deres rettigheder respekteres.
Det andet arbejdsområde, der foreslås i hvidbogen, er rustning af borgerne. Hvordan kan EU's kommunikationspolitik bidrage til det? I hvidbogen kortlægges der tre muligheder: at samarbejde mere om borgeruddannelse, at skabe forbindelser mellem borgerne og at skabe forbindelser mellem borgerne og institutionerne. Borgeruddannelse er et nationalt eller regionalt anliggende, men der er en europæisk merværdi. EU kan hjælpe med udveksling af bedste praksis og lette udviklingen af fælles uddannelsesredskaber, så den europæiske dimension afspejles bedre. Når jeg rejser til medlemsstaterne, hører jeg ofte lærere og mennesker, der er involverede i disse aktiviteter, sige: "Er det virkelig nødvendigt at opfinde hjulet igen? Kunne vi ikke få en bedre udveksling af praksis, materialer og erfaringer?"
Det er nødvendigt med nye offentlige diskussionsfora om europæiske spørgsmål, hvis der skal skabes gensidig tillid, respekt og vilje til at arbejde sammen mod fælles mål. God tovejskommunikation mellem borgerne og de offentlige institutioner er også nødvendig i et sundt demokrati. Den nuværende indsats for at gøre EU's institutioner mere lydhøre, åbne og tilgængelige skal fortsat styrkes.
Det tredje arbejdsområde, der foreslås i hvidbogen, drejer sig om medier og ny teknologi. Medierne er afgørende medspillere i kommunikationspolitik, og det er vigtigt, at offentlige institutioner på alle forvaltningsplaner finder nye måder at arbejde med de nationale, regionale og lokale medier på. Vi må også diskutere, hvordan vi sikrer, at alle synspunkter kommer retfærdigt til udtryk i disse debatter, og hvordan vi kan give borgerne fuld, reel og saglig information ad en lang række kanaler, ikke bare gennem presse, radio og tv, men også via internettet. Et af forslagene er også, som De har set i medierne allerede, at vi må forbedre det eksisterende Europe by Satellite - en interinstitutionel tjeneste - og f.eks. regional-tv, som tilhører brugerne af EbS.
Det fjerde arbejdsområde er forståelse for den offentlige mening. Det er en udfordring for de politiske beslutningstagere. De skal være i harmoni med den offentlige mening i Europa, da borgernes holdning til ethvert spørgsmål kan variere voldsomt fra et land eller en region til en anden. Kommissionen har været foregangsmand i udviklingen af moderne redskaber til analyse af den offentlige mening, f.eks. Eurobarometer-undersøgelser. I hvidbogen tilskyndes der til en debat om, hvordan vi kan forbedre anvendelsen af disse redskaber til at foretage en mere dybtgående analyse og bruge den mere effektivt i den politiske beslutningsproces.
Det femte område til fælles debat er, hvordan vi får partnerskabet til at fungere, med andre ord, hvordan vi samarbejder. Hvordan kan EU' regeringer samarbejde tættere med hinanden og med Bruxelles om at oplyse og høre borgerne? Hvordan kan EU's institutioner samarbejde mere effektivt og gøre mere for at decentralisere deres indsats? De lokale og regionale myndigheder har et godt udgangspunkt for at indgå i en reel dialog med borgerne. Hvordan kan de bedst kanalisere lokalsamfundenes holdninger videre til de politiske beslutningstagere i Bruxelles? Hvad mere kan politiske partier og ngo'er gøre for at øge befolkningens bevidsthed om europæiske spørgsmål og stimulere offentlig debat?
Kommissionen har ikke færdige svar på alle disse spørgsmål, og vi ønsker ikke at belære de øvrige involverede om, hvad de skal gøre. Hvidbogen giver derfor anledning til en bred høringsproces, og alle involverede opfordres til at overveje disse spørgsmål nøje og fremsætte deres egne idéer. Vi har aldrig haft en offentlig høring om kommunikation i Europa. Det er på høje tid, hvis vi virkelig mener, at vi vil sætte borgerne i centrum for vores aktiviteter. Jeg håber, at Europa-Parlamentet bliver vores nærmeste allierede og støtte i denne proces. Strukturerne for dette samarbejde findes allerede, og vi kan bygge på dem for at strukturere og koordinere vores arbejde bedre.
Til sidst vil jeg citere filosoffen John Dewey, som skrev: "Der er mere end en sproglig forbindelse mellem ordene fælles, fællesskab og kommunikation. Prøv at kommunikere en erfaring grundigt og nøjagtigt til en anden, navnlig hvis den er lidt kompliceret, og De vil opdage, at Deres egen opfattelse af erfaringen ændrer sig".
Kommunikation fremmer forståelsen, opbygger fælles værdier og skaber fællesskaber. Det er disse ting, EU mere end noget andet har brug for. Tak for Deres opmærksomhed. Jeg glæder mig til at høre Deres synspunkter.
Det er ikke første gang, jeg taler om hvidbogen i Parlamentet. Jeg bebudede den for første gang under forhandlingen om Herrero-betænkningen, som har været en vigtig inspirationskilde til mit videre arbejde. Under forberedelsen af hvidbogen informerede jeg regelmæssigt Parlamentet om mine idéer, jeg mødtes med forskellige politiske grupper, udvalg osv., og jeg er sikker på, at hvidbogens vigtigste begreber og budskaber vil være temmelig velkendte for mange af Dem.
Den feedback og opmuntring, jeg har modtaget, får mig til at tro, at jeg fortsat i Parlamentet vil finde den mest engagerede og værdifulde allierede, hvad angår kommunikation. Kommunikation er først og fremmest et spørgsmål om demokrati. Folk har ret til at vide, hvad EU laver, og hvad det står for, og som borgere har de ret til fuldt ud at deltage i det europæiske projekt. Det er hvidbogens hovedbudskab.
Der er en foruroligende afstand mellem EU og borgerne. Syv ud af 10 af dem, der blev interviewet i Eurobarometer-undersøgelser, siger, at de ved meget lidt eller ingenting om EU. Over halvdelen føler, at deres stemme ikke tæller i europæiske spørgsmål. Tilliden til de europæiske institutioner daler, og det samme gælder antallet af borgere, der mener, at Europa skaber fordele for dem eller deres lande. Opfattelsen af, at der er en kommunikationskløft mellem EU og dets borgere, er ikke noget nyt fænomen. Den har været debatteret i EU-kredse i hvert fald siden folkeafstemningerne forud for Maastricht-traktatens ikrafttrædelse i 1992. I den forbindelse fik folkeafstemningerne om forfatningstraktaten for nylig alarmklokkerne til at ringe.
At bygge bro mellem EU og borgerne er blevet mere påtrængende end nogensinde før. Hvis der skal ske fremskridt med det europæiske projekt, må det være forankret i folks ønsker og forventninger. Det skal tilhøre borgerne og ikke bare en lille elite i Bruxelles eller i nogle få store europæiske hovedstæder. Hvidbogen er Kommissionens forslag til at klare denne udfordring og lægge grunden til en kommunikationspolitik for EU.
Hvad skal hovedformålet med en europæisk kommunikationspolitik være? I hvidbogen argumenteres der for, at der udvikles et velfungerende europæisk offentligt rum, hvor den europæiske debat kan udfolde sig, og borgerne kan deltage. Dette er et begreb, som Europa-Parlamentet tilsluttede sig for nogen tid siden, og nu er det centralt i Kommissionens vision om en kommunikationspolitik.
I hvidbogen understreges betydningen af at udvikle en ægte europæisk politisk kultur med fælleseuropæiske partigrupperinger, fælleseuropæiske medier og fora eller mødesteder, hvor borgerne kan mødes og diskutere spørgsmål af fælles interesse. Jeg vil dog med det samme sige, at alt dette ikke skal erstatte eller mindske betydningen af de nationale, regionale eller lokale politiske strukturniveauer og medieaktiviteter, det skal tværtimod supplere dem.
Det vigtigste, der skal til for at skabe en europæisk politisk kultur, er nok at sikre, at europæiske spørgsmål er afspejlet i nationale, regionale og lokale debatter. Udviklingen af et europæisk offentligt rum er naturligvis et meget vidtrækkende projekt, som vil tage tid. Det går langt ud over Kommissionens mandat. Europa-Parlamentets rolle vil være afgørende på dette punkt, men vi ved, at det kun kan lykkes for os, hvis alle de involverede - og først og fremmest medlemsstaterne - er rede til at engagere sig og tage et ansvar.
Derfor er hvidbogen en opfordring til, at alle EU's institutioner, EU's regeringer og politiske partier, det civile samfund og medierne i alle EU's lande gør en indsats. Det foreslås, at vi indleder arbejdet på fem hovedområder. Først ved at definere fælles principper. En kommunikationspolitik for EU skal være baseret på en grundlæggende anerkendelse af, at alle EU-borgere har visse rettigheder, f.eks. ret til reel og fuld information om EU, ret til at høre alle meninger om EU og ret til, at de politiske beslutningstagere lytter til dem."@da2
".
Herr Präsident! Ich möchte Ihnen und den Abgeordneten danken, dass Sie so früh am Morgen hier erschienen sind. Vielen Dank, dass Sie mir die Gelegenheit geben, Ihnen das Weißbuch über eine europäische Kommunikationspolitik vorzustellen, das die Kommission auf ihrer gestrigen Sitzung angenommen hat.
Im Weißbuch wird vorgeschlagen, diese Grundsätze in einem Rahmendokument - zum Beispiel einer Charta oder einem Verhaltenskodex – festzuschreiben. Dadurch würden sich alle wichtigen Akteure auf freiwilliger Basis dazu verpflichten, die Grundsätze für Kommunikationsmaßnahmen einzuhalten. Wir benötigen diese einheitlichen Grundsätze, um unser gemeinsames Vorgehen zu lenken und unseren Kommunikationsbemühungen Glaubwürdigkeit und Legitimität zu verleihen; es muss klar werden, dass die EU-Kommunikation nicht dazu dienen soll, Europa zu verkaufen oder Werbung zu produzieren, sondern unsere Demokratie zu fördern. Den Bürgern soll die Möglichkeit gegeben werden, selbst einzuschätzen, ob ihre Rechte geachtet werden.
Im zweiten im Weißbuch vorgeschlagenen Arbeitsbereich geht es darum, die Rolle der Bürger zu stärken. Wie kann eine EU-Kommunikationspolitik zu diesem Ziel beitragen? Im Weißbuch werden drei Wege aufgezeigt: eine bessere Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der politischen Bildung sowie die Förderung von Bürgerkontakten und von Kontakten zwischen den Bürgern und den Institutionen. Die Verantwortung für politische Bildung liegt zwar bei den nationalen oder regionalen Behörden, doch Europa kann einen Beitrag leisten. Die EU kann den Austausch vorbildlicher Verfahren und die Entwicklung gemeinsamer Unterrichtsmaterialien unterstützen, so dass die europäische Dimension verstärkt Berücksichtigung findet. Dies fällt mir bei meinen Reisen in den Mitgliedstaaten immer wieder auf. Lehrer und alle Beteiligten sagen: „Müssen wir wirklich das Rad neu erfinden? Können wir nicht unsere Verfahren, Materialien oder Erfahrungen effektiver austauschen?“
Neue Foren für die öffentliche Diskussion europäischer Themen spielen eine wichtige Rolle, wenn es darum geht, gegenseitiges Vertrauen aufzubauen, Respekt für einander aufzubringen und Bereitschaft zur Zusammenarbeit zu zeigen. In einer gesunden Demokratie ist eine funktionierende interaktive Kommunikation zwischen Bürgern und öffentlichen Einrichtungen von wesentlicher Bedeutung. Die derzeitigen Bemühungen, die EU-Institutionen serviceorientierter, offener und zugänglicher zu gestalten, müssen intensiviert werden.
Der dritte im Weißbuch angeregte Arbeitsbereich betrifft Medien und neue Technologien. Die Medien übernehmen im Rahmen der Kommunikationspolitik eine Schlüsselrolle, und es ist von grundlegendem Interesse, dass öffentliche Einrichtungen auf allen Regierungsebenen innovative Wege der Zusammenarbeit mit den überregionalen, regionalen und lokalen Medien finden. Außerdem müssen wir uns gemeinsam Gedanken darüber machen, wie wir sicherstellen wollen, dass alle Ansichten in diesen Debatten ausgewogen vertreten sind und die Bürger umfassend, angemessen und sachlich über die verschiedensten Kanäle, nicht nur über die Presse, das Radio und das Fernsehen, sondern auch über das Internet informiert werden. Wie Sie bereits den Medienberichten entnommen haben, schlagen wir zudem vor, den interinstitutionellen Dienst Europe by Satellite (EbS) sowie beispielsweise die regionalen Fernsehsender auszubauen, die den EbS-Dienst in Anspruch nehmen.
Im vierten Arbeitsbereich geht es darum, ein klares Bild von der öffentlichen Meinung in Europa zu gewinnen. Dies stellt eine besondere Herausforderung für die politischen Entscheidungsträger dar. Sie dürfen nicht den Kontakt zur öffentlichen Meinung in Europa verlieren, denn die Ansichten der Bürger zu verschiedenen Themen spiegeln teilweise sehr unterschiedliche nationale oder regionale Sichtweisen wider. Die Europäische Kommission ist führend bei der Entwicklung moderner Instrumente zur Analyse der öffentlichen Meinung in Europa; dazu gehören beispielsweise die Eurobarometer-Umfragen. Mit unserem Weißbuch wird eine Debatte darüber angeregt, wie wir diese Instrumente besser dafür einsetzen können, eine umfassende Analyse vorzunehmen und diese effektiver in den politischen Entscheidungsprozess einfließen zu lassen.
Im fünften Bereich, den wir gemeinsam erörtern wollen, geht es darum, wie die Partnerschaft funktionieren soll: Wir sagen dazu, „wie wir die Aufgabe gemeinsam angehen“. Wie können die Regierungen der Mitgliedstaaten besser untereinander und mit Brüssel zusammenarbeiten, um die Bürger zu informieren und zu konsultieren? Wie können die Gemeinschaftsinstitutionen wirksamer zusammenarbeiten und ihre Arbeit stärker dezentralisieren? Die lokalen und regionalen Behörden haben gute Voraussetzungen, um in einen Dialog mit den Bürgern zu treten. Wie können sie den politischen Entscheidungsträgern in Brüssel am besten die Ansichten der Menschen vor Ort vermitteln? Wie können die politischen Parteien und NRO zusätzlich dazu beitragen, die Öffentlichkeit für europäische Themen zu sensibilisieren und politische Debatten anzuregen?
Die Kommission hat keine vorgefertigten Antworten auf alle diese Fragen, und wir maßen uns nicht an, den anderen Beteiligten einen Vortrag darüber zu halten, was sie tun sollten. Mit dem Weißbuch wird daher eine umfassende Konsultation eingeleitet, und alle Beteiligten sind aufgefordert, sich ernsthaft Gedanken über alle diese Fragen zu machen und eigene Ideen zu formulieren. Es hat bisher nie eine öffentliche Konsultation zur Kommunikation über Europa gegeben. Dafür ist es höchste Zeit, wenn wir wirklich wollen, dass die Bürger im Mittelpunkt unserer Aktivitäten stehen. Ich würde mir das Europäische Parlament als unseren wichtigsten Verbündeten und Unterstützer in diesem Prozess wünschen. Die Strukturen für diese Zusammenarbeit gibt es bereits, und wir können darauf aufbauend unsere Arbeit besser einteilen und koordinieren.
Abschließend möchte ich den Philosophen John Dewey zitieren. Er schrieb, dass es mehr als nur eine Wortverbindung zwischen den Worten gemeinsam („common“), Gemeinschaft („community“) und Kommunikation („communication“) gebe. Man müsse nur den Versuch unternehmen, einer anderen Person ein Erlebnis vollständig und exakt zu schildern, insbesondere wenn es etwas komplexer wäre, und man würde feststellen, wie sich die eigene Einstellung zu diesem Erlebnis ändert.
Kommunikation trägt zum gemeinsamen Verständnis, zur Bildung gemeinsamer Werte und zur Entstehung von Gemeinschaften bei. Genau das ist es, was die Europäische Union mehr als alles andere benötigt. Ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit und freue mich, Ihre Ansichten zu hören.
Ich habe mich in diesem Haus bereits bei früheren Gelegenheiten zum Weißbuch geäußert. Zum ersten Mal habe ich es im Verlauf der Debatte zum Bericht von Herrn Herrero angekündigt, der für meine weitere Arbeit eine wichtige Grundlage gewesen ist. Im Laufe der Ausarbeitung des Weißbuchs habe ich das Europäische Parlament in Zusammenkünften mit den einzelnen Fraktionen, Ausschüssen usw. regelmäßig über meine Ideen informiert, und ich bin mir sicher, dass viele von Ihnen mit den wichtigsten Konzepten und Botschaften des Weißbuchs sehr vertraut sein werden.
Ihre Reaktionen und Ihre Unterstützung legen die Vermutung nahe, dass ich auch in Zukunft in diesem Hause einen besonders engagierten und wertvollen Verbündeten in Fragen der Kommunikation finden werde. Bei Kommunikation geht es zunächst und in erster Linie um Demokratie. Die Menschen haben ein Recht darauf zu erfahren, was die EU tut und wofür sie steht, und als Bürgerinnen und Bürger ist es ihr Recht, voll und ganz in das europäische Aufbauwerk einbezogen zu werden. Dies ist die zentrale Botschaft des Weißbuchs.
Die Kluft zwischen der Gemeinschaft und ihren Bürgern gibt Anlass zu Besorgnis. Sieben von zehn haben in Umfragen von Eurobarometer angegeben, dass sie nur wenig oder nichts über die Europäische Union wissen. Mehr als die Hälfte hat das Gefühl, dass ihre Stimme in europäischen Angelegenheiten nicht zählt. Das Vertrauen in die europäischen Institutionen sinkt, wie auch die Zahl derer, die glauben, dass Europa ihnen oder ihren Ländern Vorteile bringt. Der Eindruck einer Kommunikationskluft zwischen der Europäischen Union und ihren Bürgern besteht schon lange. In EU-Kreisen wird darüber zumindest seit den Volksabstimmungen diskutiert, die vor dem In-Kraft-Treten des Vertrags von Maastricht im Jahr 1992 stattgefunden haben. In diesem Zusammenhang sind die jüngsten Referenden zum Verfassungsvertrag als eindeutige Warnung aufzufassen.
Nie war die Überbrückung der Kluft zwischen der Europäischen Union und ihren Bürgern so wichtig. Wenn das europäische Einigungswerk vorankommen soll, dann muss es den Wünschen und Erwartungen der Menschen entsprechen. Die Bürgerinnen und Bürger müssen es sich zu Eigen machen, und nicht nur eine kleine Elite in Brüssel oder in einigen europäischen Hauptstädten. Mit dem Weißbuch reagiert die Kommission auf diese Herausforderung und legt die Grundlage für eine Kommunikationspolitik der Europäischen Union.
Wozu sollte eine solche europäische Kommunikationspolitik in erster Linie beitragen? Im Weißbuch wird der Aufbau einer funktionierenden europäischen öffentlichen Sphäre gefordert, in der eine europapolitische Diskussion entstehen und eine Bürgerbeteiligung stattfinden kann. Das Europäische Parlament hat dieses Konzept vor einiger Zeit begrüßt, und es steht nun im Mittelpunkt der Kommunikationsstrategie der Kommission.
Im Weißbuch wird unterstrichen, wie wichtig es ist, eine gesamteuropäische politische Kultur mit europaweiten politischen Zusammenschlüssen, gesamteuropäischen Medien und Foren oder Begegnungsmöglichkeiten zu entwickeln, damit sich Bürger über Themen von gemeinsamem Interesse austauschen können. Ich möchte jedoch sofort klarstellen, dass damit die politischen Strukturen und Medien auf nationaler, regionaler und lokaler weder ersetzt noch in ihrer Rolle beschnitten werden sollen. Im Gegenteil, sie sollen ergänzt werden.
Um eine europäische politische Kultur zu schaffen, muss wahrscheinlich vor allem sichergestellt werden, dass nationale, regionale und lokale Debatten auch über europäische Themen geführt werden. Sicherlich ist es eine weit reichende und zeitaufwändige Aufgabe, eine europäische öffentliche Sphäre zu schaffen. Sie geht weit über den Zuständigkeitsbereich der Kommission hinaus. Eine entscheidende Rolle wird in diesem Zusammenhang dem Europäischen Parlament zufallen, doch wir wissen, dass wir nur erfolgreich sein können, wenn alle Beteiligten – und allen voran die Mitgliedstaaten – bereit sind, Engagement zu zeigen und Verantwortung zu übernehmen.
Mit dem Weißbuch werden daher alle Gemeinschaftsinstitutionen, die Regierungen und Parteien der Mitgliedstaaten, die Zivilgesellschaft und die Medien in allen EU-Ländern zum Handeln aufgerufen. Es wird vorgeschlagen, mit der Arbeit in fünf Hauptbereichen zu beginnen: erstens mit der Festlegung gemeinsamer Grundsätze. Eine EU-Kommunikationspolitik muss sich auf den Grundsatz der Anerkennung stützen, dass alle EU-Bürger Rechte haben, so beispielsweise das Recht auf ausgewogene und umfassende Informationen über die Europäische Union, das Recht, vielfältige Sichtweisen zur Gemeinschaft zu hören, und das Recht, sich bei den politischen Entscheidungsträgern Gehör zu verschaffen."@de9
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Κύριε Πρόεδρε, θα ήθελα να εκφράσω τις ευχαριστίες μου προς εσάς και τους αξιότιμους βουλευτές για την παρουσία σας εδώ τόσο νωρίς το πρωί. Σας ευχαριστώ που μου προσφέρετε την ευκαιρία να σας παρουσιάσω τη Λευκή Βίβλο για μια ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική επικοινωνίας την οποία ενέκρινε η Επιτροπή στη χθεσινή της συνεδρίαση.
Στη Λευκή Βίβλο προτείνεται η κατοχύρωση αυτών των αρχών σε ένα έγγραφο πλαίσιο –ενδεχομένως σε έναν ευρωπαϊκό χάρτη ή κώδικα δεοντολογίας– στο οποίο όλοι οι βασικοί συντελεστές θα δεσμευτούν σε εθελοντική βάση να συμφωνήσουν επί των αρχών της επικοινωνιακής πολιτικής. Χρειαζόμαστε αυτές τις κοινές αρχές ως οδηγούς για την κοινή μας δράση αλλά και για να διασφαλιστεί η αξιοπιστία και η νομιμοποίηση των δραστηριοτήτων μας στον τομέα της επικοινωνίας· για να καταστεί σαφές ότι η ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική επικοινωνίας δεν αποσκοπεί στην προώθηση της Ευρώπης ή στην παραγωγή προπαγανδιστικού υλικού αλλά στην ενίσχυση της δημοκρατίας μας. Είναι ένα μέσο το οποίο θα επιτρέψει στους πολίτες να αξιολογήσουν κατά πόσο γίνονται σεβαστά τα δικαιώματά τους.
Ο δεύτερος τομέας δράσης που προτείνεται στη Λευκή Βίβλο είναι η συμμετοχή των πολιτών. Πώς μπορεί να συμβάλει στην επίτευξη του στόχου αυτού μια ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική επικοινωνίας; Στη Λευκή Βίβλο προτείνονται τρεις μέθοδοι: η στενότερη συνεργασία στον τομέα της αγωγής του πολίτη, η σύνδεση των πολιτών μεταξύ τους και η σύνδεση πολιτών και δημοσίων θεσμών. Η αγωγή του πολίτη είναι μέλημα κυρίως των εθνικών ή περιφερειακών αρχών, ωστόσο η Ευρώπη μπορεί να προσφέρει προστιθέμενη αξία. Η ΕΕ μπορεί να συμβάλει στη διασφάλιση της ανταλλαγής βέλτιστων πρακτικών και στη διευκόλυνση της ανάπτυξης κοινών εκπαιδευτικών μέσων έτσι, ώστε να υποστηρίζεται καλύτερα η ευρωπαϊκή διάσταση. Αυτό το διαπιστώνω σε κάθε επίσκεψή μου στα κράτη μέλη. Οι εκπαιδευτικοί και όσοι εμπλέκονται στην εκπαιδευτική διαδικασία ρωτούν: «Είναι ανάγκη να εφευρίσκουμε εκ νέου τον τροχό; Δεν μπορεί να βελτιωθεί η ανταλλαγή πρακτικών, υλικού ή εμπειριών;»
Αναγκαία για την ανάπτυξη αμοιβαίας εμπιστοσύνης και σεβασμού αλλά και για την ενίσχυση της προθυμίας για συνεργασία στο πλαίσιο της προσπάθειας επίτευξης κοινών στόχων είναι η δημιουργία νέων βημάτων δημοσίου διαλόγου για τα ευρωπαϊκά θέματα. Επιπλέον, η καλή αμφίδρομη επικοινωνία μεταξύ των πολιτών και των δημοσίων θεσμών είναι αναγκαία σε μια υγιή δημοκρατία. Η επικρατούσα τάση να καταστούν τα θεσμικά όργανα της ΕΕ πιο επικοινωνιακά, ανοικτά και προσβάσιμα πρέπει να συνεχίσει να ενισχύεται.
Ο τρίτος τομέας δράσης που περιλαμβάνεται στη Λευκή Βίβλο αφορά τα μέσα ενημέρωσης και τις νέες τεχνολογίες. Τα μέσα ενημέρωσης είναι κεντρικοί συντελεστές στην πολιτική επικοινωνίας και, γι’ αυτό, οι δημόσιες αρχές σε όλα τα επίπεδα διακυβέρνησης επιβάλλεται να εξεύρουν καινοτόμους τρόπους συνεργασίας με τα εθνικά, περιφερειακά και τοπικά μέσα ενημέρωσης. Πρέπει επίσης να συζητήσουμε για τους τρόπους με τους οποίους μπορεί να διασφαλιστεί η δίκαιη εκπροσώπηση όλων των απόψεων σε αυτές τις συζητήσεις και να προσφερθεί στους πολίτες πλήρης, ισότιμη και αντικειμενική ενημέρωση μέσω ποικίλων διαύλων, όχι μόνο μέσω του Τύπου, του ραδιοφώνου ή της τηλεόρασης αλλά και μέσω του Διαδικτύου. Μια από τις προτάσεις, όπως άλλωστε πληροφορηθήκατε ήδη από τα μέσα ενημέρωσης, είναι να αναβαθμίσουμε την υπάρχουσα «Ευρώπη μέσω δορυφόρου» –μια διοργανική υπηρεσία– και, για παράδειγμα, την περιφερειακή τηλεόραση, η οποία ανήκει στους χρήστες της εν λόγω υπηρεσίας.
Ο τέταρτος τομέας δράσης είναι η κατανόηση της κοινής γνώμης. Αυτή είναι μια πρόκληση για όσους είναι υπεύθυνοι για τη χάραξη πολιτικής. Πρέπει να βρίσκονται σε διαρκή επαφή με την ευρωπαϊκή κοινή γνώμη, διότι οι απόψεις των πολιτών για τα επιμέρους ζητήματα μπορεί να διαφέρουν δραματικά μεταξύ των διαφόρων χωρών ή ακόμη και περιφερειών. Η Ευρωπαϊκή Επιτροπή είναι πρωτοπόρος στην ανάπτυξη σύγχρονων μέσων, όπως οι έρευνες του Ευρωβαρομέτρου, για την ανάλυση της ευρωπαϊκής κοινής γνώμης. Η Λευκή Βίβλος ενθαρρύνει τον διάλογο σχετικά με το πώς μπορούμε να βελτιώσουμε τη χρήση αυτών των μέσων με σκοπό την περαιτέρω εμβάθυνση των αναλύσεών μας και πώς μπορούμε να χρησιμοποιήσουμε πιο αποτελεσματικά αυτές τις αναλύσεις στο πλαίσιο της διαδικασίας χάραξης των πολιτικών.
Ο πέμπτος τομέας κοινής συζήτησης είναι το πώς μπορούμε να διασφαλίσουμε την επιτυχία αυτής της εταιρικής σχέσης: ο τίτλος που δώσαμε σε αυτήν την ενότητα είναι «πώς να εργαστούμε μαζί». Πώς μπορούν οι κυβερνήσεις της ΕΕ να συνεργαστούν στενότερα μεταξύ τους και με τις Βρυξέλλες για την ενημέρωση και τη διαβούλευση με τους πολίτες; Πώς μπορούν τα θεσμικά όργανα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης να συνεργαστούν πιο αποτελεσματικά και να ενισχύσουν περαιτέρω την αποκέντρωση των προσπαθειών τους; Οι τοπικές και περιφερειακές αρχές βρίσκονται στην κατάλληλη θέση για να διεξαγάγουν πραγματικό διάλογο με τους πολίτες. Ποιος είναι ο καλύτερος τρόπος για να μεταφέρουν τις απόψεις των τοπικών κοινοτήτων στους υπευθύνους για τη χάραξη πολιτικών στις Βρυξέλλες; Τι άλλο μπορούν να πράξουν πολιτικά κόμματα και ΜΚΟ, ώστε να ενισχύσουν την ευαισθητοποίηση των πολιτών για τα ευρωπαϊκά θέματα και να ενθαρρύνουν τον δημόσιο διάλογο;
Η Επιτροπή δεν έχει έτοιμες απαντήσεις στα ερωτήματα αυτά και δεν θεωρούμε ότι πρέπει να δίνουμε μαθήματα στους λοιπούς μετέχοντες σε αυτήν τη διαδικασία σχετικά με το τι πρέπει να πράξουν. Συνεπώς, η Λευκή Βίβλος εγκαινιάζει μια ευρεία διαδικασία διαβούλευσης, καλώντας όλους τους ενδιαφερόμενους να μελετήσουν εμβριθώς αυτά τα ερωτήματα και να προτείνουν τις δικές τους ιδέες. Ποτέ δεν πραγματοποιήσαμε δημόσια διαβούλευση σχετικά με την πολιτική επικοινωνίας της Ευρώπης. Είναι λοιπόν καιρός να το πράξουμε, αν θέλουμε πραγματικά να τοποθετήσουμε τους πολίτες στο επίκεντρο των δραστηριοτήτων μας. Επιθυμώ το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο να είναι ο στενότερος σύμμαχος και υποστηρικτής μας σε αυτήν τη διαδικασία. Η διάρθρωση για μια τέτοια συνεργασία υφίσταται ήδη, οπότε μπορούμε να την χρησιμοποιήσουμε ως βάση για τη βελτίωση της διάρθρωσης και του συντονισμού των προσπαθειών μας.
Ολοκληρώνω την ομιλία μου με μια φράση του φιλοσόφου John Dewey, ο οποίος έγραψε: “Η σύνδεση μεταξύ των λέξεων «κοινός», «κοινότητα» και «επικοινωνία» δεν είναι απλώς λεκτική. Επιχειρήστε να επικοινωνήσετε, με πληρότητα και ακρίβεια, μια εμπειρία σε ένα άλλο πρόσωπο, ιδίως αν παρουσιάζει κάποιον βαθμό πολυπλοκότητας, και θα διαπιστώσετε ότι αλλάζει και η δική σας στάση έναντι της εμπειρίας σας”.
Η επικοινωνία συμβάλλει στην κατανόηση, αναπτύσσει κοινές αξίες και δημιουργεί κοινότητες. Αυτό χρειάζεται η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση περισσότερο από οτιδήποτε άλλο. Σας ευχαριστώ για την προσοχή σας. Αναμένω τις απόψεις σας με ενδιαφέρον.
Αυτή δεν είναι η πρώτη φορά που μιλώ για τη Λευκή Βίβλο ενώπιον του Κοινοβουλίου. Την ανακοίνωσα για πρώτη φορά κατά τη συζήτηση της έκθεσης Herrero, η οποία αποτέλεσε σημαντικό κείμενο αναφοράς για το έργο που ανέλαβα στη συνέχεια. Στα διάφορα στάδια προετοιμασίας της Λευκής Βίβλου, ενημέρωνα τακτικά το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο για τις ιδέες μου, μετέχοντας σε συνεδριάσεις με τις διάφορες πολιτικές ομάδες, επιτροπές, κλπ., και είμαι βεβαία ότι οι κεντρικές ιδέες και μηνύματα της Λευκής Βίβλου είναι οικεία σε πολλούς από εσάς.
Η ανταπόκριση και η ενθάρρυνση της προσπάθειάς μου με κάνουν να πιστεύω ότι, σε θέματα επικοινωνίας, το Σώμα θα εξακολουθήσει να είναι ο πιο αφοσιωμένος και πολύτιμος σύμμαχός μου. Η επικοινωνία είναι πρωτίστως θέμα δημοκρατίας. Οι λαοί μας έχουν το δικαίωμα να γνωρίζουν τι κάνει και τι αντιπροσωπεύει η Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, ενώ ως πολίτες έχουν το δικαίωμα να μετέχουν πλήρως στο ευρωπαϊκό εγχείρημα. Αυτό είναι το κεντρικό μήνυμα της Λευκής Βίβλου.
Υπάρχει ένα ανησυχητικό χάσμα μεταξύ της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και των πολιτών της. Επτά στους δέκα ερωτηθέντες σε έρευνες του Ευρωβαρομέτρου δηλώνουν ότι γνωρίζουν ελάχιστα ή τίποτα για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση. Περισσότεροι από τους μισούς αισθάνονται ότι δεν έχουν λόγο στα ευρωπαϊκά ζητήματα. Η εμπιστοσύνη στα ευρωπαϊκά θεσμικά όργανα μειώνεται, όπως άλλωστε και ο αριθμός όσων πιστεύουν ότι η Ευρώπη ωφελεί τους ίδιους ή τις χώρες τους. Αυτή δεν είναι η πρώτη φορά που διαπιστώνεται χάσμα επικοινωνίας μεταξύ της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και των πολιτών της. Αποτέλεσε αντικείμενο συζητήσεων στους κύκλους της ΕΕ τουλάχιστον από την περίοδο των δημοψηφισμάτων που προηγήθηκαν της θέσης σε ισχύ της Συνθήκης του Μάαστριχτ το 1992. Από αυτήν την άποψη, τα πρόσφατα δημοψηφίσματα για τη Συνταγματική Συνθήκη αποτέλεσαν ηχηρό εγερτήριο σάλπισμα.
Η γεφύρωση του χάσματος μεταξύ της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και των πολιτών της έχει καταστεί περισσότερο επείγουσα από κάθε άλλη φορά. Για να σημειώσει πρόοδο, το ευρωπαϊκό εγχείρημα πρέπει να στηρίζεται στις επιθυμίες και τις προσδοκίες των πολιτών. Πρέπει να ανήκει στους πολίτες, όχι μόνο σε μια μικρή ελίτ η οποία βρίσκεται στις Βρυξέλλες ή σε μία ή δύο μεγάλες ευρωπαϊκές πρωτεύουσες. Η Λευκή Βίβλος είναι η πρόταση της Επιτροπής για την ανταπόκριση σε αυτήν την πρόκληση και τη θεμελίωση μιας πολιτικής επικοινωνίας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης.
Ποιος πρέπει να είναι ο κύριος στόχος μιας ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής επικοινωνίας; Στη Λευκή Βίβλο υποστηρίζεται η ανάπτυξη μιας λειτουργικής ευρωπαϊκής δημόσιας σφαίρας, στην οποία θα μπορεί να διεξαχθεί διάλογος σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο με τη συμμετοχή των πολιτών. Αυτήν την ιδέα την είχε ενστερνιστεί στο παρελθόν το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο, και τώρα αποτελεί κεντρικό στοιχείο του οράματος της Επιτροπής για μια πολιτική επικοινωνίας.
Στη Λευκή Βίβλο υπογραμμίζεται η σημασία της ανάπτυξης μιας πραγματικής ευρωπαϊκής πολιτικής κουλτούρας, με πανευρωπαϊκές πολιτικές ομάδες, πανευρωπαϊκά μέσα ενημέρωσης και βήματα δημοσίου διαλόγου ή τόπους συνάντησης στους οποίους οι πολίτες θα μπορούν να συζητούν θέματα κοινού ενδιαφέροντος. Σπεύδω, εντούτοις, να διευκρινίσω ότι όλα αυτά δεν αποσκοπούν στην αντικατάσταση ή υποβάθμιση του ρόλου των εθνικών, περιφερειακών ή τοπικών επιπέδων πολιτικής οργάνωσης και δραστηριοποίησης των μέσων ενημέρωσης· απεναντίας, έχουν ρόλο συμπληρωματικό.
Για να διαμορφωθεί μια ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική κουλτούρα, εκείνο που πρωτίστως ίσως απαιτείται είναι να διασφαλιστεί η συμπερίληψη των ευρωπαϊκών θεμάτων στους εθνικούς, περιφερειακούς και τοπικούς δημοσίους διαλόγους. Η ανάπτυξη μιας ευρωπαϊκής δημόσιας σφαίρας είναι, βεβαίως, πολύ φιλόδοξος στόχος και απαιτεί χρόνο. Υπερβαίνει κατά πολύ τις δυνατότητες της Επιτροπής. Σε αυτό το πλαίσιο, αποφασιστική σημασία θα έχει ο ρόλος του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου, αλλά γνωρίζουμε ότι ο στόχος αυτός θα επιτευχθεί μόνον εάν όλοι οι εμπλεκόμενοι –και πρωτίστως τα κράτη μέλη– επιδείξουν διάθεση να δεσμευτούν και να αναλάβουν τις ευθύνες τους.
Συνεπώς, η Λευκή Βίβλος είναι μια έκκληση για ανάληψη δράσης από όλα τα ευρωπαϊκά θεσμικά όργανα, τις κυβερνήσεις και τα πολιτικά κόμματα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, την κοινωνία των πολιτών και τα μέσα ενημέρωσης σε όλες τις χώρες της ΕΕ. Προτείνεται να ξεκινήσουμε τις εργασίες μας σε πέντε βασικούς τομείς: καταρχάς, καθορίζοντας κοινές αρχές. Μια ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική επικοινωνίας πρέπει να στηρίζεται στη θεμελιώδη παραδοχή ότι όλοι οι πολίτες της ΕΕ έχουν ορισμένα δικαιώματα, όπως το δικαίωμα ισότιμης και πλήρους ενημέρωσης σχετικά με την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, το δικαίωμα να πληροφορούνται όλες τις απόψεις για την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, καθώς και το δικαίωμα να λαμβάνονται υπόψη οι απόψεις τους από τους υπευθύνους για τη χάραξη των πολιτικών."@el10
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Señor Presidente, quiero dar las gracias a usted y a sus Señorías por estar aquí tan temprano esta mañana. Gracias por darme la oportunidad de presentarles el Libro blanco sobre la estrategia europea de comunicación adoptado por la Comisión en su reunión de ayer.
El Libro blanco propone que estos principios se incluyan en un documento marco –una carta o, quizás, un código de conducta– con el que todos los actores principales deberían comprometerse de forma voluntaria, para acordar los principios de comunicación. Necesitamos que esos principios comunes guíen nuestra acción común y den credibilidad y legitimidad a nuestras actividades de comunicación; que dejen claro que la comunicación de la Unión Europea no consiste en vender Europa ni en producir propaganda, sino en potenciar nuestra democracia. Es un instrumento para que los ciudadanos valoren si se respetan o no sus derechos.
La segunda área de trabajo que propone el Libro blanco es la capacitación de los ciudadanos. ¿Cómo puede ayudar una política de comunicación de la Unión Europea a avanzar en este sentido? El Libro blanco señala tres vías: Cooperar más en materia de educación cívica, interconectar a los ciudadanos y conectar a los ciudadanos con las instituciones. La educación cívica es una responsabilidad nacional o regional, pero existe un valor añadido europeo. La Unión Europea puede ayudar a garantizar el intercambio de mejores prácticas y a facilitar el desarrollo de instrumentos educativos comunes para hacer frente mejor a la dimensión europea. Me encuentro con esto constantemente, cuando viajo a los Estados miembros. Los maestros y todas las personas implicadas en estas actividades dicen: «¿realmente tenemos que reinventar la rueda? No podríamos mejorar el intercambio de prácticas, materiales o experiencia?»
Los nuevos foros de debate público sobre cuestiones europeas son fundamentales para generar confianza mutua, respeto y voluntad de trabajar juntos para conseguir objetivos comunes. Asimismo, una buena comunicación bidireccional entre los ciudadanos y las instituciones públicas es fundamental en una democracia saludable. Es necesario seguir reforzando la dinámica actual a favor de que las instituciones de la Unión Europea muestren más interés y sean más abiertas y accesibles.
El tercer ámbito en el que el documento propone trabajar se refiere a los medios de comunicación y las nuevas tecnologías. Los medios de comunicación son agentes fundamentales de la política de comunicación y es crucial que las instituciones públicas de todos los niveles de gobernanza encuentren formas innovadoras de cooperar con los medios de comunicación locales, regionales y nacionales. También necesitamos debatir juntos cómo garantizar que todas las opiniones estén representadas de forma justa en estos debates y cómo podemos ofrecer a los ciudadanos una información completa, imparcial y veraz, a través de una amplia gama de canales, no solamente la prensa, la radio y la televisión, sino también a través de Internet. Una de las propuestas, como ya han visto sus Señorías por la cobertura de los medios, es también que deberíamos mejorar nuestro servicio existente Europa vía Satélite –un servicio interinstitucional– y, por ejemplo, la televisión regional, que pertenece a los usuarios de este servicio.
El cuarto ámbito de trabajo es la comprensión de la opinión pública. Esto supone un desafío para los políticos. Necesitan estar al tanto de la opinión pública europea, dado que las opiniones de los ciudadanos con respecto a cualquier cuestión pueden variar mucho entre diferentes países o regiones. La Comisión Europea ha sido pionera en el desarrollo de instrumentos modernos, como los sondeos del Eurobarómetro, para analizar la opinión pública. Nuestro Libro blanco fomenta el debate sobre cómo podríamos mejorar el uso que hacemos de estos instrumentos para realizar un análisis más profundo y utilizarlos de forma más eficaz a fin de alimentar el proceso político.
El quinto ámbito de debate conjunto es cómo hacer que la colaboración funcione: nosotros lo llamamos «cómo hacer el trabajo juntos». ¿Cómo pueden cooperar los Gobiernos de la Unión Europea más estrechamente entre ellos y con Bruselas, para informar y consultar a los ciudadanos? ¿Cómo pueden las instituciones de la Unión Europea trabajar juntas de forma más eficaz y continuar trabajando para descentralizar sus esfuerzos? Las autoridades locales y regionales están en condiciones de participar en un verdadero diálogo con los ciudadanos. ¿Cómo pueden canalizar mejor el punto de vista de las comunidades locales hacia los políticos de Bruselas? ¿Qué más pueden hacer los partidos políticos y las ONG por aumentar el conocimiento público sobre temas europeos y estimular el debate público?
La Comisión no tiene respuestas preparadas a todas estas preguntas y no deberíamos tratar de decir a otros implicados qué deberían hacer. Por lo tanto, el Libro blanco lanza un amplio proceso de consulta e invita a todos los implicados a pensar detenidamente en estas cuestiones y a exponer sus propias ideas. Nunca hemos celebrado una consulta pública sobre la comunicación de Europa. Ya es hora de que lo hagamos, si realmente queremos situar a los ciudadanos en el centro de nuestras actividades. Me gustaría que el Parlamento Europeos fuese nuestro mejor aliado y defensor en este proceso. Las estructuras para esta cooperación ya existen y podemos mejorarlas para estructurar y coordinar mejor nuestro trabajo.
Para terminar, me gustaría citar al filósofo John Dewey, que escribió que «existe más que un vínculo verbal entre las palabras común, comunidad y comunicación. Haga el experimento de comunicar, con amplitud y precisión, alguna experiencia a otro, especialmente si es un poco complicado, y encontrará su propia actitud hacia su cambio de experiencia».
La comunicación ayuda al entendimiento, genera valores comunes y crea comunidades. Esto es lo que la Unión Europea necesita más que nada. Gracias por su atención. Espero escuchar sus opiniones.
No es la primera vez que hablo del Libro blanco en esta Cámara. Primero lo anuncié durante el debate sobre el informe Herrero, que ha sido una referencia importante para mi trabajo posterior. Durante la elaboración del Libro blanco he informado regularmente al Parlamento Europeo acerca de mis ideas, reuniéndome con los diferentes Grupos políticos, comisiones, etc. y estoy segura de que a varios de ustedes les resultarán bastante familiares los principales conceptos y mensajes del Libro blanco.
La respuesta y los ánimos que me han dado me hacen pensar que continuaré encontrando en esta Cámara al aliado más comprometido y preciado en materia de comunicación. La comunicación es, en primer lugar y sobre todo, una cuestión de democracia. Los ciudadanos tienen derecho a saber qué hace la Unión Europea y qué defiende, y como tales tienen derecho a participar plenamente en el proyecto europeo. Este es el principal mensaje del Libro blanco.
Existe una preocupante brecha entre la Unión Europea y sus ciudadanos. Siete de cada diez entrevistados en los sondeos del Eurobarómetro afirman saber poco o nada sobre la Unión Europea. Más de la mitad consideran que su voz no cuenta en los asuntos europeos. La confianza en las instituciones europeas disminuye, al igual que el número de personas que creen que Europa aporta algún beneficio a ellas o a sus países. La percepción de una brecha de comunicación entre la Unión Europea y sus ciudadanos no es nueva. Ha sido objeto de debate en círculos de la Unión Europea al menos desde los referendos que precedieron a la entrada en vigor del Tratado de Maastricht, en 1992. A este respecto, los referendos recientes sobre el Tratado Constitucional han supuesto un severo toque de atención.
La eliminación de la brecha entre la Unión Europea y sus ciudadanos es ahora más urgente que nunca. Para avanzar, el proyecto europeo necesita arraigar en los deseos y las expectativas de los ciudadanos. Debe pertenecer a los ciudadanos y no solo a una pequeña elite asentada en Bruselas o en un par de grandes capitales europeas. El Libro blanco es la propuesta de la Comisión para responder a este desafío y sentar las bases de una política de comunicación de la Unión Europea.
¿Cuál debería ser el propósito principal de una política europea de comunicación? El Libro blanco defiende el desarrollo de una esfera pública europea que funcione, donde pueda desarrollarse el debate europeo y puedan participar los ciudadanos. Se trata de un concepto que el Parlamento Europeo hizo suyo hace algún tiempo y ahora es fundamental en la visión de la Comisión de una política de comunicación.
El Libro blanco señala la importancia de desarrollar una verdadera cultura política europea, con Grupos políticos paneuropeos, foros y medios de comunicación paneuropeos o lugares de reunión donde los ciudadanos puedan reunirse y debatir cuestiones de interés común. No obstante, aclararé de inmediato que todo esto no pretende sustituir ni disminuir la función de los niveles locales, regionales o nacionales de estructuras políticas y actividad de los medios; por el contrario, los complementa.
Probablemente lo más urgente para la creación de una cultura política europea es asegurar que las cuestiones europeas se reflejen en los debates locales, regionales y nacionales. El desarrollo de una esfera pública europea es, por supuesto, un proyecto muy ambicioso y llevará su tiempo. Va mucho más allá del ámbito de competencias de la Comisión. El papel del Parlamento Europeo será crucial a este respecto, pero sabemos que solo lo conseguiremos si todos los implicados –y los Estados miembros, en primer lugar– estamos dispuestos a comprometernos y a asumir responsabilidades.
Por lo tanto, el Libro blanco es un llamamiento a la acción de todas las instituciones de la Unión Europea, de los partidos políticos y Gobiernos de la Unión Europea, de la sociedad civil y de los medios de comunicación de todos los países de la Unión. Propone que comencemos a trabajar en cinco ámbitos principales: en primer lugar, la definición de principios comunes. Una política de comunicación de la Unión Europea debe basarse en el reconocimiento fundamental de que todos los ciudadanos de la Unión Europea tienen ciertos derechos, por ejemplo, el derecho a una información imparcial y completa sobre la Unión Europea; el derecho a escuchar todas las diferentes opiniones acerca de la Unión Europea; y el derecho a que los políticos escuchen su voz."@es20
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@et5
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Arvoisa puhemies, kiitän teitä ja arvoisia parlamentin jäseniä siitä, että olette täällä tänä aamuna. Kiitän mahdollisuudesta saada esitellä teille komission eilisessä istunnossaan hyväksymä valkoinen kirja eurooppalaisesta viestintäpolitiikasta.
Valkoisessa kirjassa ehdotetaan, että yhteiset periaatteet ja normit voitaisiin esittää yhdessä puiteasiakirjassa, esimerkiksi eurooppalaisessa viestinnän peruskirjassa tai käytännesäännöissä. Tavoitteena olisi saada kaikki keskeiset toimijat sitoutumaan kyseisten periaatteiden noudattamiseen. Sitoutuminen olisi vapaaehtoista. Tarvitsemme yhteisiä periaatteita, jotka ohjaavat yhteistä toimintaamme ja antavat viestintätoimillemme uskottavuutta ja legitimiteetin. On tehtävä selväksi, ettei EU:n viestinnässä ole kyse unionin markkinoinnista tai propagandan tuottamisesta vaan demokratiamme edistämisestä. Tarjoamme kansalaisille välineen, jolla he voivat arvioida, kunnioitetaanko heidän oikeuksiaan.
Toinen tehtäväala, jota valkoisessa kirjassa ehdotetaan, on kansalaisten äänen saaminen kuuluviin. Kuinka EU:n viestintäpolitiikalla voidaan edistää tätä? Valkoisessa kirjassa esitetään kolme päätavoitetta: kansalaisvalistuksen yhteinen tehostaminen, kansalaisten yhteydet toisiinsa sekä kansalaisten ja hallintoviranomaisten yhteydet. Kansalaisvalistus kuuluu kansalliseen tai alueelliseen vastuualaan, mutta EU voi tuoda siihen lisäarvoa. EU voi auttaa varmistamaan parhaiden käytäntöjen vaihtoa ja helpottaa yhteisten välineiden kehittämisessä, jotta eurooppalaista ulottuvuutta voidaan käsitellä laajemmin. Törmään tähän asiaan jatkuvasti matkustaessani jäsenvaltioissa. Opettajat ja kaikki toimintaan osallistuvat kysyvät: "Onko meidän todella keksittävä pyörä uudelleen? Eikö käytäntöjä, aineistoa ja kokemuksia voitaisi vaihtaa tehokkaammin?"
On kehitettävä uusia foorumeja Eurooppa-asioita koskevalle keskustelulle, jotta voidaan rakentaa keskinäistä luottamusta, kunnioitusta ja yhteistyöhalukkuutta yhteisten tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi. Myös asianmukainen kaksisuuntainen viestintä kansalaisten ja viranomaisten välillä on olennaista hyvinvoivassa demokratiassa. On vahvistettava nykyistä suuntausta, jossa pyritään tekemään EU:n toimielimistä entistä vastaanottavaisempia, avoimempia ja kaikkien saavutettavissa olevia.
Kolmas ala, jolla valkoisessa kirjassa ehdotetaan toimintaa, ovat tiedotusvälineet ja uusi teknologia. Tiedotusvälineet ovat tärkeässä asemassa Euroopan viestintäpolitiikassa, ja on hyvin tärkeää, että julkiset toimielimet kaikilla hallinnon tasoilla löytävät innovatiivisia tapoja tehdä yhteistyötä kansallisten, alueellisten ja paikallisten tiedotusvälineiden kanssa. Meidän on myös keskusteltava siitä, kuinka varmistetaan kaikkien näkemysten tasapuolinen esiintyminen keskusteluissa, ja siitä, kuinka voimme tarjota kansalaisille kattavaa, tasapuolista ja asiapitoista tietoa lukuisten eri kanavien kautta. Lehdistön, radion ja television lisäksi tämä koskee myös Internetiä. Kuten olette jo saaneet kuulla tiedotusvälineistä, yksi ehdotuksista on, että päivitämme nykyistä Europe by Satellite -palvelua – toimielinten yhteistä palvelua – ja esimerkiksi alueellista televisiotoimintaa, joka koskee EBS-palvelun käyttäjiä.
Neljäs toiminta-ala on yleisen mielipiteen selvittäminen. Tämä on haaste poliittisten päätösten tekijöille. Heidän on seurattava yleistä mielipidettä Euroopassa, sillä kansalaisten näkemykset voivat missä tahansa asiassa vaihdella todella rajusti eri valtioiden tai alueiden kesken. Euroopan komissio on ollut tärkeimpiä nykyaikaisten mielipidetutkimuksen välineiden, esimerkiksi Eurobarometri-selvitysten, kehittäjiä. Valkoisessa kirjassa kannustetaan käymään keskustelua siitä, kuinka voimme parantaa näiden välineiden käyttöä entistä syvällisempien selvitysten tekemiseksi ja niiden hyödyntämiseksi entistä tehokkaammin poliittisen päätöksentekomenettelyn perustana.
Viides yhteisen keskustelun ala on yhteistyön tehostaminen. Kutsumme sitä "yhteistyön lisäämiseksi". Kuinka EU:n hallitukset voivat tehdä tiiviimpää yhteistyötä keskenään ja Brysselin kanssa kansalaisille tiedottamisen ja heidän kuulemisensa aloilla? Kuinka Euroopan unionin toimielimet voivat tehdä entistä tehokkaampaa yhteistyötä ja hajauttaa toimintaansa? Paikallis- ja alueviranomaisilla on hyvät mahdollisuudet todelliseen keskusteluun kansalaisten kanssa. Kuinka he voisivat parhaiten kanavoida paikallisten yhteisöjen näkemykset Brysselin päätöksentekijöille? Mitä poliittiset puolueet ja kansalaisjärjestöt voisivat vielä tehdä lisätäkseen yleistä tietoisuutta Eurooppa-asioista ja stimuloidakseen julkista keskustelua?
Komissiolla ei ole valmiita vastauksia kaikkiin näihin kysymyksiin, emmekä halua luennoida muille asianosaisille, mitä niiden olisi tehtävä. Tämän vuoksi valkoisessa kirjassa käynnistetään laaja-alainen kuulemismenettely ja kehotetaan kaikkia asianosaisia pohtimaan huolellisesti näitä kysymyksiä ja esittämään omia ajatuksiaan. Emme ole koskaan järjestäneet kuulemismenettelyä viestinnästä Euroopassa. Nyt on korkea aika tehdä näin, jos vakavasti haluamme saada kansalaiset keskeiseen asemaan toiminnassamme. Toivon Euroopan parlamentista läheisintä liittolaistamme ja tukijaamme tässä menettelyssä. Yhteistyörakenteet ovat jo olemassa, ja niiden pohjalta voimme kehittää ja koordinoida työtämme.
Lopuksi haluan lainata filosofi John Deweyta. Hänen mukaansa sanoilla yhteinen, yhteisö ja viestintä (common, community ja communication) on muutakin yhteistä kuin sanallinen yhteys. Kokeilkaamme täysimääräistä ja täsmällistä viestintää, erilaisia kokemuksia, varsinkin, jos ne ovat jokseenkin pulmallisia, ja huomaamme oman asenteemme kokemusta kohtaan muuttuvan.
Viestintä helpottaa ymmärtämistä, yhteisten arvojen rakentamista ja yhteisöjen luomista. Tätä Euroopan unioni tarvitsee enemmän kuin mitään muuta. Kiitos tarkkaavaisuudestanne. Odotan kuulevani mielipiteenne.
Tämä ei ole ensimmäinen kerta, kun puhun tästä valkoisesta kirjasta parlamentissa. Mainitsin sen ensimmäisen kerran keskustelussa Herreron mietinnöstä, joka on ollut merkittävä viitetausta työlleni. Valkoisen kirjan valmisteluvaiheessa kerroin säännöllisesti Euroopan parlamentille ajatuksistani, tapasin poliittisia ryhmiä, valiokuntia ja niin edelleen, ja olen varma, että valkoisessa kirjassa esitetyt keskeiset käsitteet ja viestit ovat aivan tuttuja monille teistä.
Saamani palautteen ja kannustuksen perusteella uskon, että kaikkein sitoutuneimmat ja arvokkaimmat liittolaiseni tämän tiedonannon osalta löytyvät parlamentista. Tiedonannossa on ennen kaikkea kyse demokratiasta. Kansalaisilla on oikeus tietää, mitä Euroopan unioni tekee ja mitä se edustaa, ja kansalaisina heillä on myös oikeus osallistua täysimääräisesti Eurooppa-hankkeeseen. Tämä on valkoisen kirjan keskeinen viesti.
Euroopan unionin ja sen kansalaisten välillä on huolestuttava kuilu. Eurobarometrikyselyissä seitsemän kymmenestä sanoo tietävänsä vain vähän tai ei mitään Euroopan unionista. Puolet vastanneista on sitä mieltä, ettei heidän äänellään ole merkitystä Eurooppa-asioissa. Luottamus unionin toimielimiä kohtaan heikkenee ja niiden kansalaisten määrä, jotka uskovat unionin tuovan etuja heille tai heidän kotimaalleen, pienenee. Havainto viestintäkuilusta Euroopan unionin ja sen kansalaisten välillä ei ole uusi asia. Se on ollut keskustelunaiheena EU-piireissä ainakin Maastrichtin sopimuksen voimaantuloa vuonna 1992 edeltäneistä kansanäänestyksistä asti. Tältä kannalta viimevuotiset kansanäänestykset perustuslakisopimuksesta olivat tyly muistutus.
Euroopan unionin ja sen kansalaisten välisen kuilun kurominen umpeen on nyt entistäkin tärkeämpää. Edistyäkseen Eurooppa-hankkeen on oltava ankkuroitu kansalaisten toiveisiin ja odotuksiin. Sen on kuuluttava kansalaisille eikä pelkästään Brysselissä tai muutamassa suuressa eurooppalaisessa pääkaupungissa toimivalle pienelle eliitille. Valkoinen kirja on komission ehdotus tähän haasteeseen vastaamiseksi ja perustan luomiseksi Euroopan unionin viestintäpolitiikalle.
Minkä pitäisi olla eurooppalaisen viestintäpolitiikan pääasiallinen tavoite? Valkoisessa kirjassa esitetään perusteet sellaisen toimivan eurooppalaisen julkisen foorumin kehittämiselle, jossa eurooppalainen keskustelu voidaan käynnistää ja johon kansalaiset voivat osallistua. Euroopan parlamentti omaksui tämän käsityksen jokin aika sitten innokkaasti, ja sillä on nyt keskeinen asema viestintäpolitiikkaa koskevassa komission näkemyksessä.
Valkoisessa kirjassa korostetaan, että on tärkeää kehittää aito eurooppalainen poliittinen kulttuuri yleiseurooppalaisine poliittisine ryhmittymineen ja yleiseurooppalaisine tiedotusvälineineen sekä foorumi tai kohtauspaikka, jossa kansalaiset voivat kohdata ja keskustella yhteistä etua koskevista asioista. Selvennän kuitenkin välittömästi, ettei tällä mitenkään korvata tai heikennetä kansallisen, alueellisen tai paikallisen tason poliittisten rakenteiden asemaa tai tiedotusvälineiden toimintaa. Päinvastoin, tällä täydennetään niitä.
Kenties kiireisin tarve eurooppalaisen poliittisen kulttuurin luomiseksi on tarve varmistaa, että unioniasiat näkyvät kansallisessa, alueellisessa ja paikallisessa keskustelussa. Euroopan julkisen foorumin kehittäminen on luonnollisesti kauaskantoinen hanke, jonka toteuttaminen vie aikaa. Se ylittää komission vastuualan. Tämän vuoksi Euroopan parlamentin asema on ratkaiseva, mutta tiedämme, että onnistuminen riippuu siitä, ovatko kaikki asianosaiset – ja ensisijaisesti jäsenvaltiot – valmiita sitoutumaan ja kantamaan vastuuta.
Valkoinen kirja on näin ollen kaikkien EU:n toimielinten, Euroopan unionin hallitusten ja poliittisten puolueiden, kansalaisyhteiskunnan ja tiedotusvälineiden toimintakehotus kaikissa EU:n jäsenvaltioissa. Siinä ehdotetaan, että alamme työskennellä viidellä keskeisellä alalla. Ensin on määritettävä yhteiset periaatteet. EU:n viestintäpolitiikan on perustuttava perustavaa laatua olevaan tunnustukseen, että kaikilla EU:n kansalaisilla on tiettyjä oikeuksia, esimerkiksi oikeus saada tasapuolista ja kattavaa tietoa EU:sta, oikeus kuulla kaikki EU:ta koskevat näkökannat sekä oikeus tulla poliittisten päätösten tekijöiden kuulemiksi."@fi7
".
Monsieur le Président, je tiens à remercier les honorables députés et vous-même pour votre présence ici en cette heure matinale. Merci de me donner la possibilité de vous présenter le Livre blanc sur une politique de communication européenne, qui a été adopté par la Commission lors de sa réunion d’hier.
Le livre blanc propose que ces principes soient inscrits dans un document-cadre - par exemple une charte ou un code de conduite -, en vertu duquel tous les acteurs clés s’engageraient volontairement à respecter ces principes de communication. Nous avons besoin de ces principes communs, pour qu’ils guident notre action commune et qu’ils confèrent crédibilité et légitimité à nos activités de communication; pour mettre en évidence que la communication européenne ne consiste pas à vendre l’Europe ou à produire de la propagande, mais bien à renforcer notre démocratie. C’est un outil dont les citoyens peuvent se servir pour vérifier si leurs droits sont respectés.
Le deuxième domaine d’action présenté par le livre blanc propose d’impliquer les citoyens. En quoi une politique de communication communautaire peut-elle contribuer à cela? Le livre blanc identifie trois façons de procéder: en travaillant davantage de concert sur l’éducation civique, en établissant un lien entre les citoyens et en établissant un lien entre les citoyens et les institutions. L’éducation civique relève de la responsabilité nationale ou régionale, mais il y a une valeur ajoutée européenne. L’UE peut contribuer à garantir l’échange de bonnes pratiques et faciliter l’élaboration d’outils éducatifs communs, afin d’aborder de façon plus adaptée la dimension européenne. Je rencontre souvent le cas lorsque je me rends dans des États membres. Des professeurs et toutes les personnes impliquées dans ces activités se demandent s’il faut vraiment que nous réinventions la roue et si nous ne pourrions pas disposer d’un meilleur échange de pratiques, de meilleur matériel ou d’une meilleure expérience.
Les nouveaux forums de discussion publique sur les questions européennes jouent un rôle essentiel pour instaurer la confiance et le respect mutuels et inciter à œuvrer conjointement à des objectifs communs. En outre, il n’y a pas de démocratie saine sans une bonne communication à double sens entre les citoyens et les organismes publics. Les efforts actuellement déployés en vue de rendre les institutions européennes plus responsables, ouvertes et accessibles doivent être encore renforcés.
Le troisième domaine d’action proposé par le livre blanc concerne les médias et les nouvelles technologies. Les médias jouent un rôle de premier plan dans toute politique de communication et il est capital que les organismes publics à tous les niveaux de pouvoir trouvent des moyens innovants de travailler avec les médias nationaux, régionaux et locaux. Nous devons également discuter de la meilleure manière de garantir que toutes les opinions soient représentées équitablement dans ces débats et de la meilleure manière de fournir à nos concitoyens des informations complètes, justes et factuelles par l’intermédiaire de toute une série de canaux, tels que la presse, la radio, la télévision, mais aussi l’internet. Une des propositions consiste également - vous êtes déjà au courant, car le sujet a été couvert par les médias - à moderniser
un service interinstitutionnel - et, par exemple, la télévision régionale, qui appartient aux utilisateurs du service EBS.
Le quatrième domaine d’action consiste à comprendre l’opinion publique, ce qui représente un défi pour les décideurs politiques. Ces derniers doivent rester à l’écoute de l’opinion publique européenne, car l’opinion des citoyens sur un sujet peut varier assez radicalement d’un pays à l’autre, ou d’une région à l’autre. La Commission européenne a joué un rôle de précurseur dans ce domaine en concevant des outils modernes d’analyse de l’opinion publique européenne, tels que les sondages Eurobaromètres. Notre livre blanc encourage le débat sur la façon dont nous pouvons améliorer notre utilisation de ces outils afin d’effectuer une analyse plus en profondeur et de l’utiliser plus efficacement afin d’alimenter le processus décisionnel.
Le cinquième domaine de discussion commune consiste à savoir comment faire fonctionner ce partenariat: nous appelons cela «agir ensemble». Comment les gouvernements de l’UE peuvent-ils coopérer plus étroitement les uns avec les autres et avec Bruxelles sur l’information et la consultation des citoyens? Comment les institutions de l’Union européenne peuvent-elles travailler ensemble de manière plus efficace et faire plus pour décentraliser leurs efforts? Les autorités régionales et locales sont bien placées pour engager un dialogue effectif avec les citoyens. Que peuvent-elles faire pour véhiculer l’avis des communautés locales jusqu’aux décideurs politiques de Bruxelles? Que peuvent faire de plus les partis politiques et les ONG pour sensibiliser l’opinion publique aux questions européennes et pour stimuler le débat public?
La Commission ne dispose pas de réponses toutes faites à ces questions, et nous ne nous permettrions pas de dire aux personnes concernées ce qu’elles doivent faire. Voilà pourquoi le livre blanc lance une vaste consultation et invite toutes les parties concernées à se pencher sérieusement sur ces questions et à présenter leurs idées. Il n’y a jamais eu de consultation publique sur la politique communication européenne. Il est grand temps qu’il y en ait une si nous tenons sérieusement à placer les citoyens au cœur de nos activités. Je souhaiterais que le Parlement européen constitue notre allié le plus proche et qu’il soutienne cette démarche. Les structures nécessaires à cette coopération existent déjà, et nous pouvons nous baser sur elles afin de mieux structurer et coordonner notre travail.
Pour terminer, je voudrais citer le philosophe John Dewey. Il a écrit «il y a plus qu’un lien verbal entre les mots commun, communauté et communication. Essayez donc de communiquer une expérience à quelqu’un d’autre en détail et avec précision,, surtout si elle est légèrement compliquée, et vous découvrirez que votre attitude vis-à-vis de cette expérience change».
La communication favorise la compréhension, crée des valeurs communes et crée des communautés. Voilà ce dont a besoin l’Union européenne plus que tout autre chose. Merci pour votre attention. J’ai hâte d’entendre vos avis.
Ce n’est pas la première fois que j’interviens devant cette Assemblée pour vous parler du livre blanc. J’en ai annoncé la publication lors du débat sur le rapport Herrero, qui a fait office de référence importante pour le travail que j’ai effectué par la suite. Au cours de la phase de préparation du livre blanc, j’ai régulièrement informé le Parlement européen de mes idées, notamment lors de rencontres avec les différents groupes politiques et commissions, et je suis sûre que les concepts et les messages clés du livre blanc sembleront familiers à certains d’entre vous.
Les réactions et les encouragements que j’ai reçus me donnent à penser que je vais continuer à trouver, en cette Assemblée, l’allié le plus convaincu et précieux pour ce qui est de la communication. La communication est avant toute chose une question de démocratie. Les citoyens ont le droit de savoir ce que fait l’Union européenne et ce qu’elle représente tout comme ils ont le droit de participer pleinement au projet européen. C’est le message clé du livre blanc.
Il existe un fossé inquiétant qui sépare l’Union européenne et ses citoyens. Sept personnes sur dix interrogées dans le cadre de sondages Eurobaromètre affirment qu’elles ne savent pas grand-chose, voire rien du tout, sur l’Union européenne. Plus de la moitié des interrogés ont l’impression que leur voix ne compte pas lorsqu’il s’agit d’affaires européennes. La confiance dans les institutions européennes est ébranlée, et de moins en moins de citoyens pensent que l’Europe sert leurs intérêts ou ceux de leur pays. L’idée qu’il existe un fossé de communication entre l’Union européenne et ses citoyens n’est pas nouvelle. Elle fait l’objet de discussions au sein de cercles européens au moins depuis les référendums qui ont précédé l’entrée en vigueur du traité de Maastricht en 1992. À cet égard, les récents référendums sur le traité constitutionnel sont un rappel à l’ordre sévère.
Combler le fossé séparant l’Union européenne de ses citoyens est devenu plus urgent que jamais. Pour progresser, le projet européen doit être ancré dans les souhaits et les attentes des citoyens. Il doit appartenir aux citoyens, et pas seulement à une petite élite basée à Bruxelles ou dans l’une ou l’autre grande capitale européenne. Le livre blanc constitue la proposition de la Commission pour relever ce défi et pour jeter les bases d’une stratégie de communication de l’Union européenne.
Quel doit être le principal objectif d’une politique de communication européenne? Le livre blanc plaide en faveur du développement d’une sphère publique européenne active, où le débat européen peut se dérouler et où les citoyens peuvent participer. C’est un concept que le Parlement européen a adopté il y a quelque temps déjà et qui constitue aujourd’hui un élément central de l’idée que se fait la Commission d’une politique de communication.
Le livre blanc souligne l’importance de l’adoption d’une véritable culture politique européenne, englobant des groupes politiques paneuropéens, des médias et des forums ou lieux de rencontre paneuropéens où les citoyens peuvent se rencontrer et discuter de questions d’intérêt commun. Toutefois, je tiens à clarifier tout de suite un point: tout ceci n’a pas pour but de remplacer ou d’amoindrir le rôle des structures politiques et des médias au niveau national, régional ou local. Au contraire, le but est de les compléter.
La chose la plus urgente à faire pour favoriser une culture politique européenne est probablement de veiller à ce que les questions européennes trouvent une place dans les débats nationaux, régionaux et locaux. Le développement d’une sphère publique européenne est, bien entendu, un projet d’une grande ampleur and prendra du temps. Il dépasse de loin les compétences de la Commission. Le rôle du Parlement européen sera crucial à cet égard, mais nous savons que nous n’y arriverons que si toutes les parties concernées - et les États membres avant tout - sont prêtes à s’engager et à assumer leurs responsabilités.
Par conséquent, le livre blanc est un appel à l’action lancé à toutes les institutions de l’UE, aux gouvernements et aux partis politiques de l’Union européenne, à la société civile et aux médias dans tous les pays de l’UE. Il propose que nous commencions par travailler dans cinq domaines principaux: le premier consiste à définir des principes communs. Une politique de communication européenne doit être basée sur la reconnaissance fondamentale des droits dont disposent les citoyens de l’UE, par exemple le droit de recevoir des informations justes et complètes sur l’Union européenne; le droit d’entendre l’ensemble des avis exprimés sur l’UE et de pouvoir se faire entendre par les décideurs."@fr8
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@hu11
"Signor Presidente, vorrei ringraziare lei e gli onorevoli deputati per essere qui questa mattina presto. Grazie per avermi dato l’opportunità di presentarvi il Libro bianco su una politica europea di comunicazione adottato dalla Commissione nel corso della riunione di ieri.
Il Libro bianco propone che tali principi vengano racchiusi in un documento quadro – una carta o magari un codice di condotta – in vista del quale tutte le principali parti interessate s’impegnerebbero volontariamente a definire principi comuni in materia di comunicazione. Occorre che tali principi comuni guidino l’azione di tutti noi e conferiscano credibilità e legittimità alle nostre attività di comunicazione, mettendo in chiaro che comunicazione comunitaria non vuol dire organizzare una campagna di
per l’Europa né produrre propaganda, ma promuovere la democrazia. E’ uno strumento con cui i cittadini possono valutare se i loro diritti vengono rispettati o meno.
La seconda area di lavoro proposta dal Libro bianco è il coinvolgimento dei cittadini. Come può contribuirvi una politica europea di comunicazione? Il Libro bianco individua tre modi di procedere: intensificare la collaborazione in materia di educazione civica, mettere i cittadini in comunicazione tra loro e collegare i cittadini e le istituzioni pubbliche. L’educazione civica è una responsabilità nazionale o regionale, ma vi è un valore aggiunto europeo. L’Unione europea può contribuire ad assicurare uno scambio di migliori pratiche e favorire lo sviluppo di strumenti educativi comuni, in modo che si possa affrontare meglio la dimensione europea. Ne faccio esperienza ogni volta che visito gli Stati membri. Gli insegnanti e tutte le persone coinvolte in simili attività dicono: “Dobbiamo davvero scoprire l’acqua calda da soli? Non potremmo migliorare lo scambio di pratiche, di materiali, di esperienze?”
Sono indispensabili nuovi
di discussione pubblica sulle questioni europee per creare fiducia reciproca, rispetto e disponibilità a lavorare insieme verso obiettivi comuni. Inoltre, in una democrazia sana è essenziale una buona comunicazione a due sensi tra cittadini e istituzioni pubbliche. Si deve continuare a rafforzare l’attuale campagna volta a rendere le Istituzioni comunitarie più responsabili, aperte e accessibili.
Il terzo settore in cui il Libro propone interventi riguarda i
e le nuove tecnologie. I
hanno un ruolo fondamentale nella politica di comunicazione ed è indispensabile che le istituzioni pubbliche a tutti i livelli di
trovino modi innovativi di lavorare con i
nazionali, regionali e locali. Dobbiamo inoltre esaminare insieme le condizioni per assicurare che tutte le opinioni vengano rappresentate in modo equo nel corso di tali dibattiti e per fornire ai cittadini informazioni complete, eque e basate sui fatti attraverso un’ampia gamma di canali, non solo la stampa, la radio e la televisione, ma anche
. Una delle proposte, inoltre, come avete già appreso dalla copertura mediatica, è che dobbiamo aggiornare l’esistente
un servizio interistituzionale – e, ad esempio, la TV regionale, che appartiene agli utenti del servizio EVS.
Il quarto settore di intervento è la comprensione dell’opinione pubblica. E’ una sfida per i responsabili politici, che devono restare in sintonia con l’opinione pubblica europea, poiché le opinioni dei cittadini su qualunque tema possono variare in modo piuttosto considerevole da un paese all’altro o da una regione all’altra. La Commissione europea è stata all’avanguardia nel mettere a punto strumenti moderni, come i sondaggi Eurobarometro, per l’analisi dell’opinione pubblica. Il nostro Libro bianco incoraggia il dibattito su come migliorare l’utilizzo di tali strumenti per compiere un’analisi più approfondita e usarla con maggior efficienza per alimentare il processo decisionale.
La quinta area di discussione comune riguarda il modo di far funzionare il partenariato: la chiamiamo “come collaborare”. Come possono i governi dell’Unione europea cooperare a più stretto contatto l’uno con l’altro e con Bruxelles per informare e consultare i cittadini? Come possono le Istituzioni comunitarie collaborare in modo più efficiente e fare di più per decentralizzare i propri sforzi? Le autorità locali e regionali sono in una buona posizione per intraprendere un autentico dialogo con i cittadini. Come possono trasmettere al meglio l’opinione delle comunità locali ai responsabili delle decisioni a Bruxelles? Che cos’altro possono fare i partiti politici e le ONG per sensibilizzare i cittadini sulle questioni europee e stimolare il dibattito pubblico?
La Commissione non ha risposte prefabbricate a tutte queste domande né ha la presunzione di dire alle altre parti interessate che cosa devono fare. Il Libro bianco lancia pertanto un ampio processo di consultazione e invita tutte le parti coinvolte a pensare a fondo a tali questioni e a presentare le proprie idee. Non vi è mai stata una consultazione pubblica sulla comunicazione dell’Europa. E’ ora di avviarla, se vogliamo seriamente porre i cittadini al centro delle nostre attività. Vorrei che il Parlamento europeo fosse il nostro più stretto alleato e sostenitore in tale processo. Le strutture per tale cooperazione esistono già e possono rappresentare una base per meglio costruire e coordinare il nostro lavoro.
In conclusione, vorrei citare il filosofo John Dewey, che ha scritto: “Vi è più di un collegamento verbale tra le parole comune, comunità e comunicazione. Tentate l’esperimento di comunicare, con completezza e precisione, una qualsiasi esperienza, soprattutto se è piuttosto complicata, a un’altra persona, e troverete la vostra disposizione verso il cambiamento dell’esperienza”.
La comunicazione aiuta a capire, costruisce valori comuni e crea comunità. E’ questo ciò che serve all’Unione europea più di qualunque altra cosa. Grazie per l’attenzione. Sono ansiosa di sentire le vostre opinioni.
Non è la prima volta che parlo del Libro bianco in quest’Aula. L’ho annunciato per la prima volta nel corso del dibattito sulla relazione Herrero, che è stato un importante punto di riferimento per il mio lavoro successivo. Durante le fasi preparatorie del Libro bianco ho informato regolarmente il Parlamento delle mie idee, incontrando i diversi gruppi politici, le commissioni e così via, e sono certa che molti di voi troveranno alquanto familiari i concetti e i messaggi principali del Libro bianco.
Il
e l’incoraggiamento che ho ricevuto mi danno ragione di credere che in quest’Aula continuerò a trovare l’alleato più impegnato e prezioso per quanto riguarda la comunicazione. La comunicazione è innanzi tutto e soprattutto una questione di democrazia. Le persone hanno diritto di sapere ciò che l’Unione europea fa e ciò che promuove, e in quanto cittadini hanno il diritto di partecipare appieno al progetto europeo. Questo è il messaggio principale del Libro bianco.
Tra l’Unione europea e i suoi cittadini vi è una distanza preoccupante. Sette intervistati su dieci nei sondaggi Eurobarometro sostengono di sapere poco o nulla dell’Unione europea. Più di metà pensa che la propria voce non conti per quanto concerne i temi europei. La fiducia nelle Istituzioni europee sta scemando, come pure il numero di coloro che credono che l’Europa rechi beneficio a loro o ai loro paesi. La percezione di una distanza, in termini di comunicazione, tra l’Unione europea e i suoi cittadini non è nuova. E’ stata oggetto di discussione negli ambienti comunitari almeno a partire dai
che hanno preceduto l’entrata in vigore del Trattato di Maastricht nel 1992. In questo senso i recenti
sul Trattato costituzionale sono stati un brusco segnale di avvertimento.
Ridurre le distanze tra l’Unione europea e i cittadini ha assunto una priorità senza precedenti. Per andare avanti, il progetto europeo dev’essere ancorato ai desideri e alle aspettative dei cittadini. Deve appartenere ai cittadini, non solo a una piccola
con sede a Bruxelles o in un paio di grandi capitali europee. Il Libro bianco è la proposta della Commissione per rispondere a tale sfida e per gettare le basi di una politica di comunicazione dell’Unione europea.
Quale dev’essere il principale scopo di una politica europea di comunicazione? Il Libro bianco propende per lo sviluppo di una sfera pubblica europea che funzioni, in cui il dibattito europeo possa emergere con chiarezza e a cui i cittadini possano partecipare. Si tratta di un’idea che il Parlamento europeo ha abbracciato da tempo e che è diventata centrale nella concezione della Commissione di una politica di comunicazione.
Il Libro bianco sottolinea l’importanza di sviluppare una vera e propria cultura politica europea, con gruppi politici paneuropei
paneuropei e
o luoghi d’incontro in cui i cittadini possano riunirsi e discutere di questioni d’interesse comune. Vorrei però chiarire immediatamente che tutto questo non vuole sostituire o sminuire il ruolo dei livelli nazionali, regionali o locali delle strutture politiche e dell’attività dei
; al contrario, li integra.
La necessità più urgente per creare una cultura politica europea è probabilmente assicurare che le questioni europee si riflettano nei dibattiti nazionali, regionali e locali. Lo sviluppo di una sfera pubblica europea è senza dubbio un progetto molto ambizioso che richiederà tempo e che va ben oltre le competenze della Commissione. Il ruolo del Parlamento europeo sarà cruciale al riguardo, ma sappiamo che riusciremo nell’intento solo se tutte le parti coinvolte – e in primo luogo gli Stati membri – saranno pronte a impegnarsi e ad assumersi le proprie responsabilità.
Il Libro bianco è pertanto un invito all’azione da parte di tutte le Istituzioni europee, dei governi e dei partiti politici dell’Unione europea, della società civile e dei
in tutti i paesi dell’Unione. Propone di avviare lavori in cinque settori fondamentali, innanzi tutto definendo principi comuni. Una politica comunitaria di comunicazione dev’essere fondata sull’atto fondamentale di riconoscere che tutti i cittadini dell’Unione europea hanno determinati diritti, ad esempio il diritto a un’informazione equa e completa in merito all’Unione europea, il diritto ad ascoltare l’intero spettro di opinioni sull’Unione europea e il diritto di far sentire la propria voce ai responsabili delle decisioni politiche."@it12
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@lt14
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@lv13
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@mt15
"Mijnheer de Voorzitter ik dank u en alle afgevaardigden voor uw aanwezigheid vanochtend. En ik dank u voor het feit dat u mij in de gelegenheid stelt het gisteren door de Commissie goedgekeurde Witboek inzake een Europees communicatiebeleid te presenteren.
In het witboek stellen we voor deze beginselen in een kaderdocument vast te leggen – een handvest of wellicht een gedragscode. Alle betrokkenen zullen bereid moeten zijn deze beginselen voor de communicatie vrijwillig te aanvaarden. We hebben behoefte aan dit soort gemeenschappelijke principes om onze gezamenlijke acties te sturen en onze activiteiten op het gebied van communicatie te rechtvaardigen en ze geloofwaardigheid te verlenen. We moeten duidelijk maken dat het communicatiebeleid van de EU niet opgezet is om propaganda te maken of om Europa te verkopen. Waar het om gaat is dat we het democratisch gehalte van onze EU verhogen. Het is een instrument aan de hand waarvan de burgers kunnen vaststellen of hun rechten al dan niet worden geëerbiedigd.
Het tweede aspect waaraan we in het witboek aandacht besteden is het mondig maken van de burgers. Hoe kan het communicatiebeleid van de EU daartoe bijdragen? Het witboek ziet daarvoor drie mogelijkheden. Er moet beter worden samengewerkt op het gebied van burgereducatie. Verder moeten burgers met elkaar en met de instellingen in contact worden gebracht. Burgereducatie valt onder de taken van de nationale en regionale overheden, maar Europa kan hier een meerwaarde inhouden. De EU kan helpen verzekeren dat
worden uitgewisseld en de ontwikkeling van gemeenschappelijke onderwijsinstrumenten vergemakkelijken, om er zo voor te zorgen dat de Europese dimensie beter aan bod komt. Ik merk dat telkens weer als ik door de lidstaten reis. Docenten en alle anderen die op dit gebied actief zijn vragen zich steeds weer af of ze het wiel telkens opnieuw moeten uitvinden: “Kunnen we er niet voor zorgen dat de uitwisseling van werkwijzen en materiaal efficiënter geschiedt?”
Nieuwe forums voor een openbare discussie over Europese onderwerpen zijn van fundamenteel belang voor het scheppen van wederzijds vertrouwen, respect en de bereidheid om gedeelde doelstellingen samen te verwezenlijken. Voor een gezonde democratie is het bovendien essentieel dat de communicatie tussen de burgers en de instellingen in twee richtingen verloopt. We proberen nu de instellingen van de EU opener en gemakkelijker toegankelijk te maken, meer bereid antwoorden te verschaffen. Dat streven moet worden voortgezet.
De media en de nieuwe technologieën vormen het derde gebied waarop volgens het witboek werk moet worden verricht. De media spelen in het communicatiebeleid een cruciale rol. Het is daarom heel belangrijk dat openbare instellingen van elk niveau op een innovatieve wijze met de nationale, regionale en lokale media samenwerken. We moeten samen bedenken hoe we kunnen verzekeren dat alle standpunten in deze debatten op een eerlijke wijze worden belicht en hoe we de burgers via een hele reeks kanalen volledige, correcte en met de waarheid strokende informatie kunnen verschaffen. En dan heb ik het niet alleen over pers, radio en televisie, maar ook over het internet. Zoals u uit de berichtgeving in de media al hebt begrepen, behelst één van de voorstellen een upgrade van het bestaande
een interinstitutionele dienst – en, bijvoorbeeld, regionale televisie, eigendom van de gebruikers van de zojuist genoemde dienst.
Als vierde werkterrein noem ik: het doorgronden van de publieke opinie. Dat is voor beleidsmakers een uitdaging. Ze moeten op de hoogte blijven van de publieke opinie in Europa – en standpunten van de burgers met betrekking tot om het even welk onderwerp kunnen per land en zelfs per regio sterk verschillen. De Europese Commissie is bij het ontwikkelen van moderne instrumenten voor het analyseren van de publieke opinie altijd een pionier geweest. Ik noem de Eurobarometer als voorbeeld. In ons witboek sporen wij aan tot een discussie over de wijze waarop we deze instrumenten kunnen gebruiken voor een werkelijke diepteanalyse en hoe we de resultaten daarvan beter kunnen benutten bij de beleidsvorming.
Het vijfde punt waarover we gezamenlijk zullen moeten discussiëren betreft de vraag hoe we het partnerschap beter kunnen laten functioneren. Ofwel: “Hoe krijgen we het voor elkaar?” Hoe kunnen we ervoor zorgen dat de regeringen van de EU beter met elkaar en beter met Brussel samenwerken als het gaat om het informeren en raadplegen van de burgers? Wat kunnen de instellingen van de Europese Unie doen om de samenwerking efficiënter te laten verlopen en hun optreden verder te decentraliseren? Lokale en regionale bevinden zich in een goede positie om een echte dialoog met de burgers aan te gaan. Hoe kunnen zij de standpunten van de plaatselijke gemeenschappen het best aan de beleidsmakers in Brussel doorgeven? Wat kunnen politieke partijen en NGO’s nog meer doen om de mensen beter bewust te maken van Europese aangelegenheden en de openbare discussie te stimuleren?
De Commissie heeft geen kant-en-klare antwoorden op al deze vraagstukken. We verkeren dus niet in een positie om anderen te vertellen wat ze moeten doen. Het witboek is de aanzet tot een uitgebreid consultatieproces. We sporen alle betrokkenen aan om over voornoemde kwesties na te denken en zelf ideeën aan te dragen. We hebben nog nooit een openbare consultatie over het Europees communicatiebeleid gerealiseerd. Het is hoog tijd dat we dit doen als we ons bij onze activiteiten werkelijk op de burgers willen concentreren. Ik hoop dat het Europees Parlement bij dit proces onze belangrijkste steun en bondgenoot zal zijn. De structuren voor samenwerking bestaan al; we kunnen ze gebruiken om ons werk beter te coördineren en te organiseren.
Tot slot wil ik graag enige woorden van de filosoof John Dewey aanhalen. Hij schreef het volgende: “De woorden gemeenschappelijk, gemeenschap en gemeengoed maken – communiceren dus – zijn niet alleen taalkundig met elkaar verwant. Probeer maar eens een – liefst wat gecompliceerdere – ervaring volledig en accuraat op een ander over te brengen, en je zult zien dat je eigen houding ten aanzien van die ervaring verandert.”
Communicatie draagt bij tot begrip, creëert gedeelde waarden en vormt zo gemeenschappen. Dat is waar de Europese Unie nu het meest behoefte aan heeft. Dank u voor uw aandacht. Ik ben benieuwd naar uw reacties.
Het is niet de eerste keer dat ik hier over dit witboek spreek. Ik heb het voor de eerste maal aangekondigd toen we over het verslag-Herrero debatteerden. Dat verslag is voor het werk dat ik later heb verricht steeds een belangrijke referentie geweest. Bij de voorbereiding van het witboek heb ik het Europees Parlement steeds op de hoogte gehouden van mijn ideeën. Ik heb verder met de verschillende fracties en commissies gesproken. Een aantal fundamentele concepten en boodschappen van dit witboek zal sommigen van u dan ook bekend voorkomen.
De feedback en aanmoedigingen die ik heb ontvangen hebben mij ervan overtuigd dat het Parlement ook met betrekking tot dit onderwerp – communicatie – weer mijn meest toegewijde en waardevolle bondgenoot zal zijn. Communicatie is eerst en vooral een democratisch gebod. Mensen hebben het recht te weten wat de Europese Unie doet en waar ze voor staat. De burgers hebben immers het recht om op volwaardige wijze aan het Europese project deel te nemen. Dat is de belangrijkste boodschap van dit witboek.
De kloof tussen de Europese Unie en de burgers is aanleiding tot zorg. In het kader van de Eurobarometer zijn mensen ondervraagd en daarbij bleek dat zeven van de tien ondervraagden zeggen dat ze weinig of niets over de Europese Unie weten. Meer dan de helft meent dat hun stem niet meetelt als het om Europese kwesties gaat. Het vertrouwen in de Europese instellingen neemt sterk af en er zijn steeds minder mensen die geloven dat Europa voor henzelf of voor hun land iets positiefs betekent. Dat we een communicatiekloof tussen de Europese Unie en haar burgers waarnemen, is overigens geen nieuw gegeven. Over die kloof wordt in EU-kringen al over gesproken sinds de referenda voorafgaand aan de inwerkingtreding van het Verdrag van Maastricht in 1992. Wat dit betreft zijn recente referenda over het Grondwettelijk Verdrag een pijnlijke
geweest.
Het is nu belangrijker dan ooit dat de kloof die de Europese Unie van haar burgers scheidt, wordt verkleind. Om vooruit te kunnen, moet het Europese project aansluiten bij de wensen en verwachtingen van de burgers. Het is immers een project van de burgers – en niet van een kleine, in Brussel of een aantal grote Europese hoofdsteden gevestigde elite. In het witboek kunt u lezen wat de Commissie voorstelt als antwoord op deze uitdaging en wat volgens ons de grondslagen voor het communicatiebeleid van de Europese Unie moeten zijn.
Wat moet de belangrijkste doelstelling van het EU-communicatiebeleid zijn? In het witboek pleiten we voor het ontwikkelen van een goed functionerende Europese openbare ruimte, waar het Europese debat kan plaatsvinden en waar de burgers aan kunnen deelnemen. Het Europees Parlement heeft zich enige tijd geleden uitgesproken vóór dit concept, dat nu de kern vormt van de benadering die de Commissie bij het communicatiebeleid wil volgen.
Het witboek wijst erop hoe belangrijk het is dat we een werkelijk Europese politieke cultuur ontwikkelen, met pan-Europese fracties, pan-Europese media en forums of ontmoetingsplaatsen waar de burgers onderwerpen die ons allen aangaan kunnen bespreken. Ik wil daar voor alle duidelijkheid onmiddellijk aan toevoegen dat dit alles niet bedoeld is om de politieke structuren en media-activiteiten op nationaal, regionaal of lokaal niveau te vervangen. Integendeel: we willen die nu juist aanvullen.
Om ervoor te zorgen dat een dergelijke Europese politieke cultuur kan ontstaan, zullen we vermoedelijk eerst en vooral moeten proberen te bewerkstelligen dat Europese onderwerpen in de nationale, regionale en lokale debatten aan de orde komen. De ontwikkeling van een Europese openbare ruimte is natuurlijk een heel ambitieus project en zal dan ook enige tijd in beslag nemen. Het is ook een project dat het mandaat van de Commissie overstijgt. Daarom zal het Europees Parlement een doorslaggevende rol moeten spelen. We kunnen nu wel vast zeggen dat we alleen zullen slagen als alle betrokkenen – en dat zijn in de eerste plaats de lidstaten – bereid zijn hun verantwoordelijkheid te nemen.
Het witboek roept dus op tot actie en die oproep is gericht tot alle EU-instellingen, de Europese regeringen en politieke partijen, en tot het maatschappelijk middenveld en de media in alle EU-lidstaten. In het witboek wordt voorgesteld op vijf kerngebieden van start te gaan. We zullen om te beginnen gemeenschappelijke beginselen moeten definiëren. Het communicatiebeleid van de EU moet gebaseerd zijn op de fundamentele erkenning dat alle EU-burgers bepaalde rechten hebben – bijvoorbeeld het recht om eerlijk en volledig over de Europese Unie geïnformeerd te worden, het recht om de verschillende standpunten met betrekking tot de EU te horen of het recht om door de beleidsmakers gehoord te worden."@nl3
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@pl16
"Senhor Presidente, gostaria de agradecer aos senhores deputados o facto de aqui estarem presentes tão cedo esta manhã. Agradeço a oportunidade de vos apresentar o Livro Branco sobre uma Política de Comunicação Europeia, adoptado pela Comissão na sua reunião de ontem.
O Livro Branco propõe que esses princípios fiquem consagrados num documento-quadro – por exemplo, uma carta europeia ou um código de conduta europeu sobre a comunicação –, mediante o qual todos os intervenientes assumam, de forma voluntária, o compromisso comum de acordar princípios de comunicação. É preciso que esses princípios comuns norteiem a nossa acção comum e confiram credibilidade e legitimidade às nossas actividades de comunicação; e que deixem claro que a comunicação da UE não visa vender a ideia da Europa ou a produção de propaganda, mas sim o reforço da nossa democracia. Trata-se de um instrumento que permitirá aos cidadãos avaliar se os seus direitos estão ou não a ser respeitados.
A segunda área de trabalho que o Livro Branco propõe é a implicação dos cidadãos. Como pode uma política de comunicação da UE contribuir para esse objectivo? O Livro Branco identifica três vias a seguir: trabalhar mais em conjunto para melhorar a educação cívica, a fim de pôr os cidadãos em contacto entre si e com as Instituições. A educação cívica é uma responsabilidade nacional e regional, mas existe também neste domínio um valor-acrescentado europeu. A UE pode ajudar a assegurar o intercâmbio de boas práticas e a facilitar o desenvolvimento de instrumentos educativos comuns, para que a dimensão europeia possa ser abordada de forma mais correcta. Encontro esta realidade sempre que me desloco aos Estados-Membros. Os professores e as pessoas envolvidas nestas actividades perguntam: “será que temos de reinventar a roda? Será que não poderíamos ter um maior intercâmbio de boas práticas, materiais e experiências?”
São essenciais novos fóruns de debate público sobre as questões europeias para desenvolver a confiança mútua, o respeito e a vontade de trabalhar em conjunto em prol de objectivos comuns. Numa democracia sã, é essencial uma boa comunicação, em ambos os sentidos, entre os cidadãos e as instituições públicas. A actual tendência para dotar as Instituições da UE de maior capacidade de resposta e torná-las mais abertas e acessíveis deve continuar a ser reforçada.
A terceira área proposta pelo Livro Branco diz respeito aos meios de comunicação social e às novas tecnologias. Os meios de comunicação social são elementos fundamentais de qualquer política de comunicação e é vital que as instituições públicas, em todos os níveis de governação, identifiquem formas de trabalho inovadoras com os meios de comunicação social nacionais, regionais e locais. Temos igualmente de discutir, em conjunto, de que modo poderemos assegurar a representação equitativa de todas as opiniões nesses debates e dar aos cidadãos uma informação completa, justa e factual através de um amplo leque de canais, não apenas na imprensa, rádio e televisão mas também via Internet. Uma das propostas, como viram pela cobertura dada pelos meios de comunicação, é ainda uma modernização do nosso serviço
um serviço interinstitucional – e, por exemplo, da televisão regional, que pertence a todos os utilizadores do serviço
.
A quarta área de trabalho diz respeito à compreensão da opinião pública. Este é um desafio para os responsáveis políticos. Estes precisam de manter-se sintonizados com a opinião pública europeia, visto que as opiniões dos cidadãos sobre uma determinada questão podem variar de forma bastante drástica de um país ou região para outro. A Comissão Europeia tem estado na vanguarda da criação de modernos instrumentos, tais como as sondagens do Eurobarómetro, que permitem a análise da opinião pública. O nosso Livro Branco encoraja o debate sobre as formas de melhorar a utilização que fazemos destes instrumentos para proceder a análises mais aprofundadas e torná-los mais eficazes para o processo decisório.
A quinta área de discussão conjunta deverá ser a preocupação de fazer com que esta parceria funcione: podemos intitulá-la “Como trabalhar em conjunto?”. Como podem os governos da UE cooperar mais estreitamente uns com os outros e com Bruxelas no que respeita à informação e consulta dos cidadãos? Como podem as Instituições da União Europeia trabalhar mais eficazmente em conjunto e fazer mais para descentralizarem os seus esforços? As autoridades regionais e locais estão bem colocadas para se envolverem num verdadeiro diálogo com os cidadãos. De que forma poderão canalizar melhor as opiniões das comunidades locais para os responsáveis políticos em Bruxelas? Que mais poderão os partidos políticos e as ONG fazer para elevar o nível de sensibilização da opinião pública para as questões europeias e estimular o debate público?
A Comissão não dispõe de respostas prontas para todas estas questões, nem pretende dar lições a qualquer dos envolvidos sobre o que deverão fazer. O Livro Branco lança, por isso, um amplo processo de consulta e convida todos os interessados a uma reflexão profunda sobre estas questões e a apresentarem as suas próprias ideias. Nunca antes se realizou qualquer consulta pública sobre a comunicação da Europa. É mais do que tempo de o fazer, se quisermos ser sérios quando afirmamos querer colocar os cidadãos no centro das nossas actividades. Gostaria que o Parlamento Europeu fosse o nosso mais próximo aliado e apoiante neste processo. As estruturas para esta cooperação já existem, e podemos usá-las como ponto de partida para estruturarmos e coordenarmos melhor o nosso trabalho.
Para concluir, gostaria de citar o filósofo John Dewey. Escreveu que “Há mais do que uma simples ligação verbal entre as palavras comum, comunidade e comunicação.” Aconselha ainda a que experimentemos comunicar, de forma completa e rigorosa, uma experiência a um terceiro, especialmente se for algo complexo, pois veremos que a nossa própria atitude face à nossa experiência se altera.
A comunicação ajuda a compreensão, constrói valores comuns e cria comunidades. É, acima de tudo, disso que a União Europeia precisa. Obrigada pela atenção. Aguardo com expectativa as vossas opiniões.
Esta não é a primeira vez que intervenho nesta Assembleia sobre o Livro Branco. Anunciei-o pela primeira vez durante o debate do relatório Herrero, o qual foi subsequentemente uma referência importante para o meu trabalho. Durante as fases de elaboração do Livro Branco, manifestei com regularidade ao Parlamento Europeu as minhas ideias, reunindo-me com os diferentes grupos políticos, comissões, etc., e estou certa de que, para vários dos senhores deputados, alguns dos conceitos-chave e mensagens contidas no Livro Branco serão bastante familiares.
As reacções e encorajamento que obtive fazem-me acreditar que continuarei a encontrar, nesta Assembleia, o aliado mais empenhado e precioso no que respeita à política de comunicação. Esta é, acima de tudo, uma questão de democracia. As pessoas têm o direito de saber o que faz e o que representa a União Europeia e, na qualidade de cidadãos, têm o direito de participar plenamente no projecto europeu. É esta a mensagem fundamental do Livro Branco.
Existe um fosso preocupante entre a União Europeia e os seus cidadãos. Sete em cada dez pessoas entrevistadas para as sondagens do Eurobarómetro afirmam pouco ou nada saber acerca da União Europeia. Mais de metade considera que a sua voz não conta quando estão em causa as questões europeias. A confiança nas Instituições europeias está a diminuir, o mesmo acontecendo com o número daqueles que acreditam que a Europa é benéfica para si e para os seus países. A percepção da existência de um fosso de comunicação entre a União Europeia e os seus cidadãos não é nova. Tem sido matéria de discussão nos círculos da UE, pelo menos, desde os referendos que precederam a entrada em vigor do Tratado de Maastricht, em 1992. A este respeito, os referendos recentes sobre o Tratado Constitucional soaram como um grito de alerta estridente.
Tornou-se mais urgente do que nunca colmatar o fosso entre a União Europeia e os seus cidadãos. Para avançar, o projecto europeu precisa de estar ancorado nos desejos e expectativas das pessoas. Deverá pertencer aos cidadãos, e não apenas a uma pequena elite sedeada em Bruxelas ou num par de capitais europeias. O Livro Branco é a proposta da Comissão a esse desafio e pretende lançar as bases de uma política de comunicação da União Europeia.
Qual deverá ser o principal objectivo de uma política de comunicação europeia? O Livro Branco defende a criação de uma esfera de trabalho pública europeia, onde o debate europeu se possa desenrolar e os cidadãos possam participar. Este é um conceito que o Parlamento Europeu abraçou, há algum tempo, e que é agora central na visão da Comissão para uma política de comunicação.
O Livro Branco salienta a importância de se desenvolver uma verdadeira cultura política europeia, com grupos políticos pan-europeus, meios de comunicação social pan-europeus e fóruns ou locais de reunião onde os cidadãos possam encontrar-se e debater questões de interesse comum. No entanto, devo esclarecer, desde já, que nada disso visa substituir ou diminuir o papel das estruturas políticas ou a actividade dos meios de comunicação aos níveis nacionais, regionais ou locais; pelo contrário, deverá complementá-los.
Provavelmente o que é mais urgente, para se criar uma cultura política europeia, é assegurar-nos de que as questões europeias tenham reflexo nos debates nacionais, regionais e locais. O desenvolvimento de uma esfera pública europeia é, evidentemente, um projecto muito abrangente e moroso. Este vai muito para além das competências da Comissão. A este respeito, o papel do Parlamento Europeu será crucial, mas sabemos que apenas teremos êxito se todos os envolvidos – e, em primeiro lugar, os Estados-Membros – estiverem prontos a empenhar-se e a assumir esta responsabilidade.
Por conseguinte, o Livro Branco é um apelo à acção de todas as Instituições da UE, dos Governos e partidos políticos da União Europeia, da sociedade civil e dos meios de comunicação social de todos os países da UE. Propõe que comecemos esse trabalho em cinco áreas principais: a primeira é a definição de princípios comuns. Uma política de comunicação da UE deverá assentar no reconhecimento essencial de que todos os cidadãos da UE possuem certos direitos, por exemplo, o direito a uma informação completa e correcta acerca da União Europeia; o direito a ouvir todo o leque de opiniões acerca da UE; e o direito a que os responsáveis políticos oiçam a sua voz."@pt17
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@sk18
"Mr President, I should like to thank you and the honourable Members for being here this early morning. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present to you the White Paper on a European communication policy adopted by the Commission at its meeting yesterday.
The White Paper proposes that these principles be enshrined in a framework document – a charter or perhaps a code of conduct – to which all the key players would commit themselves on a voluntary basis to agree on the principles for communication. We need those common principles to guide our common action and to give credibility and legitimacy to our communication activities; to make clear that EU communication is not about selling Europe or producing propaganda, it is about enhancing our democracy. It is a tool for citizens to assess whether or not their rights are respected.
The second work area the White Paper proposes is empowering citizens. How can an EU communication policy contribute to that? The White Paper identifies three ways forward: to work more together on civic education, to connect citizens with each other and to connect the citizens with the institutions. Civic education is a national or regional responsibility, but there is a European added value. The EU can help to ensure exchange of best practice and facilitate the development of common educational tools, so that the European dimension is better addressed. I meet this all the time when I travel to Member States. Teachers and all those involved in these activities say ‘do we really have to reinvent the wheel? Could we not have a better exchange of practices or material or experience?’
New forums for public discussion on European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. Also, good two-way communication between the citizens and public institutions is essential in a healthy democracy. The present drive to make the EU institutions more responsive, open and accessible needs to continue to be strengthened.
The third area in which the paper proposes working concerns the media and new technologies. The media are key players in communication policy and it is vital that public institutions at all levels of governance find innovative ways of working with the national, regional and local media. We also need to discuss together how to ensure that all views are fairly represented in these debates and how we can provide citizens with full, fair and factual information through a wide range of channels, not only the press, radio and television but also the internet. One of the proposals is also, as you have seen from the media coverage already, is that we should upgrade our existing Europe by Satellite – an interinstitutional service – and, for example, regional TV, which belongs to the users of the EBS service.
The fourth working area is understanding public opinion. That is a challenge for policy makers. They need to stay in tune with European public opinion as citizens’ views on any issue can vary quite dramatically from one country or region to another. The European Commission has been a front-runner in developing modern tools, such as the Eurobarometer surveys, for analysing public opinion. Our White Paper encourages debate on how we could improve our use of these tools to make more in-depth analysis and use that more efficiently to feed into the policy-making process.
The fifth area for joint discussion is how to make the partnership work: we call it ‘how to do the job together’. How can EU governments cooperate more closely with one another and with Brussels on informing and consulting citizens? How can the European Union institutions work together more effectively and do more to decentralise their efforts? Local and regional authorities are well placed to engage in a real dialogue with citizens. How best can they channel the view of local communities to the Brussels policy makers? What more can political parties and NGOs do to raise public awareness on European issues and stimulate public debate?
The Commission does not have ready-made answers to all these questions and we would not presume to lecture others involved as to what they should do. The White Paper therefore launches a wide consultation process and invites all those involved to think hard about these questions and come forward with their own ideas. We have never had a public consultation on communicating Europe. It is high time to do so if we are serious about putting citizens at the centre of our activities. I would like the European Parliament to be our closest ally and supporter in this process. The structures for this cooperation already exist and we can build on them to better structure and coordinate our work.
To conclude, I should like to quote the philosopher John Dewey. He wrote ‘there is more than a verbal tie between the words common, community, and communication. Try the experiment of communicating, with fullness and accuracy, some experience to another, especially if it be somewhat complicated, and you will find your own attitude towards your experience changing’.
Communication helps understanding, builds common values and creates communities. That is what the European Union needs more than anything. Thank you for your attention. I am looking forward to hearing your views.
This is not the first time I have spoken about the White Paper in this House. I first announced it during the debate on the Herrero report, which has been an important reference for my subsequent work. During the preparation stages for the White Paper I regularly informed the European Parliament about my ideas, meeting with the different political groups, committees etc., and I am sure that several of you will find the key concepts and messages of the White Paper quite familiar.
The feedback and encouragement I have received make me believe that I will continue to find, in this House, the most committed and precious ally when it comes to communication. Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the European Union does and what it stands for, and as citizens they have a right to fully participate in the European project. This is the key message of the White Paper.
There is a worrying gap between the European Union and its citizens. Seven out of ten interviewed in Eurobarometer polls say that they know little or nothing about the European Union. More than half feel that their voice does not count when it comes to European issues. Trust in the European institutions is falling and so is the number of those who believe that Europe brings benefits to them or their countries. The perception of a communication gap between the European Union and its citizens is not new. It has been a subject of discussion in EU circles at least since the referendums that preceded the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. In this respect recent referendums on the constitutional treaty have been a harsh wake-up call.
Bridging the gap between the European Union and its citizens has become more urgent than ever. To move forward, the European project needs to be anchored in people’s wishes and expectations. It must belong to citizens, not just to a small elite based in Brussels, or in a couple of big European capitals. The White Paper is the Commission’s proposal to respond to this challenge and to lay the foundation of a European Union communication policy.
What should the main purpose of a European communication policy be? The White Paper argues for developing a working European public sphere, where the European debate can unfold and citizens can participate. This is a concept that the European Parliament embraced some time ago, and it is now central to the Commission’s vision of a communication policy.
The White Paper underlines the importance of developing a true European political culture, with pan-European political groups, pan-European media and fora or meeting places where citizens can meet and discuss issues of common interest. However, I shall clarify immediately that all of this is not to replace or diminish the role of national, regional or local levels of political structures and media activity; to the contrary, it complements them.
Probably the most urgent thing that is needed to bring about a European political culture is to make sure that European issues are reflected in national, regional and local debates. The development of a European public sphere is of course a very far-reaching project and it will take time. It goes well beyond the remit of the Commission. The role of the European Parliament will be crucial in this respect, but we know that we will only succeed if all those involved – and Member States, in the first place – are ready to commit and take responsibility.
Therefore, the White Paper is a call to action by all EU institutions, by the European Union governments and political parties, by civil society and the media in all EU countries. It proposes that we start work in five main areas: first by defining common principles. An EU communication policy must be based on the fundamental recognition that all EU citizens have certain rights, for example, the right to fair and full information about the European Union; the right to hear the full range of views about the EU; and the right to have their voices heard by policy makers."@sl19
".
Herr talman! Jag skulle vilja tacka er och ledamöterna för att ni är här denna tidiga morgon. Tack för tillfället att presentera vitboken om en europeisk kommunikationsstrategi för er, som antogs av kommissionen vid dess möte i går.
I vitboken föreslås att dessa principer ska införlivas i ett ramdokument – en stadga eller kanske en uppförandekod – som alla huvudaktörer skulle förbinda sig till på frivillig grund för att godkänna kommunikationsprinciperna. Vi behöver de gemensamma principerna för vägledning av våra gemensamma handlingar och för att våra kommunikationsaktiviteter ska få trovärdighet och legitimitet. Detta ska tydliggöra att EU-kommunikation inte handlar om att sälja EU eller framställa propaganda; det handlar om att förstärka vår demokrati. Det är medborgares verktyg för att bedöma om deras rättigheter respekteras eller inte.
Det andra arbetsområde som föreslås i vitboken är att ge medborgare ökad delaktighet. Hur kan EU:s kommunikationsstrategi främja det? I denna vitbok identifieras tre sätt att gå vidare: att arbeta mer tillsammans för medborgarutbildning, att förena medborgare med varandra och att förena medborgare med institutionerna. Medborgarutbildning är en nationell och regional skyldighet, men det finns ett europeiskt mervärde. EU kan hjälpa till att säkerställa utbytet av bästa metoder och underlätta utvecklingen av gemensamma utbildningsinstrument, så att den europeiska dimensionen behandlas bättre. Jag upplever detta hela tiden när jag reser till medlemsstater. Lärare och alla de som är inblandade i dessa aktiviteter säger: ”Måste vi verkligen återuppfinna hjulet? Kan vi inte få ett bättre utbyte av bästa metoder, material eller erfarenheter?”
Nya forum för allmän diskussion om EU-frågor är nödvändiga för att bygga upp ett ömsesidigt förtroende, respekt och vilja att arbeta tillsammans mot ett gemensamt mål. Bra ömsesidig kommunikation mellan medborgare och offentliga institutioner är också nödvändigt för en sund demokrati. Den aktuella satsningen på att göra EU-institutionerna mer lyhörda, öppna och tillgängliga måste stärkas ytterligare.
Det tredje området där vi i vitboken föreslår arbete berör medierna och de nya teknikerna. Medierna är nyckelaktörerna i kommunikationsstrategin, och det är väsentligt att offentliga institutioner på alla styrelsenivåer hittar nyskapande sätt att arbeta med de nationella, regionala och lokala medierna. Vi måste också diskutera tillsammans hur vi säkerställer att alla åsikter företräds rättvist i dessa debatter och hur vi kan tillgodose medborgare med fullständig, korrekt och faktiskt information genom en rad informationskanaler, inte endast press, radio och TV utan också Internet. Ett av förslagen är, som ni redan har sett genom mediebevakningen, att vi borde uppgradera vårt nuvarande Europe by Satellite – en interinstitutionell tjänst – och till exempel regional TV, som tillhör dem som använder EBS-tjänsten.
Det fjärde arbetsområdet innebär en förståelse av den allmänna opinionen. Det här är en utmaning för beslutsfattare. De måste hålla sig uppdaterade om den europeiska allmänna opinionen, eftersom medborgares åsikter om olika frågor kan skilja sig drastiskt åt från ett land eller område till ett annat. Europeiska kommissionen har gått i spetsen när det gäller utveckling av moderna instrument, såsom Eurobarometerundersökningar, för analys av den allmänna opinionen. Vår vitbok syftar till att uppmuntra debatten om hur vi bättre ska kunna använda dessa instrument för att utföra mer djupgående analyser och använda det mer effektivt, för att det successivt ska ingå i den beslutsfattande processen.
Det femte området för en gemensam diskussion är hur vi ska få partnerskapet att fungera, vilket vi kallar ”Hur vi ska utföra arbetet tillsammans”. Hur kan EU:s regeringar samarbeta närmare med varandra och med Bryssel om att informera och rådfråga medborgare? Hur kan EU-institutionerna arbeta tillsammans mer effektivt och göra mer för att decentralisera sina ansträngningar? Lokala och regionala myndigheter ligger väl till för att engagera sig i en riktig dialog med medborgare. Hur kan de bäst föra fram lokalsamhällenas åsikter till Bryssels beslutsfattare? Vad ytterligare kan politiska partier och icke-statliga organisationer göra för att öka allmänhetens medvetande om EU-frågor och stimulera allmän debatt?
Kommissionen har inget färdigt svar på alla dessa frågor, och vi tar oss inte friheten att föreläsa för andra inblandade om vad de bör göra. Genom vitboken inleds därmed ett samrådsförfarande med en inbjudan till alla inblandade att begrunda dessa frågor noggrant och presentera sina egna idéer. Vi har aldrig haft ett offentligt samråd om kommunikation i Europa. Tiden är inne för att ha det om vi menar allvar med att sätta medborgarna i centrum av våra aktiviteter. Jag skulle vilja att Europaparlamentet är vår närmaste bundsförvant och understödjare i detta samråd. Strukturerna för detta samarbete finns redan, och vi kan utgå från dem för en bättre strukturering och samordning av vårt arbete.
Avslutningsvis vill jag citera filosofen John Dewey. Han skrev: ”Det finns inte bara ett språkligt utan också ett sakligt samband mellan orden
[’gemensam’]
[’samhälle, gemenskap’] och
[’meddelanden som leder till meddelaktighet, gemenskap i något’]. Prova på experimentet att fullständigt och korrekt kommunicera erfarenhet till någon annan, och du kommer att märka att din egen attityd mot din erfarenhet förändras, särskilt om den är komplicerad.”
Kommunikation underlättar förståelse, bygger gemensamma värden och skapar gemenskaper. Det är det Europeiska unionen behöver framför allt annat. Tack för er uppmärksamhet. Jag ser fram emot att höra era synpunkter.
Det här är inte första gången jag talar om vitboken i den här kammaren. Jag anmälde den för första gången under debatten om Herrerobetänkandet, som har varit en viktig referens för mitt efterföljande arbete. Under förberedelseskedet inför vitboken informerade jag regelbundet Europaparlamentet om mina idéer, träffade olika politiska grupper, utskott etc., och jag är säker på att flera av er kommer att känna igen huvudkoncepten och budskapen i vitboken.
Efter allt gensvar och all uppmuntran som jag har mottagit anser jag att det är i den här kammaren jag fortsättningsvis kommer att finna den mest engagerade och värdefulla bundsförvanten när det gäller kommunikation. Kommunikation handlar främst om demokrati. Människor har rätt att veta vad Europeiska unionen gör och vad den står för, och som medborgare har de rätt att delta i EU-projektet till fullo. Detta är huvudbudskapet i vitboken.
Det finns en oroväckande spricka mellan Europeiska unionen och dess medborgare. Sju av tio som har intervjuats i Eurobarometerundersökningar uppger att de vet lite eller ingenting om Europeiska unionen. Över hälften känner att deras röst inte räknas när det gäller EU-frågor. Förtroendet för EU:s institutioner sjunker och likaså antalet människor som anser att EU skapar fördelar för dem eller deras länder. Insikten om en kommunikationslucka mellan Europeiska unionen och dess medborgare är inte ny. Den har varit föremål för diskussion i EU-kretsar åtminstone sedan folkomröstningarna som föregick verkställandet av Maastrichtfördraget 1992. I detta hänseende har de senaste folkomröstningarna om konstitutionsfördraget fungerat som en skarp tillrättavisning.
Att övervinna sprickan mellan Europeiska unionen och dess medborgare är mer brådskande än någonsin. För att komma vidare måste EU-projektet förankras i människors önskningar och förväntningar. Det måste tillhöra medborgarna och inte endast en liten elit stationerad i Bryssel, eller i ett par stora europeiska huvudstäder. Vitboken är kommissionens förslag för att möta denna utmaning och att lägga grunden till en kommunikationsstrategi i Europeiska unionen.
Vad bör huvudsyftet med en europeisk kommunikationsstrategi vara? I vitboken förordas utveckling av en fungerande europeisk offentlig sfär, där den europeiska debatten kan utvecklas och medborgare kan delta. Detta är ett koncept som Europaparlamentet anammade för en tid sedan, och det är nu centralt för kommissionens syn på en kommunikationsstrategi.
Vitboken betonar vikten av att skapa en sann europeisk politisk kultur, med alleuropeiska politiska grupper, alleuropeiska medier och forum eller mötesplatser där medborgare kan träffas och diskutera frågor av gemensamt intresse. Jag vill emellertid tydliggöra på en gång att allt detta inte ska ersätta eller försvaga den roll som de politiska strukturerna på nationell, regional och lokal nivå och mediernas verksamhet spelar, tvärtom kompletterar det dem.
Det mest brådskande som krävs för att få till stånd en europeisk politisk kultur är förmodligen att säkerställa att EU-frågor reflekteras i nationella, regionala och lokala debatter. Att skapa en europeisk offentlig sfär är naturligtvis ett mycket långtgående projekt, och det kommer att ta tid. Det överskrider kommissionens befogenhet. Europaparlamentets roll kommer att vara avgörande i detta hänseende, men vi vet att vi bara kommer att nå framgång om alla inblandade – och medlemsstater i första hand – är redo att engagera sig och ta ansvar.
Därför är vitboken en uppmaning till att alla EU-institutioner, Europeiska unionens regeringar och politiska partier, civilsamhället och medierna i alla EU-länder agerar. Den innehåller förslag om att vi ska inleda arbetet inom fem huvudområden, först och främst genom att definiera gemensamma principer. En kommunikationsstrategi i EU måste basera sig på det grundläggande erkännandet att alla EU-medborgare har särskilda rättigheter, till exempel rätt till rättvis och fullständig information om Europeiska unionen, rätt att höra alla åsikter om EU och rätt till att beslutsfattare lyssnar till dem."@sv21
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"Europe by Satellite "8
"Margot Wallström,"5,19,15,1,18,14,16,11,13,4
"Vice-President of the Commission"5,19,15,1,18,14,11,16,13,4
"common"21
"community"21
"forum"12
"marketing"12,12
"media"12
"élite"12
"“Europe by Satellite”(EBS)"17
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Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples