REPORT on an information and communication strategy for the European Union
(2002/2205(INI))

21 February 2003

Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport
Rapporteur: Juan José Bayona de Perogordo

PROCEDURAL PAGE

By letter of 2 July 2002 the Commission forwarded to Parliament its Communication on an information and communication strategy for the European Union (COM(2002) 350 – C5-0506/2002), which was referred to the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport for information.

At the sitting of 24 October 2002 the President of Parliament announced that the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport had been authorised to draw up an own-initiative report, pursuant to Rule 163 of the Rules of Procedure, on the subject and that the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities had been asked for their opinions.

At the sitting of 27 November 2002 the President of Parliament announced that he had also referred the matter to the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, for their opinions.

The Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport had appointed Juan José Bayona de Perogordo rapporteur at its meeting of 11 July 2002.

It considered the draft report at its meetings of 9 December 2002 and 17 February 2003.

At the latter meeting it adopted the motion for a resolution unanimously.

The following were present for the vote: Michel Rocard (chairman), Vasco Graça Moura (vice-chairman), Theresa Zabell (vice-chairman), Juan José Bayona de Perogordo (rapporteur), Alexandros Alavanos, Ole Andreasen (for Marieke Sanders-ten Holte), Pedro Aparicio Sánchez, Christopher J.P. Beazley, Raina A. Mercedes Echerer, Janelly Fourtou (for Marielle de Sarnez), Ruth Hieronymi, Ulpu Iivari, Maria Martens, Pietro-Paolo Mennea, Juan Ojeda Sanz, Doris Pack, Christa Prets, Eurig Wyn, Stavros Xarchakos, Miquel Mayol i Raynal (for Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit pursuant to Rule 153(2)) and Sabine Zissener.

The opinions of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities are attached.

The report was tabled on 21 February 2003.

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

European Parliament resolution on an information and communication strategy for the European Union (2002/2205(INI))

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission communication on an information and communication strategy for the European Union (COM(2002) 350 – C5-0506/2002),

–   having regard to its resolution of 15 February 1957 on informing public opinion about the activity of the Community, and more especially of the Common Assembly[1],

–   having regard to its resolution of 23 November 1960 on information problems in the European Communities[2],

–   having regard to its resolution of 10 February 1972 on the information policy of the European Communities[3],

–   having regard to its resolution of 12 June 1974 on the 1974/75 Information Programme of the Commission of the European Communities[4],

–   having regard to its resolution of 13 May 1975 on the information programme and the complementary information programme for 1975[5],

–   having regard to its resolution of 8 February 1977 on the European Community’s information policy with regard to preparations for the first direct elections to the European Parliament[6],

–   having regard to its resolution of 11 May 1977 on the European Community’s information policy with particular reference to the Commission information programme in preparation for direct elections to the European Parliament[7],

–   having regard to its resolution of 16 January 1981 on the information policy of the European Community, of the Commission of the European Communities and of the European Parliament[8],

–   having regard to its resolution of 11 February 1983 on the information policy of the European Communities for the 1984 direct elections[9],

–   having regard to its resolution of 11 December 1986 on the European Community’s information policy,[10]

–   having regard to its resolution of 19 January 1989 on controlling the use of the appropriations earmarked for the information policy of the Institutions[11],

–   having regard to its resolution of 17 September 1993 on the information policy of the European Community[12],

–   having regard to its resolution of 11 March 1994 on information and publicity measures to be carried out by the Member States concerning assistance from the Structural Funds and the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG)[13],

–   having regard to its resolution of 10 December 1996 on participation of citizens and social players in the European Union’s institutional system and the IGC[14],

–   having regard to its resolution of 16 December 1998 on the communication from the Commission on the information strategy for the euro[15],

–   having regard to its resolution of 14 May 1998 on the information and communication policy in the European Union[16],

–   having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2001 on the information and communication strategy of the EU[17],

–   having regard to the Bureau decision of 2 April 2001 on interinstitutional cooperation in the field of information and communication,

–   having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2002 on the Commission communication on a new framework for cooperation on activities concerning the information and communication policy of the European Union[18],

–   having regard to its resolution of 5 September 2002 on citizenship of the Union[19],

–   having regard to Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights,

–   having regard to Rule 163 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport and the opinions of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy, the Committee on Budgets, Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities (A5‑0053/2002),

A.   whereas the EU’s information policy is an essential aspect of the European integration project, particularly in the prospect of enlargement and preparation for the future European Constitution,

B.   whereas access to EU information is essential for the exercise of true European citizenship,

C.   whereas citizens have a right, as the intended beneficiaries of policy and active participants in the democratic system, to full, impartial and objective information on the EU, in their own language; the diffusion of this information in all official languages recognised within the Member States and lesser-used languages should be ensured by the appropriate authorities in plain language, using the best qualified media workers,

D.   whereas the main purpose of information distributed by the EU is to highlight common European values, namely democracy, pluralism, security, solidarity, equal opportunities, cohesion and respect for cultural diversity and fundamental rights,

E.   whereas the information distributed by the EU must show citizens the specific advantages in their daily lives of belonging to the Union, while rejecting any approach that tends to make the Union seem an area of constant confrontation between national interests,

F.   whereas accordingto the Eurobarometer published in spring 2002 only 28 % of those questioned said they knew ‘much’ about the EU, and only two out of 10 said they took much notice of information on the EU,

G.   whereas the turnout in European elections fell from 63 % in 1979 to 49 % in 1999; whereas the elections to the European Parliament in 2004 will be a significant moment for the expression of true European citizenship; and whereas it would be desirable to draw attention to that date in any EU information campaign between now and 2004,

H.   whereas all the European institutions, particularly the Commission, Parliament, Council and Committee of the Regions, must increase their cooperation in order to counteract indifference to and ignorance of the EU and promote understanding of the European integration project, based on cohesion, subsidiarity, solidarity, pluralism and respect for cultural diversity,

I.   whereas the EU must retain full responsibility for information and communication activity in the areas within its terms of reference; whereas, however, there is clearly a need in the Commission for better coordination between the Directorate-General for the Press and the other directorates-general, and for increased decentralisation in favour of the EU’s external offices and other information centres,

J.   whereas the information and communication policy of the Union is financed through the general budget and should therefore be based on the needs of the European citizen and reflect the objectives and activities of all the Institutions,

K.   whereas there is a need to hold an annual public debate in the European Parliament, before defining the guidelines for the Community budget for the following year, so as to review progress on the EU’s information and communication policy and determine priorities in good time, taking account of factors such as Eurobarometer and Eurostat data,

L.   having regard to the Council’s conclusions of 12 December 2002 on the information and communication strategy for the European Union[20] and the Greek-Italian operational programme for 2003 which includes a specific information campaign on enlargement,

M.   whereas Article 14 of Regulation 1049/01 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents says that ‘the Member States shall cooperate with the institutions in providing information to the citizens’,

N.   whereas the Commission communication regards immigration policy and observance of human rights as a priority of the Union’s information policy,

O.   recalling the Recommendations on the elimination of sexism from language[21] and Unesco’s recommendations on the use of non-sexist language[22]; whereas the sexism reflected in language is an obstacle to equality between men and women and any campaign run by the EU in conjunction with the Member States will need to take account of the presence, status and role of women in today’s society,

P.   noting that the communication does not incorporate these recommendations and consequently does not sufficiently and adequately reflect the true circumstances of half of the population, in a way overlooking half of the people to whom the messages of future European Union information and communication campaigns would be addressed and ignoring the need to direct the messages to all members of the public,

Informing the European Union and its citizens

1.   Appreciates the Commission’s effort in presenting a second communication on the Union’s information policy, making clear its intention to consolidate interinstitutional cooperation and establish a joint strategy in this area;

2.   Underlines the crucial importance of information policy to the European integration project, particularly in the prospect of enlargement and the drafting of a European Constitution;

3.   Calls on the Convention to take notice of the significant importance of the EU information and communication policy;

4.   Taking account of the current work on the Convention, proposes the desirability of including in the constitutional text being drawn up an explicit reference to the need for an information and communication policy as a condition for the exercise of European citizenship; considers that this reference could be incorporated in Article 34 (The principle of participatory democracy) of Title VI (The democratic life of the Union) in the preliminary draft Constitutional Treaty (CONV 369/02);

5.   Points out that the information distributed by the EU must highlight the common European values, namely democracy, pluralism, security, solidarity, equal opportunities, cohesion and so on, and at the same time show citizens the practical advantages in their daily lives of belonging to the Union, while rejecting any approach that tends to make the Union seem an area of constant confrontation between diverging national interests;

6.   Calls on the Community institutions and the Member States to complete the activities, publications etc. under way in the search for a common cultural basis, a European civil area, that will increase citizens’ sense of belonging to that area and create in them an eagerness to bring ‘European values’ to the process of globalisation;

7.   Considers it essential for consistent efforts to be made to ensure that the information distributed by the EU systematically includes clear information measures on Community programmes intended for citizens, in order to make them more easily accessible;

8.   Points out that information on the European Institutions should be available in the official and co-official languages of the existing information and representation offices and of the new offices in the applicant countries;

9.   Reaffirms its commitment to the right of citizens to have access to a continuing, full, impartial and objective flow of basic information on the EU, in their own language; the diffusion of this information in all official languages recognised within the Member States and lesser-used languages should be ensured by the appropriate authorities in plain language, and emphasises the importance of developing specific priority information campaigns, particularly in the applicant countries;

10.   Considers that a European identity, in so far as it is perceived by citizens, is an essential basis for strengthening feelings of European citizenship and approving the European Constitution;

11.   Affirms that participation in elections is a key demonstration of the right of citizenship and a direct expression of citizens’ opinion; but notes with concern that the turnout in European elections fell below 50 % in 1999; considers that a clear, instructive, continuing information policy, accessible to all, would engage European citizens’ interest in the EU and maintain it in the long term;

12.   Calls on all the European institutions, the Member States and the applicant countries to make an exceptional information effort, while respecting their respective competencies and tasks, for the elections to the European Parliament in June 2004, which will be an essential stage in the democratic legitimation of the European integration process;

13.   Notes the importance, as shown by statistics, of relying on the support of opinion formers, targeting information to different population groups (women, young people and so on) – using attractive media such as sport – and to formulate messages in such a way that they can easily be included in education systems;

14.   Calls on the EU institutions to enhance their efforts to develop specific training programmes for media professionals;

15.   Considers that there is a need, in this connection, to organise an exceptional information campaign in the second half of 2003 and the first few months of 2004, centred particularly on the use of television, promoted and coordinated by the European Commission, the governments of the Member States and the applicant countries and the European Parliament, with the aim of informing all citizens of the exceptional importance of the 2004 European elections, the first in which 25 countries will be taking part and occurring after adoption of the new European Constitution;

16.   Considers that there is a need to set up new communication and information programmes that, drawing on the advantages of the new technologies, will enable European citizens to have access to the progress of parliamentary activities, so that all people, whatever their nationality or status, can have the same information and actively participate with ease;

17.   Considers it essential to ensure that the new information technologies do not become the only means of distributing and providing access to information on the European Union;

Interinstitutional cooperation

18.   Confirms its own commitment to closer cooperation between the European institutions, particularly between the Commission, Parliament, Council and the Committee of the Regions (particularly through the Interinstitutional Information Group), so as to make the priority information campaigns on the EU more effective;

19.   Welcomes the Council’s participation in the Interinstitutional Information Group, bearing in mind that the Member States and the regional authorities strengthen credibility in the eyes of citizens;

20.   Considers it essential that interinstitutional cooperation between Parliament, the Commission and the Council should cover all the stages that take place at the beginning and end of the process, namely the drafting of key messages, their application in the field and evaluation of the operational application of the information strategy using among others a joint Internet portal for the main European institutions;

21.   Is convinced that all of the Union’s information activities should be better coordinated at central level and more decentralised, involving not only the Member States but also the national parliaments and the regional and local authorities;

22.   Takes the view that all collaboration with the Member States and applicant countries should concentrate on implementing priority information campaigns, defined at Community level but adapted to the cultural and linguistic diversities of each location;

23.   Points out that the EU must retain full competence for information and communication activity within its terms of reference and is confident that the Commission will be able to improve coordination by the Directorate-General for the Press in the case of the EU’s sectoral information (on the environment, transport, consumer protection and so on);

24.   Points out that indirect information and communication can occur by means of supported EU projects or the declaration of years of action, and calls for these opportunities to be used increasingly; considers that such programmes and campaigns as town twinning, European City of Culture, Year of Languages, Year of the Disabled and so on can draw EU citizens’ attention to the European Union while providing information on its support programmes and campaigns;

25.   Is concerned by the insufficient short- and medium-term financial and budgetary estimates for a real information policy, bearing in mind also the possible establishment of agreements with the Member States;

26.   Calls on the Commission to perform the political information functions devolved to it, such as

• –annually publishing details of the public works funded by the Community in the information media of Member States benefiting from such works,
• –regular appearances of Commissioners at press conferences with a regional or local impact,
• –attending national public events connected with a European activity;

takes the view that all this should serve the purpose of giving citizens a European reference, while maintaining every courtesy in relations with the Member State concerned;

27.   Calls on the Commission, in the spirit of the transparency that all Community policy should display, to submit to Parliament and the Council, in the context of the Interinstitutional Information Group and before defining the budgetary guidelines for the following year, an annual report on the application of the EU information policy and a work programme;

28.   Calls on its President to do what is needed to ensure that an annual debate on EU information policy is placed on the agenda of the plenary sitting, as its resolution of 13 March 2002 required; points out that such a debate should be held before defining the budgetary guidelines for the following year on the basis of an annual report by the Commission and a draft resolution by its committee responsible for this question;

29.   Calls on the Commission to draw up, one year after adoption of its resolution of 13 March 2002 on a new framework for co-operation on activities concerning the information and communication policy of the European Union[23], a report giving an account of the innovations produced by its implementation and assessing developments in the information policy situation;

30.   Calls for urgent action to implement that resolution, setting up a ‘civic education’ unit under Parliament’s auspices with, among its aims, the duty to provide information on all matters relating to education for European citizenship;

31.   Calls on the Commission to conclude the feasibility study on a ‘European C-SPAN’ to provide the general public with relevant news and information on European Union affairs;

32.   Highlights the need for full participation of Parliament and MEPs as regards the information and communication policy and considers that accountability to the Parliament on the work the Commission carries out on behalf of the Union, including clear justifications, is fundamental;

Budgetary questions

33.   Recalls that the Interinstitutional Information Group was initially established in the context of ensuring Parliament’s follow-up of the Commission’s management of information policy and considers that this role should be maintained, avoiding any interference with the respective competencies of each Institution; urges the Commission to provide all information and documents to be discussed in the Interinstitutional Information Group at least two weeks before each meeting;

34.   Believes that the new strategy for information and communication must take on board Parliament’s request to create more synergies between EP and Commission activities, rationalise structures, ensure the most effective use of staffing resources and create savings in administrative expenditure;

35.   Considers that there is a need to introduce measures for administrative adjustment, structuring and staff training, aimed at the effective operation of the external offices and the network of information centres (info points, precincts etc), which could also be used by MEPs in their respective constituencies;

36.   Stresses that the Financial Statement attached to the Commission Communication is of purely indicative nature as the budgetary resources and their breakdown will be established by the budgetary authority in the annual budget procedure;

37.   Emphasises that the Commission must implement the budget as established by the Budgetary Authority and urges the Commission to make further improvements in this field and to avoid the transfer of funds for information policy to other policy areas;

38.   Recalls that the decision of the budgetary authority for 2003 concerning the Prince programme amounts to EUR 39 million (excluding administrative expenditure) broken down into four budgetary lines: enlargement, the future of the EU, the area of freedom, security and justice, and the euro; will pay the greatest attention to the efforts of the Commission to implement these funds as established;

39.   Notes the proposal to create a new priority within Prince – the role of the European Union in the World – and underlines the importance of including such proposals in good time in the framework of the Annual Policy Strategy for 2004;

Enlargement and foreign policy (the CFSP)

40.   Recalls that the overall objective of the information and communication strategy is to provide European citizens in the Member States and candidate countries with objective, continuous and adequate information on fundamental and imminent issues, and more specifically on major issues like common foreign and security policy (CFSP), European security and defence policy (ESDP), the enlargement of the EU and the reform of the treaties;

41.   Considers that the successful example of the information campaign on the introduction of the euro should be included in the general information policy and, specifically, in the information strategy on enlargement and the role of Europe in the world; insists that the financial resources of such a campaign should be managed both by the European Parliament and the Commission;

42.   Urges the European Parliament information offices to play a more significant role, in cooperation with their local partners, in implementing and adapting on the ground the institutional strategy that has been defined; recommends the imminent opening of such information offices also in the candidate countries that will not yet have joined the EU by 2004;

43.   Recalls that the consequences of the necessary process of legislative harmonisation following the accession of new Member States should also be considered;

44.   Encourages state-owned, regional-owned and private television channels at national and regional level to give wider coverage to EU-related issues, this aspect being a very important part of the overall information policy; recognises that in the border regions, the possibility for the citizens to receive television channels from both sides of the border represents a great advantage for the information;

45.   Insists that an efficient communication policy must include EU foreign policy and the way it is perceived in various parts of the world, especially regarding events that take place outside the EU, most notably those with a global impact; recalls that the form of the communication strategy will greatly affect not only the image of the EU, but also its role worldwide;

46.   Encourages further developments of the CFSP/ESDP to be accompanied by a complementary information and communication strategy, and calls on the Commission to reflect these aspects in its annual report on the implementation of the information policy;

47.   Recommends that this strategy also cover the various EU measures and actions already taken in the fight against terrorism, which has become a great menace to human society and democracy; and considers that an integrated approach on this issue should include internal safety measures within the EU as well as external actions, in this way the value added and the overall benefits of a coordinated and coherent EU policy in this area will be conveyed clearly and comprehensively;

48.   Welcomes the fact that the subject of the ‘EU’s role in the world’ is regarded as a priority of the Prince programme, and urges that sufficient and appropriate budgetary resources be made available; hopes that the European Parliament will be more involved in the running of the Prince programme;

49.   Expresses the wish that the ongoing work and achievements of the European Convention, hosted by the European Parliament, must also receive increased media visibility and coverage in the EU as well as in candidate and third countries;

Area of freedom, security and justice

50.   Calls for information relating to the area of freedom, security and justice to be based on the Commission’s strategic scoreboard;

51.   Considers that access to information must be guaranteed, at the same time, in all the official languages of the Union to avoid citizens being discriminated against on the basis of language;

52.   Calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce instruments that complement the Eurobarometer in order to check, at both national and local level, the impact of communication and information policy on citizens;

53.   Invites the Commission to instruct its delegations in countries of origin of immigration to facilitate access to information on immigration for nationals of those countries, in cooperation with Member State embassies and the authorities of the countries concerned;

European Union information on the role of women

54.   Calls for the EU’s information strategy to be directed towards women in the applicant countries as well;

55.   Calls for the use in information and communication campaigns of gender-neutral non‑discriminatory language that reflects the presence, status and role of women in society in the same way as it does for men, as is required for legal and administrative texts;

56.   Calls for balanced participation by men and women in the Commission’s working groups and expert groups[24] to be guaranteed under the specific media training programmes run by each directorate-general in conjunction with the Personnel and Administration Directorate-General;

57.   Calls for the messages to be drafted with due consideration for the possible differences between men and women as regards the reception of information and for the thrust of these messages to be convincing and relevant to women, and for the organisation of campaigns linked to major activities, conferences and measures geared towards promoting equality;

58.   Calls for coordination of the information and communication activities of the relevant directorates-general and in particular the managing unit concerned with horizontal management and ‘gender mainstreaming’;

59.   Calls for women to be taken into account in the analysis and evaluation of the information and communication strategy and for them to be involved in the development of new methodologies by the Press and Communication Directorate-General and also calls for verification of the impact on women of information campaigns and their impact on how images of women are created and for the findings thereof to be incorporated in the draft of the new communication strategy in 2005;

60.   Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission as well as the other institutions and organs of the European Union, the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States and the applicant countries, and the Convention.

• [1] OJ, 11.3.1957, p. 104.
• [2] OJ, 16.12.1960, p. 1510.
• [3] OJ C 19, 28.2.1972, p. 32.
• [4] OJ C 76, 3.7.1974, p. 26.
• [5] OJ C 128, 9.6.1975, p. 12.
• [6] OJ C 57, 7.3.1977, p. 30.
• [7] OJ C 133, 6.6.1977, p. 36.
• [8] OJ C 28, 9.2.1981, p. 74.
• [9] OJ C 68, 14.3.1983, p. 109.
• [10] OJ C 7, 12.1.1987, p. 111.
• [11] OJ C 47, 20.2.1989, p. 142.
• [12] OJ C 268, 4.10.1993, p. 192.
• [13] OJ C 91, 28.3.1994, p. 320.
• [14] OJ C 20, 20.1.1997, p. 31.
• [15] OJ C 98, 9.4.1999, p. 167.
• [16] OJ C 167, 1.6.1998, p. 230.
• [17] OJ C 343, 5.12.2001, p. 185.
• [18] TA-PROV(2002)0109.
• [19] TA-PROV(2002)0402.
• [20] Council document 149250/2002.
• [21] Adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 21 February 1990.
• [22] Resolution 20.5 of the 28th session of the Unesco General Conference, 25 October to 16 November 1995.
• [23] TA-PROV(2002)0119.
• [24] Implementation of the Commission Decision of 27 June 2000.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

According to the latest Eurobarometer survey published in March 2002, less than a third of the citizens interviewed said that they knew the European Union well. Moreover virtually all the main indicators confirm that there is a vast area (roughly 50 %) that is ignorant of, or indifferent to, the Union. Of course we need to make a distinction here. It does not mean that this vast area of ‘don’t knows’ or ‘ not interesteds’ reflects an overt or latent hostility to the Union. The situation obviously varies from country to country. But it would be interesting if Eurobarometer did not confine itself to sounding out differences according to national residence but also explored other forms of cross-frontier agreement, for instance differences between urban and rural citizens, young or old, level of education and so on. The resulting picture would perhaps be more detailed with a wider range of nuances.

A point of particular concern is the rate of turnout in European elections, which fell from 63 % in 1979, the date of the first elections by universal suffrage to the European Parliament, to 49 % in 1999. So at the last elections the European average turnout at the polls fell below 50 %, the symbolic threshold for democratic legitimacy. In this case too, the situation varies from country to country. It is true that, particularly in recent years, phenomena such as a distrust of politics, a tendency for people to turn back to their private lives and so on have affected all western countries to a greater or lesser degree. At any event, the election turnout figure would seem to be a serious wake-up call to all those who regard citizens’ participation in public life as an essential element of democracy and the European integration process.

The distance between European citizens and the institutions is a serious problem for the institutions. If it wants to reduce the problem the European Union must give greater weight and character to its own information policy.

For this purpose it is desirable and important to strengthen cooperation between the European institutions, particularly in the Commission, Parliament and Council, and for the individual Member States to actively contribute to the success of the Community priority information campaigns, following the example of the successful campaign for the single market and, more recently, the euro.

The Union must maintain full responsibility for information policy on the subjects for which it is competent. Participation by the Member States and the regions, which is highly desirable, should improve the application of the strategy defined at Community level. Union information must be rigorous and contain no propaganda.

The European Union’s information policy must manage to combine in a creative and effective manner the assertion of its common values, such as democracy, pluralism, cultural and linguistic diversity, cohesion and solidarity (all of which principles are contained in the founding Treaties and will perhaps be still better defined in the future European Constitution), with the practical advantages deriving from membership of the Union. Information on the Union should try to attract and arouse citizens’ interest, using examples taken from everyday life, and delivering clear, objective and above all accessible messages. One of the fundamental rights of European citizens is to have access to information in their own language (including the ‘less widespread’ languages spoken by millions of Europeans) and in accessible language.

There will need to be a change in the method of providing information on the European Union. Reform of the information policy must successfully apply the principle of ‘from the particular to the general’. Irrespective of the sector concerned (the environment, health, transport or fisheries) and without affecting the advantages and special characteristics of specialisation, the overall view and the essential connection between sectoral policies and the Union’s general objectives must always clearly emerge.

This must remain primarily the task of the European Commission. The principle of ‘from the particular to the general’ is one which all the Commission’s directorates-general must adopt and apply not only to the outside world but also to its own internal organisation. The Commission will undoubtedly be equal to the task, suitably integrating its information policy with its recently promoted working method (‘governance’).

The Commission will need to further promote within its own organisation the dissemination of best practice and the exchange of information, emphasising the intelligent integration of new communication technologies (the Internet, video conferences and so on) with the professional resources available. The Directorate-General for the Press, directly linked to the Commission President, must further coordinate the other directorates-general and its external offices, decentralising their operational functions as far as possible and endeavouring to rationalise certain areas of the organisation in the interests of efficiency.

External professionals, the communication experts, are an important element in the retraining process and should be better used to make the Union’s information policy more effective. But there will be a need to place strong emphasis on the training of Union staff and the information offices, not just to convey to staff modern communication ideas and techniques, but also to revive and enhance a task that is crucial for involving citizens, raising their awareness and encouraging them to participate.

The info points, precincts and other information centres, together with local bodies, universities, schools, sports associations and cultural organisations are extremely useful elements in this. Their capacity for taking the initiative in the area concerned can be an excellent way of bringing people together, holding debates and encouraging participation, in addition to distributing and channelling messages on the Union and its fundamental values. Their driving force and independent ability to make proposals needs supporting and encouraging. The participation of Commissioners or MEPs, or just sending out European Union staff to meet the public, should be strongly promoted, particularly in the case of conferences or information courses for opinion formers.

* * *

The Commission has now submitted two communications in the space of two years. On the first of these Parliament expressed its views in its resolution of 13 March 2002 (the Andreasen report). The second communication was adopted in July 2002; the Commission presented it to the Interinstitutional Information Group, and the Commissioner responsible for information policy subsequently explained its contents to the Committee on Culture on 9 September 2002. Through the contribution of a working group dealing with the subject, the Council has expressed its appreciation; the Committee of the Regions has adopted an opinion. Parliament is taking part in the debates on this report, pointing out:

1.   the need to strengthen interinstitutional cooperation, by encouraging the institutions to work together at the stage when key messages are being defined and disseminated, and

2.   the importance of holding an annual debate in the European Parliament to review the information policy and set guidelines on the basis of the results of Eurobarometer surveys and Eurostat data.

As the Andreasen report has already advocated, there should be an annual public debate in the European Parliament on a Commission report containing a programme of work. Such a debate, in the spirit of transparency underpinning all Union activity, should provide an opportunity to review its information strategy, on the basis of Eurobarometer surveys and Eurostat data, and to set priorities and make adjustments to them. The Commission used in the past to submit to Parliament annual information policy programmes, in particular in the period running up to the first direct elections to the European Parliament, in the late 1970s. We are now once again at a turning point. The European Convention is drawing up proposals for a draft Constitution, and the Union is preparing for the accession of new member states. The European elections will follow in 2004, the first elections after enlargement. Hence there now needs to be an exceptional effort and a joint commitment by the European institutions, to make the information policy more significant and conspicuous in the context of the wider process of European integration.

On the question of content, we entirely share the priorities that the Commission has identified and the Interinstitutional Information Group has approved, which we consider to be well defined.

The opinions of the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Budgets, Citizens’ Freedoms and Women demonstrate the importance Parliament attaches to the information policy as an instrument for serving the citizens and the objectives of the European Union.

The report has taken account of most of the conclusions of the advising committees, which help to strengthen Parliament’s position for establishing a proper interinstitutional information strategy.

The new EU strategy must succeed in producing a consistent and objective information flow, to ensure that the foreign and security policy, immigration policy, respect for fundamental rights and the role of women in our society are not matters that citizens perceive as remote and inaccessible.

However, these will increasingly need to be linked with a basic priority: citizenship. In the eyes of its citizens the Union’s image is mainly associated with the economy. Yet the Union does a great deal for its citizens in other fields too, such as the environment, food supply, social cohesion, crisis prevention and peace-keeping, as well as in development cooperation and solidarity. While each of these examples comes from sectoral policies, as a whole they contribute to creating the European Union’s image, presenting it not just as an economic and commercial power but also as the world’s most advanced social power. All this needs to be brought out in targeted, effective campaigns, also drawing in personalities or events from the sporting, cultural or social worlds that strongly influence public opinion or have a strong symbolic value and help to strengthen the European identity.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HUMAN RIGHTS, COMMON SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

29 January 2003

for the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport

on the Information and Communication Strategy for the European Union (2002/2205(INI))

Draftsman: Antonios Trakatellis

PROCEDURE

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy appointed Antonios Trakatellis draftsman at its meeting of 11 September 2002.

The committee considered the draft opinion at its meetings of 21-23 January and 27-28 January 2003.

At the latter meeting it adopted the following conclusions with no votes against and 2 abstentions.

The following were present for the vote: Christos Zacharakis, acting chairman; Antonios Trakatellis, draftsman; Ole Andreasen, Per-Arne Arvidsson, Jas Gawronski, Vasco Graça Moura (for Michael Gahler), Nelly Maes (for Elisabeth Schroedter), Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (for Rosa M. Díez González), Edward H.C. McMillan-Scott (for David Sumberg), Emilio Menéndez del Valle, Philippe Morillon, Pasqualina Napoletano, Jacques F. Poos, Jannis Sakellariou, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Ioannis Souladakis, Ursula Stenzel, The Earl of Stockton (for John Walls Cushnahan), Ilkka Suominen, Charles Tannock, Joan Vallvé, Karl von Wogau and Matti Wuori.

CONCLUSIONS

The Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy calls on the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following points in its motion for a resolution:

1.   Recalls that the overall objective of the information and communication strategy is to provide European citizens in the Member States and candidate countries with objective, continuous and adequate information on fundamental and imminent issues, and more specifically on major issues like Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), the enlargement of the EU and the reform of the treaties;

2.   Reiterates the importance of generating a clear understanding of EU decision-making procedures in those areas affecting the citizen directly, and also the need to firmly establish an overall information policy on all issues, which must also include the attribution of responsibilities at national and Community level;

3.   Urges that the budgetary resources be reinforced adequately in order to provide sufficient financial resources for the implementation of all aspects of the new information and communication strategy;

4.   Considers that the successful example of the information campaign on the introduction of the euro should be included in the general information policy and, specifically, in the information strategy on enlargement and the role of Europe in the world; insists that the financial resources of such a campaign should be managed both by the European Parliament and the Commission;

5.   Recommends the use of all possible institutional and civil channels and distribution points, at both Community and national level (ministries, regional authorities, etc.), in order to convey the European message appropriately at the closest possible level to the citizen, bearing in mind especially that in the most remote areas media penetration is particularly difficult; believes that it is essential for all information on the European Union to be accessible in all the official languages of the Union and of the countries applying for membership;

6.   Urges the European Parliament information offices to play a more significant role, in cooperation with their local partners, in implementing and adapting on the ground the institutional strategy that has been defined; recommends the imminent opening of such information offices also in the candidate countries that will not yet have joined the EU by 2004;

7.   Considers that special emphasis should be placed on drawing close links between European policies and the daily life and concerns of European citizens, such as the changes which will occur in European agricultural, budgetary and fund distribution policy after enlargement both in the old and new member states, considering especially the upcoming referenda;

8.   Recalls that the consequences of the necessary process of legislative harmonisation following the accession of new Member States should also be considered;

9.   Points out that priority in this information campaign must be given to reflecting the extent to which EU policies serve citizens’ interests, carefully and objectively weighing the pros and cons of the issues at stake;

10.   Believes that consistent and regular live coverage and broadcasting of important committee meetings and parliamentary proceedings, as well as EU decision-making gatherings in general, ought to be actively encouraged, notably by the use of modern information technology, such as internet coverage of the most access- and cost-efficient kind, as well as by the Europe-wide, multilingual channel Euronews;

11.   Welcomes the initiative of a consolidated interinstitutional group on information , and calls on the institutions’ press services to improve their interinstitutional cooperation;

12.   Encourages state-owned, regional-owned and private television channels at national and regional level to give wider coverage to EU-related issues, this aspect being a very important part of the overall information policy; recognises that in the border regions, the possibility for the citizens to receive television channels from both sides of the border represents a great advantage for the information;

13.   Insists that an efficient communication policy must include EU foreign policy and the way it is perceived in various parts of the world, especially regarding events that take place outside the EU, most notably those with a global impact; recalls that the form of the communication strategy will greatly affect not only the image of the EU, but also its role worldwide;

14.   Encourages further developments of the CFSP/ESDP to be accompanied by a complementary information and communication strategy, and calls on the Commission to reflect these aspects in its annual report on the implementation of the information policy;

15.   Recommends that this strategy also cover the various EU measures and actions already taken in the fight against terrorism, which has become a great menace to human society and democracy; and considers that an integrated approach on this issue should include internal safety measures within the EU as well as external actions, in this way the value added and the overall benefits of a coordinated and coherent EU policy in this area will be conveyed clearly and comprehensively;

16.   Welcomes the fact that the subject of the ‘EU’s role in the world’ is regarded as a priority of the PRINCE programme, and urges that sufficient and appropriate budgetary resources be made available; hopes that the European Parliament will be more involved in the running of the PRINCE programme;

17.   Expresses the wish that the ongoing work and achievements of the European Convention, hosted by the European Parliament, must also receive increased media visibility and coverage in the EU as well as in candidate and third countries;

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON BUDGETS

20 January 2003

for the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport

on an information and communication strategy for the European Union

(COM(2002) 350 – C5‑506/2002 – 2002/2205(INI))

Draftsman: Neena Gill

PROCEDURE

The Committee on Budgets appointed Neena Gill draftsman at its meeting of 12 September 2002.

It considered the draft opinion at its meeting of 20 January 2003.

At the last meeting it adopted the following conclusions unanimously with 1 abstention.

The following were present for the vote: Terence Wynn, chairman; Anne Elisabet Jensen, vice-chairman; Franz Turchi, vice-chairman; Joan Colom i Naval, Den Dover, Göran Färm, Markus Ferber, Salvador Garriga Polledo, Neena Gill, Catherine Guy-Quint, María Esther Herranz García, Jan Mulder, Juan Andrés Naranjo Escobar, Kyösti Tapio Virrankoski, Ralf Walter, Brigitte Wenzel-Perillo and Esko Olavi Seppänen (for Chantal Cauquil).

CONCLUSIONS

The Committee on Budgets calls on the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following points in its motion for a resolution:

1.   Whereas the Information and Communication Policy of the Union is financed through the General Budget and should therefore be based on the needs of the European Citizen and reflect the objectives and activities of all the Institutions;

2.   Welcomes the Commission’s Communication and fully endorses the objective of establishing a Joint Information Strategy based on the needs of the European Citizen and reflecting the objectives and activities of all Institutions;

3.   Recalls the traditional principles underpinning many of Parliament’s efforts in recent years, namely:

• -a common message in respect of the autonomy of each Institution
• -visibility of the Union in the Member States
• -development of partnerships with national authorities, including regional and local bodies
• -efficiency gains and best value for money through development of synergies, economies of scale, decentralisation and reform of administrative structures
• -the importance of the Prince programme and its involvement of MEPs;

4.   Highlights the need for full participation of Parliament and MEPs as regards the Information and Communication Policy and considers that accountability to the Parliament on the work the Commission carries out on behalf of the Union, including clear justifications, is fundamental;

5.   Is of the opinion that a results oriented approach, reaching a maximum number of people, achieving best value for money and meeting the information needs of the citizens, is of the highest importance; believes that this effort must necessarily encompass a greater emphasis on communication tools that can achieve this goal including TV, radio and the internet;

6.   Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to establish closer cooperation between the Institutions as regards Information and Communication Policy; notes that the Interinstitutional Group on Information (IGI) has proved to be useful in coordinating the implementation by the Commission of the political guidelines given by Parliament and Council;

7.   Recalls that the IGI was initially established in the context of ensuring Parliament’s follow-up of the Commission’s management of Information Policy and considers that this role should be maintained, avoiding any interference with the respective competencies of each Institution; urges the Commission to provide all information and documents to be discussed in the IGI at least two weeks before each meeting;

8.   Believes that the new strategy for Information and Communication must take on board Parliament’s request to create more synergies between EP and Commission activities, rationalise structures, ensure the most effective use of staffing resources and create savings in administrative expenditure;

9.   Stresses that the Financial Statement attached to the Commission Communication is of purely indicative nature as the budgetary resources and their breakdown will be established by the budgetary authority in the annual budget procedure;

10.   Emphasises that the Commission must implement the budget as established by the Budgetary Authority and urges the Commission to make further improvements in this field and to avoid the transfer of funds for Information Policy to other policy areas;

11.   Recalls that the decision of the budgetary authority for 2003 concerning the Prince programme amounts to € 39 million (excluding administrative expenditure) broken down into four budgetary lines: enlargement, the future of the EU, the area of freedom, security and justice, and the Euro; will pay the greatest attention to the efforts of the Commission to implement these funds as established;

12.   Notes the proposal to create a new priority within Prince- The role of the European Union in the World- and underlines the importance of including such proposals in good time in the framework of the Annual Policy Strategy for 2004.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CITIZENS’ FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS, JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

22 January 2003

for the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport

on an information and communication strategy for the European Union

(2002/2205())

Draftsman: Marcelino Oreja Arburúa

PROCEDURE

The Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs appointed Marcelino Oreja Arburúa draftsman at its meeting of 2 October 2002.

The committee considered the draft opinion at its meeting of 20 and 21 January 2003.

At the latter meeting it adopted the following conclusions unanimously.

The following were present for the vote: Jorge Salvador Hernández Mollar, chairman; Giacomo Santini, vice-chairman; Alima Boumediene-Thiery, Giuseppe Brienza, Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg (for Heide Rühle), Mogens N.J. Camre (for Niall Andrews), Marco Cappato (for Mario Borghezio), Michael Cashman, Carmen Cerdeira Morterero, Ozan Ceyhun, Carlos Coelho, Gérard M.J. Deprez, Francesco Fiori (for Marcello Dell’Utri, pursuant to Rule 153(2)), Ewa Hedkvist Petersen (for Margot Keßler), Marie-Thérèse Hermange (for Charlotte Cederschiöld), Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann (for Giuseppe Di Lello Finuoli), Eva Klamt, Alain Krivine (for Ilka Schröder), Jean Lambert (for Pierre Jonckheer), Baroness Sarah Ludford, Eryl Margaret McNally (for Elena Ornella Paciotti, pursuant to Rule 153(2)), Hartmut Nassauer, Paolo Pastorelli (for Christian Ulrik von Boetticher), Hubert Pirker, Ole Sørensen (for Bill Newton Dunn), Patsy Sörensen, The Earl of Stockton (for Marcelino Oreja Arburúa), Joke Swiebel, Anna Terrón i Cusí and Maurizio Turco.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

For many years, the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms, Justice and Home Affairs has taken a keen interest in the European Union’s information and communication policy and, on numerous occasions, has taken this matter up with the European Commission and the Interinstitutional Working Party on information. The priorities established by the Committee are as follows:

-   as far as immigration is concerned, it is of crucial importance to cooperate with the authorities of non-member countries of emigration in order to inform citizens of the possibilities and constraints of the Union’s immigration policy. The European Commission, and its delegations, should play a coordinating role in this context;

-   the second priority area is information on fundamental and civil rights: here the Union has a duty to inform people of the measures taken in relation to freedom of movement and residence, the protection of personal data, the fight against discrimination, transparency and the protection of human rights;

-   the third topic concerns the creation of a European legal area and the impact on the daily lives of citizens of the entry into force of the European arrest warrant and measures taken in the framework of judicial cooperation in civil matters;

-   finally, there are the measures taken by the Union relating to non-Community citizens, where the issue of presenting measures taken in the area of immigration, asylum and integration could arise.

Your draftsman also sees close cooperation between the Member States and European institutions as being of crucial importance in improving coordination between the Commission and Parliament offices in individual Member States in the area of information and communication. The best practices in initiatives taken by the decentralised offices of the institutions should be publicised (for example, promotion of low-cost programmes carried out by Parliament’s offices - www.euro-scola.com).

In your draftsman’s view it is also necessary to set up tripartite committees on information policy composed of representatives of the Member States, the European Parliament and the Commission.

As far as the means of communication and target audience are concerned, it is essential to target information at the different groups in society, focusing particularly on the study of European affairs in higher education and universities as the teaching of young people produces a positive multiplier effect on society.

CONCLUSIONS

The Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs calls on the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following points in its motion for a resolution:

A.   having regard to the Council’s conclusions of 12 December 2002 on the information and communication strategy for the European Union[1] and the Greek-Italian operational programme for 2003 which includes a specific information campaign on enlargement,

B.   whereas Article 14 of Regulation 1049/01 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents says that ‘the Member States shall cooperate with the institutions in providing information to the citizens’.

C.   whereas those to whom the information is addressed may belong to different groups and the effectiveness of information depends on the language used in relation to the target groups concerned,

D.   whereas it is essential to take the fullest possible advantage of new technologies to ensure that citizens have access to information on the development of parliamentary activities and those of the other Community institutions,

E.   whereas measuring the real impact of campaigns is a vital factor in verifying their effectiveness,

F.   having regard to the discussions in the Convention on the future of the European Union concerning a greater role for the national parliaments in the process of Community integration,

G.   whereas information and communication policy plays a key role in preventing immigration by nationals of Third World countries that is unwanted and without prospects and avoiding the suffering of those who have to go back without any means of support,

H.   whereas the Commission communication regards immigration policy and observance of human rights as a priority of the Union’s information policy,

I.   whereas the volume of resources earmarked in the 2003 budget far exceeds the minimum threshold that would justify expenditure without a specific legal basis,

1.   Considers that it is essential to define clear information and communication objectives for the European Union given that between now the end of 2004 there will be enlargement of the Union to include ten new Member States, the adoption of a new constitutional Treaty and European elections;

2.   Points out that the Union is responsible for informing European citizens about the policies that fall within its jurisdiction but notes that this information will not be effective unless it is adequately supported by the Member States who have to pass it on in a way that reflects different national situations, in a spirit of loyal cooperation between the Member States and the institutions of the Union in implementing Union objectives (Article 10 of the EC Treaty);

3.   Calls on the Commission and Council to identify the sections of the public at which information is targeted and to use information profiling based on subject areas; calls, in particular, for information relating to the area of freedom, security and justice to be based on the Commission’s strategic scoreboard;

4.   Considers that access to information must be guaranteed, at the same time, in all the official languages of the Union to avoid citizens being discriminated against on the basis of language;

5.   Calls on the Commission and the Member States to introduce instruments that complement the Eurobarometer in order to check, at both national and local level, the impact of communication and information policy on citizens;

6.   Calls on the Commission and Council to involve the European Parliament in the management of the PRINCE programme and to keep it up-to-date on the real impact of measures funded by this programme;

7.   Calls on the Community institutions and Member States to involve the national parliaments and local and regional authorities in defining and promoting the Union’s communication and information policy;

8.   Invites the Commission to instruct its delegations in countries of origin of immigration to facilitate access to information on immigration for nationals of those countries, in cooperation with Member State embassies and the authorities of the countries concerned;

9.   Calls on the Convention and the future Intergovernmental Conference to take the necessary steps to establish a legal framework linking information and communication policy with the legal basis for access to documents of the European institutions.

• [1] Council document 149250/2002.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

28 January 2003

for the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport

on the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on an information and communication strategy for the European Union

(COM(2002) 350 – C5‑0506/2002 – 2002/2205(INI))

Draftsperson: Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco

PROCEDURE

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities appointed Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco draftsperson at its meeting of 5 November 2002.

It considered the draft opinion at its meetings of 22 and 23 January 2003.

At the latter meeting it adopted the following conclusions by 15 votes to 4.

The following were present for the vote: Anna Karamanou, (chairperson), Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, (draftsperson), María Antonia Avilés Perea, Regina Bastos, Lone Dybkjær, Geneviève Fraisse, Fiorella Ghilardotti, Lissy Gröner, Jutta D. Haug (for Christa Prets), Heidi Anneli Hautala, Mary Honeyball, Hans Karlsson, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Astrid Lulling, Thomas Mann, Olle Schmidt (for Marieke Sanders-ten Holte), Patsy Sörensen, Feleknas Uca and Sabine Zissener.

CONCLUSIONS

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities calls on the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following points in its motion for a resolution:

A.   welcoming the adoption of an information and communication strategy for the European Union, since this shows that the importance of a joint information and communication policy for the institutions has been recognised,

B.   whereas the sexism reflected in male-biased language is an obstacle to equality between men and women that must be removed, since equality is one of the democratic values of the European Union, and care should be taken to ensure that the information disseminated by the EU reflects the principle of equality between men and women,

C.   whereas there is a need, in view of the significant contribution that the media can make to shaping attitudes and encouraging non-discriminatory behaviour, for all campaigns run by the EU in conjunction with the Member States to use gender neutral language that reflects the presence, status and role of women in today’s society,

D.   whereas there is a need for further steps to be taken towards gender equality, by way of proactive policies that harness instruments such as gender neutral language, positive measures and gender mainstreaming,

E.   recalling the Recommendation on the elimination of sexism from language[1] and UNESCO’s recommendations on the use of non-sexist language[2],

F.   noting that the communication does not incorporate these recommendations and consequently does not sufficiently and adequately reflect the true circumstances of half of the population, in a way overlooking half of the people to whom the messages of future European Union information and communication campaigns would be addressed and ignoring the need to direct the messages to all members of the public,

1.   Calls for the EU’s information strategy to be directed towards women in the applicant countries as well;

2.   Calls for the use in information and communication campaigns of gender-neutral non‑discriminatory language that reflects the presence, status and role of women in society in the same way as it does for men, as is required for legal and administrative texts;

3.   Calls for balanced participation by men and women in the Commission’s working groups and expert groups[3] to be guaranteed under the specific media training programmes run by each directorate-general in conjunction with the Personnel and Administration Directorate-General;

4.   Calls for the messages to be drafted with due consideration for the possible differences between men and women as regards the reception of information and for the thrust of these messages to be convincing and relevant to women, and for the organisation of campaigns linked to major activities, conferences and measures geared towards promoting equality;

5.   Calls for coordination of the information and communication activities of the relevant directorates-general and in particular the managing unit concerned with horizontal management and ‘gender mainstreaming’;

6.   Calls for women to be taken into account in the analysis and evaluation of the information and communication strategy and for them to be involved in the development of new methodologies by the Press and Communication Directorate-General and also calls for verification of the impact on women of information campaigns and their impact on how images of women are created and for the findings thereof to be incorporated in the draft of the new communication strategy in 2005.

7.   Urges the Commission to ensure that adequate funds are allocated with particular regard to the information of women about the acquis communautaire in respect of equal treatment of and equal opportunities for men and women, including the programmes and projects derived therefrom, so that a separate and permanent information and communication strategy may be pursued with regard to this target group.

• [1] Adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 21 February 1990.
• [2] Resolution 20.5 of the 28th session of the UNESCO General Conference, 25 October to 16 November 1995.
• [3] Implementation of the Commission Decision of 27 June 2000.