EUROPEAN COMMISSION: WALLSTROM SCALES BACK COMMUNICATIONS GOALS AMID CRITICISM.

The paper is intended as part of wider efforts to "close the gap" between citizens and the EU institutions, demonstrated most clearly by the votes against the EU Constitution in France and the Netherlands last year. Despite the success of the EU and its increasing range of tasks, people say they do not understand how it works and have no input into the decision-making process, according to the paper.

While the paper admits that awareness of the "communication gap" is not new, it calls for a new approach, no longer based on telling citizens what the EU does, but listening to their views in a "genuine dialogue between the people and the policy-makers".

The paper says that most people continue to see European issues through the prism of their national political debate, education systems and media. It calls the European dimension of policies to be incorporated more and more into national and local debates. "A stronger recognition of the European dimension in national political exchange can only add to its credibility", the paper states.

Noting the lack of a "European public sphere" in which European issues are discussed, the paper says that such a sphere cannot be created in Brussels alone by the EU institutions but must be supported by member state governments and other national actors such as regional and local governments.

The paper calls for discussion on five key issues:

- 1. Defining Common Principles (such the right to information and freedom of expression): This includes the principle of inclusiveness, i.e. ensuring that all citizens have access to information about public affairs, especially through the mass media and Internet technologies.

The Wallstrom paper suggests that these common principles could be enshrined in a European charter or code of conduct which EU institutions and different levels of government would agree to respect. In the first draft, the Commissioner wanted media organisations to be covered by a charter but she backed down from this following objections to the legal nature of a charter and concern about being seen to try to interfere with independence of the media.

- 2. Empowering Citizens This involves improving "civic education" about EU institutions and policies as well as encouraging the use of the Internet to provide information to citizens. Other objectives include helping connect citizens for public discussion of European issues through new networks and connecting citizens and public institutions.

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