Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-11-20-Speech-4-138"
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"en.20031120.5.4-138"2
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"Mr President, the decision made at the end of September by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Press and Communication regarding the end to subsidies for the operation of the European Info-Points and Carrefours has given rise to significant disappointment and significant surprise among their managers and staff. The citizens of the European Union will also be the losers as a result of this end to operating subsidies for 2004.
Let us be frank: at a time when Europe is facing enormous difficulties in moving closer to the citizens and raising its profile, an undeniable gap is opening up once again. For example, the closure of the European Carrefours is a great loss as regards the information distributed in the most rural regions. The decentralised structures are an essential asset and given the immense amount of communications work to be done, these structures must be maintained, or even receive additional funding enabling them to play their role to the full.
At a time when Europe is at an important turning point in its history, benefiting from a forthcoming enlargement and Constitution, it would be unacceptable to put an end to the necessary and vital aid of the Info-Points. In light of this context, we must combine all of our efforts to find a fair solution because we are all worried. The Info-Points are, and must continue to be, among the Community’s communication tools. Their activity and the efforts made by these structures have proved the effectiveness of their action. The Info-Points have always made every effort to carry out the role entrusted to them, in this case acting as an interface for a dynamic platform. Close to the citizens, they have made it possible to maintain a European social fabric. So are we going to remain deaf and mute in the face of the expectations of the public, who constantly need to be informed of our interinstitutional activities?
Being aware of this need and convinced of the important role played by these structures, I call on the Commission to review its decision and to allow these European information networks to continue to perform the functions we have entrusted to them, which are more essential now then ever. I thank the Commissioner for being here and, in response to his comments, I will say that it is all the better if there are other documentation centres and forums that have the Commission’s support, but it does not disguise the fact that the information deficit is all too real and not appreciated by the public. If a legal basis is required – and this may well be the case – one must be established. However, a minimum amount of time is needed to resolve this type of problem and that does not mean four months, Commissioner. That seems to be much too short and the Commission’s methods far from courteous, so we hope that the proposal for a trialogue meets with a favourable response."@en1
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