CHAPTER 6: "Communicating Europe"
52. The Commission's section on its communication
priorities for 2009 begins: "2009 will be a particularly
important year for communicating Europe".[50]
The Minister told us, "an awful lot of energy and some resource
has been invested in this challenge … with limited success
… but that is no reason to stop trying" (Q 10).
We emphatically agree.
53. The Commission lists the communication priorities
for 2009 as the Lisbon Treaty (particularly better governance
and policies, the EU's role in the world, the area of justice,
freedom and security, and the social dimension of the Charter
of Fundamental Rights), budget reform, growth and jobs, and energy
and climate change.[51]
We welcome the Commission's intention of prioritising just
four communication themes. The Commission will need to give serious
consideration to how it approaches this communication, and we
look forward to seeing more detail on the Commission's plans in
the Annual Legislative and Work Programme.
54. The Commission says that communication priorities
will "concentrate on areas of direct interest to EU citizens".[52]
The Minister told us: "I do not believe that the disconnect
with citizens is structural but largely about relevance, and until
you have proved beyond doubt its contemporary relevance to the
lives of citizens then euroscepticism will be alive and kicking
in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, so it is essential that we
have a sensible approach to localism, whether it is in technology,
in democratic control or whatever" (Q 9). The best
way to interest citizens in Europe is by achieving and publicising
results that are relevant to their lives and delivered locally,
so we welcome the Commission's decision to concentrate communication
on areas of direct interest to EU citizens.
55. The likelihood is that the Lisbon Treaty
will not enter into force at the beginning of 2009, and therefore
the Commission's communication priorities are likely to change.
We urge the Commission to keep its focus on areas of direct interest
to citizens nonetheless. The Minister said, prior to the referendum,
that "as we stop talking about structures and concentrate
more on substance in the next few months and years I think
we stand a much better chance [of engaging European citizens]"
(Q 10), and we hope that, whatever institutional debates
take place in 2009, the focus on substance and on meaningful engagement
will be maintained.
56. The Commission's message on growth and jobs
will be "presented in the perspective of citizens' concerns,
including the European year for creativity and innovation."[53]
Sub-Committee G has scrutinised the proposal and concluded that
it had "considerable doubts that the European Year of Creativity
proposed will add much of value to existing UK programmes",
and concerns about the potential for the Year to divert resources
from planned activities.[54]
50 Annual Policy Strategy p 8 Back
51
Annual Policy Strategy p 8 Back
52
Annual Policy Strategy p 8 Back
53
Annual Policy Strategy p 8; Proposal for a Decision of the European
Parliament and of the Council concerning the European Year of
Creativity and Innovation (2009) (COM(2008) 159), 28 March 2008. Back
54
Letter from Lord Grenfell to Bill Rammell Esq MP, Minister for
life-long learning, dated 2 May 2008. Back
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