A trend or a real snapshot?

Creating a Communication Service within the European Commission; a D-Plan for democracy, dialogue and debate; the White Book on European policy communication; an inter-institutional agreement among EU bodies to “communicate Europe”; a Europe Direct information network for citizens; Internet and audio-visual tools; the Commission’s communication on the assessment of the D-Plan results and its future development. There is perhaps no other EU realm of activity marked by such a large amount of documents, actions and intentions. We could put together an infinite list. It’s a remarkable effort, considering the limited number of officers working in the departments in charge of EU institutions, news and the risible amount of funds allocated by the Community to the hundreds of bodies in charge of conveying the news on Europe to a countless number of EU citizens. It is however a just effort, given that information and its conveyance is viewed as the totality by contemporary society. Provided these are both correct and effective.This is the point. Is the news conveyed by Brussels correct and effective? The answer obviously depends on the object of the communication, and on the recipients of the news item. However, we cannot refrain from highlighting the increasing strong criticism addressed to this area, and that the disputed question regarding the so-called information gap ( that further accentuates the democracy deficit) becomes ever more evident in the context of specific and highly-significant events such as the European elections, that are just around the corner. Is it a trend (the criticism) or is the snapshot of a paradoxical situation involving European citizens and the EU? The latter is probably closer to the truth. Indeed, there is a distance between the European Union and its citizens, which is not being bridged. But the opposite is also true. With very few exceptions, media attention to EU news is scarce if not null, accompanied by the tragic and culpable lack of “Community subjects” in school programs. Two remarks. Brussels and other Community Institutions and Agencies deal with objectively complex matters (that are complex even for the governors themselves). But citizens – even those who are informed and interested – are “involved” with their daily routine as Eurocrats and Euro-politicians. However, at a closer glance, both claims equally apply to National Governments and Parliaments. Is this true at all levels, with the natural exclusion of the lowest level, that of urban centres? There is nothing paradoxical about the fact that the focus in on the social and health services, on the roads that need to be surfaced near our homes, on our children’s schools and on the high costs of living. The paradox lies elsewhere. At least 75% of local and national laws regulating services, health, town planning, education and economy are nothing more than the adjustment of Member States’ internal regulation to the legislation adopted by the Council – Commission – Euro-Parliament triangle, that the Court of Justice of Luxembourg presides over. Informing and being informed on the daily activities of united Europe means informing and being informed about our daily lives! Since it is the only body with directly elected representation, Strasbourg’s Parliament is the natural bond linking the European Union to its citizen. MEPs and their political groups have the primary task of informing on the EU Institutions’ activities. A small group of Commission officers, however willing they may be, cannot reach out to half a billion people. Thus, even accurate information in viewed as insufficient. The peoples’ representatives in Strasbourg need to do more than this, and they ought to be enabled to act by the Community budget (on whose allocation they co-decide along with Member States’ governments). It is a hope and an invitation that is unfortunately repeated every five years: that the electoral campaign for next June’s European elections – regardless of domestic politics quarrels that when exported offend EU institutions and go to the detriment of public interest – finally mark the dissemination of correct and efficient information on the role and the significance of the European Union; today and in the future.