Raamwerk voor betere communicatie met organisaties in EU (en)

CES/07/109

Brussels, 12 November 2007

EU institutions and civil society organisations draft an action framework at the EESC to improve communication on Europe

On Monday 12 November 2007 in Brussels, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) brought together around 150 communication professionals and members of national economic and social councils and civil society organisations to set up a framework for discussion and action to improve communication on Europe.

Jillian van Turnhout, EESC vice-president responsible for communication, said that this initiative aims to establish a network of ambassadors in the Member States and to reinforce compatibilities and synergies so as to provide the public with access to better information on Community policies.

"Civil society organisations are ready, willing and able to talk to citizens in their own language and explain to them how Europe influences their daily lives in a positive way", she explained. Furthermore, it is fundamental to communicate the new Treaty of Lisbon. Ms van Turnhout promised to feed the seminar's results into the EESC's opinion on the Commission's "Communicating in partnership" paper.

Claus Sorensen, director-general of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Communication, said that the establishment of genuine participatory democracy hinges on debate and dialogue. Political stakeholders and civil society actors have separate but complementary roles in communicating Europe, which is why it is crucial to work in partnership.

The members of the economic and social councils and civil society organisations play a vital part at national level in the drafting, relaying and interpreting of current EU affairs. On this basis and in line with the European institutions' new communication policy, the EESC encouraged participants to discuss issues such as how to improve communication on Europe; how the European institutions can further enhance European intervention and the methods they can use to reach out to the European public, organised in three working groups, chaired by the three EESC group presidents Henri Malosse, Mario Sepi and Staffan Nilsson.

Claude du Granrut of the Committee of the Regions, Mr Jean-Marc Roirant, Co-chair of the EESC's Civil Society Liaison Group and Mr Manuel Carvalho, Spokesperson of the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the EU addressed the seminar.

The participants exchanged good practices in order to capitalise on areas of expertise and networks, as well as to use the new forms of communication to make EU current affairs accessible, relevant and attractive to the general public.

For more information on the seminar, including speeches and pictures, please consult our website:

http://eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/events/2007-11-12_en.asp