Margot Wallström
Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy

For Better Partnership with Civil Society. Address of Margot Wallström to the Economic & Social Committee

Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee
Brussels, 6 April 2005

Madam President,

I would like to express my appreciation for the opportunity to speak before the plenary and set out some initial ideas on the relationship between the Commission and the Committee.

I would like to develop on four main issues of mutual interest:

• The Committee's role in the growth and employment strategy;
• Our work together on the ratification and implementation of the Constitution;
• The communication strategy that I intend to present in June, and;
• How we intend to cement our relationship in a new Protocol of Co-operation.

Madam President,

The relationship between the Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee is one of my main portfolio responsibilities. I greatly value the work of the Committee, which I hope will be improved and reinforced, in order to have greater impact on our proposals, on our ideas and on our laws.

I am keen to ensure that we have a culture of co-operation that does not amount to the odd appearance before the plenary - but one that is based on regular dialogue and exchange of information. To do so, we must discuss our programme for 2005/2006 and the areas in which cooperation between us would be jointly beneficial.

The Strategy for growth and employment and the mid-term review have an importance of which you are well aware.

The Spring European Council has given you an explicit mandate with regard to this . In point 9 of its conclusions, it "urges the European Economic and Social Committee to set up with Member States' economic and social committees and other partner organisations an interactive network of civil society initiatives aimed at promoting the implementation of the strategy ".

This is a task which, far above the specific duties given to the Committee by the Treaty, gives you direct responsibility in the implementation of the growth and employment strategy. This does not simply require a little consultation for a short period; it will require commitment for years to come. We look forward to a substantial contribution from you : ideas, reflection and action to put the strategy prepared by the European Council into practice.

You have yourself identified the need to contribute to a common vision of economic and social committees of member states and an important network of European national regional and local organisations. The task is not an easy one: I offer you, in any form we can organise quickly, the cooperation and support of the Commission .

I also hope that this is the first of a number of substantial contributions that go beyond the provision of an "official opinion". I know that we are jointly working on the stakeholders forum on sustainability, which is an issue dear to my heart. I look forward to seeing other issues treated in the same way.

Madam President,

Your role, naturally, is not limited to the growth and employment strategy. The Commission relies on your intervention in legislative proposals . It is precisely in thinking, in searching for ideas, in examining the foundations of our proposals that your involvement is needed.

We see you as particularly well placed, owing to the Committee's composition, to hear the ideas and the preoccupations that come from organised civil society, and to help us to listen to these different opinions.

In this context, the selection of focal points for action is of utmost importance - and we will contribute to it. We need opinions and useful consultations, which are recognised by the other institutions. This demands great expertise and the concentration of technical and political activities, as well as a need to pay attention to the problems raised by civil society.

As an organ of the Union you are an important bridge between civil society and the institutions .

Our task - yours and ours - as institutions is to listen. We must not refuse from the outset all that comes to us from civil society; we do not have a monopoly on wisdom, nor on fantasy. We must, therefore, be ready and willing to examine all that comes to us from civil society, to integrate it into our thoughts and to act on it; here also the EESC has a role to play, as it can be an important mediator to evaluate what comes to us from `the outside'.

That is why I want to work with you and civil society to discuss in more detail how we can organise parerell Summits. These must be led by civil society but were it is helpful assisted by the Institutions. I see a unique role for you in this process.

We do not have the right to neglect participatory democracy; it is key to reinforcing our relationship with the citizens and you know better than I do how important this is, as we cannot conceive of developing the European project without the participation of its citizens.

***

The issue of participatory democracy naturally brings me to the ratification and the eventual implementation of the Constitution .

As the various campaigns are developed it becomes increasingly clear that Government led campaigns on the Constitution have their limitations. It is not a question of Governments or EU Institutions dictating that people should vote in a particular way. We need to ensure that stakeholders and civil society are part of the advocacy process - if necessary criticising the Government led campaigns.

We strongly support the Constitution as we believe it makes Europe more democratic, more transparent and simpler. I believe it is a step forward which your own opinion on the Constitution fully recognises.

The Constitution provides us with further reasons to advocate its ratification.

I will not repeat at length the new provisions in the Constitution on participatory democracy. While many of the policy developments in the Constitution are somewhat disappointing - I admit to being excited by the possibilities that the Constitution brings in the area of participatory democracy.

The ability for one million citizens to provoke a legislative proposal from the Commission takes us to a new level in the democratic process. This in itself is a good enough reason for the ratification of the Constitution.

We must also recognise that a few sentences in Articles 46 and 47 of the Constitution can also raise a whole series of practical and legal questions: how many countries are the signatures required from? Who verifies the signatures? What is the scope for the Commission response? A whole series of questions need to be addressed before drafting the European law. I could well imagine that this is an issue you will wish to consider in more detail in a special hearing or opinion.

The ratification of the Constitution is also a further demonstration of the need to develop an effective communication strategy - not just for the Constitution - but for the Commission and eventually the Union.

***

As you are very well aware President Barroso has asked me to take - for the first time in the history of the Commission - the leadership on communicating European affairs to our citizens. A poisonous challenge some say, a fascinating challenge others. I believe as always the truth lies in the middle.

Coming back after Easter, I asked a few people how they came across the "European message" in the countries they went over those days. "Lots of EU flags signposting that the EU has helped to build this road" said my colleague who went to Spain. "Various advertisements to buy beef - supported by the European Union" said a friend who was in Germany. And of course a French colleague added that prime news in France were busy reporting about the French Constitution.

What does this tell us? Well, the European Union is very present in the daily life of our citizens. Concrete benefits like investing in infrastructure, concrete support for farmers who shape the rural landscape of Europe, and intensive political dialogue about the future of Europe: at the same time, in various countries.

Still, Europeans believe that the EU has not much to do with their daily life. They perceive it as a remote project of some bureaucrats in Brussels.

You are vital parts of that European network of people we have to connect European political issues with daily life of citizens. And you play a central role in feeding us back the views of citizens, you are "ears" for us into companies and into households.

I am also convinced that in our communication efforts we have to stop the very fragmented approach we are following today. Each institution, each player in the political process, each individual have a different priority in communicating - each of us with scarce resources and budget. The result is that our views get lost in the jungle of information.

I believe it is fundamental to stop this. To be visible, we have to be clear and concise. To be interesting, we have to talk about issues interesting to citizens. To be heard, we need to repeat our messages.

I am not disputing that in a political process each side of the argument should make its views clear. But I am disputing the lack of joint approach and networking once we have set a joint law. If we would team up our efforts, network and co-operate our communication activities we would make a difference. If we stay fragmented, we will continue to be at the sidelines.

I want to emphasize that our new communication strategy will focus on synergies between the institutions and, above all, on action .

All European institutions have expert teams of people working on communication. As said before, I would like to make sure that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. Preferably, they should be doing it together so as to avoid duplication of effort.

I appreciate very much the offer of the European Economic and Social Committee to act as a multiplier of European messages. Thanks to its broad membership and its role in the EU's institutional framework, you can play a decisive role in targeting European messages to specific audiences within civil society.

As Mr Sears very rightly pointed out at the IGI in Strasbourg, every institution and each body has its specific strengths: Members of the Economic and Social Committee are ideally placed to inform the public and channel their views back to us. So are the trades unions, employers' associations, NGOs and local authorities they represent. Civil society must be actively involved in EU policy making and public communication .

Communication is a top priority for this new Commission, and I invite you to join us in our efforts to make participatory democracy a reality. As a facilitator and forum within which the civil dialogue can take place and civil society organisations can be informed on European issues, the European Economic and Social Committee represents a unique bridge between the European institutions and the people of Europe.

***

Madam President,

I would like to conclude with a brief word on the future relationship between the Commission and the Committee.

The negotiations for a new cooperation protocol must aim to realise the points I have outlined above. I hope that we can conclude these negotiations before the Summer.

This is not simply about developing another administrative arrangement. On the contrary: we must try to reap as much political advantage as possible from the situation. What must grow is our ability to cooperate, to envisage political solutions to problems which are directly relevant to the citizens, focussing particularly on their values and their interest in economic and social issues.

For me, I will be guided by a number of political principles in these negotiations:

• Better programming of the demands of the Commission for opinions;
• Better follow-up by the Commission after receiving an opinion;
• Better quality of documents from the Committee based on selectivity of the most important issues rather than a plethora of opinions;
• Mutual co-operation between the Commission and Committee based on a sustained programme of work.

Madam President,

I greatly appreciate the personal commitment that you provide to our co-operation. I look forward to a sustained trend of quality co-operation. I would like to underline that I am at your disposal today and whenever you feel that it is useful in the future.