The European Commission has a sweeping new blueprint to close the public’s ‘perception gap’ towards the European Union. The strategy will rely on multiple initiatives to create or reinforce two-way communication between citizens and EU institutions, with web-based eDemocracy consultation heading the list.
“Communication is first and foremost a matter of democracy. People have a right to know what the EU does and what it stands for. And they have a right to fully participate in the European project,” said Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for communications strategy, when unveiling the ‘White Paper on a European Communication Policy’ on 1 February.
The paper’s main goal is to mobilise all the key actors in eDemocracy – i.e. EU institutions and bodies, the Member States, regional and local authorities, political parties and civil society – in order to move away from one-way communication toward citizen-oriented dialogue. It sets out five areas for joint action: defining common principles for communication on European issues; empowering citizens; working with the media and new technologies; understanding public opinion; and doing the job together.
The paper seeks the widest eConsultations from society for each working area. The consultations will run for six months starting on 1 February 2006. A special web-based citizens' forum to seek views on a European Charter or Code of Conduct will also be launched on 1 March 2006.
© European Communities 2006
Original article and more links here: http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/5301/194
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