Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-11-Speech-1-069"
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"en.20020311.5.1-069"2
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"Mr President, the PPE-DE Group is in full agreement with the rapporteur, Mr Andreasen, on what we regard as an excellent report. The communication from the Commission calls for cooperation, and that is the key word: there has to be cooperation in communication. We will be proposing a very slight amendment suggesting that the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee should be allowed to sit as observers on the proposed institutional group.
We all know the present dire state of citizens' knowledge about the organisation and policies of the EU. Eurobarometer showed that only 6% of EU citizens thought they knew a lot about the EU. 83% said that they know a little, or even very little. This influences the low and declining turnout in European Parliament elections – down to 49% at the last election. That is a problem for democracies all over the world, and not least the United States of America, but it is a real problem for the EU as well.
When the people of Ireland rejected the Treaty of Nice in the recent referendum, the most telling slogan was: "If you don't know, vote no". That was precisely what the people did. I would be the first to admit that my own country, the United Kingdom, is probably one of the worst examples. According to Eurobarometer again, we are bottom of the list in terms of knowledge, but not surprisingly top of the list in having reservations and objections to the EU.
Mr Andreasen is absolutely right to say that the EU must concentrate on factual information. Diverse and balanced information must be free of propaganda; but the people of all countries are crying out for information and explanation of what the EU is doing. According to Eurobarometer 66%, that is two out of every three European citizens, want more information. That has to be within proper cost constraints but again, as has already been said, at present we are spending just 25 cents per annum – for English ears, that is 15 pence per citizen per year. Citizens will also judge us more by what we do than what we say. This report calls on the Council of Ministers to be more open in its decision process. Its secrecy does a profound disservice to Europe.
We in Parliament need to ask ourselves whether we are getting value for money. We are always delighted to see visitors in this Parliament, but 43% of our budget goes on the Visitors Service. Are we really getting value for money? We certainly need to target the media and information formers. We need to be more positive about Euronews. We should also not neglect radio as a good way of getting information. IT is properly addressed in the report.
All I would say is that the EU has created a stable and prosperous continent. Half of Europe is queuing up to join the EU and yet 48% of present citizens wonder whether it is a good thing. This report is not before time. It must not be allowed to gather dust."@en1
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