The hard sell:
EU communication policy and the
campaign for hearts and minds
(6)openeurope
The hard sell:
EU communication policy and the
campaign for hearts and minds
December 2008
Open Europe
7 Tufton Street
London
SW1P3QN
www.openeurope.org.uk
Research by Dr. Lee Rotherham and Lorraine Mullally
Edited by Lorraine Mullally
CONTENTS
Chapter Page
Executive Summary 1
Introduction 11
1. "Communicating Europe": The EU's biased information campaign 14
2. Funding the cheerleaders: Paying NGOs, think-tanks and lobby
groups to promote the EU 49
3. Buying loyalty: Promoting European citizenship and a common
European culture to engender support for the EU 75
4. Investing in the long-term: Targeting young people 94
5. Conclusions - EU propaganda: Why does it matter?
What's the alternative? 118
6. Annex: The EU's €2.4bn propaganda budget broken down 134
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The European Union spends billions of euros a year promoting itself and its central aim of 'ever
closer union'. In 2008 alone it spent €2.4bn at the very least - more than Coca Cola spends each
year on advertising, worldwide. 1
By promoting its policies, actions and principles, the EU serves to justify its own existence and,
crucially, to cement the European Commission's view that continued European integration is the
best, or even the only, future path for progress.
It does this in a number of different but interrelated ways, all of which received a boost following
the French and Dutch rejections of the EU Constitution in 2005.
1 "Communicating Europe": The EU's biased information campaign
Firstly and most obviously, the EU publishes classic promotional material, such as booklets, adverts
and films, all underthe guise of providing 'information'. Examples include the publication "How
the European Union works", which describes why the EU is "a remarkable success story," 2 or the
pamphlet "Better off in Europe" which says the EU "is delivering a better life for everyone" and
describes the single market as "a winning formula." 3 Another is the 'EUtube' film and website:
"Europe and You in 2007 - a snapshot of EU achievements". 4
The openly stated aim of the EU's "Information and Communication Strategy" is to "boost
awareness of the Union's existence and legitimacy, polishing its image and highlighting its role." 5
The Commission actually admits that its information about the EU has a slant. It believes that
"Neutral factual information is needed of course, but it is not enough on its own... Genuine
communication by the European Union cannot be reduced to the mere provision of
information." 6 Indeed sometimes the message is subliminal, found in, for example, sentences
such as "If you are lucky enough to be a citizen of the EU". 7
The EU has a sophisticated network of information outlets to distribute its literature and branded
merchandise, and also spends money organising tours and open days for visitors to the EU
institutions. It also makes the most of its capacity as a grant-giver, obliging recipients to adorn
project communications with the EU flag or even commemorative plaques.
It has its own polling arm -Eurobarometer- which it uses to manipulate public opinion, and even
its own broadcast channels, and means for influencing the internet and the wider media, such
as training and prizes for journalists.
The Commission has even used its various 'information' tools to help support pro-integration
campaigns in national referendums on EU issues, as was seen in the recent Lisbon Treaty
1 Coca Cola 2007 Annual Report http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/l0-K_2007/Coca-Cola_10-K_ltem_07.pdf
2 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/68/en.pdf
3 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/56/en.pdf
4 http://ec.europa.eu/snapshot2007/index_en.htm
5 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
6 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
7 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/others/65/en.doc
campaign in Ireland. As well as the Commission President visiting
Ireland to urge a 'yes' vote ahead of the vote 8 , after the "Neutral factual
referendum, the Commission leaked briefings to the press on two information is needed
occasions - firstly to wrongly suggest that 40 percent of people of course, but it is not
had voted 'no' out of ignorance, 9 and subsequently to argue that enouah on its own"
the Irish press had been overly influenced by British 'eurosceptic'
newspapers - both clear attempts to delegitmise the result. 10
The European Commission has in the past insisted: "It has been the long standing policy of the
European Commission not to interfere in internal elections or referenda in Members States... The
provision of such information is not intended to influence political decisions or electoral contests." 11
But this is clearly not the case.
2 Funding the cheerleaders: Paying NGOs, think-tanks and lobby groups to
promote the EU
Secondly, the EU provides huge amounts of funding to outside organisations which support and
promote its objectives.
On the one hand, it funds organisations which openly admit to a central aim of promoting the EU and
its core objective of 'ever closer union', such as the European Movement, the Union of European
Federalists or the Youth of the European People's Party. The European Movement, for instance, which
says it seeks to "transform the relations between the European States and its citizens into a Federal
European Union," 12 received €2.5 million in EU funding between January 2005 and October 2007 alone. 13
On the other, under cover of the otherwise laudable aim of consulting 'experts' and reaching out
to 'civil society', it pours money - often indirectly - into NGOs, think-tanks and lobby groups
which can be relied on to support the EU's existing or potential role or approach in policy areas
as diverse as energy, education, and foreign policy. They might do this by organising events,
attending meetings at the EU institutions, publishing research and reports or lobbying decision-
makers for an increased EU role in a certain area.
It is not always clear which organisations receive EU funding, or how much, and this makes it
doubly concerning. For instance, when Foreign Secretary David Miliband announced in
Parliament that a number of influential NGOs and charities supported the EU Lisbon Treaty in an
effort to convince MPs to also do so 14 , it was only after the vote in Parliament that it emerged
that the organisations he cited receive EU funding. 15
Because of opaque funding streams and a lack of easy to access information, it is extremely
difficult to put a figure on exactly how much money the EU spends funding outside organisations
which promote the idea of European integration. It is certainly tens of millions a year.
Christopher Heaton-Harris MEP has estimated that it is "well over £1 bn". 16
8 See http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/barroso-courts-irish-ahead-eu-treaty-referendum/article-171741
9 See http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_300_full_en.pdfand http://www.openeurope.org.uk/commissionpoll.pdf 10
http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/2008/lisbondocument/index.pdf
11 http://www.bcc.ie/decisions_details/lv1ar%202007/288.06%20289.06%20290.06%20Mr.%20A%20Coughlan%20Summary%20Complaint.doc
1 2 http://www.europeanmovement.org/history.cfm
13 The exact sum is €2,552,005. European Parliamentary Question 4449/07 to 4455/07: Summary of Payments by Legal Entity 2005-2006-2007
14 21 January 2008, Hansard, Column 1241
15 Combination of two answers: http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdfandWrittenAnswerfrom the Commission 21/02/2008, following
Written Question P-0389/08 by Dan Hanan
16 http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2008/08/chris-heaton-ha.html
3 Buying loyalty: Promoting European citizenship and
a common European culture to engender support for
theEU
Thirdly, and underpinning the initiatives detailed above, the EU
has a robustly funded policy of promoting a common European
citizenship and culture, particularly among young people. Specific
lines in the EU budget show that more than €34m was dedicated
to "Fostering European Citizenship"
in 2008 alone, and a further €62m
was spent on "Developing cultural
cooperation in Europe." 17
"For citizens to give
their full support to,
and participate fully
in, European
integration, greater
emphasis should be
placed on their
common cultural
values and roots"
"The Treaty
establishes citizenship
of the Union... It is an
important element in
strengthening and
safeguarding the
process of European
integration"
The very candidly stated aim of this is to generate support and
justification for European integration. As the 2006 decision on the
"Europe for Citizens" policy notes: "The Treaty establishes
citizenship of the Union... It is an important element in
strengthening and safeguarding the process of European
integration." 18
Likewise, the EU's €400 million Culture Programme states that: "For
citizens to give their full support to, and participate fully in, European integration, greater
emphasis should be placed on their common cultural values and roots as a key element of their
identity and their membership of a society founded on freedom, equity, democracy, respect for
human dignity and integrity, tolerance and solidarity." 19
The EU's efforts to promote EU citizenship include funding for everything from 'town twinning',
to 'active European remembrance' to "high visibility events such as commemorations, awards
and Europe-wide conferences etc." 20
The policy involves emphasising the EU's 'symbols', such as the flag, the
anthem, the motto and the euro, as well as lavish celebrations of
'Europe Day' and occasions such as the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of
Rome - which cost millions of euros.
All of this is seen as crucial to engendering a feeling of 'belonging' in EU
citizens, which in turn is designed to make them more supportive of the
EU. As the French Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said recently:
"Symbols are necessary for Europe... they are the way to reach full
European consciousness for the people. There is no identity without
symbols." 21
"Symbols are
necessary for
Europe... they are
the way to reach
full European
consciousness for
the people"
Some of the things the EU funds under the Culture and Citizenship banner sound innocuous
enough, but research into the objectives behind them shows that the main aim of the projects
is specifically to promote the EU.
17 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/P2009_V0L4/EN/nmc-titleN16E0D/index.html
18 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:378:0032:0040:EN:PDF
19 http://eur-fex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006D1855:EN:HTML
20 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/D2008_VOL4/EN/nmc-titleN16E0D/index.html
21 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
The EU-funded practice of town-twinning, for example, is seen by the Commission as an
opportunity to hold public meetings to "reinforce the participants' commitment to European
integration", by "sharing the experience of concrete benefits of European integration at the
local or individual level." 22
Promoting a common European culture involves yet more funding for outside organisations,
such as the European Union Choir, or the Union des theatres de I'Europe, for example, whose
"objective is to contribute to the construction of the European Union through culture and
theatre".
It also involves funding for the 'Capital of Culture' programme, celebrations and pro-EU events
marking the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and funding for European film producers
and networks. In 2008, it even involved sponsoring a "Marathon for a United Europe" for young
people. 23
4 Investing in the long-term: Targeting young people
Indeed young people are the prime target for many, if not even most, of the EU's campaign
for heart and minds. In a document called "Building our common future", which argued that
"The European Union must continue down the path of integration, and avoid the trap of
unwieldy inter-governmentalism," the Commission stated that "It is above all through the
involvement of young people that Europe will assure its future." 24
'It is above all
The plethora of initiatives aimed specifically at children and young
people are highly dubious, and provide some of the most blatant
examples of EU propaganda. through the
involvement of
The Commission believes that "Particular attention should be given young people that
to young people and the education sector as a channel for helping Europe will assure
people to learn about the European Union." 25 This wouldn't be a -^ f lJ + ljrp »
problem if the EU's 'information' did not read like one-sided
campaign material.
Cartoon and animated publications such as 'Captain euro', and booklets like "Let's explore
Europe" 26 give an over-simplified and one-sided account of the EU's actions in a given area, and
engender the view (in some cases more subtly than others) that the future can only be
safeguarded by a strong EU and by moving away from a focus on the nation state.
There is a specific and deliberate emphasis on education. The EU targets schoolchildren with
initiatives such as 'Spring Day in Europe', celebrations of 'Europe Day', funded visits to the EU
institutions, and posters advertising school milk subsidies.
There is the €885 million Youth in Action programme, for example, which "funds projects
which are designed to encourage a sense of active European citizenship in young people" 27 and
22 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action1/measure1 1_en.html
23 http://www.britishcouncil.org/greece-sport-marathon-for-a-united-europe.htm
24 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2004:0101:FIN:EN:DOC
25 http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
26 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/young/letsexplore2008/en.pdf
27 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc28_en.htm
initiatives such as "Schools celebrating Europe", described by the Commission as "an
opportunity to communicate about what the EU has achieved so far." 28
The EU also invests heavily in higher education courses that specialise in 'European integration'
studies through the Jean Monnet programme, as well as funding institutions that essentially
train students for jobs in the EU civil service, such as the College of Europe. There is even a
European Youth Parliament, described by its organisers as "bringing the European dream to
the hearts and minds of young Europeans." 29
5 EU propaganda: Why does it matter? What's the alternative?
The EU spends billions of euros every year promoting the EU and the concept of European
integration because its leaders recognise that creating support for the project is the only way to
ensure it can continue.
The series of recent 'no' votes to the EU Constitutional Treaty, and falling support for the EU
across Europe have shown that there is a significant and growing gap between the EU
institutions and its citizens.
But instead of confronting the EU's enormous and very real problems - such as the waste,
corruption, lack of accountability and transparency, over-regulation, and poorly designed trade,
aid, regional and environment policies - the EU chooses to throw huge amounts of money into
what are essentially propaganda exercises.
There is a clear consensus within the EU institutions that if only people knew more about the
"benefits" of the EU, then they would be more supportive of it. As the former President of the
European Parliament and MEP Nicole Fontaine said in the aftermath of the Irish 'no' to the Lisbon
Treaty, "We have a communications problem... We haven't explained enough the benefits of
European construction... We have been too modest." 30
It is true that people generally know very little about the EU, and the impact it has on citizens -
and this has got to change. After all, the EU is now said to be at the root of an estimated 50%
of our national legislation - at least - and affects almost every area of our daily lives. 31
In an ideal world we all need to know what the EU is doing, and how it works. But so far, the
European institutions have on the whole proved an unsuitable vehicle for providing that
information.
Over the years, the EU's 'Communication Policy' has become less and less about giving people the
facts, and more and more about selling the EU's policies and promoting the concept of EU
integration. Not only that, but the vast resources poured into the EU's culture and citizenship
activities are also used as a propaganda tool, as are some of the grants available to outside
organisations through other areas of the EU budget.
There are several, important reasons why all of this matters and should be of concern to the public.
28 http://www.europeanschoolnet.org/ww/en/pub/eun/portals/spring_day.htm
29 http://www.eypej.org/docs/2007_EYP_Annual_Report.pdf
30 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
31 Government Written Answer, January 2006 http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/notes/snia-02888.pdf Other estimates suggest the proportion is
higher, such as that of the German Ministry of Justice which suggested it was closer to 84%: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/analysis/herzog.pdf
Why does it matter?
A Much of it is subtle enough to pass under the public radar and not be
considered advertising
One of the most worrying things about EU propaganda is that so much of it has been dressed
up as something altogether more worthwhile - and therefore unidentifiable as advertising and
promotion.
While the EU's communications and information budget is relatively simple to isolate, because
most of it operates from DG Communications, the funds spent promoting the EU through culture
and citizenship initiatives are not only less easy to identify as bias, but they are also less easy to
quantify.
In this sense, the EU's huge yearly budget for promoting European citizenship and culture is arguably
the worst kind of propaganda. Some might call it 'soft' propaganda, since it operates on a
subconscious level. But this makes it all the more insidious as a taxpayer-funded public project.
B The Commission pretends to be listening, but is selective about who it listens to
Particularly since the series of 'no' votes to the EU Constitution, the Commission has talked
continuously about "giving the EU ears", listening to citizens and getting them involved in the
process - which is clearly to be welcomed.
And yet the few times when citizens in their millions have genuinely been involved in having a
say on the EU - the referendums in Ireland, Denmark, France and the Netherlands - EU leaders
have sensationally ignored the wish of citizens to reject further EU integration.
The problem with the types of "listening" initiatives that the Commission advocates is that these
are not realistically going to be taken up by most people - simply because they are not open to,
nor targeted at, the mass of citizens. Instead, they target a minority of interested specialists and
supporters - often the kinds of "civil society" organisations which, as well as receiving EU
funding, usually also have an agenda to promote it.
C Funding for outside organisations skews the debate
The EU's propaganda - and in particular the outsourced propaganda that results from the EU
funding outside think-tanks and NGOs which share its vision - matters because it artificially skews
the debate on the EU. Interest groups should be able and free to promote the EU if that is what
they believe in, but there is no justification for giving them taxpayers' money to do so.
This gives them an unfair advantage over those trying to put forward a different argument. It
is not in the public good for groups on one side of the argument only to be heavily supported
by public funds, because it ends up stifling debate, and prevents citizens from seeing both sides
of the argument fairly.
This is essentially a constraint on democracy - a huge and concerted campaign to stifle real
debate about the future of the EU. The Commission is only interested in debating one side of the
argument - it is willing to accept an 'exchange of views' only to the extent that this takes place
solely within the parameters of an acceptance that EU integration is to be broadly supported.
D The EU and its advocates deride opponents
It also matters because the EU and its strongest advocates are so vociferous in their attack on
critics of the EU. Instead of being viewed as a legitimate element of a democratic debate,
criticism of the EU is invariably derided as 'anti-European propaganda'. Meanwhile, the EU
enjoys a substantial yearly budget to promote itself in often subtle ways which go unnoticed as
propaganda, yet which cost taxpayers billions of euros a year.
E EU advertising falls short of UK Government standards
The EU and its strongest supporters show a fundamental failure to understand the difference
between providing information about the EU, and promoting its 'benefits'. They simply refuse
to separate the two concepts.
As EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom says: "The issue is not just one of
redressing ignorance and indifference per se: it is about serving the needs of healthy democratic
debate, and ensuring that people have the facts they require - and are entitled to... a sustained
effort must be made to explain the benefits that the European Union brings to each Member
State in a much more effective way" 32
While it is true that people do not know enough about the EU, it is
wrong to claim that telling people more about the benefits of the EU must be made to
is a sufficient solution to this knowledge gap. explain the benefits
that the European
The EU's biased information campaigns should be of grave concern Union brinqs to
to taxpayers in member states, particularly in the UK where there are par u Mpmhpr Statp
clear rules on government public information campaigns in orderto
ensure that taxpayers get value for money and that their money is
in a much more
not used for propaganda purposes. effective way"
In the UK, the Government is often criticised for spending taxpayers' money on what is billed as
'information', but which looks more like the government selling its political message. For example,
the Labour Government was strongly criticised for its 2001 election campaign, which was accused
of using taxpayers' money to explain how the party had brought certain people benefits while in
government. If the public find this unacceptable, then they should also be concerned about the
Commission's free reign to promote itself and its political message of 'ever closer union'.
F In times of economic down-turn the EU can ill-afford to be wasting money on
expensive advertising
The EU's total propaganda spend amounts to more than €2.4 billion a year - at the very least.
That is more than Coca Cola spends on advertising each year - worldwide. 33
This means that UK taxpayers are losing around €240 million a year to EU propaganda, given
that average UK contributions make up around 10% of the yearly EU budget. 34
32 Speech, 24 May 2005 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReieasesAction. do?reference=SPEECH/05/296Sformat=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
33 Coca Cola 2007 Annual Report http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2007/Coca-Cola_10-K_ltem_07.pdf
34 The EU's Financial Framework for 2007 to 2013 is €864.169bn: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0152:FIN:EN:PDFThe UK's
contribution over the seven-year period is €89.95bn (£71 bn. gross, after abatement): http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/budget07.pdf (Source: Written
Answer, 9 Jan 2006. Past figures from Pink Book 2005 table 9.9)
By comparison, in 2007/2008, the UK Government spent around £190 million on advertising in
press, TV, radio and digital media advertising, out of the Central Office of Information's £392
million budget. 35
Because of the nature of EU advertising, most people will be unaware that on top of this UK
Government advertising, there is a parallel level of propaganda simultaneously operating at the
European level, which they are also paying for through their taxes.
Even in the good times, all this is a waste of money. But at a time of recession, EU governments
can ill-afford to be wasting money on biased publications and campaigns and propping up
hundreds of think-tanks which exist to campaign for more EU integration.
G A distraction from the EU's real problems
Depending on how one views it, at best, all of this is an enormous waste of time and money -
an ineffective and vain attempt to engender support for something about which people on the
whole care very little. At worst, it is a deeply sinister EU propaganda campaign which will in the
long run eliminate naysayers, undermining democracy and stopping people from having a truly
independent view about the EU.
Somewhere in between, is probably where the main point lies. The wider problem is that this
'information' and 'citizenship' drive is a dangerous distraction. EU leaders misguidedly think that
all they need to do to solve Europe's problems is to "explain it better", to close the "perceived"
gap between citizens and the EU, rather than the real gap that is often caused not by public
"misperceptions" of the EU, but by a genuine realisation that it is fundamentally undemocratic
and unsuccessful in so many of its key policies.
Regardless of whether any of these efforts actually achieve their aim of convincing people that
the EU is successful and positive, spending time and money on spin leaves fewer resources
available for the reform of its policies and processes that the EU so badly needs.
H Storing up problems for the future
The other, illogical thing about the EU's propaganda drive is that it threatens to backfire in the
long term and alienate people all the more.
The falling popularity of the EU across Europe, not to mention the rejections of the
Constitutional Treaty in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, point to deep dissatisfaction with
the EU and the direction it is taking. Ignoring this sentiment in favour of a contention that
people simply do not know enough about the EU to be grateful for it, is a mistake, which will
serve to further discredit the EU in the long run.
What's the alternative?
Taxpayers' money should not continue to be spent on biased EU information campaigns and efforts
to engender EU culture and citizenship for the purpose of promoting European integration.
35 COI annual report http://www.coi.gov.uk/documents/coi-annualreport2007-8.pdf See also Telegraph, 10 November 2008
There is clearly a strong case to be made for improving citizens' knowledge of the EU, but this
can be done without resorting to propaganda. There are also several key ways in which the EU
could improve its image with the public, to an extent that expensive propaganda never can.
A Stop propaganda spending by cutting back the EU budget
Future EU budget agreements should concentrate on scaling back spending on these initiatives.
Because of its clear mandate to promote the EU, the European Commission's DG Communications
department should be scrapped, saving more than €200m a year. Other Commission departments
responsible for policy areas could continue to have modest budgets to publish literature and
information for journalists, while a budget should also be kept for broadcasting 'raw' events
such as meetings of the European Parliament, and press conferences etc for public channels. A
separate department dedicated purely to communications as currently exists, is superfluous.
Likewise, the EU's €1 .5 billion yearly budget for 'Education and Culture' 36 should be dramatically
scaled back, scrapping expensive campaigns to "foster European citizenship" and other initiatives
which exist for the purpose of promoting the EU.
The EU's various budgets for outside organisations must be reviewed and dramatically cut back.
All funding for think-tanks and groups which actively promote EU integration should be ceased.
If their views represent public opinion then they will find private funders who share their views
and are willing to make up lost Commission funds.
All the remaining EU-funded organisations should be listed online on a clear and easy to access
website, with details of the funds they receive and how the funds were spent. The granting of
taxpayers' money to outside organisations must be made more transparent.
B Improve citizens' interest and understanding of the EU by promoting
transparency and genuine debate
In terms of improving the flow and quality of information to citizens, this could be achieved by
on the one hand, improving EU transparency - allowing journalists, MPs and the general public
better access to documents and meetings during the legislative process - and on the other,
improving national parliamentary scrutiny of EU decision-making, which would also serve to
improve media coverage and therefore citizens' understanding of the issues.
There should also be a clear set of binding guidelines for EU literature and campaigns, upheld
by a small, independent body seeking to ensure that EU taxpayers' money is not used to 'sell' EU
policies or ideas, but to publish neutral information which genuinely seeks to keep citizens
informed of the facts.
Likewise, national governments must do more to ensure that teaching about the EU in schools
is more neutral and balanced. There is a clear argument to be made for improving children's
understanding of the EU, but this must not be allowed to become a one-sided propaganda
exercise that focuses only on the "benefits" of European integration, as it clearly has.
36 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/D2008_VOL4/EN/nmc-titleN16E0D/index.html
Finally, the EU must be more open to the idea of directly consulting national populations about
the issues that affect them. EU politicians talk endlessly about wanting to "listen to citizens", but
are increasingly hostile to the idea of giving people a say on EU issues through national
referendums. This is because they fear a growing tendency to reject further EU integration, as
seen in the recent French, Dutch and Irish 'no' votes.
But in fact, if EU leaders are serious about wanting to engage citizens more in the EU process and
improve their knowledge and understanding of the EU, as they claim they are, then they should
make far more use of referendums, not less. Research shows that voters' lack of information
about the EU is a result of too little, rather than too much democracy.
According to polls taken in countries that have held referendums on European integration, such
as Ireland, France and Denmark, respondents could answer twice as many questions correctly
about EU institutions as could respondents from Germany, Italy and Belgium - countries that
had not held referendums on the EU. In fact, a representative sample of Danish voters during the
1992 referendum campaign on the Maastricht Treaty showed they actually knew more about
the treaty than the average backbench MP. 37
There also needs to be more respect for the results that referendums deliver. The EU could
dramatically improve its reputation with the public by genuinely listening and respecting 'no'
votes as well as the 'yes' votes. It is simply hypocritical if, on the one hand, the Commission talks
continuously about wanting to listen to citizens, and on the other, EU leaders simultaneously
ignore votes they dislike in order to press ahead with their agenda for 'ever closer union', in
which they so passionately believe.
37 "Can we trust the people? Voter competence and European integration" by Professor Matt Qvortrup
http://www.iwantareferendum.com/publication/qvortrup.pdf
10
Introduction
"From my involvement in the campaign for European Monetary Union, I was struck by the huge
amounts that the Commission spent to promote monetary union. In this regard, it is no accident
that monetary union carried the day in the face of negative attitudes that were present from the
very start of the campaign... Hardliners argue that taxpayers' money should not be used to
finance propaganda, and that is certainly a position adopted by the eurosceptics. I do not believe
that the Commission should be too concerned about this. We need to invest if active citizenship
is to become a reality"
Fernand Herman, President of the Belgian branch of the EU-funded Union of European
Federalists 38
"Europe is suffering from a very serious problem with its citizens, and the problem is not ready
to disappear either. It is not as simple as what is commonly termed as the democratic deficit - 1
think it is nonsense to speak about a democratic deficit because we do have our institutions in
place - but it is, I fear, a basic problem which is a reality of our life today. Most of our fellow
citizens in Europe do not feel they belong to Europe in the same way that they feel they belong
to their towns, regions or countries. They do not feel they are European citizens. The problem
is not rooted in Europe's institutions or procedures. The only way we can resolve the question is
to change people's mindset"
Pascal Lamy, former EU Commissioner and President of EU-funded think-tank Notre Europe 39
"We have a communications problem... We haven't explained enough the benefits of European
construction... We have been too modest"
MEP and former European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine 40
The EU has been promoting itself and its central objective for "ever closer union" for many years.
Some of its bigger campaigns have been the promotion of the euro, and the promotion of EU
enlargement to Eastern and Central Europe. Less high-profile 'information' campaigns, targeting
the general public and especially young people, have also been going for a long time.
However, the 2005 French and the Dutch 'no' votes to the EU Constitution proved a catalyst for
a new era of propaganda which saw the launch of several huge new campaigns - from 'Europe
for Citizens' and 'Youth in Action' to 'Speak up Europe!' and 'Communicating Europe in
Partnership'.
When voters rejected the Constitution, the European Commission began to look in on itself and
to question where it had gone wrong. But instead of realising that citizens had rejected the idea
of more EU integration because they were unhappy with the way the EU operates - its lack of
transparency, problems with fraud and corruption, its bloated and unaccountable institutions,
its failing trade and agriculture policies, and its tendency to over-regulate - Europe's politicians
decided that the problem was simply that citizens didn't know enough about the EU and didn't
feel 'European' enough.
38 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
39 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
40 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
11
They decided the EU hadn't been sufficiently vocal about its achievements and kick-started a
huge and multi-faceted campaign to "inform" people about the EU and its policies, to "involve"
them in the process, and to "foster active European citizenship", activities which would
eventually win people around to the idea of EU integration.
They began to describe the problem as "the communication gap" between the EU and its citizens. 41
As the former President of the European Parliament, MEP Nicole Fontaine said in the aftermath of
the Irish 'no' vote to the Lisbon Treaty, "We have a communications problem... We haven't explained
enough the benefits of European construction... We have been too modest." 42
At no point did any of the EU's leading politicians stop and consider the possibility that the
rejection of the EU Constitution was a call for real change, or an objection to the gathering pace
of integration of the previous ten or twenty years. In fact, some of them actually said that the
votes were a call for more Europe, not less. Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, for example,
said: "I believe that the citizens' doubts and uncertainty, as for example reflected in the two
referendums, actually constitute a plea for more Europe, a strong Europe, and not for less
Europe." 43
Several initiatives were launched, many of which were continuations of previous programmes
feeding into the overall aims of the EU's 2002 'Communication policy'.
Ahead of a review of this policy in 2005, the UK House of Commons EU Scrutiny Committee
revealed that it had existing reservations about the EU's 'communication' policy and sought
assurances from the Government, warning that "information and communication activities must
not degenerate into propaganda for particular institutions or the
"We have a EU Sonera I ly. What is needed, as we said in our Report of 23 June
rommuniratiorK 2004, is a strategy which identifies and then concentrates on those
EU issues that really are uppermost in citizens' minds." 44
problem... We haven t
explained enough the But instead the propaganda machine went up a gear. The
benefits of European Commission embarked on a comprehensive policy of 'explaining
construction... the benefits' of the EU to citizens, while at the same time stepping
We have been too U P ' ts campaigns to promote EU citizenship and a common EU
j . „ culture - which it believed would play a crucial role in securing
future support for the project.
This pamphlet will look at the dozens of different ways in which the EU uses taxpayers' money
to promote European integration. The EU has many campaigns running at the same time which
all aim to promote the EU - either directly and sometimes quite candidly through biased
publications and funding for pro-EU think tanks; or less directly and sometimes more subtly
through efforts to create a common European culture and citizenship, as well as initiatives in
schools and universities.
41 http://eur-]ex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0035:FIN:EN:PDF
42 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
43 Speech at the London School of Economics, 2 1 March 2006
44 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmselect/cmeuleg/42-xxxiv/4213.htm
12
Some are short-term efforts, usually lasting for one budget period of 7 years, while many are
lengthy programmes which have been running for years -such as the town twinning scheme, or
the Jean Monnet programme for sponsoring university studies in EU integration.
The EU's propaganda effort can be broken down into four main activity areas, which all overlap:
1) "Communicating Europe": The EU's biased information campaign
2) Funding the cheerleaders: Paying NGOs, think-tanks and lobby groups to promote the EU
3) Buying loyalty: Promoting European citizenship and a common European culture to
engender support for the EU
4) Investing in the long-term: Targeting young people
A final section will explain why all this actually matters, and propose some ideas for reform,
while a breakdown of the main propaganda budget lines can be found in the annex.
13
1
'Communicating Europe': the EU's biased
information campaign
"Neutral factual information is needed of course, but it is not enough on its own... Genuine
communication by the European Union cannot be reduced to the mere provision of information"
Commission Communication on an Information and Communication Strategy for the European
Union 45
"The European Union has grown up as a political project but has not found a place in people's
hearts and minds. The White Paper is the Commission's proposal to respond to this challenge
and to lay the foundation of a European Union Communication Policy"
Margot Wallstrom, EU Communications Commissioner 46
"Following the rejection of the Nice Treaty in 200 1, Ireland knows only too well the importance
of communicating Europe. After the French and Dutch rejections of the Constitution, all of
Europe knows it now. This campaign will help not only inform people of the different
information sources available but will also show the benefits of EU membership"
Charlie McCreevy, EU Internal Market Commissioner 47
"A sustained effort must be made to explain the benefits that the European Union brings to
each Member States in a much more effective way. It is not merely a communication issue, it is
a raison d'etre of the European project. Effective communication by the EU should therefore be
seen primarily as a public-service duty"
Margot Wallstrom, EU Communications Commissioner 48
For 2008 alone, the EU had a €206.6 million budget set aside purely for "Communication", run
by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Communication, which employs around
a thousand people. 49 This is three times the budget dedicated to tackling fraud, and two and a
half times the size of the Commission's budget for negotiating international trade on behalf of
27 member states. 50
The overall objective of the department is "to inform the media and the public about European
Union activities and policies, to inform the Commission, the media and the public about trends
in public opinion in the Member States." As we will see, this information is far from neutral.
In addition to this, all of the other Commission departments (or DGs) also have communication
units, plus budgets for 'information activities', 'communications', 'publications', or 'promotional
material' relating specifically to their subject area. Much of this can fairly be described as
propaganda, since it offers only limited and biased information and seeks to promote the EU and
its activities. Some of the budget lines are fairly explicit in this objective.
45 2 October 2002 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
46 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0035:FIN:EN:PDF
47 Mr. McCreevy made this statement during the launch of a 'Europe Direct' campaign in his home country, Ireland:
http://www.bcc.ie/decisions_details/Mar%202007/285.06%20286.06%20287.06%20Ms.%20P%20Mckenna%20Summary%20Complaint.doc
48 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/296&format=HTML8!aged=08!language=EN&guiLanguage=en
49 Statistical Bulletin of the Personnel of the Commission, July 2008
50 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/AP2009_VOL4/EN/index.html
14
For example, the Commission budget title "Economic and Financial Affairs" contains a €7. 7m
budget line "intended to cover the funding of priority information measures on Community
policies on all aspects of the rules and functioning of EMU, of the benefits of closer policy
coordination and structural reforms and to address information needs of citizens, local
authorities and enterprises in relation to the euro." 51
In addition to the Commission's promotional spending, the other EU institutions also have
substantial budgets for 'information', such as the Committee of the Regions, for example, which
spends around €1 .6m a year on publications and "dissemination of information".
However it is impossible to put a figure on how much is spent on information, either for the
Commission or other institutions, since the budgets for information are usually merged in with
other activities in the overall budget.
The EU is fairly open about its objective to use the communication budget to promote the EU.
As well as clues in the breakdown of the EU budget, there is also a wealth of evidence in the
Commission's policy papers that the objective of the EU is not merely to provide information to
citizens and the media about the EU, but to influence their perception of the EU by giving all
information efforts a slant.
The UK Government's influence in this is minimal. As the Europe Minister once admitted: "The
FCO has not given any detailed input into information or publicity materials produced by the EU
Institutions." 52
1 The EU's Communication Policy - a mandate for bias
After the Irish 'no' to Nice: "Fighting ignorance and apathy" with non-neutral
information
The Commission first mooted the idea of a comprehensive 'Communication policy' in 2001,
following the rejection of the Nice Treaty in Ireland. A Commission paper on "A new framework
for co-operation on activities concerning the information and communication policy of the
European Union" read:
"The result of the recent Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty makes it more necessary than
ever to bring together all participants in the effort to provide information about the
European Union." 53
A subsequent paper in October 2002 established "an information and communication strategy
for the European Union." This talked explicitly of the need for a communication campaign based
on non-neutral information which would win the public over to the EU. 54 It said:
"The time is now right for a coherent and comprehensive information and communication policy
for the European Union which will improve public perceptions of the Union and of its role... if
the institutions were to be brought closer to the public, there would have to be concerted action
by the institutions and the Member States to win it over to the Union's main objectives."
51 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/P2009_VOL4/EN/nmc-titleN 10A78/nmc-chapterN10C48/index.html#N10C48
52 PQ 133092, Hansard 23 April 2007, col 912W
53 June 2001 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2001/com2001_0354en01.pdf
54 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
15
It talked about "the ignorance, particularly among young people, not only of what the Union
has achieved but also of how it operates and what its real powers are." It continued:
"The public is aware that it is poorly informed on Europe. It is
only too ready to blame not only the media and national "The main point is
authorities, but also the European institutions, for the perceived to improve popular
ignorance or prejudice. Fighting ignorance and apathy is now a perceptions of the
must for the European Union... The ignorance or lack of M n j on or j n short to
understanding typical of the public's relationship with the , .,' ,'
.... x . ./,, Ix . , i i x xu boost the qeneral
European Union is not inevitable. It is due largely to the
complexity of the European process but also to the absence of an awareness Ot the
EU information and communication policy on the part of both European dimension
the European institutions and the Member States." of citizenship"
"A genuine information and communication policy was the main prerequisite for the
development of better governance in Europe... a sharing of responsibility between the Union
and the Member States must prompt each partner to develop a more coherent and more
confident information and communication policy which will allow Europe and the individual
Member States to rediscover a sense of oneness and of belonging to the same community."
"Neutral factual information is needed of course, but it is not enough on its own... Genuine
communication by the European Union cannot be reduced to the mere provision of
information."
"The main point is to improve popular perceptions of the Union or, in short, to boost the
general awareness of the European dimension of citizenship."
"The European Union must develop a genuine teaching function in relation to its role and
tasks... the European Union must take a more didactic stance on its policies in order to meet
the needs inherent in better governance."
The paper advocated "general information aiming to boost awareness of the Union's existence
and legitimacy, polishing its image and highlighting its role", and said: "To improve its
communication capacity on this basis, the European Union must begin by gradually developing
the means of controlling its image."
An objective was identified "To improve perceptions of the European Union, its institutions and
their legitimacy by enhancing familiarity with and comprehension of its tasks, structure and
achievements and establishing dialogue with the general public."
€5.9 million was devoted to the objectives outlined in the paper over a 4-year period.
After the French and Dutch 'no' votes: highlighting the "tangible benefits" of the
EU in order "to earn people's interest and trust"
However, this policy of targeting people's perceived "ignorance" of the EU with the use of
targeted information and the EU playing a "didactic" role of educator did little to close the very
real gap between the people and the EU project. To many people's surprise, the EU Constitution
was subsequently rejected in 2005 in referendums in France and the Netherlands - two of the
EU's founding and traditionally very pro-EU members. Once again, the reaction to the vote was
16
that better "communication" - in other words more promotion of the EU - rather than better
policies and processes, was the answer.
Immediately after the 'no' votes the Commission came up with an "Action Plan to improve
communicating Europe by the Commission" in July 2005. Its main objective was "to ensure more
effective communication about Europe supported within the Commission by a modern and more
professional approach across all departments."
It was clear that the idea was to spend even more money to actively promote the EU. It said, "By
working and planning together, the various Commission departments will improve the
communication and image of this institution and of the European Union as a whole." 55
It stated explicitly that information on the EU must be weighed in its favour: "Communication
is more than information... It is not a neutral exercise devoid of value, it is an essential part of
the political process."
It identified a number of problems with past communication and
information campaigns, criticising the fact that "current campaigns
focus on the political elite and media and fail to portray the benefits
and consequences for day-to-day life in a direct and understandable
manner" - clearly an intention to do just that from now on.
It outlined a number of ideas "to earn people's interest and trust", and
said that "EU policies and activities, as well as their impact on everyday
lives, have to be communicated and advocated".
"Communication
is more than
information... It is
not a neutral
exercise devoid of
value, it is an
essential part of
the political
process"
One of its objectives was identified as "Describing the tangible benefits
of EU policies through short, simple introductions to key Commission
proposals, in a layman's summary", and "Becoming more professional in communication through
specific training and recruitment of communication specialists."
Ironically - given the failure of EU leaders to properly heed the French and Dutch 'no' votes -
under the section on "listening", the paper noted that "Europe's citizens want to make their
voices in Europe heard and their democratic participation should have a direct bearing on EU
policy formulation and output". As became clear in the subsequent
years, EU leaders had no intention of giving any real meaning to
this statement, proceed as they did with the rejected Constitution
by renaming it the Lisbon Treaty, and attempting to circumvent the
subsequent Irish 'no' vote.
"the appointment of
a Vice-President
responsible for
Institutional Affairs
and Communications
Strategy has
emphasised the
European
Commission's desire
to achieve results in
this sphere"
The new life that was to be breathed into the EU's communication
effort around this time was symbolised by the appointment of a
Vice-President of the Commission responsible for Institutional
Affairs and Communications Strategy - a post taken by Margot
Wallstrom. As the paper noted, "the appointment of a Vice-
President responsible for Institutional Affairs and Communications
Strategy has emphasised the European Commission's desire to
achieve results in this sphere."
55 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
17
Rather than just providing information, the idea was clearly to manipulate the type of
information the Commission planned to 'communicate': "The intention is to focus resources on
communicating better on fewer subjects and approaching as many EU citizens as possible."
Indeed the whole paper reads like a political campaign strategy. One stated objective is "Presenting
a single face - Presentation and visual communication in all policy areas will evolve towards a unified
Commission presentation to enhance recognition and avoid confusion in all material addressing and
visible to the general public. Slogans and symbols should be simple and repetitive."
The paper states that Commission officials are its "ambassadors", and that the Spokesperson's
Service under the political authority of the President of the Commission should engage in a
"more systematic rebuttal of false claims" about the EU in the media.
It said: "A particular emphasis should be put on cooperating with well-known personalities
("ambassadors"), from the cultural, business, sport or any other areas of interest to target audiences."
It stated that 'communication' had to underpin everything the Commission does: "When
proposing the 2007 budget the European Commission will take account of the fact that
communication is an inbuilt cost in all activities. It is not enough simply to adopt a law: it needs
to be communicated in the language the citizens understand."
Controversially, the paper also mooted the idea of Commission officials doing internships "in
businesses or civil society organisations in Member States in order to enhance understanding in
their areas in preparing and communicating policies."
Other specific proposals for achieving the objectives of the White Paper will be looked at in
subsequent sections of this paper, such as those on influencing the media.
€231 .9 million was dedicated to carrying out the tasks identified
in the Action Plan for the period 2006 to 2013. 56 "Slogans and symbols
should be simple and
/plan D ' repetitive"
Following the Action Plan, the Commission launched its campaign 'Plan D for Democracy,
Dialogue and Debate' in October 2005, for which it allocated around €15 million in 2005/2006
alone. 57
Perceiving a gap between the EU and its citizens, the plan was "intended to involve citizens in
a wide-ranging discussion on the European Union - what it is for, where it is going and what it
should be doing." The aim was "listening better", "explaining better" and "going local" to
engage European citizens. It included ideas such as regular visits by Commissioners to member
states and a 'European Citizens' Project'.
It was described as "a listening exercise so that the European Union can act on the concerns expressed
by its citizens", but it was also clearly stated that "The objective of the Commission is to stimulate this
debate and seek recognition for the added value that the European Union can provide." 58
56 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
57 €9 million was initially allocated in 2005, and in 2006 the Commission supported a Parliament proposal to make an extra €6 million available
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/communication_planD_en.pdf
58 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/proposals-plan-d_en.pdf
18
Indeed the idea was less about listening to what citizens really wanted, than persuading them
about the benefits of the EU. Three themes were recommended, including:
"Feeling towards Europe and the Union's tasks: Building on "The objective of
previous achievements and the concrete benefits brought to them ^ Q Commission is
in their daily lives by the Union (e.g. food safety, Erasmus, single . . ...
currency, consumer protection, internal market), the debate could
consider what people think should be done at local level and what debate and seek
they see as the future role forthe Union, including developing an recognition for the
area of justice, freedom and security or dealing with climate added value that
change and natural disasters." 59 the European
Union can provide"
It said: "The initiative of the Commission seeks to inspire EU citizens to
become politically active in the debate on the future of Europe; to
publicize the added value that the European Union brings; and to encourage government, political
parties and opinion formers to place the issue of Europe at the forefront of public consciousness." 60
Much of the initiative was about organising "debates" on Europe in the different member states
- however, as of May 2008 there was still no information on the website about which
organisations actually benefited from the money.
Part of the exercise involved EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom launching a
blog and occasional webchats to "listen" to citizens. A recent webchat which the Telegraph
commented on allowed 15 guests to join in. Three of them worked for cafebabel.com, a
Commission funded think-tank; one of them worked for Margot Wallstrom herself; one of them
worked for the Commission-funded European Movement; one was the Vice-President of the Young
European Federalists (also funded by the EU); one described himself as "Long-time federalist and
ex-coordinator of the YES Campaign"; another worked for EU's Publications Office in Luxembourg;
and four were activists from the heavily Commission-funded NGO ActionAid, who said: "From the
perspective of the Southern hemisphere, there is a regret that there is not a stronger Europe to
counter-balance US hegemony."
Finally, there was Reijo Kempinnen, head of the European Commission's delegation to the United
Kingdom. Mrs Wallstrom asked him: "Reijo tell us the true attitude of the people in UK towards
the EU", to which he replied: "Margot, honestly, I believe most Brits are just closet europhiles
who do not simply know that it's alright to come out." 61
All of this was designed to be the Commission's contribution to the 'period of reflection' called
for by member states following the no votes. But rather than actually listening, the idea was to
convince people of the benefits of the EU so that they would accept further EU integration. Part
of the strategy involved repackaging the EU Constitution to look more like just another Treaty
and bringing it back two years later for parliamentary ratification.
Specifically, Plan D involved six projects co-funded by the Commission. These were:
"Tomorrow's Europe". Billed as "the first Europe-wide Deliberative Poll", this was a three-day
meeting of 362 citizens from all 27 EU countries who discussed the future of the EU. It was run
59 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/communication_planD_en.pdf
60 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc7smartapilcelexplus! prod !DocNumber&type_doc=COMfmal&an_doc=2005&nu_doc=494&lg=en
61 20 April 2008 http://www.telegraph.co.Uk/news/migrationtemp/1 508259/Plan-D-For-Democracy.html#continue
19
by Notre Europe - a strongly pro-integration organisation whose slogan is "Thinking a United
Europe". 62 It was paid more than €849,000 for this project in 2006 alone. 63
"European Citizens Consultations" is described as "the first-ever pan-European debate involving
citizens from all 27 Member States to debate the future of the European Union across the
boundaries of geography and language." It was run by the King Baudouin Foundation in
Belgium, 64 which was allocated more than €1 .89 million in 2006 alone. 65
"Speak up Europe!" is a campaign that was "conceived by the European Movement
International and its partners." 66 It apparently "seeks to collect opinions and concern of the
European citizens on a range of topics", but in practice one of its main components is an
animated website called "What has Europe ever done for us?", which lists the EU's
achievements (see below for more details). The European Movement was paid more than
€71 9,000 for this project in 2006 alone. 67
Running until the end of 2007, the campaign involved 300 events across the EU, with online
forums and multimedia content, plus on-line polls, questionnaires, pre and post-debate voting
and on-line chat rooms. However, questions have to be asked about the balance of the exercise
when the final "evaluation meeting" of the project was held by the Young European
Federalists. 68
The final report of the exercise claimed that "More citizens thought the EU was more efficient
than their national governments. A vast majority thought that the EU should acquire new
competences or areas of policy." 69 In fact, independent opinion polls suggest the opposite is true
- a poll of French and Dutch voters in May 2006, for instance, found that,
"Thinkinq a given a choice, a majority of people in both countries would prefer the
United EuroDe" EU t0 ' iave ' ess P owers tnan ' li currently does, and only 18% in France
| and 1 5% in the Netherlands wanted to give the EU more powers. 70
"Our message to Europe", run by the German organisation Deutsche Gesellschaft, was a similar
initiative involving events, opinion polls and films. 71 Deutsche Gesellschaft was paid €250,000 for
the project in 2006 alone. 72
The "Our Europe" project, run by the European House (Europa Haz) in Hungary, is described as
follows:
"The project pays special attention to inform general public on the impact of various EU policies
on citizens' everyday life and at the same time provokes discussions through which citizens can
voice their concerns, opinions and proposals on European issues, thereby narrowing the gap,
building bridges between citizens and Europe. The various project elements respect the national
62 http://www.notre-europe.eu/en/
63 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_comma2.pdf
64 http://www.european-citizens-consultations.eu/2.0.html
65 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_comma2.pdf
66 http://www.speakupeurope.eu/fileadmin/files_speakupeurope/pdf/speakup_campaignbriefing.pdf
67 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_comma2.pdf . See Part Two for details about the European Movement.
68 http://www.speakupeurope.eu/5240.html?&tx_ttnewsItt_news]=1394Sitx_ttnews[backPid]=5149ScHash=4a7cff4b8a
69 http://www.speakupeurope.eu/fileadmin/files_speakupeurope/pdf/finalreport.pdf
70 Polls by BVA and Maurice de Hond: http://www.openeurope.org. uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=18
71 http://www.deutsche-gesellschaft-ev.de/our-message-to-europe/
72 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_comma2.pdf
20
characteristics but at the same time go beyond a national vision and underline the importance
of the European added value of the common 'European project'". 73
Europa Haz was paid more than €254,000 for the project in 2006 alone. 74
The "Radio Web Europe" project, run by Italian organisation Cenasca Cisl, has a multimedia
website featuring short films such as "United we are strong", interviews with MEPs and "young
Europeans" ("Never too young to be European!"). 75 Cenasca was paid more than €556,000 for
the project in 2006 alone. 76
According to the Commission, "overall approximately 40,000 people took part in the six
transnational Plan D projects in person and hundreds of thousands are estimated to have
participated virtually via the Internet. The civil society organisations managing the projects
served as multipliers and disseminated the views expressed by citizens through their political
and media networks, at different stages of the projects." 77
But what real difference did it make to the EU's outlook? The EU establishment continued to
ignore the views of millions of people who had voted no to further EU
integration. Millions of euros were spent "listening", but there has been no "United we
discernable change in the way the EU operates. Clearly the crux of the EU's
communication policy and Plan D was trying to persuade them to like the
EU, rather than genuinely listening to citizens.
The Commission concluded that "The Plan D civil society projects showed that participatory
democracy can usefully supplement representative democracy." 78
'Replace' may be a more accurate word than 'supplement', given the clear and deliberate desire
to move away from referendums we have seen since the series of 'no votes in France, the
Netherlands and Ireland. As Irish Europe Minister Dick Roche said in the aftermath of the Irish
'no' vote to the Lisbon Treaty "the first thing to learn about referendums - is to avoid them." 79
Post Plan-D: developing a "European public sphere" to ensure "support for the
European project"
Mid-way through the Plan D campaign, the Commission produced another White Paper on EU
Communications Policy in 2006. 80
Acknowledging that much of the Commission's efforts on 'communications' had hitherto
"remained too much of a 'Brussels affair'", it proposed "a fundamentally new approach",
including "genuine dialogue between the people and the policymakers and lively political
discussion among citizens themselves", with people having "fair and full information about the
European Union" and confidence that their views and concerns "are heard by the EU
institutions." It said that "Communication should become an EU policy in its own right."
//www.ourdebate.eu/index.php?oldal=hirekSid_hirek=38
//ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_comma2.pdf
//www.radiowebeurope.eu/uk/home/
//ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_comma2.pdf
//ec. europa. eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_1 58-4_en.pdf
//ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_1 58-4_en.pdf
Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/madrid/pdf/white_paper.pdf
21
http
http
http
http
http
http
Free and fair information sounds like a great idea, but unfortunately, the White Paper went
on to explain that the underlying objective of all this was not in fact to give people more
information for the sake of it, but to ensure "support for the European project." It said: "The
European Parliament, Member States and the representation of European citizens have a
special role to play, as peoples' support for the European project is a matter of common
interest."
The paper identified "a sense of alienation from 'Brussels'", and said that "One reason for
this is the inadequate development of a 'European public sphere' where the European
debate can unfold." There was no mention of the need for more accountable and democratic
institutions and policy-making procedures through reform, just
meaningless proposals for a "web-based citizens' forum",
"Communication "improving civic education", and "new meeting places for
should become an Europeans."
EU policy in its own
. , „ One welcome proposal, however, was: "The three main
institutions could also consider organising joint open debates to
complement Parliamentary debates, taking questions from the
public or from journalists", but this idea has so far not seen the light of day.
€1 .28 million was earmarked for the implementation of the ideas set out in the White Paper, for
2006 alone.
This was followed up by yet another paper in October 2007 called "Communicating Europe in
Partnership", which discussed possible improvements to this plan, including a proposal for "an
Inter-Institutional Agreement on Communicating Europe in Partnership." 81 Its premise was that
"the EU value added is significant but not easy to communicate." 82
Again it spoke of the need for "full and comprehensive information on the European Union" and
involving citizens "in a permanent dialogue". Both are laudable aims, but neither have been
achieved.
The cost for the programme for 2008 would be around €88 million, "the EU value
drawn from existing budgets. aHHpH k
The paper noted that "information on the EU seems disorganised. Significant but
dispersed and difficult to understand", which is a valid observation, but n °t easy to
went on to state: "EU issues are mainly seen through national lenses communicate"
and rarely presented in a trans-national context, despite the fact that
many practical challenges faced by citizens can only be solved at European level."
The focus of the new strategy was the "development of a European public sphere" through
"promoting active European citizenship", which, it was hoped, would help to win people round
to the EU.
Some of the specifics of the Paper, such as a proposal for the Commission to provide "audiovisual
information, education," and, curiously, "entertainment on European affairs," will be discussed
81 In the end the proposal for an Inter-Institutional Agreement was dropped, following objections from the UK and other member states, plus the Council's Legal
Service, that there was no legal base for it. (Scrutiny docs "Communicating Europe"
82 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2007/com2007_0568en01.pdf
22
in the relevant sections below.
The Paper also revealed that the Commission was planning to promote the Lisbon Treaty - it
said it would "launch a follow-up communication to Plan D, as well as a new set of Plan D civil
society projects, with the overall objective of supporting the ratification process for the Reform
Treaty and increasing participation in the 2009 European Parliament elections."
It rightly said: "There is a desire for a more open debate, where citizens express their opinions
in order to influence the decision-making at EU level." One wonders why, then, EU leaders spent
2007 trying to avoid further referendums on the EU Treaty. 83
'Debate Europe'
'Plan D' officially ended in June 2007 when the European Council agreed on a mandate for a new
intergovernmental conference, which led to the Lisbon Treaty. It then moved into a second phase
- called "Debate Europe", for which the EU budgeted €2 million for 2008. 84 The total budget is
€7.2 million 85 , but as pointed out by the Government when it looked at the proposal, it is not
clear whether this is in addition to or part of the wider €88 million budget for 'Communicating
Europe in Partnership." 86
The Commission's proposal for Debate Europe stated: "Plan D focused on the "debate and
dialogue" part of the process. The follow up to Plan D will take this process one step further and
focus on 'D for democracy'." 87
The idea was to take the process of 'citizen dialogue' a step further, focussing on enabling
citizens to articulate their wishes directly to decision-makers and making better use of the media
- particularly the internet - in the process. There is also much emphasis on the involvement of
the other institutions, including programmes such as officials and MEPs visiting their old schools
and universities.
The idea "is to strengthen plan D in preparation for the European elections in June 2009. " 88 It
mainly consists of an online discussion with European Commissioners through which people can
deliver their views on the future of Europe. 89 It also includes "pan-European public consultations;
online networks bridging the divide between European and national politics; exhibitions,
debates and seminars hosted by the EU in capital cities, and promotion among internet users of
the online forum Debate Europe."
NGOs and think-tanks like those involved in Plan D are to be funded to run similar projects, and
at the time of writing a call for proposals was underway. (Judging by the recipients of funds
from previous campaigns, it is likely that the usual pro-integration groups will be selected to
run the campaigns - see below for more).
When the Commons EU Scrutiny Committee debated the proposal for Debate Europe in June
2008 it held it under scrutiny pending further information. It suggested the Commission had not
83 For more on this, see "E-who? Politics behind closed doors", by Bruno Waterfield http://www.manifestoclub.com/files/EU%20Essays.pdf
84 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/prog2008_en.pdf
85 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_158-4_en.pdf
86 http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmeuleg/16-xxiv/16xxiv06.htm
87 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_158-4_en.pdf
88 http://ec.europa.eu/news/eu_explained/080402_1_en.htm
89 http://europa.eu/debateeurope/index_en.htm
23
displayed a clear enough intention to consult groups which may not agree with it on Europe's
future - both in the Debate Europe plans and the previous 'Communicating Europe in
Partnership' policy. The Clerk of the Committee wrote:
"In considering the Commission's related Communication on 'Communicating Europe in
Partnership', the Committee has been concerned that the playing field be level, so that
funding is available to enable the discussion of competing 'visions' of how the EU should
develop, and not just those endorsed by the Commission. This applies equally to the 'Debate
Europe' project. I suggest that the Committee asks the Minister how this is to be
guaranteed". 90
The Commission responded by saying: "In no way is it [Debate Europe] designed to promote the
Commission's 'vision' of the EU. Abiding to the Commission 'vision' of the EU is neither a selection
nor an award criterion." 91
However, a closer look at the proposed activities under the programme reveal that Debate
Europe aims "to reinforce the Commission's efforts to explain the added value of EU policies to
citizens". 92 It even concludes that "Public support for the EU can only be built through lively and
open debate and by getting citizens actively involved in European affairs." 93
The paper also identifies a need to promote active European citizenship in order to "empower
citizens", which will also be discussed in Part Three. It says: "This is one of the central objectives
of the Commission's communication policy: to empower citizens, by promoting active European
citizenship."
The Government has also expressed reservations about the "Public support for
Commission's approach to engendering support for the EU - the ^U can only be
suggesting that the Commission has not been focussed enough on bu'\\t throuah livplv
the importance of making sure the EU actually adds value for citizens. , .
and open debate
It told the Committee that while it supported the Commission's anc ' "Y 9 e ttmg
proposals in the White Paper: citizens actively
involved in
"We believe that the key issue of public support for the EU is not European affairs"
solely dependent on dialogue, debate and improved coordination
on EU Communications. We believe an important factor is to
ensure that the EU is focussed on delivery and adding value for citizens. This helps the UK and
other Member States to underline the value of EU Membership in areas of interest to the
public." 94
After the Irish 'no' to Lisbon - more of the same
Despite all these stated efforts to improve the EU's ability to "listen" to citizens, and all of the
millions of euros spent creating projects to show they were listening, the EU once again
spectacularly failed to live up to its word when it refused to accept the result of the Irish
referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in June 2008.
90 10 June 2008
91 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmeuleg/16-xxxi/16xxxi04.htm
92 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_158-4_en.pdf
93 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_158-4_en.pdf
94 http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmeuleg/16-xxiv/16xxiv06.htm
24
More than 53% of people in Ireland -the only country allowed a referendum on the text -voted
against the Treaty, and the only independent pan-European poll of voters in all 27 member states
suggested that 16 other countries would also have voted no if they had been given a chance in
a referendum. 95
But instead of accepting the vote and abandoning the Treaty, as they should have following the
French and Dutch no votes in 2005, EU leaders immediately met in Brussels to try and find a
"solution" to the "problem" of the Irish 'no' vote. Comments from nearly all EU leaders, plus the
Commission, revealed that none of them had the slightest regard for the democratic process
which had returned an answer they did not want to hear. 96
"Onp nf Furnnp'*; To ia ^ e J ust one exam P' e °f man y. the leader of the SPD party in
the German Bundestag said: "We think it is a real cheek that the
main problems is that country that has benefited most from the EU should do this. There
we have not j s n0 other Europe than this treaty. With all respect for the Irish
transformed our vote, we cannot allow the huge majority of Europe to be duped by
common values into a minority of a minority of a minority" 97 Commission President Jose
a sort of citizenship Barroso said: "The Treaty is not dead. The Treaty is alive, and we
F will try to work to find a solution." 98
consciousness Indeed, immediately after the 'no' vote the message from the
Commission and its supporters was just more of the same: that the
vote was the result of a communication problem - rather than a fault with the EU itself - its policies,
its processes and its lack of accountability. The Commission showed a total unwillingness or inability
to recognise that 'communication' is not a sufficient solution to growing dissatisfaction with the
EU, and may indeed even be part of the problem.
Nowhere was this more in evidence than at a European Commission conference on the '35th
anniversary of the Eurobarometer', (the EU's in-house polling arm) in November 2008. Former
President of the European Parliament and MEP Nicole Fontaine summed up the overriding view
of the participants when she said: "We have a communications problem... We haven't explained
enough the benefits of European construction... We have been too modest." French Europe
Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said, "One of Europe's main problems is that we have not
transformed our common values into a sort of citizenship, a European consciousness." 99
Reporting on an event in the European Parliament, EU-funded news service Euractiv said: "In the
aftermath of the Irish 'no' to the Lisbon Treaty, European institutions are yet again confronted
with their failure to communicate the benefits of Europe with citizens. Commission Vice-
President Margot Wallstrom and Parliament Vice President Alejo Vidal-Quadras told EurActiv on
two separate occasions." 100
Indeed the response of Margot Wallstrom, EU Communications Commissioner, to the Irish 'no'
vote was: "We can't get a quick fix. We have to invest in the long term. We need to consider new
methods, like citizen consultations, and the creation of media networks." 101
95 TNS poll for Open Europe, March 2007: http://www.openeurope.org. uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=31
96 For a comprehensive list of examples, see "EU Phrasebook: 2 7 Ways to say, No Doesn't Really Mean No", by Josie Appleton, Manifesto Club
97 Irish Times, 14 June 2008
98 Press conference, 1 4 June 2008
99 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
100 http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/top-eu-officials-ask-capitals-boost-communication/article-173848
101 http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/top-eu-officials-ask-capitals-boost-communication/article-173848
25
Spanish MEP Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the Vice President of the European Parliament, who also chairs
the Parliament's working group on communication, responded saying Europe is faced with "an
endless communication problem." Attaching great importance to MyParl - "a project creating
a web space where European parliamentarians and national parliamentarians can interact,
exchange views and debate", he said:
"I think (MyParl) is a promising project. Anything that can " We nave to invest in
contribute to creating new spaces of interaction between the the long term. We
national level and the European level, to make people aware need to consider new
of the importance of European integration project, on the methods, like citizen
influence of the European institutions work on their lives, all consultations and the
this is essential." 102 .. " , ,.
creation of media
Improving the EU's 'communication policy' is not the sole concern networks
of the European Commission. The European Economic and Social
Committee has also offered its views on how to sell Europe better. In a July 2008 paper, it
proposed:
"making available to Member States a common core of knowledge on the European integration
process and its values and achievements. This should be identical for all, translated into every
language and endorsed by the European Parliament. Whilst intended primarily for the civic
education of pupils, it should take a form that can also be used by multipliers such as teachers,
journalists, local elected politicians and members of civil society. The opinion also proposes
making coverage of Europe a public service obligation for audiovisual media, considering
European affairs as internal affairs rather than external or international ones and making good
use of sports events, national festivals and Europe Day to speak about Europe." 103
2 EU communication policy in practice
A Biased promotional leaflets and websites
The Commission says that one of the central objectives of its communication policy is
"empowering citizens by giving them access to information so that they may be in a position to
hold an informed debate on EU affairs." 104
But the information available tends overwhelmingly to concentrate only on the benefits of the EU,
constantly emphasising the 'success stories' with almost no mention whatsoever of any downsides or
shortcomings. For this reason, the EU's information campaign reads like pure propaganda.
Indeed anyone wanting to find out about the EU can easily find whole swathes of leaflets,
booklets, cartoons and websites purporting to provide information about the EU but which also
- in the most part - serve to promote it. Significantly, many of these are aimed specifically at
children and young people, which will be addressed in more detail in Part Four. There is a
common theme running through them all - that the EU is a success story across a wide variety
of areas.
102 http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/top-eu-officials-ask-capitals-boost-communication/article-173848
103 http://www.eesc.europa.eu/activities/press/cp/docs/2008/communique-presse-eesc-069-2008-EN.doc
104 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/com_2008_158-4_en.pdf
26
To cite some of the subheadings of the leaflet "Panorama of the European Union" and other
publications, these successes are invariably and repeatedly listed as: "Peace and stability", "Bringing
Europe together again", "Safety and Security", "Economic and Social Solidarity", "Identity and
Diversity in a globalised world", "Values", "Fewer frontiers, more opportunities", "Going abroad
to learn", "a greener Europe", "equal chances", "freedom, security and justice for all", "jobs and
growth", "exporting peace and stability", "promoting the common interest," "The rule of law",
"Getting value for your money", "A stable currency", and "Lending a helping hand". 105
Whole websites are used to advertise the literature, and there is almost no mention at all of any
of the drawbacks of the EU activities, or a sensible argument about any of the EU's failings or any
mention of the wide differences of opinion on the EU and its policies.
The website "Celebrating Europe! The 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome" 106 publicises
many of these publications in one place, and provides a good snapshot of some of the key
literature and webpages used to promote the EU.
As there are far too many examples to list here, below is a selection of some of the most
illuminating ones. Many publications are directed firmly at children and young people, and are
looked at in Part Four instead.
"What has Europe ever done for us?" 107 Part of the 'Speak up Europe' campaign, run by the
European Movement under the auspices of 'Plan D for Democracy', this animated website
features a short clip in which a man asks "What has Europe ever done for us?". He is bombarded
with answers from a chorus of people shouting "peace", "the single market" and so on. A list
of things includes "Cheaper and better phone calls", "Regional Funds" and "A healthier Europe."
A "What can I do?" page on the site encourages people to link to the site with logos.
The website explains:
"To show the benefits of the EU is no easy task. We rarely see the immediate results of actions
taken at the EU level, and most of them are presented from a national perspective. This has
meant that the EU has sometimes in the past been blamed for the outcomes of certain
actions, but almost never praised for others. The idea behind the animation 'What has Europe
ever done for us?' is to tackle this lack of visibility concerning the results of EU action... The
main achievements of the EU are thus presented as a good teaser for the debates."
"Better off in Europe - How the EU's single market benefits you" 108 begins: "This booklet
describes some of the many benefits EU citizens enjoy. It is delivering a better life for everyone."
It continues:
"All EU citizens benefit from efforts to make the single market an area of freedom, justice
and security... Simple overall regulations are in place to protect customers and businesses."
It says: "A winning formula: The idea behind the single market is simplicity itself... It is the
basic recipe for prosperity." The pamphlet goes on to list many benefits of the single market,
in a tone which is far from neutral, and without mentioning a single drawback. Without any
105 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/60/en.pdfand http://ec.europa.eu/publications/bookiets/eu_glance/69/en.pdf
106 http://europa.eu/50/index_en.htm
107 http://www.whathaseuropedone.eu/
108 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/56/en.pdf
27
explanation, it claims: "The European Commission reckons that the single market has added
more than €800 billion to EU prosperity and created 2.5 million jobs."
"50 ways forward - Europe's best successes" 109 is a booklet and
internet site that: »|f you are | U cky
enough to be a
"aims to show you - in an attractive and entertaining way - how .. , ,
people in Europe, and beyond, have benefited, and will continue to
benefit, from European co-operation... Once you start browsing
through the booklet, you may well be surprised at the range of success stories. And, let's not
forget, these are only a small sample. You can find out, for example, how millions of young
people now study abroad, how '.eu' is building a new European identity on the internet, or
what Europe has done to help bring down the cost of air travel. There is a story about how
European police catch more criminals by co-operating better, how we are producing cleaner
cars and even why travelling with your pets is easier now."
One section begins with the subliminal message: "If you are lucky enough to be a citizen of the
EU..."
"The EU - What's in it for me? A no-nonsense guide for UK citizens to what the European Union
delivers" 110 is a booklet specifically targeted at UK citizens to explain the benefits of the EU and
is distributed by the UK office of the European Commission. The title speaks for itself.
"Europe in 12 lessons" 111 is written by Pascale Fontaine, former assistant to Jean Monnet, and
the slant is obvious throughout. It is particularly explicit in some sentences, such as: "Ordinary
people need to know 'who does what in Europe'. Only then will they feel that it is relevant to
their daily lives, vote in European elections and support the idea of European integration", and
"The old saying 'unity is strength' is as relevant as ever to today's Europeans. But the process of
European integration has not smothered the different ways of life, traditions and cultures of its
peoples. Indeed, the EU makes its diversity one of its key values."
It uses emotional language to promote the EU, such as:
"The European Union is a pact between sovereign nations which have resolved to share a
common destiny and to pool an increasing share of their sovereignty. It touches on things that
Europeans care most deeply about: peace, economic and physical wellbeing, security,
participatory democracy, justice and solidarity. This pact is being strengthened and confirmed
all across Europe: half a billion people have chosen to live under the rule of law and in
accordance with age-old values centred on humanity and human dignity."
On enlargement, M. Fontaine notes: "The EU welcomed this chance to help stabilize the
European continent and to extend the benefits of European integration to these young
democracies." It argues that "a common EU criminal justice policy is required".
"Key facts and figures about Europe and the Europeans" 112 opens with: "The European Union
- a success story." It says "The European Union needs no introduction. Over half a century, it has
109 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/others/65/en.pdf
1 10 http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/pdf/webversion.pdf
1 1 1 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/60/en.pdf
1 1 2 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/66/en.pdf
28
brought political stability and economic prosperity to its citizens. It has created a frontier-free
single market and a single currency, the euro. It has reunited a fractured continent." A section
on whether or not people in the EU think their country has benefited from the EU is titled:
"Reaping the benefits."
"How the European Union works - your guide to the EU institutions" 113 picks up the usual
familiar themes, by kicking off with: "Family squabbles and occasional
crises are what make the news headlines, but away from the cameras
"Family squabbles the EU is actua || y a remarkable success story."
and occasional
crises are what "Travelling in Europe 2008" 114 begins with: "Europe: a continent
make the news w i tn thousands of years of history, a rich cultural heritage and some
headlines but °^ tne wor ^' s most breathtaking scenery. So much for the traveller
x ' .. to discover and explore and all made much easier thanks to the
away from the _ ... .* „
3 . European Union (EU).
cameras the EU is
actually a "Troubled Waters". 115 As part of its campaign material for the 2004
remarkable success elections, the European Parliament published a comic called 'Troubled
Story" Waters' in which a fictitious MEP Irina Vega goes about negotiating
legislation to safeguard drinking water. The propaganda is subtle, but
it is there. For instance, acknowledging the controversial fact that the
Parliament has two meeting places, the heroine remarks: "I seem to spend my whole life on the
train between Brussels and Strasbourg, but I'd hate to have to choose between mussels and chips
and Strasbourg onion tart."
"The EU at a glance" 116 is a website looking briefly at a range of areas in which the EU has
competence. One part asks: "what results so far" has the EU achieved, and lists "Frontier-free travel
and trade, the euro (the single European currency), safer food and a greener environment, better
living standards in poorer regions, joint action on crime and terror, cheaper phone calls and air
travel, millions of opportunities to study abroad ... and much more besides." 117
Rotating messages on the homepage read: "Did you know that EU regional aid has raised the
living standards of the poor regions in Europe?"; "Did you know the EU
has made Europe the world leader in using and making mobile phones,
thanks to its common technical standards?" and "Did you know that the "The European
EU has ensured that there has been no war between its members for Union aims to be
the last 60 years?" 118 a fair and caring
society"
Its section on "Key facts and figures about Europe and the Europeans"
states: "The European Union aims to be a fair and caring society,
committed to promoting economic prosperity and creating jobs by making companies more
competitive and giving workers new skills."
113 http
114 http
115 http
116 http
117 http
118 http
//ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/68/en.pdf
//ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/72/en.pdf
//www.europarl.europa.eu/elections2004/ep-election/sites/en/infotainment/
//europa.eu/abc/index_en.htm
//europa.eu/abc/panorama/index_en.htm
//europa.eu/abc/index_en.htm
29
The section on "The budget of the European Union: How your money is spent", reports that:
"Using only 1% of its overall wealth each year, the EU is building our common future and
assuming global responsibilities. The focus of spending decisions is on meeting the challenges
of the modern world to our society in the interests of a better life for the citizens of the EU.
The money is primarily spent, therefore, on reducing income and social disparities across the
EU, promoting the mobility which open internal borders make
possible, on freedom, security and justice within the EU's external „. -
borders, and on reinforcing the EU's cultural diversity. Significant
sums are also spent outside its border because the EU's economic an ivory-tower
and political weight in the world confers global responsibilities." 119 institution cut off
from the world
"In practice, most of the money is spent in the member states, and, around it the EU
far from being an ivory-tower institution cut off from the world ■ ■ * t vprv r i c P
around it, the EU is in fact very close to its citizens... The EU touches
our lives in ways we now take for granted. They include low air Citizens
fares, cheaper phone calls, cuts in car prices and borderless travel
across much of the European continent. We also have the EU to thank for a cleaner
environment, safer food, the right to healthcare when we travel and a single currency for
nearly two-thirds of the EU's citizens. Many of the achievements result from the economies
of scale and greater efficiency that can come from pooling resources in order to create more
and better jobs, and preserve our way of life for ourselves and future generations." 120
B Promotional films on "EUtube"
In addition to the wide range of literature and websites full of publications, the Commission
even has its own channel on You-Tube, called EUtube 121 , which it launched in June 2007. The
Commission uses it to post promotional films about the EU, of which there are now over a
hundred.
They all carry the EU flag in the bottom left-hand corner. Examples are:
"Back to School" is a poignant film about "A young boy [who] goes back to school in a poor
region of Cairo, with the support of funds from the European Commission, as part of the EU's
European Neighbourhood Policy."
"Bringing space down to earth!" promotes European space applications, including Galileo. The
film begins with an incredulous person driving accidentally down a dirt track because their GPS
has failed.
"Youth in Action - Get Involved!" promotes the EU's "Youth in Action" programme (see Part
Four). It is in the style of a music video, featuring young people in shades and leather jackets
dancing and rapping in the streets and in metro stations, whilst waving EU flags. The main verse
of the song is "This one's for youth in action, you gotta be involved, be a part of it."
"Building a citizens' Europe" promotes the concept of European citizenship, and also specifically
promotes the EU's "Europe for citizens" programme (see Part Three). It gushes that the
1 19 http://europa.eu/abc/budget/index_en.htm
120 http://europa.eu/abc/budget/use/administration/index_en.htm http://europa.eu/abc/budget/future/index_en. htm#build
121 http://uk.youtube.com/user/eutube
30
programme "Will enable dedicated Europeans to build bridges for meeting other dedicated
Europeans. Europe is as strong as the engagement of its citizens."
"One day at the DG Commission" is a collage set to music of a busy day in the department. The
irony is hard to miss when the movie jumps to a person in the "strategic planning" meeting
asking "Is there any imaginative way that you could think that we could help you to better
promote this particular policy?" The reply: "Audiovisual material, internet, Europe Direct?"
The controversial "Filmloverswill love this!" promotes the EU's MEDIA programme (see Part Three),
along with many others. It is a three minute series of clips of people having sex, ending with the
words "Let's come together... Millions of cinema lovers enjoy European films every year... Europe
supports European films." It carries a picture of the EU flag and MEDIA logo. The Commission was
delighted with the publicity it generated - receiving more than 7.1 million hits on EUtube. 122
Other titles speak for themselves: "50 years of EU in the world", "European films -what a joy!",
"Europe and You in 2007 - a snapshot of EU achievements", "Jingle 1957 - 2007: Together",
"Celebrating 40 Years of European Customs Union," and "Healthcare without borders".
C "Information networks"
The Commission funds a range of so-called 'information networks' in the member states. These
help to spread the EU's message far and wide - distributing the promotional material like that
mentioned above to as wide an audience as possible.
The Commission believes that:
"Local-level relays are the cornerstone of decentralised information policy. Their job is to
convey the information in line with everyday reality and the local economic context. These
relays are grassroots information centres par excellence. They are managed directly by their
host bodies (regional or local authorities, public or semi-public bodies etc.). The Commission
does not have any responsibility for their day-to-day management, but provides a grant and
contributes to technical and documentary assistance on the basis of an agreement signed
with the host body. While respecting the relays' autonomy, initiatives and diversity, the
Commission nonetheless ensures that a certain uniformity is retained and their shared identity
safeguarded (shared logo)." 123
In this context, uniformity means a guarantee of sending out the right message.
The EU's main information networks are:
/ Europe Direct
The aim of Europe Direct is "to provide European citizens with a service close to home allowing
them: to receive information from the Union on its positions, policies, actions, programmes and
financial aid offered by it." 124
122 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koRIFnBIDHO&feature=related
123 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2001/corn2001_0354en01.pdf
124 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/ed-relays-decision_en.pdf
31
Members of the public can call a free telephone number from anywhere in the EU and ask for
information about the EU. They can also use email, contact an operator online, or visit a Europe
Direct information centre. The type of information they provide includes "general information
about EU matters," as well as "practical information on dozens of subjects," including "how to
get your qualifications recognised or how to complain about unsafe products". It also offers
"advice to help you overcome practical problems with exercising your
rights in Europe." 125 "this campaign
will help not only
All this is relatively innocuous as far as measuring propaganda goes. . x . x
j z> r r- z> z> inform oeoDle ot
However, after calling the number and requesting information, the
caller is then sent an email which, in addition to the required * ne diTTerent
information, provides a link to a website promoting the Lisbon Treaty information
and the line: "Treaty of Lisbon -Taking Europe into the 21st century." sources available
but will also show
Europe Direct came under fire for biased political campaigning ^u Q h ene fjtc of EU
following a series of radio adverts in Ireland, which former Green MEP . .. „
n * ■ ■ r/i ^ j .. iv i ■ a. a. j u < membership
Patricia McKenna said were political in content and character...
extremely biased and one-sided, and aimed either in whole or in part
to influence public opinion in relation to the ongoing public debate on the European Union".
The adverts ostensibly aimed to raise the profile of the Europe Direct information provider, but
were reported to the Irish Broadcasting Complaints Commission. 126
The European Commission strongly denied the charge, saying, "To describe the message as
propaganda is... unfounded." But the BCC found that the adverts did break Irish broadcasting
regulations. It ruled: "the majority of advertisements in the campaign promoted the EU... The
Commission [the BCC] was of the view that overall the advertisements of the campaign
advocated and promoted EU membership and therefore, were directed towards a political end.
Such advertising is prohibited."
It noted that "while they may be factual in nature, they also contain positive messages about EU
policy. They are not solely informational in nature. They advocate positively various EU policies
and in the main, promote membership of the EU."
The BCC further judged that "the EU can be considered a political ideal, and therefore
advertisements directed in favour of, or promoting, such an ideal may be considered to be
political".
It didn't help the Commission's case that the Irish Commissioner Charlie McCreevy had launched
the programme by saying, "this campaign will help not only inform people of the different
information sources available but will also show the benefits of EU membership". 127
In 2008 the budget for Europe Direct is €10.8 million, plus a further €3. 53m for the operation
costs of its contact centre, under a different budget line. 128 Before Bulgaria and Romania joined
the EU in January 2008, there were 450 Europe direct relays in 25 member states. 129 Of the €10.8
million, €759,300 goes to Europe Direct outlets in the UK. 130
125 http://ec.europa.eu/europedirect/index_en.htm
126 http://www.bcc.ie/decisions_details/Mar%202007/285.06%20286.06%20287.06%20Ms.%20P%20Mckenna%20Summary%20Complaint.doc
127 http://www.bcc.ie/decisions_details/Mar%202007/285.06%20286.06%20287.06%20Ms.%20P%20Mckenna%20Summary%20Complaint.doc
1 28 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/prog2008_en.pdf
129 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/ed-relays-decision_en.pdf
130 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/ed-relays-decision_en.pdf
32
An example of UK hosts of Europe Direct, which receive the funding, is Ashford Borough Council,
which received a total of €72,000 for 2006 131 .
Under the new "Debate Europe" campaign a "second generation" of Europe Direct Centres is
to be launched in 2009, under the plan of "Going even more local". Responding to news of this,
then Europe Minister Jim Murphy said that he "would be interested to see a full list of proposed
expansion sites in 2009", and "would welcome an explanation of how the new sites were
selected and how they will add further value." 132
The Commission's 2005 "Action Plan to improve communicating Europe" revealed that a
"Substantial marketing campaign will be pursued to promote Europe Direct." 133
// Eurodesk
Eurodesk is the Europe-wide network which provides young people and those who work with
them with information on European opportunities and funding. Its main aim is to encourage the
1 3-30 age group to be mobile and to take advantage of the European programmes available to
help them to do so. In the UK, Eurodesk is delivered through a partnership between the British
Council and YouthLink Scotland.
There are 31 participating countries, over 900 regional and local access points, and a Brussels-
based research and co-ordination unit. The project also has the support of the European
Commission, including funding through the Youth in Action programme and inclusion in the
Commission's strategic thinking on information for young people. 134
The service itself is laudable - however it also helps to act as a conduit for advertising EU initiatives.
For example, the website reads: "Did you know that Europe Day is on May 9th and 2008 is the
European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and European Youth Week is the first week in June. " 135
As well as answering enquiries and giving advice on possible funding, Eurodesk also "produces
information materials specifically for young people." 136
Indeed the material related to the Eurodesk is not always simply about youth opportunities. For
example, one of its partners. Young Scot, explains on its website that the EU "is a family of
European countries, working together for peace and prosperity... The EU is based on co-
operation, and it promotes unity whilst also preserving diversity, so not every country has to be
the same." It tellsyoung people: "Everything that happens in the European Union has an impact
on your life or the way you will live in the future. It's up to you to take full advantage of what
Europe has to offer you..."
One section, called "What does the EU do for young people?" explains: "You can benefit from
the EU - you just need to know how!" Throughout the site are links to the Commission's
'information' websites and pamphlets referred to above. 137
131 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_uk.pdf
132 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmeuleg/16-xxiv/16xxiv06.htm
133 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
134 http://www.eurodesk.org. uk/Default.aspx?pid=2
135 http://www.eurodesk.org. uk/Events/Default.aspx?pid=27
136 http://www.youngscot.net/services/index.asp?id=221&SR=53&ssnb=8
137 http://www.youngscot.org/channels/europe/
33
In a section on the euro, it explains, "if you are planning a trip to any of the countries listed
above then you just need to get euros. If you are going from one country to another then you
can still use the same coins. That's the beauty of it." 138
//'/' Other information networks
In the past the EU has also provided heavy funding for 'Info Point Europa' and 'Carrefour' offices
throughout Europe. In 2003, €5.83 million was given out to the offices across the EU. In the UK,
there were six, which received a total of €120,000 139 .
The Commission also manages a significant number of information and assistance networks
covering specific policy areas, such as EURES, ERA-MORE, SOLVIT and the Euro Info Centres and
Innovation Relay Centres). 140
D Advertising the EU through grants
Much of what the EU does involves redistributing EU funds to projects, programmes and
initiatives in EU member states and abroad - whether they be regional development projects,
agricultural support, research, infrastructure projects in developing countries or subsidies for
cultural projects such as support for film makers.
In order to promote the EU, all recipients of EU funds are required to advertise the fact that
their funding has come from the EU, as a condition for receiving the money. This involves using
the EU flag on billboards, posters, communications and even commemorative plaques.
Since grants are awarded within a number of diverse fields, the specific conditions that need to
be fulfilled to receive a grant vary from one field to another.
For the EU's 'cohesion policy', for example, billboards identifying EU co-funded projects,
displaying the European flag, are obligatory. 141 There are even rules on the exact shades of blue
and yellow to be used. 142 Beneficiaries are also required to hold yearly "major information
activities" to promote the EU's role in the project.
As Education and Learning Wales (ELWa), a recipient of EU regional funds (European Social Fund)
writes:
"One of the conditions of receiving ESF [European Social Fund] support is that the projects
promote the fact that they are supported by ESF. This means that there is a requirement on
ELWa and all our work-based learning providers to promote on all occasions the fact that
work-based learning is funded by ESF. It is a condition of ELWa funding that providers adhere
to this and checks will take place throughout the contract period to ensure that this takes
place. Providers will be expected to use the ESF logo on all marketing and publicity activity
that relates to work-based learning activity. This includes posters, adverts, application forms,
beneficiary forms." 143
138 http://www.youngscot.org/channels/europe/?ss=297&s=51&sr=73
139 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_pressa2_fr.pdf
140 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2007/com2007_0568en01.pdf
141 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction. do?reference=IP/08/1 103&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
142 http://eur-Iex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_371/i_37120061227en00010163.pdf
143 http://www.elwa.ac.uk/doc_bin/workbased%20learning/wbl_styleguide_wba.pdf
34
In the External Relations field (which covers the EU's activities outside its borders), there is even
a "Communication and Visibility Manual for EU External Actions", which details the "compulsory
requirements" for recipients of EU grants to not only advertise the origin of the funds, but to
promote the benefits brought by them. It notes:
"The manual mainly covers the written and visual identity of the EU. It sets out requirements
and guidelines for briefings, written material, press conferences, presentations, invitations,
signs, commemorative plaques and all other tools used to highlight EU participation. In
addition, it offers tools designed to enable the development of a dynamic communication
strategy that will highlight the achievements of EU support." 144
It regulates the use of press releases, leaflets, brochures, newsletters, display panels,
commemorative plaques, banners, vehicle panels and promotional items.
To take one example of the kind of requirements involved, under the section on "permanent
commemorative plaques" detailing the EU contribution to a project, the guidelines state:
"As part of the opening ceremony of permanent structures erected with EU funding or
cofunding, contractors, implementing partners or international organisations should place a
permanent plaque in the most visible part of the building, such as the main entrance or in
front of the building. When appropriate, the plaque could contain the following sentence:
'This [name of the structure] was funded by the European Union' with the EU flag placed
underneath it."
E Manipulated opinion polling - Eurobarometer
The EU Commission spends around €25 million a year gathering public opinion on its policies,
mostly through its 'Eurobarometer polls'. 145 "Understanding European public opinion" in this
way is deemed by the Commission to be a key element of the EU Communication Policy 146
Trying to gauge public opinion is one thing, but the Commission's strategic use of the polling is
often far more political - in fact, the questions asked and the manner in which the results are
presented expose the Commission's role as a campaign group. It
effectively uses its polls as a democratic mandate justifying EU action
in a particular policy area - whether it be mobile phone roaming
charges, obesity or climate change.
During the debate on the EU Constitution in the Netherlands in 2005,
EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini told Dutch MPs that "in the
latest Eurobarometer opinion poll, Dutch citizens are in the absolute
first line of European citizens in all countries asking for more
Europe," calling upon The Hague to agree to give up its veto on
justice matters. 147
"in the latest
Eurobarometer
opinion poll, Dutch
citizens are in the
absolute first line of
European citizens in
all countries asking
for more Europe"
144 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/visibiIity/documents/communication_and_visibility_manual_en.pdf
145 Antonis Papacostas, Head of Unit, Public Opinion Analysis, European Commission. Telephone conversation with Open Europe on 16 September 2008.
146 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/madrid/index-2.html
147 EUobserver, 22 November 2006
35
As a piece in The Economist on this subject recently reported: 148
"To some officials, supportive opinion polls offer a form of quasi-democratic mandate. One
Brussels official admits that his commissioner 'absolutely' uses poll data to browbeat reluctant
governments, in private and in public."
"The commission is notorious for only asking questions to which it wants answers
(Eurobarometer data must be published within two years, unlike national polling which is
often kept secret). In an infamous incident last year, the commission trumpeted a poll
showing 80% support for the European satellite navigation system, Galileo, and 63%
support for spending billions on it, though only 40% of respondents had heard of Galileo
before they were telephoned for the survey. Polls on sensitive subjects such as racism or
religion are routinely neutered, to avoid questions that might reveal differing degrees of
tolerance in EU nations."
Indeed there are several examples of how the Commission has manipulated these polls in order
to promote its own cause. It even admits doing this. During a May 2005 speech EU
Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom talked about the need to "Listen to people via
opinion-formers and stakeholders - particularly civil society and Parliamentarians - and by
carefully exploiting our opinion polls." 149
Taking the most recent Eurobarometer as a case study, we can see how this is achieved. The poll
aimed to gauge Europeans' attitudes to global climate change. Respondents were first asked to
say which of a number of global threats they deemed to be the most important, (placing climate
change in second place). They were then asked how serious a problem they believe it to be, on
a scale of one to ten. Next, they were asked how well informed they felt about climate change,
and then, about their attitudes to the impact of it and different ways of fighting it. Then, they
were asked whether they thought each of the EU, governments, citizens, and industry were
doing too much, about the right amount, or not enough to fight climate change. A total of 58%
responded that the EU is not doing enough about climate change. 150 This was then used as a
mandate for a hugely integrationist programme of EU measures on climate change, which is
very much the EU's new focus moving into 2009.
Following the 'no' vote on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland, the Commission ran a Eurobarometer poll
to try and find out why people voted 'no'. But instead of publishing the results for all to see on
its public website, it first leaked the results to selected newspapers. It issued a note which said
that 40 percent of those who had voted no did so because they did not understand the Treaty 151
This lead to headlines such as "Irish voters failed to understand the Treaty", as ran by the Times,
which naturally reported that "40 per cent blamed the fact that they did not understand the
treaty". 152
However, when the results finally did appear in public a week or so later, they showed that the
Commission had hugely overblown the results - there was a huge discrepancy between the
Commission's original claim to the press that 40 percent had said they did not understand the
Treaty", and the actual results which showed that just 22 percent had voted no out of a lack of
148 The Economist, 21 February 2008 http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1 0727874
149 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/296&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
150 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_300_fuil_en.pdf
151 http://www.openeurope.org.uk/commissionpoll.pdf
152 8 June 2008 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article4160252.ece
1 53 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_245_en.pdf
36
knowledge/familiarity with the Treaty. 153 But thanks to the Commission's misleading media
manipulation, by that stage, the narrative that a large proportion of people had voted no out
of ignorance was already well established. This carried with it an implication that the verdict
was therefore not valid.
The Commission has also been known to delay publication of its polls depending on the political
climate. For instance, it once delayed publication of a study which indicated a major drop in
public support for an EU role in energy (a flagship Commission strategy), which, as the
EUobserver reported at the time, "highlights the European Commission's strategic use of its
Eurobarometer surveys in promoting key policies."
The poll found that only 39 percent of respondents believed the EU level to be more appropriate
to take energy decisions than the national level - compared to 47 percent measured the year
before. The more favourable earlier poll was published swiftly after the fieldwork was done,
and was also personally presented by the EU Energy Commissioner and accompanied by a press
release stating "European citizens in favour of a European Energy policy, says Eurobarometer
survey" 154
Analysing Eurobarometer surveys is regarded as the core element of the EU's new "listening
process", which was outlined in the "Action Plan to improve communicating Europe by the
Commission" following the no votes in July 2005. 155 At a conference to celebrate the 35th
anniversary of the Eurobarometer in Paris in November 2008, EU leaders called on the
Eurobarometer to be used even more as an "extensive, strategic tool."
The Commons EU Scrutiny Committee, in response to the Commission's October 2007 paper and
the proposals therein for an improved communication policy, asked the then Minister for Europe,
Jim Murphy whether, under the proposals it would be possible for a private organisation to apply
for and obtain funding to carry out their own assessment of public opinion, including via a
national referendum on Treaty changes.
Mr. Murphy replied saying, "We have consulted the European Commission's polling secretariat,
who confirmed that Eurobarometer surveys are carried out exclusively for the European
Commission and that they do not fund private organisations to carry out their own assessments
of public opinion."
F Funded visits to the EU institutions
Every year the Commission spends taxpayers' money paying for trips for groups of people to the
EU institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg. Students in higher education are particularly
encouraged. This is clearly all about PR.
The Commission boasts: "Tens of thousands visit EU institutions... You may not think of the
European Commission as a tourist attraction, especially in the summer when sundrenched
beaches beckon. But 43,000 people visited the EU's executive branch in Brussels last year." 156 It
promises that "general presentations by the commission's visitor service will certainly improve
your EU IQ." Given the pro-EU bias of the publications office, it is a safe bet to assume these
presentations will also be one-sided celebrations of the successes and benefits of the EU.
154 EUobserver, 22 November 2006
155 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
156 http://ec.europa.eu/news/eu_explained/08081 1_1_en.htm
37
There is even an EU Open Day, inviting people, young and old, to
"Come and visit the EU institutions - you may find out it's not all "Come and visit
complicated laws and bureaucracy." People working in the the EU institutions
Commission are there "to guide you and explain what they do. They _ you may find out
will have concrete examples of what is done with EU money and the ft> s no ^ a ||
kind of results achieved... Outside the Berlaymont, you can find _ ■• . . . _
.. ... , .... _. .... ,' ... complicated laws
activities for children. There will be music and face-painting, a mini-
farm with animals and rides in a horse-drawn carriage, as well as a Dureaucracy
presentations of new technology in agriculture." 157
The European Parliament also runs a visits programme aimed specifically at school children called
'Euroscola', with the objective of "Raising the awareness of youth about the impact of Europe
on their future." 158
G An EU 'Internet Strategy'
In addition to EUTube and the EU's other internet broadcast sites, the EU makes extensive use of
its huge and unwieldy internet site - Europa - to convey its message, which costs €3 million a
year to run.
As well as being used for general and professional information for those with an interest in EU
affairs, the Commission openly admits that part of Euopa's objective is to "communicate the
views of the Commission to the widest possible audience" and to "help create a sense of
European community as a supplement to the national sphere." 159
But the EU is not content just using its own site to spread its message. It increasingly looks to
influence the content of outside websites.
The Commission's 'Communicating Europe in Partnership' paper said that:
"The EU needs to strengthen its presence on the web beyond EUROPA. The Commission
wishes to encourage the development of a network of civil society and private or public sector
websites which promote contact with or between European citizens by supporting websites
that devote particular attention to European affairs and stimulate debate on EU policy issues.
The Commission itself should also be more involved in interviews and participation in
discussions in other sites." 160
As part of this programme, in December 2007 the Commission presented an "Internet Strategy"
paper. Reflecting on "the increasing importance of social networks on the Internet" and their
ability to spread information, it proposed ways for the EU to start using the internet to help
spread its message. It stated that:
"studies into electronic campaigning in France in the run-up to the referendum on the Treaty
establishing a Constitution for Europe in 2005 suggest that the absence of the 'establishment'
in the Internet debate may have contributed to the 'no' vote. Many political parties have
now realised that the Internet can no longer be neglected in terms of public relations and
1 57 http://ec.europa.eu/news/eu_explained/080604_1_en.htm
158 http://www.welcomeurope.com/default. asp?id=1300&idnews=453&genre=0
159 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/internet-strategy_en.pdf
160 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/walistrom/pdf/COM2007_568_en.pdf
38
campaign activities; and to shape the political agenda and
public opinion." 161 "the Internet can
no longer be
It stressed that "Beyond EUROPA, the Commission must have more neglected in terms
impact on the way EU matters are handled on other sites," f public relations
signaling an alarmingly intention to try and influence content on . ramna : nn
external websites.
activities'
Following this, in the aftermath of the Irish 'no' vote to the Lisbon
Treaty, in September 2008 the Commission leaked what it called an "unofficial" briefing note to
the Irish media, in which it attacked the increasing use of the internet and complained, again,
that blogging had been a cause of the no vote.
It said: "The internet has allowed increased communication between citizen groups away from
Government and traditional media dominated sources... Blogging is also seen as an anti-
establishment activity. Few Yes campaigners came out with forceful counter arguments or were
inspired to do so. ..Because of the many different sources of No campaigners on the internet,
classic rebuttals is made impossible." 162
Even more alarmingly, in September 2008 the European Parliament's Culture Committee voted
for a report which proposed that the EU should regulate blogs. Some of the suggestions in the
report include: making it impossible to blog anonymously; making significant bloggers declare
their interests; forcing bloggers to give a right to reply to people that are criticised in a blog
post; introducing a code of conduct for the private-user-generated content and a system of
royalties for such content; and encouraging bloggers to publish their "aims and background." 163
There have been suggestions that the Commission may be working on something similar. 164
The report was initiated by Estonian Socialist MEP Marianne Mikko (who, on a light side note,
happens to have a degree in journalism from the Soviet Union, gained in 1984), who has said she
believes that bloggers need to have:
"some credentials, a quality mark, a certain disclosure of who is writing and why. We need this
to be able to trust and rely on the source... It is clear that a Harvard professor of international
relations is likely to treat, for instance, the Middle East peace process or European integration
in an educated and balanced manner. The same trust cannot be put in a radical high school
student from Gaza or a Eurosceptic who has never been out of his village." 165
'Myth Rebuttal'
The 2005 White Paper from the Commission - "Action Plan to improve communicating Europe
by the Commission" 166 promised that "A more efficient and coordinated and timely rebuttal
function will be developed. It will also take into account false claims made on the internet. It
needs to be actively co-ordinated between spokespersons. Representations and DGs to ensure
early alert and rapid reply and consistency."
161 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/internet-strategy_en.pclf
162 http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/2008/lisbondocument/index.pdf
163 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/712/712320/712320en.pdf
1 64 http://henrikalexandersson.blogspot.com/
165 EUobserver, 27 June 2008 http://euobserver.com/871/26407
166 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
39
Indeed as the Commission's December 2007 "Internet Strategy" explained, EU staff are now
"empowered to explain EU policies and help rectify mistakes, and to redress negative publicity
or speculation surrounding the EU and its activities." 167
One recent example of this 'rebuttal' work in action is the blog of the Head of Media at the UK
office of the Commission - called "Talking about the EU", for which she is paid to monitor
comments made on other blog sites and refute any 'euromyths' she comes across.
For example: "I also followed up a comment written on Mark Mardell's blog about the healthcare
plans, when someone wrote that 'Not once in their 50-year history has the EU Commission ever
proposed to return a power previously acquired by them back to the democratic arena of the
nation-state'. Not true. The marketing standards for fruit and veg is a recent example." 168
Much of the rest of the blog is very difficult to justify as an effective use of taxpayers' money.
Drawing on just one of many irrelevant entries, the author writes:
"Got the new housemate coming in to sign his lease as well; I signed mine last night. I
also found out yesterday that I will complete my house purchase in France on Tuesday -
had to do a power of attorney for my father to sign the 'acte authentique' as it is called
because I wasn't going to be able to get away. So home-ownership is but a few days
away. And if you're wondering where all the hayfever whinging has gone, I have
fabulous new pills which actually WORK! They're called Aerius, prescription only and I
cannot recommend them highly enough. The beneficial side-effect is that they really
don't mix with alcohol, so I've stopped drinking. It's worth it to be able to function as a
human being for most of the week!" 169
One Commission webpage, "The EU and you - getting the facts straight" reports that "If some
headlines about the EU seem too bizarre to be true, it's perhaps because they're just that - more
fiction than fact." 170
H Targeting the media and journalists
In its 2006 White Paper on EU Communication Policy the Commission argued that European
citizens should have "common information" provided by the media. It said:
"European citizens need access to a steady flow of common information if they are to see
the European dimension of common issues. This is where pan-European media and the
specialised press have an important role to play. But European issues also need to be
discussed in the national and local context. Some of this would flow naturally from a
greater commitment on the part of national and local politicians and institutions; but it
also needs the proactive involvement of the EU institutions, not least to put European
policies in a local context." 171
In 2005 EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said: "I am very interested to build
a strengthened public sphere in Europe, and media is a cornerstone of it." 172
167 http
168 http
169 http
170 http
171 http
172 http
40
//ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/internet-strategy_en.pdf
//euonym .wordpress.com/2008/07/07/chirpy-chirpy-cheep-cheep/
//euonym .wordpress.com/2008/07/02/your-right-to-get-treatment-in-another-eu-country/
//ec.europa.eu/news/eu_explained/08082 1_1_en.htm
//eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0035:FIN:EN:PDF
//europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/296&format=HTML8!aged=08!language=ENSguiLanguage=en
Indeed the Commission's approach to the media has often exposed it as a proactive political
campaign group.
As well as the debacle over the leaked and falsely spun Eurobarometer results to the press (see
above), following the 'no' vote in Ireland to the Lisbon Treaty, the Commission leaked another
unofficial document to the media which suggested that the vote was a result of "A growth in
readership and distribution of Eurosceptic British press" in Ireland. 173
With no mandate at all to comment on the content of national newspapers, nor to try and
influence the ongoing and somewhat sensitive debate on the Treaty in Ireland, the Commission
said:
"Since 2002 we have seen an increase in UK with 'Irishised' editorial of titles. 41 % of all Irish
people read one or more of the following; the Irish Sun, Irish News of the World, Sunday
Times, People, Irish Mirror, Sunday Mirror, Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. These have proven
to be significant opinion formers which in general have been more Euro-hostile."
In a quite extraordinary attempt to influence future reporting on the EU, the Commission also
(wrongly) claimed that "the editorial [has] been largely critical of Europe" and that "it is
rumoured that it has been refusing contributions from staff that are pro-Europe".
Responding to questions about the note from Open Europe, the Commission's DG
Communication said it was "not an official document", but a "routine" note produced by the
Commission's representation in Ireland which was meant for "internal" use. They were
"surprised" to see it reported in the Irish Times, but "didn't see anything controversial in it."
It is extremely worrying to see the Commission issuing strongly partisan briefings to the media,
and then getting away with it by denying full responsibility. This is a far cry from the neutral
information we should expect from a public body.
It also fiercely contradicts the Commission's claim that it does not interfere in referendums. In the
past it has insisted: "It has been the long standing policy of the European Commission not to
interfere in internal elections or referenda in Members States... The provision of such
information is not intended to influence political decisions or electoral contests." 174
Broadcast
The EU uses various audiovisual tools to transmit its message. In addition to EUTube, it funds an EU
news channel called Euronews, and also has its own broadcast service Europe by Satellite (EbS).
As of September 2008 there is also Europarl TV, 175 a channel exclusively for the European
Parliament which is estimated to cost €9 million peryear plus €1 million for marketing.
The Parliament says it wants to improve public access to the debates, which is obviously to be
welcomed, but the official tender documents of the channel reportedly state that "The European
Parliament will define the editorial line of the channel." There is obviously a big problem if
173 http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/2008/lisbondocument/index.pdf
174 http://www.bcc.ie/decisions_details/Mar%202007/288.06%20289.06%20290.06%20Mr.%20A%20Coughlan%20Summary%20Complaint.doc
175 http://www.thepariiament.com/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/eu-parliament-tv-channel-set-to-go-online/
41
millions of euros of taxpayers' money are set to be spent on a channel whose editorial
responsibility lies with a public EU institution. As Dutch social-democrat MEP Thijs
Berman told the ANP news agency: "Only an independent editorial team can make lively and
interesting programmes." 176
The EU already spends €10.8 million a year funding Euronews, which recently also began to
broadcast in Arabic. 177 The channel "aims at presenting international information from a
European point of view, and focusing on the role of the EU." 178
Euronews is not a neutral broadcaster. In fact the head of the channel, Philip Cayla, recently used
his position to promote the Lisbon Treaty in an interview with the Warsaw Business Journal. He
said:
"The fact that we are going to have a real president, a permanent president of the continent,
will be a particular achievement I think. A prominent representative for foreign affairs, I
think, will change the face of Europe, especially in the eyes of the rest of the world... Today
we have Commissioners, we have members of the European Parliament, but we have no real
leader in fact. An EU president will be a real leader and will change the face of Europe." 179
Europe by Satellite, meanwhile, broadcasts live press briefings, speeches and selected meetings
so that journalists can receive information first hand - which is to be welcomed.
All of this is run by the EU Commission's "Audiovisual Service", whose tagline is "Sharing the
sights and sounds of Europe". It seeks to "offer video, photo and sound coverage of European
news" and also "provide assistance for journalists wishing to cover EU subjects." It claims to
supply "unbiased and reliable news services to broadcasters, news agencies, written press, and
anyone who seeks to spread information on the activities carried out by the European
Commission and other EU institutions." 180
But the Commission's definition of unbiased is clearly not everyone's, as demonstrated by the
examples of the EU's written publications as detailed above.
Only a click away from this promise to provide "unbiased" coverage the Audiovisual Service hails
on its website "the era of peace, security, prosperity and solidarity of the European Union today."
Referring to the Commission's "extensive library of audiovisual documents in existence on the
construction of the European Union," it adds: "This is part of Europe's living memory available
not only to journalists, but also to anyone wishing to view the key moments of Community
history." 181
Moreover, the Commission's own policy papers show that the idea is clearly not just to provide
information to broadcasters but to promote the EU. In 2005 the Commission's White Paper on
improving communication policy promised: "DG Communication will explore with broadcasters
and production companies genuine formats to promote the idea, values and benefits of Europe.
The opportunity to engage into new programme formats will be investigated." 182
176 http://eux.tv/article.aspx?articleld=19838
177 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/sec_2008_506-2_en.pdf
178 http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/about/index.cfm ?sitelang=en§ion=about&page=euronews
179 14 April 2008
180 http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/about/index.cf m?sitelang=en§ion=about&page=mission
181 http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/about/activities_en .cfm#video01
182 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
42
A 2006 paper proposed a European Programme forTraining in Public
Communication, and revealed that the plan was not merely to
increase the amount of information available to the media, but to
start manipulating it. It said:
"The EU institutions should explore with a wide range of media
players how to better provide the media (pan-European, national
and local) with material which is relevant for them, with a view to
adapting the information to the needs of different countries and
segments of the population." 183
"TV and radio spots
are also broadcast
in the context of
information
campaigns
promoting specific
EU policies"
An October 2007 White Paper went even further, admitting that: "TV and radio spots are also
broadcast in the context of information campaigns promoting specific EU policies." 184
In theory, Europe by Satel
events and speeches, with
"the audiovisual
media should aim
at supplying
information that is
attractive to users,
promotes active
European
citizenship and
contributes to the
development of a
European public
sphere"
lite could appear to be neutral, as it broadcasts raw material such as live
editorial left up to the channels that pick it up and use it. But in practice,
the Commission is able to exert control over what goes on there. It can,
for example, choose to stage its own mini press conferences, hand-
picking the journalists it wishes to ask the questions.
In a speech in May 2005, EU Communications Commissioner Margot
Wallstrom revealed that from then on: "Commissioners will be
available on a regular basis for informal 'fireside chats' in a relaxed
situation in the EC studio, taking questions from four or five TV
journalists. The programmes will be broadcasted through satellite and
the Internet."
These efforts are set to expand in the future. Over the last year or so
the Commission has sought to expand its influence on the broadcast
media, believing that "One of the factors currently constraining a
citizens' debate on the European Union is the very limited coverage
of EU information in the audiovisual media." 185
An April 2008 paper from the Commission called "Communicating Europe through audiovisual
media" said: "better use of the audiovisual media should aim at supplying information in a form
that is attractive to users, promotes active European citizenship and contributes to the
development of a European public sphere... Increasing EU-related cross-border programmes will
contribute to the development of a European public sphere as well as to mutual
understanding." 186
Indeed the explicit motive behind increasing audiovisual coverage of EU affairs is not to provide
information for its own sake, but to help create a "European public sphere", which, as we will
see in the next chapter is deemed to be a key method of fostering support for EU integration.
Alarmingly, not content with providing "audiovisual information" the 2007 White Paper also talks
about the Commission providing "education and entertainment on European affairs as part of public
183 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/madrid/pdf/white_paper.pdf
184 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2007/com2007_0568en01.pdf
185 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/wallstrom/pdf/sec_2008_506-2_en.pdf
186 http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/walistrom/pdf/sec_2008_506-2_en.pdf
43
service missions across the EU Member States." The idea of the EU using taxpayers' money to
broadcast what it deems to be 'entertainment' in an effort to increase support for European
integration seems like a wholly unjustifiable stretch outside of its remit.
In December 2007 the Commission set up a network of 16 radio stations which will receive €5.8
million per year over five years to produce and broadcast 4,221 hours of EU programmes per
year. Like Euronews, the network will in theory have "full editorial independence," but even
with the best intentions, it is difficult to believe that this could truly work in practice, given that
the Commission also promotes meetings with editors and provides funding for journalists (see
below). Since the end of 2005 the Commission has been organising "informal meetings" between
EU leaders and TV and radio journalists. 187
In April 2008 the Commission laid out proposals for creating a European TV network, estimated
to cost €8 million in its first year in 2009. The Commission also plans to begin producing its own
video material - using a €1 .8 million budget to make its own documentaries and clips with a view
to "illustrating or explaining EU policies to the wider public."
There have also been suggestions for a "European audiovisual agency", from the European
Economic and Social Committee, in order to "put right the media's failure to make people aware
of Europe" 188 , and MargotWallstrom used a roundtable of journalists organised by the European
Federation of Journalists to ask them whether they thought "we should have a dedicated
European TV channel? A European radio station? A EU newspaper or magazine?" 189
She has talked about the need for "effective communication by the EU" to be seen "primarily
as a public-service duty", saying "The European Commission will encourage the development of
networks of TV and radio stations with a European public service mission." 190
As well as funding channels and networks from the central communication budget, the
Commission also provides funding for TV broadcasts through its decentralised representations in
the individual member states. In 2006, for example, the Cypriot delegation spent €325,000 on
TV broadcasts "informing the citizens on European matters" 191 . €769,000 went to three
television companies in Belgium, 192 and €670,000 went to French television companies, to cite
just a few. 193 €1 50,000 even went to a newspaper in Malta. 194
In Britain, the BBC has also received EU funding, which is particularly controversial given that the
national public broadcaster has been formally criticised on a number of occasions for being
insufficiently impartial in its coverage of EU affairs.
In a written answer in January 2008 the Government revealed that the BBC had taken out £141
million in low-interest loans from the European Central Bank, and that, in addition, it had
received £1 .4 million in grants over the past five years. This is interesting because as the Sunday
Times reported, the EIB has described itself as "an autonomous body set up to finance capital
investment furthering European integration by promoting EU policies".
187 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/communication_com_en.pdf
188 http://eur-[ex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:318:01 63:01 :EN:HTML
189 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/296&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
190 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/296&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
191 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_cyprus.pdf
192 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_belgium.pdf
193 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_france.pdf
194 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2006_malta.pdf
44
The BBC said the loans were to its commercial arm (which mostly seemed to go to BBC World)
and a spokesman said: "There were no editorial obligations whatsoever attached." Of the grants,
he admitted: "The BBC occasionally receives some EU funding in relation to specific educational
or research and development projects." 195
An independent inquiry in 2005 said the BBC must make its coverage of Europe "more
demonstrably impartial". It found no evidence of deliberate bias, but said there was a
"widespread perception" of "certain forms of cultural and unintentional bias". The inquiry
said it had found an "institutional mindset" at the BBC when it came to the EU and a
tendency to "polarise and over-simplify issues". The report concluded: "Whatever the cause
in particular cases, the effect is the same for the outside world, and feels like bias." It added:
"The problem of ignorance among BBC journalists on the EU issue must be addressed as a
matter of urgency." 196
"the training of
Training for journalists journalists and
c 4.u r ■ ■ u v -u * a * ■ v * . a \ editors should
For many years the Commission has contributed to journalists - and also
editors' -training in EU affairs. remain near the
top of the
Recipients, which have been awarded varying amounts for a range of agenda"
projects, include the European Journalism Centre at Maastricht (EJC),
I'Association pour la formation au journalisme europeen in Bordeaux, la Fondation journalisme
en Europe in Paris and the European Journalists' Association. 197
'Local and
The Commission's 2002 paper on a 'Communication Policy for Europe' said
I that "the training of journalists and editors should remain near the top of
regional media the agenda," 198 and following the French and Dutch no votes in 2005, the
should be trained Commission decided that "Training for journalists on EU affairs will be
and given the stepped up to respond to increasing requests and needs." 199 It added:
opportunity to "Special attention will be devoted to accommodating student journalists
pn t il. in the Commission's programme of internships."
paci o x e A Commission staff working document said: "Local and regional media
European should be trained and given the opportunity to present the impact of
integration the European integration process to their audiences." 200
process to their
audiences" According to the website of the European Journalism Centre, in the past
15 years more than 9,000 journalists have participated in its training
programme. It "offers short, intensive seminars for journalists across Europe and beyond" and the
idea is "to give media professionals the background information and the tools to understand the
mechanisms, the impact and the challenges of the European integration process." 201
The EJC works in partnership with the European Journalism Training Association, whose main aim
is "to stimulate European cooperation in journalism education." It receives funding for projects
195 Sunday Times, 27 January 2008
196 BBC online, 30 January 2005 http://news.bbc.co.Uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4213089.stm
197 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2001/com2001_0354en01.pdf
198 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
199 http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/2/2005/EN/2-2005-985-EN-F-0.Pdf
200 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52007SC1265:EN:HTML
201 http://www.ejcseminars.eu/index.php/about-us
45
from the European Commission, as well as from education programmes such as Socrates,
Leonardo, Tempus and Erasmus Mundus, which will be looked at in Part Four. 202
It also partners with the Association of European Journalists, which: "was set up in 1961 in the
then six EEC-countries and was founded by 70 journalists, convinced by the need for European
integration in a democratic way who believed in the potential of journalism to promote
European harmony. For that reason they were determined to defend the freedom of information
and freedom of the press in Europe." 203
It is a member of the European Movement, which, as we will see in the next section, received
more than €2. 5m from the Commission between 2005 and 2007, with much of it no doubt
filtering through to its member organisations. A recent newsletter read:
"As journalists and as people committed to the European integration process I think we have
good reasons to feel satisfaction this year: after a long period of uncertainty and pessimism
as a consequence of the failed constitutional referenda in France and The Netherlands, the
Treaty of Lisbon, recently signed by the heads of government of the 27 member states allows
us to observe the future less fretfully." 204
The UK section of the AEJ says it is "independent" and "self-funding", but in the following
sentence reveals: "We arrange for leading newsmakers from across Europe to give briefings to
us about once a month, over lunch at the office of the European Parliament in London." 205
Just over €1 million is set aside in the 2008 budget for "Training seminars for journalists", and
€550,000 for "Exchanges with the media". 206
The Commission also hosts meetings between editors and Commissioners. A recent Commission
working paper laid plans for "Regular information exchange with editors", called for
"Commissioners accompanied by journalists", and observed that "The President speaks more
frequently to editors and the individual spokes have generally increased their focus on
editors". 207 Other Commission plans have talked about "The possibilities of inviting journalists
and/or photographers to accompany Commissioners in their work." 208
Prizes for journalists
The EU also issues prizes for journalists, in a clear attempt to influence the industry. For example,
2008 saw the first European Parliament prize for Journalism, which was awarded in October
2008 "to journalists who have made an outstanding contribution to clarify major issues at
European level or have promoted a better understanding of the institutions or policies of the
European Union." 209
The EU also issues prizes for journalists via the UACES-Reuters 'Reporting Europe' Lecture and
Awards Ceremony. In 2008 the awards went to the BBC's Alan Little for his piece The Road to
202 http://www.ejta.eu/index.php/website/about/
203 http://www.aej. org/index.php?page=about-the-aej
204 http://www.aej. org/index.php?page=newsletter
205 http://www.aej-uk.org/
206 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/prog2008_en.pdf
207 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:52007SC1265:EN:HTML
208 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/communication_annex_en.pdf
209 https://www.eppj.eu/EPPJ_en.html
46
Rome, which was broadcast on Radio 4 and on the World Service, and which was described as
"a programme of great interest and subtlety, challenging Euro-myths from both pro- and anti-
EU perspectives while succeeding in making the EU a human interest story."
Although the award apparently "acknowledges high quality, informed journalism on any aspect
of the EU from either a positive or critical perspective during 2007," 210 is it right that journalists
- particularly BBC journalists who must be independent and neutral - receive financial and
prestigious awards from a political body? There could be some significant subconscious
propaganda value in such awards.
I EU merchandise
Like a multinational company, the EU also has its own branded promotional goods which it
distributes free to members of the public - particularly to teachers for their schoolchildren.
All EU institutions have free merchandise available. The UK Office of the European Parliament,
for example, says on its website: "We send out more than a million items annually, including
brochures and promotional items, such as balloons, pens and maps.
A lot of material goes to MEPs' constituency offices, schools and "We send out more
colleges." 211 than a m j||j on j tems
*/i x. 4-u c- ^-« a ■ * u 4.u ■ annually, including
Many of the EU s different programmes and projects have their 3
own, specifically branded material. For example, advertising the brochures ana
Commission's Audiovisual Service involved "Development and promotional items,
production of a series of promotional materials (Press kits. Letter such as balloons,
paper. Standard pens. Light pens. Note pads. Lanyards, Cotton bags, pens and maps"
USB sticks. Fruit sweets)." 212
A 2002 report on the results of the European Year of Languages 2001 revealed that the European
Commission had "produced and distributed about two million promotional items (posters, tee-
shirts, postcards, pens, pencil boxes, notepads, balloons, plastic bags, mouse mats). There were
materials suitable for most target groups, with a strong emphasis on children." 213
The EU even dished out canvas briefcases with logos on the front for its public event "35th
anniversary of the Eurobarometer" in Paris in November 2008.
J Other examples of advertising and promotion
The EU ran a particularly robust PR campaign in the run-up to the 2004 enlargement of the EU
to ten new Eastern and Central European countries. It involved activities in both the existing
member states and the prospective ones.
For example, it spent £500,000 hiring a PR agency to "inform the German public on a broad basis
about EU enlargement." It involved an EU 'Infobus-Tour', which went around 60 towns,
particularly within the former East Germany, in order to "convince Germans of the benefits of
European Union enlargement", according to PR Week. 2 ™
210 http://uaces.Org/ReportingOnEurope.htm#2007Little
211 http://www.europarl.org.uk/pubIications/pdf/EuroP_A5.pclf
212 http://www.media-consulta.com/fileadmin/content/MediaLibary/PDF/DG_Comm_camp_engl_screen.pdf
213 http://ec.europa.eu/education/ianguages/pdf/doc615_en.pdf
47
It also gave £200,000 in grants in the UK in 2003 alone "to fund promotional activity surrounding
EU enlargement". 215 Some of the type of organisations that received the funds are looked at in
Part Two.
The Diversity Truck Tour
In addition to the EU Info Bus, which continues to operate in neighbouring EU countries such as
Albania 216 , another example of the EU's "mobile information service" efforts is the "For Diversity,
Against Discrimination" Truck Tour, which the EU has run every year since 2004.
A huge yellow truck tours EU countries, bringing "information about EU anti-discrimination laws
to people all over Europe by stopping in different towns and cities for a day of activities in which
visitors are invited to participate... These include debates, quizzes, karaoke, plus performances
from local singers and musicians."
In 2008, the truck stopped at "a wide range of events including music and cultural festivals,
employment fairs, universities, as well as youth and sporting events in 10 EU countries."
The Commission says that the 2007 Truck Tour alone reached 3 million people, many of them
schoolchildren. 217
Activities include: the Ability Park, where participants are invited to "Navigate this wheelchair
obstacle course to better understand the problems faced everyday by disabled people"; the
Diversity Song Contest and the Diversity Game Show. 218
In-flight magazine ads
The European Commission also runs traditional publicity campaigns to raise the profile of EU
bodies and agencies. For example, one campaign, launched in December 2006 and called
"Whatever you do, we work for you", served to promote the EU's plethora of agencies, which
"provide services, information and know-how to the EU Member States and their citizens." 219
The EU set up a website and even placed adverts in in-flight magazines on large airlines. 220
214 21 March 2003
215 PrWeek, 8 November 2002
216 http://www.delalb.ec.europa.eu/en/audio_visualjibrary/european_weeks/2008/02_mayeu_info_bus_in_durres_0
217 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/eyeq/index.cfm7ca t_id=TT
218 http://www.trucktour.info/index. php?language=en
219 http://ec.europa.eu/europedirect/docs/newsletter/newsletter_8_en.pdf
220 http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_34062_EN_Drugnet55.pdf
48
2
Funding the cheerleaders: Paying NGOs, think-
tanks and lobby groups to promote the EU
"There are those who say that the Commission can only fund purely information-related
activities. This misses the point. To achieve greater citizen involvement in European life, it will
be necessary to go beyond merely providing them with information. It is essential that Europe's
citizens are well informed on matters such as the proposed Constitution and elections to the
European Parliament. That is more than just about supporting the activities of a think tank. The
average elector will not be prompted to vote in a European parliamentary election because of
some theoretical discussions emanating from a think tank. Consequently, the Commission will
have to accept that it will have to fund movements which encourage citizens to play an active
role in European life"
Fernand Herman, President of the Belgian branch of the Union of European Federalists 221
Every year the EU gives away hundreds of millions of euros in grants to organisations which
promote its aims. Many of them are think-tanks and NGOs which exist to promote EU integration
quite directly, championing the EU as a success and calling for a stronger, more centralised EU.
Others are interest groups and representative organisations which have wider interests but lobby
the EU to represent these interests when shaping policies, or call for the EU to play a greater role
in a certain area. By paying them grants, the EU arguably influences them and leads them to
produce what is often then wrongly termed "independent" advice and input into EU policy.
Some organisations do both of these things.
The EU says it funds outside organisations as a way of "reaching out to civil society" 222 claiming
it uses them to consult, gather information about what citizens want and input it into policy. But
in reality, with so many of the recipients of EU money supporting and even promoting the EU,
this is just a clever method of outsourcing its propaganda effort.
In some cases the funds are extremely difficult to trace, making this is an effective way of
promoting the EU without really being seen to do so. It is a far more subtle strategy than those
detailed in the previous chapter, and one which the EU rarely finds itself having to justify, because
it remains, for the most part, beyond the range of the public eye.
Like the Commission, the UK Government has also tried to use this fact to its advantage. Back in
2005, when the UK was planning to hold a referendum on the original version of the EU
Constitution, the Government said that "not a single penny" of EU money would be spent
promoting the EU Constitution in Britain, and very publicly told the Commission not to spend any
of a dedicated €8 million (£5.5 million) budget. 223
But as the Times pointed out, the Commission had already spent large amounts promoting the
Constitution through its opaque system of EU grants, and would continue to fund its general
"information" campaigns about the EU in Britain.
221 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
222 http://blogs.ec.europa.eu/wallstrom/call-for-action-3/
223 The Times, 18 February 2005
49
For example, it gave €10,551 to Hull University to "raise awareness and understanding" of the
Constitution, and €25,000 to Liverpool Hope University College, to help school pupils and students to
find out about the Constitution. It gave the Foreign Policy Centre €38,318 for a conference on the
Constitution, and €48,601 to the Institute for Citizenship in London to hold a series of seminars on it.
It also paid €18,233 to Europaworld, a non-profit company in Wales, to set up a website to educate
people about the Constitution and send information to secondary schools. 224
The advantages can also work in the other direction, with NGOs and charities being upheld as
independent supporters of EU policy, without the public realising that they have an interest,
since they are funded by the EU.
During the 2008 parliamentary debate on the Lisbon Treaty in the UK, Foreign Minister David
Miliband, in an effort to garner support for the Treaty in Parliament, announced that it was not
just the Government that was in favour of the Treaty, but a whole range of NGOs. He said: "The
NSPCC pledged its support, as have One World Action, Action Aid and Oxfam... Environmental
organisations support the treaty provisions on sustainable development and even the
commission of bishops supports the treaty. This is a coalition, not of ideology, but integrity". 225
However, it turned out that at least four out of the five groups mentioned are funded by the
EU 226 - some very heavily - and most of them also get bungs from the British Government. As
Daniel Hannan MEP pointed out: "Hardly surprising, then, that they should dutifully endorse a
treaty supported by their paymasters." 227
According to a written answer by the Commission, in 2007 alone ActionAid, the NSPCC, One
World Action and Oxfam received more than €43 million between them. 228 Oxfam alone received
€33. 6m - at the very least. 229 Previous data shows that Oxfam received a total of €72 million
between 2005 and 2007. 23 ° ActionAid received €5. 5m in 2007, bringing its total in the three years
between 2005 and 2007 to more than €1 1 m. 231 One World Action received €2.4m, and the NSPCC
received €1, 480. 232
It is extremely difficult to put a figure on exactly how much in total the EU spends funding
outside organisations. The main problem is that funds for organisations are scattered throughout
the various headings of the enormous EU budget. Every policy area the EU is involved in involves
some grantmaking to outside organisations - whether it be Communication, External Affairs,
Employment and Social Affairs, or Education and Culture - for the purposes of carrying out work
that promotes the EU agenda.
224 As a side point, since it relates to UK Government money rather than EU money, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also set up an "EU Constitution Team"
with a budget of £613,000 for 2004-05, plus staff costs of £542,819 for the same period. In a written answer the Government confirmed that the Team's
programme budget was being used to pay the costs of "agencies for partnership marketing":
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo050315/text/50315w17.htm Elsewhere, it confirmed that the Team had held meetings with
Britain in Europe - the pro-euro lobby group which no longer exists:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo050606/text/50606w01.htm
225 21 January 2008, Hansard, Column 1241
226 The fifth -the Bishops' organisation - is strongly suspected of receiving EU funds but it has not been possible to prove. The Commission has said that it
"cannot exclude" that it may have received EU funding in the past (See below)
227 http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2008/05/dan-hannan-mep.html
228 Written Answer from the Commission 21/02/2008, following Written Question P-0389/08 by Dan Hanan
229 In its answer the Commission pointed out that its statistics don't include "structural funds via calls for tender managed by Member States' authorities or grants
under indirect centralised management".
230 Combination of two answers: http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdfandWrittenAnswerfrom the Commission 21/02/2008, following
Written Question P-0389/08 by Dan Hanan
231 Combination of two answers: http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdfandWrittenAnswerfrom the Commission 21/02/2008, following
Written Question P-0389/08 by Dan Hanan
232 In December 2007 the NSPCC issued a statement welcoming the Lisbon Treaty and calling for "speedy ratification in all member states." It later withdrew the
statement, admitting it had gone too far for a non-political charity. However, nobody there was disciplined and the charity's chief executive, Dame Mary Marsh,
whose name the statement was in, said she could not remember saying or authorising the statement (Mail on Sunday, 1 9 October 2008)
50
After asking a series of questions to the Commission about EU funding for outside organisations,
Christopher Heaton-Harris MEP estimates that EU money going to organisations which promote the
EU amounts to "well over £1 bn", and that £250m is spent on NGOs with "very strong political and
policy agendas." However, he acknowledges that this is likely to be a huge underestimate, because it
accounts only for those organisations which the Commission has answered specific questions about.
Many grants are paid out from obscure budget lines hidden deep in the EU budget. 233
Another problem with trying to work out just how much is spent and what on is that many
organisations receive funds not directly from the EU, but through a complicated funding network
whereby EU funds trickle down to them away of the public eye.
A typical example is the European Movement, which seeks to "contribute to the establishment
of a united, federal Europe". It is an international organisation which has branches in 42
European countries. The UK branch vociferously claims it does not receive any funding from the
EU institutions, but no doubt must see some of the millions of euros paid to the International
branch directly from the EU each year.
Likewise, (though in a sense in an inverted fashion), the UK-based 'Coalition for the Reform
Treaty', described as "a network of organisations and individuals advancing a positive view on
the proposed EU Reform Treaty" and which campaigned in favour of the Lisbon Treaty during
the run-up to ratification in the UK, makes no mention of any EU funding on its website.
However, a closer look at its 15 constituent members shows that at least 6 of them receive EU
funding.
These are: the Global Public Policy Institute, whose website reveals: "GPPI has received grants
from the European Commission" 234 ; the Jean Monnet Association, whose website says it gets
"permanent funds forthe administration and programmes of the Houjarray House, provided by
the European Parliament, the European Commission and Association membership fees" 235 ;
Demos, which runs a project called 'Children of Europa', 235 which is part-funded by the European
Cultural Foundation, which receives EU funding (through the TACIS IBPP Programme) 237 ; the
European Movement (see above); the Foreign Policy Centre, which received, for instance,
€38,318 from the Commission in 2003 for a "private, high-level, 2-day conference event in July
2004 concentrating on the foreign and security aspects of the draft Treaty for a European
Constitution" and 4 publications 238 ; and the Federal Union, which is the UK section of the heavily-
funded Union of European Federalists (see below).
Some of the nine other members of the Coalition could well be the recipients of EU funds. One
is Policy Network, whose honorary Chair is former EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson and whose
Vice Chairs include Roger Liddle, former advisor to Commission President Jose Barroso and Maria
Joao Rodrigues, Special Advisor to the European Commission; another is the Jean Monnet Circle,
which has no website but whose name would suggest a strong correlation with the EU; and
another is the European League of Economic Cooperation, which is closely linked to the
International European Movement, and celebrated its 60th anniversary in the European
Parliament in 2006. 239
233 http
234 http
235 http
236 http
237 http
238 http
239 http
//conservativehome. blogs.com/platform/2008/08/chris-heaton-ha. htm I
//www.gppi. net/research/
//www.jean-monnet.net/usmain3.html
//www.demos.co.uk/projects/childrenofeuropa/overview
//www.eurocult.org/about-us/our-funders/
//ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_uk_fr.pdf
//www.elec-lece.eu/B2RA06 E.htm
51
So taxpayers' money has been used to promote the EU Lisbon Treaty in the UK by a coalition
which makes no mention of its EU funding.
Incidentally, an ICM poll in November 2004 found that 71% of people think the Government
should not be allowed to spend taxpayers' money promoting the EU Constitution. 240 No doubt
they would feel the same about the EU spending taxpayers' money for the same thing.
Another problem with trying to find out who gets what and why is that information is very
difficult to locate, and what information is available is scant and incomplete. Through the use
of questions asked of the Commission by Members of the European Parliament, and the use of
scattered sources listing recipients, it has been possible to put together a list of some of the
organisations the EU is funding.
The list is by no means exhaustive - there are hundreds, probably thousands - of organisations
on the EU payroll. For the sake of space only a small minority are listed here. There are far less
here than we know about, not to mention all those we don't know about. The list is mostly
restricted to UK or Brussels-based organisations, but similar organisations exist in every country
throughout the EU.
Figures for how much has been received are minimum amounts, since they refer to amounts
received from those particular projects we have been able to locate, or from single institutions,
such as the Commission, when in fact they may also receive funding from other institutions such
as the European Parliament. The amounts cited are there to prove that these organisations,
which often describe themselves as 'independent', in fact receive EU money.
There is an astonishing number of organisations campaigning in favour of EU integration and
supporting the EU's aims and objectives, which are on the EU payroll, year after year. Below is a
list of just a few examples of the types of organisations involved, divided very roughly into those
that seek to promote EU integration in general, and those that are paid to lobby the Commission
on more specific policy issues.
1 Groups paid to promote the EU
The European Movement
The EU's funding of the European Movement is one of the most blatant examples of the
outsourced propaganda effort.
The most recent available figures show that the European Movement received more than €2.5
million in EU funds between January 2005 and October 2007. 241 For instance it received a €56,359
grant under the "Europe for Citizens" project 2007-201 3. 242
The organisation exists to promote the idea of an ever closer union, and is very open about this.
Its website states:
"Since 1948, the European Movement has played an essential role in the process of European
integration by exercising its influence on European and national institutions. It fought in favour
240 http://www.openeurope.org. uk/media-centre/article.aspx?newsid=368
241 The exact sum is €2,552,005. Parliamentary Question 4449/07 to 4455/07: Summary of Payments by Legal Entity 2005-2006-2007
242 Action 2, measure 3
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
52
of the direct election of the European Parliament by all European citizens, in favour of the Treaty
on the European Union and also for a European Constitution. Its objective was to transform the
relations between the European States and its citizens into a Federal
"Since 1948, the European Union."-
buropean Q ver ^ e y earSj j ts presidents have included such European luminaries
Movement has a s Paul-Henri Spaak, Robert Schuman and Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Its
played an essential current President is Pat Cox, a former President of the European
role in the process Parliament, and one of its Vice-Presidents is Jo Leinen, a high-profile
of European Member of the European Parliament.
Extraordinarily, despite this, and despite receiving millions of euros
worth of funding over the last few years alone (it would be
influence on interesting to know how much it is has received since its creation in
European and 1948), the EM's website states: "The EMI is independent from
national governments, European institutions and political parties." 244
institutions"
The European Movement in turn funds other organisations which
exist to promote the EU. One such organisation, which is now
defunct, was Britain in Europe, the UK campaign group in favour of the euro and the EU
Constitution (see below).
It is represented in 44 European countries and regroups 23 international associations. The UK
branch shares the same objectives as the international movement. Its website states:
"European integration is necessary to enable effective solutions to be applied to common
problems.... A politically united Europe is needed to sweep aside the petty tribalism that has
historically, at the very least, been an obstacle to progress or, at its worst, has led to bitter
conflict and a catastrophic loss of human life. Europe must be united as a region of law, justice
and democracy, equipped with the institutions capable of achieving these ends." 245
Meanwhile the website of the Irish branch reads:
"You know, the
"The European Movement Ireland (EMI) is an independent, European Union is
voluntary membership organisation that works to publicise the i^ j Wpptabix
work of the EU, and Ireland's role in it... We aim to show that '
Ireland's place should be at the heart of Europe and it benefits us You know !t s 9 oocl
to be there." 246 for y° u ' but lt#s J ust
tough to get
"You know, the European Union is like dry Weetabix. You know through"
it's good for you, but it's just tough to get through. The EU
permeates so many areas of daily life in Ireland, from the coins in
your pockets to the bus that gets you around the place, to preventing people putting horse
meat in your sausages without telling you. It is pretty mundane stuff, but like gravity, you'd
only start missing it if it wasn't there." 247
243 http://www.europeanmovement.org/history.cfm
244 http://www.euromove.org. uk/index.php?id=6451
245 http://www.euromove.org. uk/index.php?id=645 5
246 http://www.europeanmovement.ie/
247 http://www.europeanmovement.ie/campaigns.php
53
One of the Irish European Movement's most recent publications, released during the Lisbon
Treaty referendum campaign, was a highly emotive mock tabloid spread inviting readers to
"imagine a future where there is no EU".
Pointing out that the demise of the EU would mean the loss of the right to live, work and vote
in 27 other countries, it also ran headlines such as "Farmers and shoppers fight pitched battles
in Dublin streets over farm solidarity tax"; "Government collapse"; "Tariff war breaks out in
Europe"; "Flooding in Europe"; and "European countries beg US & India at US-India-China trade
talks". Clearly, the message, though satirical, was one of total failure and chaos in a world
without the EU. 248
While it is clear that the national branches of the European Movement share the same objectives
of promoting the European Union as the international branch, the funding channels between
them are opaque.
The European Movement's branch in the UK states very clearly that it does not receive funding
from the EU.
It says: "The European Movement is funded entirely by membership subscriptions and private
donations. It receives no money from the British Government, from political parties, or from the
European Union or any of its institutions (the Council, the Commission, or the European
Parliament)." [bold emphasis in the original]. 249
However, a look at its accounts, registered at Companies House, proves that while the UK branch
may not have been the direct recipient of EU funds, it has benefited from funds filtered down
from the heavily-funded international branch. The accounts reveal that:
"In the course of the year, the European Movement published a number of news letters.
Meeting and campaigns were organised at national and local level. In particular, following a
successful bid by the International European Movement, a number of meetings by the
branches but open to the public were held, partly funded by the European Commission under
its 'Speak up for Europe' programme. The purpose of these meetings is to achieve wider
understanding of areas of EU policy and action. These are continuing."
And in fact the UK branch has admitted to direct EU funding in the past. An archived version of
its website states: "From time to time, it receives small grants from the European Commission for
specific information projects - as distinct from its political campaigning - but such grants have
never amounted to more than a small proportion of its income." 250
Unlike the UK and Irish branches, the websites of many of the other sub-branches openly state
that they receive Commission funding. The site of the Belgium branch lists the European
Commission as one of its sponsors under the banner: "The European Movement Belgium thanks
its sponsors for their support for a united Europe". 251
The European Movement also has a youth branch - the Young European Movement. Its website
states: "The Young European Movement's main policy is to 'contribute to the establishment of
248 http://www.europeanmovement.ie/doc/ThelrishStun12June2018.pdf
249 http://www.euromove.org. uk/index.php?id=6330
250 http://web.archive.org/web/2001 1 109035333/www.no-euro.com/funding.html
251 http://www.mouvement-europeen.be/index. html ?current=72&page=72&page2=72&lang=fr
54
a united, federal Europe founded on the respect for basic human rights, peace principles,
democratic principles of liberty and solidarity and citizens' participation'." 252
Union of European Federalists
The Union of European Federalists received €354,681 between January
2005 and October 2007, 253 and then another €137,000 in November
2007 under the "Europe for Citizens" programme. 254 In previous years
it has received automatic funding from the EU without even having
to put in a bid under the Active European Citizenship programme. 255
It is a political lobbying group that promotes the European project
alongside other organisations such as the European Movement, of
which it is a member. 255
According to its website:
"The Union of
European
Federalists (UEF) is
a nongovernmental
and supranational
organisation
dedicated to the
promotion of a
democratic and
federal Europe"
"The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is a nongovernmental and supranational
organisation dedicated to the promotion of a democratic and federal Europe. It unites
constituent organizations and federalists from 20 European countries and all age groups. It
has been active at the European, national and local levels for now 60 years. Not being
affiliated to any political party, UEF is an autonomous political movement. It cooperates with
and seeks to influence European, national and local institutions, parties and associations.
Among its supporters are decision-makers from a wide political spectrum, which allows the
UEF to influence daily politics of the European Union more effectively." 257
The Federal Union in the UK is one of its constituent members. It promotes the euro, the EU
Constitution (Lisbon Treaty) and in general a stronger EU. It believes that:
"At the heart of the British attitude to Europe is a misconception. We know that our own
political system is highly centralised, and we often assume that any European system must
inevitably go the same way. But this is not the case. If the European
Union continues to develop in a federalist direction, democracy
will be strengthened and over-centralisation prevented, and not
the reverse." 258
As further evidence of how EU money trickles down to outside
organisations, the Federal Union also used to be based in the same
office as the UK branch of the European Movemement, at 7 Graphite
Square, London. 259
"If the European
Union continues to
develop in a
federalist direction,
democracy will be
strengthened"
://www.yem .org.uk/about.htm I
://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf and
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action3 2.pdf
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/documents/legalbasis/[egalbasis_en.pdf
://en.federaleurope.org/index.php?id=5047
://www.europeanmovement.org/all_members.cfm?start=21
://www.federaleurope.org/fileadmin/files_uef/U EF_JEF_White_book_review_29_9_06.pdf
://www.federalunion. org.uk/europe/index.shtm I
://www.fedtrust.co.uk/default.asp?groupid=5
260 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
252
http
253
http
254
http
http:
255
http
256
http
http:
257
http
258
http
259
http
55
Young European Federalists
"TheaimofJEF
The Young European Federalists received €132,927 from the EU between is to work for
January 2005 and October 2007. 260 They took part in the Commission's the creation of
'Speak up Europe!' campaign which was part of plan D for Democracy, a European
holding a meeting to evaluate the findings of the project. It is also a federation"
member of the European Movement. 251
Its mission statement reads:
"The Young European Federalists (JEF) is a supranational, political pluralistic youth
organisation with about 25.000 members in over 35 European countries. The aim of JEF is to
work for the creation of a European federation, as a first step towards peace and more free,
just and democratic society. Our ideas are spread through international activities and youth
exchanges, publications, public actions and co-operation with other youth organisations." 262
A recent film by the Young European Federalists showed a group of young people dancing
around in "Generation Europe" T-shirts and waving EU flags to the tune of "Breakfast at
Tiffany's", with the original lyrics replaced with: "Some say, that we've got nothing in
common... No cultural ties to build on... The project just can't work... Some say, nationalism
will break us... Conservatives will fight us... But trust us we really do care... And we shout
what about... Europe United... Peace and safety for all of the people... Democracy, freedom,
subsidiarity... Federalism, the solution we've got." 263
The Young European Federalists recently launched a 'yes' campaign for the Irish referendum on
the Lisbon Treaty under the banner "European Youth for an Irish 'YES'", saying, "Following the
negative referendum results on the Constitution and the political crisis
"JEF believes it is tnat Euro P e was faced with it, JEF believes it is crucial to put the EU back
■ i + + 4.u on track on the road to unification and stabilisation." 264
crucial to put the
EU back on track The YEF has g | so ca || ed for a sing | e E(J Olympic team. In reaction to
on the road to newspaper coverage of the proposal, the President of the YEF released
unification and an extraordinary statement saying:
stabilisation"
"It's great to see that the British press have reacted so passionately to
the proposed European Olympic Team, especially since this is the year
that team GB finally showed the continent and the world that Britain is not only the heart
disease, cancer and diabetes capital of the world, nor the couch potato Rupert Murdoch
reading state that everyone makes it out to be. No! Brits really do love playing sports, and
winning at them too!... It may be the case that team GB did better than usual in these
Olympics. Perhaps they fed their athletes with Special K instead of the usual fried chips 'n
egg. Mmmm, they're learning." 265
261 http://www.europeanmovement.org/all_members.cfm?start=1 1
262 http://www.federaleurope.org/fileadmin/files_uef/UEF_JEF_White_book_review_29_9_06.pdf
263 Available here: http://www.bobpiper.co.uk/2008/05/pass_the_sick_bucket_1 .php
264 http://www.yes2lisbon.eu/
265 2 5 August 2008 http://www.jef.eu/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51 5<emid=1
266 http://www.tepsa.be/Report%20of%20Activities%202006_GB26FEbfin%5B1%5D.doc
267 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_uk_fr.pdf
56
The Federal Trust for Education and Research
The Federal Trust is a member of the Commission-funded TEPSA 266 (see below), and UACES. In
2003 it received £42,005 from the European Commission for a project called "Countdown to
Enlargement." 257 It has also contributed to the Commission-funded project "Debating our
Common European Future", by arranging public lectures and debates and publishing
pamphlets. 268 It operates as a charity. 269
Its website states:
"Since its establishment a central focus of the Federal Trust's work has been on European
studies, ranging from Britain's relationship to Europe, to promoting democracy and
effectiveness in the European Communities and now Union. The projects the Trust undertakes
fulfil two basic aims: to conduct research on the European dimension of government and to
enhance the debate on European integration."
In 2006 the Federal Trust co-hosted a debate to mark the EU's 50th anniversary ,with the
European Movement and Chatham House, called "Europe, the next 50 years", at which the
speakers and panel were drawn exclusively from the Europhile community.
The speakers were Geoff Hoon (then Minister for Europe), Wolfgang Ischinger (German
ambassador), Peter Sutherland (former EU Commissioner), Peter Mandelson (then EU
Commissioner), Ken Clarke (pro-euro Conservative), and Charles Kennedy (now head of the UK
branch of the European Movement). The panel were James Elles MEP, Lord Hannay (former Perm
Rep to the EEC), Denis MacShane MP (pro-euro former Europe Minister), Philip Stephens (FT)
and Richard Whitman (Chatham House). 270
Britain in Europe
Founded in 1999, Britain in Europe campaigned in Britain in favourof the euro, and subsequently
in favour of the European Constitution, until it was wound up in 2005 and its resources given
over to the European Movement.
According to information Britain in Europe released about the names of individuals and
companies from which it received donations of more than £5,000, the campaign was part-funded
by the European Movement, which, as we have seen, receives around a million euros a year from
the EU. 271
European Council on Foreign Relations
As its website reads, the European Council on Foreign Relations was launched in October 2007
"to promote a more integrated European foreign policy in support of shared European interests
and values." Its Chief Executive is Mark Leonard, author of 2005 publication "Why Europe will
run the 21st Century", described by the journal Foreign Affairs as "the most provocative and
thoughtful book to celebrate the EU" 272
268 http://www.fedtrust.co. uk/default.asp?groupid=6
269 http://www.fedtrust.co. uk/default.asp?groupid=1
270 http://www.fedtrust.co. uk/default.asp?groupid=9
271 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain_in_Europe
272 http://markleonard.net/books/whyeurope/
273 http://www.soros.org/about
57
The European Council on Foreign Relations is part funded by the Soros Foundations Network, an
international organisation founded and chaired by the billionaire George Soros, which received
€225,451 of EU funds between January 2005 and October 2007 under the name the Open Society
Institute, "a private operating and grantmaking foundation". 273
The Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
"The world
Brussels-based CEPS receives an annual policy grant from the EU. Its needs more of
website openly states that in 2007, 30% of its €6.1 million income ._ , . .
x 4. x 4. j -j u xu mi ■ x-x x- 77d Europe and it
came from contracts tendered by the EU institutions. 274
needs more like
For example, it received a €119,341 grant in 2007 underthe "Europe for Europe"
Citizens" programme 275 , as well as €99,466 under the Commission's
External Action budget 276 , and has been selected to receive a €120,000 grant in 2008. 277
In a recent interview, CEPS Founding Director Peter Ludlow described CEPS as "part of the
Brussels policy process." 278 He said:
"The world needs more of Europe and it needs more like Europe... With the possible
exception of Britain, where the political rhetoric is worse than ever, the European dimension
is now so much part of the daily life of member state governments that ministers and officials
know that they have no alternative but to make Europe work. The process of Europeanisation
has furthermore become a hugely important catalyst of change in the member states. You can
see this most obviously in the new member states, but the European dimension is also very
important in the older member states."
Friends of Europe
This is by its very definition a pro-integration body which aims "to foster open debate on the
future of Europe... to provide an open forum for debate for EU and national policymakers,
NGOs, business leaders, media and civil society" 279 It publishes the journal Europe's World, and
holds frequent events at which key Commission personnel often speak.
The website states that the Friends of Europe are "completely independent and have no national
or political bias". However it then goes on to say:
"Friends of Europe's activities are directed by a board of trustees that is truly European. Under
the chairmanship of Viscount Etienne Davignon, one of the masterminds of European
integration, the board is made up of men and women from different walks of life, who hold
positions of senior responsibility in European affairs. They are men and women who have in
common a commitment to the European project, and whose influence also spreads beyond
the fringes of the EU." 280
Viscount Etienne Davignon is a former Vice-President of the European Commission, and the
5 members of the Praesidium include Pat Cox, President of the European Movement
274 http://www.ceps.be/wAbout. php?article_id=1
275 Action 2, measure 1 and 2 call for proposals 12/06
http
276 http
277 http
278 http
279 http
280 http
58
//eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action2_1 2_2006.pdf
//ec.europa.eu/external_relations/grants/grants_awarded/beneficiaries_2007_en.pdf
//eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
//www.ceps.eu/Article.php?article_id=581
//www.friendsofeurope.org/Aboutus/tabid/592/Default.aspx
//www.friendsofeurope.org/Aboutus/tabid/592/Default.aspx
International and a former President of the European Parliament, who is also Managing
Director of a company called European Integration Solutions; Jean-Luc Dehaene, an MEP and
Vice President of the Convention on the Future of Europe, which drew up the EU
Constitution; and former EU Commissioners Pascal Lamy and Antonio Vitorino. Italian
politician Giuliano Amato, who was Vice President of the Convention on the Future of
Europe, is among the extensive list of Trustees, as is Peter Mandelson; Javier Solana; former
EU Commissioner Michel Barnier; and MEPs Enrique Baron Crespo, Jean-Louis Bourlanges
and Elmar Brok - to name just a few. 281
Between January 2005 and October 2007, Friends of Europe received €396,157 from the
Commission. 282 It has also been selected to receive a Commission grant of €174,800 under the
"Europe for Citizens" programme. 283
The European Policy Centre
The European Policy Centre (EPC) in Brussels says it "is an independent, not-for-profit think tank,
committed to making European integration work." 284
It received €389,876 from the Commission between January 2005 and October 2007. In 2008 it
won a €1 50,000 grant from the Commission under the "Europe for Citizens programme". 285
The EPC's Senior Executive Elizabeth Bisland told a conference in Brussels in 2005: "I will now turn
to the criteria for operating grants. I will list these criteria because I think it is a matter of choice...
Most importantly I think the themes they are working on have to be themes that are crucial to
the realisation of the European integration process, for example the missions and values of the
Union, the EU economic and social model." 286
Institute of European Affairs
The Dublin-based Institute of European Affairs, which also has a branch in Brussels, is a lobbying
think tank and registered charity "established with the objective of identifying challenges posed
by further European integration and evaluating strategic policy options. We seek to involve
relevant stakeholders, policy-makers and opinion-formers in this process, enhance the quality of
Irish policy formation, and inform public opinion."
The tenor of its direction appears to be more integrationist than not. Over half of its honorary
positions are held by serving and former Irish Commissioners. 287
Evidence of where its allegiances lie can be found in its description of the Lisbon Treaty:
"The Treaty is to be the last institutional reform adopted by the European Union for
some time, designed to prepare the EU and its Member States to collectively face future
challenges, such as international terrorism and trans-border criminality, climate change.
281 http://www.friendsofeurope.org/Aboutus/Whoweare/PraesidiumTrustees/tabid/617/Default.aspx
282 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
283 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
284 http://www.epc.eu/en/ae.asp?TYP=ABOUTSLV=224SPG=AE/en/direct_inSA]=1Ssee=n
285 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
286 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
287 http://www.iiea.com/aboutustest.php
288 http://www.iiea.com/publicationxtest. php?publication_id=33
59
energy and food security, global poverty and stimulating growth and innovation in the
Union's economy." 288
Drawing on just one of its publications, it describes "the considerable extension of qualified
majority voting" in justice and home affairs proposed by the Treaty as "a very important and
welcome development." 289
In 2007 the IEA received a €75,000 grant from the Commission under the "Europe for Citizens"
programme
" 290
Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA)
The TEPSA network, established in 1974, is composed of research institutes
specialising in European and international affairs, located in EU member
states and candidate countries. "The aim of TEPSA is to provide and
strengthen high quality international research on European integration in
order to stimulate discussion on policies and political options for
Europe". 291
"TEPSA prefers
solutions that tend
towards closer
integration"
TEPSA says "It offers a problem-solving approach for those who want the EU to develop. While
trying to be objective about the problems and realistic about the possibilities, TEPSA prefers
solutions that tend towards closer integration, hence is more likely to identify them, and can be
of more use than most other bodies to those in favour of such an approach." 292
The website clearly states: "TEPSA benefits from the support of the European Commission." Its
UK member is the Federal Trust for Education and Research.
It received €254,137 from the Commission between January 2005 and
October 2007. 293 It received a €1 00,000 grant under the "Europe for Citizens"
programme in 2007 294 , and in 2008 will receive a €110,000 grant. 295
Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP)
This youth wing of the centre-right European People's Party in the
European Parliament received €41,584 from the Commission alone in the
two years 2005 and 2006. 296 This is in addition to substantial funds it must
presumably also receive from the European Parliament.
"Hand in hand
with the
enlargement
must go further
integration. For
us there is no
alternative to
European
integration"
It is strongly in favour of further EU integration and exists to promote it.
Its website states: "We believe in the European Union, as it stands for a future of freedom and
security, progress, prosperity and solidarity... Hand in hand with the enlargement must go
further integration. For us there is no alternative to European integration." 297
289 http://www.iiea.com/images/managed/publications_attachments/1_Brosnan.pdf
290 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action2_12_2006.pdf
291 http://www.tepsa.be/
292 http://www.tepsa.be/Report%20of%20Activities%202006_GB26FEbfin%5B1%5D.doc
293 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
294 Action 2, measure 1 and 2 call for proposals 12/06
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action2_12_2006.pdf
295 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
296 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
297 http://www.yepp-online.net/content.php7hm I D=2&sm I D=28
60
It also says it has a "mission to stimulate further integration in Europe." 298 The site's homepage
greets the reader with:
"Dear friends... The enhanced European integration and the vision for a powerful Europe
established on democratic values and liberal principles were the source of the idea for a
European political youth organisation, beyond the European borders, aiming to the
communication and the exchange of different political and cultural experiences." 299
European Youth Forum
The Brussels-based European Youth Forum received more than €3.1 million between January
2005 and October 2007. It "represents and advocates for the needs and interests of all young
people in Europe, through their positive and active participation" and "work[s] to deepen
European integration while at the same time contributing to the development of youth work in
other regions of the world." 300
At the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2007, the Youth Forum issued a declaration in
favour of the recently rejected EU Constitution on behalf of "the young people of Europe." It said:
"We, the young people of Europe, gathered in Rome on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary
of the Treaty of Rome to pay tribute to and continue the vision of those who made it possible
for us to grow up in an environment of peace and prosperity, democracy and rule of law. The
European Union is where we live, study and work together; a place of equality, freedom,
tolerance and solidarity; a process of integration which allows us to preserve our uniqueness
and diversity; an area in which the local, regional, national and European realities coexist
and cooperate for the sake of all of us; a space that will hopefully remain open to integrate
its neighbours." 301
European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN)
EPIN is a network of think tanks and policy institutes focusing on current EU and European
political and policy debates aiming "to contribute to the debate on the Future of Europe through
up to the minute, expert analysis and commentary and through providing easy access to
understanding the different national debates." 302
According to its website:
"EPIN is a network that offers its member institutes the opportunity to contribute to the
'European added-value' for researchers, decision-makers and citizens. The network provides
a platform for researchers and policy analysts to establish personal links, exchange knowledge
and collaborate on EU-related issues. Members bring their national perspectives to bear on
the issues tackled and through collaboration they contribute to establish a 'European added-
value' (e.g. on EU communication, flexible integration). By doing so they strengthen a
common European dimension in the national debates on Europe."
298 http://www.yepp-online.net/content.php7hm I D=2&smlD=27
299 http://www.yepp-online.net/index.php
300 http://www.youthforurn.org/
301 http://europa.eu/50/docs/rome_youth_declaration_en.pdf
302 http://www.epin.org/new/about
61
Its homepage reveals that it receives funding through the Commission's "Europe for Citizens"
programme 2007 -2013.
Its 28 member think tanks include the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, the Centre for
European Reform in London, the Institute of European Affairs in Dublin, and Notre Europe in Paris.
It is not clear from the website whether or not funds that EPIN receives from the EU filter directly
into the member organisations, but the website links to their research and homepages. 303 The
Centre for European Reform in London is a group concentrating on reform of the EU, but which
is broadly in favour of EU integration, arguing, for example, in favour of the Lisbon Treaty -
even after it was rejected by Irish voters in June 2008. 304
European Citizen Action Service (ECAS)
This Brussels-based organisation received more than €3.3 million from the Commission between
January 2005 and October 2007 305 , and also received €153,493 from the Commission in 2008
under the "Europe for Citizens" programme. 306
Despite this, it claims to be "an international non-profit organization, independent of political
parties, commercial interests and the EU Institutions." It says its mission "is to enable NGOs and
individuals to make their voice heard with the EU by providing advice on how to lobby, fundraise,
and defend European citizenship rights."
Among its objectives are "To inform citizens about the new Constitution and how it strengthens
their European rights", and "To campaign for a genuine European citizenship." 307
Citizens of Europe
"We believe that
Based in Berlin, "Citizens of Europe is a network of people from all European
over the continent." Its websites says: integration is both
"We believe that European integration is both a fortunate reality and a tortunate reality
our future. While most discussions and activities still take place in anc ' our future
national contexts, we work together on the fields of debate, culture
and training in order to contribute to the development of a European civil society. Bringing Europe
together is, for us, a matter of mental and cultural change rather than a technocratic process." 308
It received €22,044 under the "Europe for Citizens" 2007-201 3. 309
European Trade Union Confederation
The European Trade Union Confederation received more than €4.8 million from the Commission
between January 2005 and October 2007. 31 °
303 http://www.epin.org/new/memberspubs
304 See , for example http://www.cer.org.uk/articles/61_grant.html
305 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
306 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
307 http://www.ecas-citizens.eu/content/view/1 3/61/1/2/
308 http://panorama.citizens-of-europe.eu/?page_id=6
309 Action 2, measure 3
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
310 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
62
Its website states: "The ETUC's prime objective is to promote the
European Social Model and to work for the development of a "We are promoting Europe
united Europe of peace and stability where working people and down those particular
their families can enjoy full human and civil rights and high channels. We were the
living standards." 311 f jrst t0 support the
._ , Constitution and we are
John Monks, the General Secretary has been extremely open
about the ETUC's role in promoting the EU more generally, campaigning for it"
He told a conference in Brussels in 2005:
"We spread a lot of information about what Europe is doing, and that gets multiplied
through union channels down towards a reasonable proportion of our sixty million
membership. We are promoting Europe down those particular channels.... We were the first
to support the Constitution and we are campaigning for it. We want to make sure that the
vision of Europe - the sense that Europe is something people really want to belong to because
it is a unique part of the world, setting standards for ourselves which we then want to export
to other countries as our model for development and our model of society - seems to me to
be worth fighting for and worth being citizens of. That is the concept we should develop." 312
Many individual trade unions based in Europe receive substantial funding from the EU. Under the
budget heading "Industrial Relations and Social Dialogue" for example, trade unions and other
bodies representing industry received a total of €1 3.6 million from the Commission in 2007 alone. 313
Notre Europe
This Paris-based think-tank was chosen to run the Commission project "Tomorrow's Europe",
budgeted out of the Plan D initiative. 314 It is not clear exactly how much they were paid for it.
With the slogan "Thinking a United Europe", it is strongly pro-integration. In the words of its
President, former Commissioner Pascal Lamy: "Notre Europe has become one of the main centres
of reference regarding European integration. It is run by a small team of researchers who
concentrate on building Europe very much along the lines imagined by Jacques Delors." 315
This should not be confused with the Our Europe association, which was listed as a permanent
beneficiary of EU funds under the 2004-2006 programme "Active European Citizenship". The
reason was that: "The 'Our Europe' Association takes the form of a think tank of personalities
representative of European society and the political, social, economic and scientific worlds to
act as a marketplace for ideas promoting a closer European Union; as such, it pursues an aim of
general European interest." 316
Robert Schuman Foundation
This is a Paris-based organisation which also operates out of Brussels. Its website says it "works
to promote the construction of Europe both with regard to its ideas and in the field alongside
the citizens themselves." 317
311 http://www.etuc.Org/r/2
312 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
313 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/cails/results/2007/vp_2007_001_en.pdf
314 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/grants/index_en.htm
315 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
3 1 6 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/documents/legalbasis/legalbasis_en.pdf
317 http://www.robert-schuman.eu/en_frs_fondation_robert_schuman.php
63
The donations page reads: "By supporting the Robert Schuman Foundation you help to carry on
the work that is being accomplished daily to make Europe accessible to all and to enhance the
emergent common European identity" 318
The Polish Robert Schuman Foundation received €18,491 under the
"Our aim is to "Europe for Citizens" 2007 to 2013 programme, 319 and also partners
encouraqe Polish w ' tn tne European Parliament, suggesting some kind of funding from
citizens to actively there toa 32 °
Its mission statement says: "The Polish Robert Schuman Foundation is
process Ot non-governmental, non-political organization. Our aim is to encourage
unifying Europe" Polish citizens to actively participate in the process of unifying
Europe." 321
As an example of its activities, in May 2008 it held a series of "Polish European Meetings", with
more than 40 "cultural and educational events on European issues" and a 'Schuman Parade',
described as "the biggest and the most cheerful manifestation in support of a united Europe!".
European President Hans-Gert Pottering took part. 322
The Robert Schuman Foundation is not to be confused from the distinct Robert Schuman House,
which, along with the Jean Monnet House, receives annual operating grants from the European
Commission as part of its "action programme to support bodies working in the field of active
European citizenship."
In 2005, for example, Jean Monnet House received € 255.000, while Robert Schuman House
received €128.000. 323
As the EU writes in its Decision 2004/1 00/EC:
"The Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman houses are meeting places forthe people of Europe,
the aim being to set the pioneers and pioneering activities of European integration in the
context in which two of the founding fathers of Europe lived and worked, and to provide
information on today's and tomorrow's Europe; as such, these organisations pursue an aim
of general European interest." 324
Confrontations Europe
This French association received €1 50,000 from the Commission under the "Europe for Citizens"
programme in 2007 325 , and €210,000 in 2008. 325 It also received €171,000 in 2007 under the EU
Social and Employment Affairs grants for "the promotion of industrial relations in Europe." 327
318 http://www.robert-schuman.eu/soutenez-nous.php
319 Action 2, measure 3
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
320 http://www.schuman.org.pl/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=597
321 http://www.euroclubnetwork.eu/component/option,com_contact/task,view/contact_id,1/ltemid,51/
322 http://www.schuman.org.pl
323 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/organisations/call2005/documents/guidelines.0206/guidelinesb_en.pdf
324 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/civilsociety/decision_en.pdf
325 Action 2, measure 1 and 2 call for proposals 12/06
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action2_12_2006.pdf
326 Action 2, measure 1 and 2 call for proposals 30/07
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
327 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/calls/resufts/2007/vp_2007_001_en.pdf
64
Its stated aims include: "To develop a political Union and a European Constitution", "To promote
the development of a civil European society" and "To contribute to the development and the
implementation of a social, economic and cultural European project." 328
La Maison de /'Europe de Paris
This 'House of Europe' received €44,233 under the "Europe for Citizens" programme 329 . It
describes itself as a "House for European citizenship... working for an active and inclusive
European citizenship". 330
This is just one of many in a network of Maisons de I'Europe. Membership of the network must
agree to "promote the European idea." 331 It is a member of the European Movement. 332
Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE)
This is a Brussels-based outfit whose objective is "to promote
reflection, based on the Church's social teaching, on the challenges t ne European
facing a united Europe". 333 project will only
succeed if the
It is completely dedicated to the idea of a united Europe and to people of Europe
promoting that. To take just one example, in its contribution to the Hpvplon hoth an
preparation of the Berlin Declaration in 2006 it wrote: . JL . .
appreciation for
"Fifty years after the Treaties of Rome the European project will ^ ne European
only succeed if the people of Europe develop both an Union and a sense
appreciation for the European Union and a sense of active of active
citizenship. The Berlin Declaration offers an opportunity to citizenship"
explain to EU citizens which values inspire and guide this project
and which ambitions it pursues. If the EU leaders convey to the
people a sense that they are promoters of, and beneficiaries in, a project which has made a
historical and qualitative difference to their lives, they will foster European identity. And if
people see that EU Institutions have improved their consultation methods and have become
more transparent, this should contribute to a deepening sense of active citizenship." 334
In its report, A Europe of Values: the Ethical Dimension of the European Union, COMECE wrote:
"The Community method is designed to achieve the common good rather than simply
reconciling national interests. Therein lies its ethical dimension: the common good is greater
than the sum of individual national interests." 335
As noted by Foreign Secretary David Miliband during a debate in Parliament (see above),
COMECE also campaigned in favour of the Lisbon Treaty ahead of the Irish referendum in June
2008. In October 2007 it issued a press release which read:
328 http://www.confrontations.org/spip.php7rubrique109
329 Action 2, measure 3
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
330 http://www.paris-europe.eu/spip.php7rubrique14
331 http://www.maisondeleurope.org/PG_Membres.htm
332 http://www.europeanmovement.org/all_members.cfm?start=1 1
333 http://www.comece.org/comece.taf?_function=who&id=1&language=en
334 http://www.comece.org/upload/pdf/com_valeurs_061 124_en.pdf
335 http://www.comece.org/upload/pdf/0703_values_EN.pdf
65
"The Reform Treaty, despite its shortcomings and complexity, represents a satisfying institutional
solution for the enlarged EU; it introduces necessary reforms into the decision-making process
that should allow European construction to continue in an efficient and just way." 336
COMECE is strongly suspected of receiving EU funds, but it has been difficult to prove definitively.
Its website states that "COMECE is funded by the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union",
but there is no readily available information about this body.
According to a written answer from the Commission to a question posed by MEP Christopher
Heaton-Harris, "COMECE, the Commission of the Bishops' Conference of the European
Communities has not received any direct Commission funding from the Community budget."
However, it goes on to say:
"The Commission cannot exclude that this organisation could have received such funding before
2005 and continues to mention it in its sources of revenue, either on its website or in other
publicity material. This is mainly due to the fact that the Commission bases its research on the
information available in the ABAC Contract database, which only contains information on
contracts or grants awarded directly by the Commission since 2005, when this database first
came online. In other words, the available information does not cover funding managed by
Member States' authorities under shared management nor funding under indirect centralised
management, for example funding managed through National Agencies or through research
consortia. The Commission cannot verify if other EU institutions gave funds to this association
and invites the Honourable Member to contact each institution's authorities directly" 337
An article in the German Law Journal appears to suggest that COMECE has received at least part of
funds amounting to €40,000 a year 338 , but it is an ambiguous reference which requires clarification.
The European Parliament recently voted against an amendment which would have included
religious groups like COMECE in its definition of lobbyists when it issued new transparency
obligations for interest groups. Comece's spokesperson Johanna Touzel claimed: "We work like
lobbyists but we do not defend particular interests. We fight for the common good." 339
Another religious group which has also cannily avoided having to register on the lobbyists list -
without justification - is EURODIACONIA, a Brussels-based federation of churches, welfare
organisations and NGOs, whose aim is to promote "social Europe" by "influencing decision-
making processes in the European institutions". 340 It received €31,417 under the EU's "Europe for
Citizens" 2007-2013 programme 341 and has also received other funding in previous years. 342
European Cultural Foundation
This Amsterdam-based organisation lists the EU among its funders, and states on its website:
"We are an independent organisation which helps the arts contribute to a strong, united and
diverse Europe built on shared cultural values" 343
336 http://federalunion.org.uk/quotebank/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/comece-press-reforrntreaty-071019-en.pdf
337 30 September 2008, E-4720/2008
338 http://www.germanlawjournal.com/print.php7ict668 November 2005
339 Le Figaro, 9 May 2008
340 http://www.eurodiaconia.org/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41<emid=56
341 Action 2, measure 3 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
342 http://www.eurodiaconia.org/files/AGM/Eurodiaconia%20annual%20report%202006%20lay-out.pdf
343 http://www.eurocult.org/about-us/
66
Euroalter
Based in the Godmanchester in the UK:
"European Alternatives is a civil society organisation dedicated to promoting intellectual
engagement with the idea and future of Europe... European Alternatives strongly believes
in, and actively advocates, the necessity of a new trans-national politics... It is our belief that
the contemporary project of European unification represents potential fertile soil for political
innovation and vehement democratic participation. But Europe must be understood in its
multifaceted political, cultural, and philosophical reality, and the European project cannot
rest content with economic unification." 344
It received €24,352 under the "Europe for Citizens" project 2007-201 3. 345
Burger Europas e.V.
Based in Berlin, Burger Europas e.V. "is an independent non-profit association supporting the
idea of European Integration". 346 It received €14,718 under the "Europe for Citizens" programme
2007-201 3. 347
Association des Etats Generaux des Etudiants de /'Europe (AEGEE)
The Brussels-based AEGEE "is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is
represented by 1 5.000 students, active in 232 academic cities, in 43 countries all around Europe."
It aims "to promote a unified Europe without prejudices... [and a] „,, . r
European dimension in education." The website notes that:
Europe without
"In order to really promote international co-operation and avoid borders has inspired
creating any physical or mental borders AEGEE does not and continues to
recognize any national level or national administration in its inspire generations
unique organizational structure... The dream of Europe without f students from the
borders has inspired and continues to inspire generations of ^ . .,
x _. x s. Ju r x xu axi x- u _. i Caucasus to the
students from the Caucasus to the Atlantic shores and makes
AEGEE permanently developing." 348 Atlantic shores"
It received €228,084 from the Commission between January 2005 and October 2007. 349
Cafe Babel
Cafe Babel is an online magazine published by Babel International, which is designed to
"stimulate and develop European public opinion". In addition to blogs and forums, "At a
grassroots level, the e-community is moderated by a network of local teams promoting the
European perspective through debates, conferences and other physical initiatives."
344 http://www.euroalter.com/aboutus.html
345 Action 2, measure 3
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
346 http://www.buerger-europas.de/about_en.htm
347 Action 2, measure 3
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
348 http://www.karl.aegee.org/aeg-web.nsf/Full/About — About?Open Document
349 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
67
The website notes: "Together with an ever-expanding network of local offices across Europe,
cafebabel.com can truly claim to be the voice of the 'euro-generation'." Among its "partners".
Cafe Babel lists the EU Commission's DG Education and Culture and the European Parliament -
an indication that it receives funding from these bodies.
Based in Paris in co-location with the Maison de I'Europe, the contact section shows that there
are 1 3 staff running the site, each of which explain their enthusiasm for working for the group
with straplines such as: "I've always had that European fibre. I've hit the jackpot to be a part of
this breeding-ground for European construction." 350
Some of the articles on the site are heavily biased in favour of the EU. A recent "report" in the
aftermath of the Irish no, titled "Why 862, 41 5 Irish voted no to the Lisbon treaty" began: "The
Irish response seems to have been motivated by a lack of knowledge on what the document was
and by a fear of change. But perhaps Europe has not sufficiently proven its case?"
It went on to argue that:
"A loss of sovereignty, intrusion into issues such as abortion,
military neutrality, immigration and nuclear power were themes ' ve a ' wa y s had
harnessed by Sinn Fein, the only parliamentary party in favour of that European
a no vote, as were the Libertas political group founded by Declan fibre. I've hit the
Ganley. The entrepreneur brags of having read the treaty and of jackpot to be a part
fighting for a more democratic and transparent Europe." 351 * ^- breedina-
Another one seemed to subtly imply that euroscepticism and racism "
are the same thing. The piece, about Italy's Northern League Party European
and reports of racism, barely mentioned the EU and yet its headline construction'
read: "After 100 days of Berlusconi, a Eurosceptic Italy.
"352
Institut fur Europaische Politik
The Berlin-based Institute for European Politics says it is "dedicated to the study of European
integration", by which it means promoting the EU, as made clear by its position on the Lisbon
Treaty, which it says "offers a good chance for strengthening the continuation of the long
success-story of European integration in the future. 353
As well as receiving funding directly from the EU under the Commission heading "Support for
bodies active at European level in the field of active European citizenship", it is also a founding
member of TEPSA and has been a member of the German European Movement since 1962,
suggesting other, indirect funding from these EU-funded pro-integration bodies.
La Fondation Madariaga
Presided by the EU's High Representative Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, the
Madariaga Foundation was created in 1998 by the Alumni of the College of Europe "for
insightful reflection and analysis into European issues." (See Part Four for more on the College
of Europe).
350 http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/about/contacts/
351 http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/25736/ireland-citizens-voice-talks-no-lisbon-treaty.html
352 http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/25852/northern-league-liga-nord-racist-party-italy.html
353 http://www.iep-berlin.de/index.php? id=638&L=1
68
One of its aims is "to stir up the European citizen". 354 It states that "One way to stir up EU
citizenship is to foster a robust political debate at the pan-European level so as to enhance the
perception of a 'European common good' distinct from the sum of national interests." 355 It also
says it wants "to promote the role of the EU as a leading global actor." 356
Following the Irish 'no' vote to the Lisbon Treaty, the Foundation's Executive Director, Pierre
Defraigne, a former senior official in the Commission, wrote a piece arguing that:
"Each national referendum on a European issue is flawed: it entrusts a single country with
an excessive responsibility vis-a-vis their 500 million fellow Europeans, causing either
inhibition or hubris among voters. People mix right and wrong reasons to say no and often
do this in a contradictory way. They take the 26 other countries hostage to their whim.
Eventually they do not bear the consequences of their choice... The Irish vote conveys two
interesting messages: first, a majority of the young generation and 2/3 of the educated
youth have rejected the Treaty. What do they know about Europe? What do they know
about politics?" 357
The Foundation reveals that "Representatives of European Union Institutions are regularly
involved in MEF's programme of activities, including conferences and working groups. The
European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of the European Union support
and are involved in several projects of the Foundation." 358
In 2005 it entered into a partnership with the EU-funded Cafe Babel, sharing premises and
"collaborating in the organisation of joint events." 359
Councils and regional development agencies
Various Councils across the UK have also been funded for projects with more than a hint of a pro-
EU slant. For example, in 2003 360 :
Edinburgh City Council received €93,734 for an enlargement-focussed event called "NOW 25",
"to encourage debate about the issues and opportunities stemming from EU enlargement in
Edinburgh and Scotland". The project was run in association with the European Movement and
Our Europe.
Northampton County Council received €32,689 for trips to Brussels for young people "who on
their return will report on their visit and contribute to three European Awareness Day
conferences/debates... reaching an anticipated global audience of some 400 young people. The
conferences will have an enlargement theme, but explore other issues such as the Euro, security
and immigration, and environmental policy."
Yorkshire Forward (Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Development Agency) received €27,291 for
a conference entitled "Europe Alive with Opportunity" "to raise awareness of the opportunities
created by enlargement."
354 http://www.madariaga.org/template_page.asp7pagjifc18
355 http://www.madariaga.org/template_subpage.asp?pag_id=18&spa_id=76&lng_iso=EN
356 http://www.madariaga.org/template_subpage.asp?pag_id=18&spa_id=77&lng_iso=EN
357 http://www.madariaga.org/template_news.asp?nws_id=63
358 http://www.madariaga.org/template_page.asp?pag_id=22
359 http://www.madariaga.org/template_page.asp?pag_id=22
360 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_uk_fr.pdf
69
The Isle of Anglesey County Council received €11,117 for "a series of seminars with secondary
school children in Anglesey and Gwynedd to raise awareness about enlargement and to engage
the students in discussions about their future in an enlarged Europe... A seminar to establish a
dialogue about the benefits of enlargement took place with Anglesey County Council and
Businessmen."
Belfast City Council received €75,000 for a programme of information events called "Eyes on
the New Europe", "to raise awareness of EU enlargement".
Similar events-based funding has gone to universities. See Part Four for more on this.
2 NGOs and other groups supporting the EU
In addition to the organisations which seem to exist to promote the EU, there are also hundreds
of groups which use EU funding to lobby the Commission on other policy issues. They do not
necessarily actively promote the EU in the way that the organisations listed above do, but use
their influence to support the EU in all manner of policy areas from the environment to foreign
policy, human rights, and education.
Providing funding for organisations which help the EU to develop policy and thereby acquire new and
bigger powers in all manner of policy areas can therefore be considered as propaganda spending.
What is not clear, is to what extent the money spent on these organisations keeps them happy to
support the EU in a particular area and/or to what extent their continued funding actually depends
on them generally supporting the EU in the first place. The question is, how likely are these groups to
provide advice and input that contradicts the Commission position?
Christopher Heaton-Harris MEP, who is on the European Parliament's Audit Committee and who has
spent many years trying to find out from the Commission which organisations it funds, sums it up as
follows:
"The Commission pays money to hundreds of NGOs. The NGOs are pleased to accept the
money. The Commission proposes a Directive in an area the NGO is active in. How, then does
the NGO react if it does not like the Directive - does it bite the hand that feeds it?
Actually it is worse than that. In a number of cases the Commission will consult around a
policy area in which it wants to take an initiative. It consults, amongst others, with NGOs it
funds and has a relationship with. The Commission takes the advice of the NGOs and then
decides to run a project that it puts out to tender. The NGOs the Commission consulted with
bid and perhaps win the contract.
A self-fulfilling prophecy - and probably part of the explanation as to why we have so many
new laws emanating from the Commission! (Farmers watch out - the Commission funds a
number of groups that came together last year to form an organisation called "Pesticide
Watch". Anyone involved in agriculture will tell you what a dog's breakfast the Commission
is making of the "Pesticides Directive" and how it will hurt European farmers - and no one
can work out where the support for the Commission's proposals came from. Well, perhaps
they were actually bought and paid for by the Commission itself!)"
70
The Commission knows this is slightly dodgy and this explains why invariably the funding for
each individual NGO is hidden away - it is the devil in the detail of the Budget itself." 361
Here are just a handful of examples of the kind of lobby groups that receive funding, of which
there are thousands. Again, it is impossible to include all the groups involved, because of the
scarcity of central information and the sheer number on the EU payroll. The European
Commission has established a register of EU lobby groups, but it remains voluntary, meaning
that out of around 1 5,000 lobbyists active in Brussels, only a handful have so far signed up. 362
Again, the figures must be considered minimum amounts, cited just to prove that the
organisations have been in receipt of EU funding. Most of the information comes from a
Commission answer 353 to a question asked by Christopher Heaton-Harris, and amounts refer to
that received from the Commission between January 2005 and October 2007, unless otherwise
stated.
SOLIDAR
This is a Brussels-based lobby organisaion which calls for a more social Europe. Its website says:
"At European level, SOLIDAR lobbies the EU Institutions for migrants' rights and works closely
with other NGOs as well as with trade unions, think tanks and international organisations." 364
However it is also very much committed to the idea of helping to develop a European citizenship,
which, as we will see in Part Three, is central to the EU's strategy of fostering support for EU
integration. At a conference in Brussels in 2005, a representative of Solidar called Giampiero
Alhadeff said:
"We do feel that there is also a very important role for civil society in terms of creating a
European citizenship and this concerns the role of education and information. Until we can
actually do that we will not have a European citizenship; we will have instead a collection of
people that feel themselves to be very much rooted in the national state and will not see
themselves as European." 365
Solidar received €1,274,908 from the Commission between January 2005 and October 2007 366 ,
and later received a grant for a €142,267 grant under the "Europe for Citizens" programme. 367
Climate Action Network Europe
This lobby group believes, for example, that "The existence of the EU emissions trading scheme
(ETS) is a tremendously important achievement for European Climate Change policy." 368
It received €569,352.
361 http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2008/08/chris-heaton-ha.html
362 http://blog.brusselssunshine.eu/
363 http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
364 http://www.solidar.org/Page_Genera!e.asp?DoclD=13965&la=1&langue=EN
365 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
366 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
367 Action 2, measure 1 and 2 call for proposals 30/07
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/results_call_30_2007.pdf
368 http://www.climnet.org/EUenergy/ET.html
71
European Environmental Bureau
According to its website, the European Environmental Bureau's "specific mission is to promote
environmental policies and sustainable policies on the European Union level. Its members have
joined because they are convinced of the importance of the policies of the European Union with
regard to environment and nature conservation." 369 It received €1,914,781.
The European Women's Lobby
This group "aims at promoting women's rights and equality between women and men in the
European Union. EWL is active in different areas such as women's economic and social position,
women in decision-making, violence against women, women's diversity etc. EWL works mainly
with the institutions of the European Union: the European Parliament, the European Commission
and the EU Council of Ministers." 370 It received €2,377,910.
The European Council on Refugees and Exiles
This "promotes a humane and generous European asylum policy." 371 It received €1,969,521 .
Eurochild
The aim of this Brussels-based network is:
'to promote the welfare and rights of children and young people' through:... monitoring and
influencing policy development at the European level... influencing and making
recommendations to international institutions such as the European Commission, the
European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the United Nations." 372
It received €636,81 5.
European Social Action Network
This aims "To encourage in Europe a coherent social policy based on the shared values of our
members... To bring to the attention of European policy makers (at the Parliament and the
Commission) contributions based on the expertise of our members." 373 It received €353,988 in the
two years 2005 and 2006.
European Students' Union
The European Students' Union describes itself as:
"the umbrella organisation of 49 national unions of students from 38 countries and through
these members represent over 10 million students. The aim of ESU is to represent and
promote the educational, social, economic and cultural interests of students at a European
level towards all relevant bodies and in particular the European Union, Council of Europe
and UNESCO." 374 It received €323,259.
369 http
370 http
371 http
372 http
373 http
374 http
72
//www.eeb.org/mission/lndex.html
//www.womenlobby.org/site/1 Template 1. asp? DoclD=1&v1ID=&RevlD=&namePage=&pageParent=&DoclD_sousmenu=
//www.ecre.org/about_us
//www.eurochild.org/en/about-us/who-are-we/index.html
//www.esan.eu/version_anglaise/top_menu/presentation/esan_in_short
//www.esib.org/index.php/About%20ESU/what-is-esu
Federation of Young European Greens
This group "strive[s] for environmental and social justice." It does this from its permanent office
in the European Parliament, donated by the Green Group in the European Parliament 375 , and has
also received Commission funding of €208,291 between 2005 and 2007 alone.
Confederation of Family Organisations in the European Union (COFACE)
Based in Brussels, this organisation believes "that the need for a
European policy for families and children is overwhelming", and calls on "the need for a
the EU institutions "to give European family and child policy a conclusive European policy
legal basis in the Treaty on Union". 376 f or f am j|jes and
It received €338,542 between January 2005 and October 2007 377 , and C ' n | :> .
€33,043 under the "Europe for Citizens" programme 2007-201 3. 378 overwhelming"
European Theatre Convention
This organisation's activities include: "Lobbing and representation in European organisations
(as the European Parliament and the Commission) for theatre in general and for its members
in particular". The website advertises EU initiatives such as the European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue and the Scheme for Artist Mobility. As its website says, it does this "With the
support of the European Community budget line 'support to organisations who promote
European Culture'." 379
European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA)
This Commission-funded body "works to intensify European co-operation in the field of youth
information work and services" and aims "to promote the establishment of a European arena
in this field, especially by developing a European Network of youth information and counselling
structures." It is funded by the Youth in Action programme. 380
CEEP
This is one of the Commission's designated "Social Partners", which it consults on legislation. For
instance, it received an €84,000 grant in 2007 under the Commission's 'Industrial Relations and
Social Dialogue' budget line. 381
Its strong pro-EU bias is evident from the public reaction of its Secretary General to the Irish 'no'
vote to the Lisbon Treaty. Rainer Plassmann sent a press release saying:
"The Irish NO is a stab in the back for democracy, subsidiarity, solidarity and stability within
the European Union and not too conducive for economic growth and Europe's position in a
globalised world.
375 http://www.fyeg. org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1<emid=2
376 http://www.coface-eu.org/en/basic401.htmi
377 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
378 Action 2, measure 3 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
379 http://www.etc-cte.org/
380 http://www.eryica.org/en/content/origin-and-aims
381 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/cails/results/2007/vp_2007_001_en.pdf
73
4 million Irish put the remaining 495 million EU citizens into trouble. Is that democratic?
According to the present rules: Yes! Is that ingratitude or haughtiness? Those categories do
not exist in politics. But the Irish might have only expressed what many other European
citizens also feel. The "NO" is no wonder since an EU without a European press, without
integrating personalities, without committed national politicians, in other words without a
European identity, cannot be more than just an economic zone.
Should we say good-bye to the single market? No, but without the legitimating political
instruments of the Lisbon Treaty it will be much more difficult to face and to mitigate the
consequences of globalisation in Europe.
There is no alternative to the general approach of the Lisbon Treaty.
Therefore, Member States and European politicians should not "The Irish NO is a
surrender to agony but go on designing European policy in the spirit stab in the back
of this Treaty, i.e. creating a climate of political and social progress for democracy,
and economic strength. Europe is, no doubt, a success story - and subsidiarity
Ireland itself is proof of that."- solidarity and
The European Network Against Racism stability within
the European
The aim of this lobbying network of European NGOs is to "Act as the Union"
voice of the anti-racist movement and formulate positions on EU
policies related to anti-racism and anti-discrimination." It is funded by the EU's PROGRESS
programme. 383
Other examples of groups receiving EU funds, which may be worth further investigation are:
International Lesbian and Gay Association (€1,538,825); European Disability Forum (€3,140,509);
International Rescue Committee in the UK (€35,183,952); Climate Action Network Europe
(€569,352); European Environmental Bureau (€1 .9m); International Falcon Movement (Socialist
Educational International) (€87,851); and Oxfam International (€85,391,890), including funding
forOxfam in the UK (€64,212,248) in Australia, Germany, the Netherlands (Oxfam Novib), Spain
and Belgium (Oxfam Solidarity).) 384
382 http://www.ceep.eu/media/right/press/press_releases_2008/the_irish_no_the_end_of_the_european_idea
383 http://www.enar-eu.org/Page_Generale.asp?DoclD=1 5278&la=1 &langue=EN
384 http://www.ireland.com/focus/2008/eu-payments/agora.pdf
74
3
Buying loyalty: Promoting European
citizenship and a common European culture
to engender support for the EU
"The Treaty establishes citizenship of the Union... It is an important element in strengthening and
safeguarding the process of European integration.... For citizens to give their full support to
European integration, greater emphasis should therefore be placed on their common values,
history and culture as key elements of their membership of a society founded on the principles
of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, cultural diversity, tolerance and solidarity"
Decision of the European Parliament and European Council establishing the pogramme 'Europe
for Citizens' 385
"Providing information to citizens is important, but our aim relates to another aspect that is to
reach citizens through, for example, promoting town-twinning arrangements involving
exchanges of citizens. There was always a European interest underlying these types of activities"
Maria Louisa Anastopoulou, European Commission 386
"The Commission must invest in civil society - in think tanks and programmes such as twinning
schemes, which I think have proved their worth in the past. We must therefore ensure investment
in the participatory society, which has a contribution to make to the construction of Europe"
Pascal Lamy, President of Notre Europe and former Commissioner 387
In parallel with the EU's strategy to 'communicate' Europe - which, as we have seen, in practice
means telling people about the benefits of the EU - runs a desire to promote the idea of a
European citizenship and a common European culture.
The EU spends millions of euros a year on a whole variety of initiatives The Treaty
aimed at making people feel like 'European' citizens, particularly establishes
cultural activities, and all of this can be counted as propaganda citizenship of the
spending since it seeks to serve the underlying aim of fostering support Union... It is an
for the EU - often very explicitly. important
The EU's programme for promoting active European citizenship has a
clear objective "to promote and disseminate the values and objectives strengthening
of the European Union," 388 and its 'Europe for Citizens' programme and safeguarding
calls for an emphasis on promoting a common European culture as a the process of
vehicle for achieving such a feeling of citizenship. European
It says:
integration"
"The Treaty establishes citizenship of the Union... It is an important element in strengthening
and safeguarding the process of European integration.... For citizens to give their full support
to European integration, greater emphasis should therefore be placed on their common
385 http://eur-]ex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:378:0032:0040:EN:PDF
386 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
387 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
388 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/documents/legalbasis/tegalbasis_en.pdf
75
values, history and culture as key elements of their membership of a society founded on the
principles of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, cultural diversity, tolerance
and solidarity." 389
The ideal of European citizenship also helps to justify greater powers for the EU in general. As
a 2002 Commission document on the EU's "information and communication strategy" pointed
out: "the area of freedom, security and justice will finally give full meaning to the concept of
European citizenship." 390
The EU's efforts to foster the idea of EU citizenship and common EU culture take many different
forms, most of which are interrelated but are roughly separated here for ease of reading.
1 Promoting European Citizenship
A Europe for Citizens
The Europe for Citizens Programme has a €215 million budget for the period 2007 to 2013.
According to the programme guide, the programme "materialises the legal framework to
support a wide range of activities and organisations promoting 'active European citizenship',
i.e. the involvement of citizens and civil society organisations in the process of European
integration." 391 Some of these organisations are listed in Part Two of this paper.
The 2007 to 201 3 programme replaces the 'Active European Citizenship' programme which ran
from 2004 to 2006, 392 and whose objective was "to promote and disseminate the values and
objectives of the European Union." 393 Like its successor project, it also funded swathes of pro-EU
bodies, including the Union of European Federalists, the European Policy Centre and the
European Movement. 394
Under this line, for example, trade unions were invited to apply for EU funding for projects which
involve "reflection and discussion on the construction of the European Union and/or promoting
and disseminating its values and objectives".
Recipients were encouraged to make proposals relating to:
"the impact of the proposed new Constitutional Treaty; communicating the objectives of the
Lisbon strategy and best practices among Member States to consumers, citizens and key
stakeholders including trade union members; the production of trade union education and
training tools to promote active European citizenship, (e.g. education materials, training
modules, curriculum development strategies); or European values and objectives and their
relationship to public services." 395
Indeed the Commission is explicit about the link it sees between promoting European citizenship
and strengthening the case for common European policies. It says:
389 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:378:0032:0040:EN:PDF
390 http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2002/com2002_0350en02.pdf
391 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/guide/documents/programme_guide.pdf
392 All details, including projects selected for funding, is available here: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/programmes2004_2006.htm
393 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/documents/legalbasis/legalbasis_en.pdf
394 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/documents/legalbasis/Iegalbasis_en.pdf
395 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2004:252:0005:0006:EN:PDF
76
"The Europe for citizens' programme provides the Union with instruments to promote active
European citizenship. It puts citizens in the centre and offers them the opportunity to fully
assume their responsibility as European citizens. It responds to the need to improve citizen's
participation in the construction of Europe and encourage cooperation between citizens and
their organisations from different countries in order to meet, act together and develop their
own ideas in a European environment which goes beyond a national vision, respecting their
diversity."
"Intercultural exchanges contribute to improving the mutual knowledge of the culture and
history of the European peoples. It brings our common heritage to the fore and strengthens
the basis for our common future. Mutual understanding, solidarity and the feeling of
belonging to Europe are indeed the building blocks for the involvement of citizens."
The idea of the Europe for Citizens Programme is also clearly to help encourage others to
eventually act as the EU's mouthpieces in promoting it. According to the Commission: "The
Europe for Citizens programme promotes active European citizenship. It addresses local
authorities, civil society organisations and other stakeholders who are ready to develop activities
providing the Citizens with opportunities participate in constructing Europe together." 396
One of the programme's projects, for example, carried out in the Czech Republic, won an award
from the EU because "The project participants spontaneously became "ambassadors" of
Europe." 397
Indeed, in order to promote the programme, the Commission awards the ten best projects each
year with the "Golden Stars of Active European Citizenship." These projects, held up as
prototypes for future projects, provide some of the best examples of the EU propaganda machine
in action.
In the book of awarded projects, Jan Figel, EU Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture
and Youth says:
"These projects show how important and necessary it is, for all generations and nationalities,
to throw the spotlight on Europe, on our collective achievements and our common
challenges. With their emphasis on dialogue, reflection and shared action, they exemplify a
common consciousness grounded in European values.
The engagement of civil society organisations and local communities in constructing a 'Europe
of neighbours' offers a counter-argument to the criticism we sometimes hear, of Europe as a
technocratic, centralising undertaking. The projects bear witness to the emergence of a
genuine political consciousness and a shared European identity. By getting actively involved
in the debates and reflections about the EU, Europeans of all ages develop links - links
between individuals, local civil society organisations, NGOs or with the representatives of EU
institutions. These new bonds in turn spur people on to develop a European dimension to
their civic engagement.
These ten projects have been identified by the European Commission for their innovative
character, their enthusiasm, and especially because they offer such good examples for
396 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/citizenship/gold07_en.pdf
397 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/citizenship/gold07_en.pdf
77
potential project organisers. They epitomise a Europe which inspires, unites and spreads the
message of tolerance and mutual understanding." 398
"Remember the
past and learn from
the history to build
the common
future"
One of the award-winning projects, run by German organisation
Netzwerk Migration Europe had as its slogan: "Remember the past
and learn from the history to build the common future." Others
include: "Prepare the future by creating a sense of common
belonging", "Together to celebrate Europe" and "Building common
responsibility for Europe".
The programme is made up of four strands, or 'Actions': 399
Action 1 : "Active citizens for Europe"
The main element of this programme is the town-twinning initiative.
Town twinning
The EU has been supporting town twinning projects since 1989, which have been run by the
Council of European Municipalities and Regions since 1951. In 2003 an annual budget of about
12 million euros was allocated to about 1,300 projects. 400
The practice is used quite openly as a tool to promote European integration and support for the
EU. The Commission's website states that town-twinning
"encourages exchanges of experiences on a variety of issues of common interest, thereby raising
awareness on the advantages of finding concrete solutions at European level... town twinning
has a real potential to enhance mutual understanding between citizens, fostering a sense of
ownership of the European Union and finally developing a sense of European identity" 401
Anders Knape, Chair of the working group on twinning in the Council of Municipalities and
Regions, is particularly keen to emphasise its use as a propaganda
tool. He says:
"We have always considered town twinning to be the most
concrete way of involving municipalities and their citizens in the
construction of Europe... I have to say that I am sometimes
confronted with people who are not convinced by the true
advantages of the role of twinning in the European Union
construction process. In a world where globalisation has affected
our daily lives, where we can easily travel from one side of the
globe to the other, where cultural differences are not as apparent
as they once were, twinning is considered to be outdated by these
people. It seems to me that the presence today of the
representatives of all these European cities which the Commission
has chosen to award with golden stars is an answer to these kinds
"I have to say that I
am sometimes
confronted with
people who are not
convinced by the
true advantages of
the role of twinning
in the European
Union construction
process"
of observations." 402
398 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/citizenship/gold07_en.pdf
399 Recipients of the funds for each action can be found here: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/index_en.htm
400 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_twinning
401 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action1/measure1_en.html
402 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/archive/forumtranscrip_en.pdf
78
One town-twinning project which won a "Golden Stars of Active European Citizenship" award in
2007, was awarded the prize because "This project reveals that the European Union is a living example
of sharing common history and dealing collectively with common challenges. This is especially
important as many Europeans see European Union as a distant and centralized bureaucracy." 403
Another one, conducted by twinned towns Henef in Germany, Banbury in the UK, Le Pecq in
France and Nowy Dwor Gdansky in Poland, was called "Europe Week" and its theme was
"Together to celebrate Europe".
Described as a "colourful, European week, during which one could see, feel, hear, debate and
"practice" the EU", it got local associations, school, institutions and businesses involved in 70
different events in one week, some of which "addressed specific target groups like young people,
school children or artists." There was a public debate with MEPs, and "Young people could
discover the work of the European institutions through the role game in which they took the role
of EU decision makers and negotiated a 'chocolate directive'."
According to the paper: "The Europe Week in Hennef was visible for everybody: shops and house
windows were dressed with EU themes and the local media showed a great interest in and
provided lots of publicity for the celebrations."
"Town twinning
One strand of the town twinning scheme is a programme of funded citizens' meetinqs
citizens' meetings, brining people together from twinned towns. The choulH rpinforrp
Commission states clearly that: "Town twinning citizens' meetings should . .
reinforce the participants' commitment to European integration." participants
commitment to
It suggests a number of ways to do this, including "sharing the European
experience of concrete benefits of European integration at the local or integration"
individual level (impact of EU policies in societies, people's wellbeing
in Europe...)", and "sharing in an open manner points of view, from a local perspective, on
European history, in order to learn from the past and build for the future." 404
Action 2: "Support for active civil society"
This aspect of the programme involves extensive spending for think-tanks and organisations.
"With a view to supporting the dynamism of civil society in Europe, support is provided to
concrete cooperation projects of civil society organizations from different participating
countries, established at local, regional, national or European level. Those projects should
raise awareness on the issues of common interest and on the concrete solutions that can be
found through cooperation or coordination at European level." 405
This action is composed of three measures: structural support for think tanks, structural support
for civil society organisations active at European level, and support to projects initiated by civil
society organisations.
Some of the beneficiaries of this Action are listed in Part Two. 406
403 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/citizenship/gold07_en.pdf
404 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action1/measure1 1_en.html
405 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action2/index_en.html
406 A full list of the projects funded under this Action can be found here: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/index_en. htm#a2
79
Action 3: "Together for Europe"
According to the Commission, "This action aims at deepening the concept of 'active European
citizenship' and at promoting its understanding all over Europe, therefore contributing to
'bringing Europe closer to its citizens', through three sets of measures." 407
It involves "high visibility" events organised by the Commission, which are "substantial in scale
and scope" and which "strike a chord with the peoples of Europe, help to increase their sense
of belonging to the same community, make them aware of the history, achievements and values
of the European Union, involve them in intercultural dialogue and contribute to the
development of their European identity."
They include "the commemoration of historical events, the celebration of European
achievements, artistic events, awareness-raising around specific issues, European-wide
conferences and the awarding of prizes to highlight major accomplishments." 408
This Action also pays for studies, surveys and opinion polls, and for "comprehensive information
on the various activities of the programme, on other European actions related to citizenship and
on other relevant initiatives... to be provided through an Internet portal and other tools." 409
Action 4: "Active European Remembrance"
Under Action 4 of the Europe for Citizens programme, the EU funds projects helping to preserve
the memorials associated with Nazi and Stalinist-era mass deportations, the former concentration
camps and other extermination sites, as well as the archives documenting these events. 410
Remembering and commemorating the dead in order to remind people about the atrocities
which helped bring about the EU is a worthy cause, and a good use of taxpayers' money.
However, it is an uncomfortable discovery that a big part of the reason the EU does this is quite
openly to promote European political integration.
The Commission says:
"The European Union is built on fundamental values such as freedom, democracy and respect
for human rights. In order to fully appreciate their meaning, it is necessary to remember the
breaches of those principles caused by Nazism and Stalinism in Europe."
"Citizens will engage in a reflection on the origins of the European Union, fifty years ago, on
the history of European integration, which preserved peace among its members, and finally
on today's Europe, thereby moving beyond the past and building the future. This action
therefore will play an important role in nourishing the broad reflection on the future of
Europe and in promoting active European citizenship."
It recommends that projects
"should analyse why and how the democratic principles and Human Rights were violated.
This could lead to a reflection about the reasons for creating the European Union, and about
407 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action3/index_en.html
408 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action3/index_en.html
409 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action3/index_en.html
410 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action4/index_en.html
80
the values that are protected through the European integration process. Finally, thanks to a
better understanding of the origins of European integration and of today's Europe, the
project could engage in a reflection about the future of Europe." 411
B Celebrating the EU with symbols of a united Europe
As part of its drive for a common European citizenship, the EU makes much of its 'symbols' -
particularly the EU flag and the logo of the twelve gold stars on a blue background. French Europe
Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet believes that: "Symbols are necessary for Europe... they are the way to
reach full European consciousness for the people. There is no identity without symbols." 412
In an effort to alter the appearance of the EU Constitution after it
"Symbols are was re J ectec ' by voters in France and the Netherlands, the EU agreed
f or t0 remove references to these political symbols from the text of what
became the Lisbon Treaty. However, 1 6 countries signed a declaration
Europe... they are attached to the Treaty which said that they would continue to use
the way to reach t h e m regardless. 413
full European
consciousness for The President of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering said
the people There is "'* 9 oes without saying that the European Parliament will not give up
no iHpntitv without tn ese symbols but intends, on the contrary, to use and amplify the
. ,„ use of the anthem and the European flags." 414
symbols"
Indeed the European Parliament, in particular, believes in "the
importance of symbols for reconnecting the citizens with the European Union and for building
a European identity which is complementary to the national identities of the Member States." 415
In a proposal to increase the use of the EU's symbols, the Parliament's Constitutional Affairs
Committee wrote:
"Symbols are vital elements of any communication process, particularly in relation to the
process of the public's identification of or with any social grouping or organisation, including
political bodies. Indeed, symbols may be a decisive element for the public's emotional
attachment to these organisations."
"Symbols convey an emotional image of the underlying values of the organisations they
represent, they play a part in making abstract ideas intelligible, they facilitate communication
and participation and they help to bring the organisations that they symbolise closer to the
citizens, thereby contributing to their legitimacy."
The flag, in particular, is stamped on everything the EU does - from the films it subsidises to
construction projects it funds. In fact, as a pre-requisite set into the conditions of the grant, some
recipients must advertise the fact that the EU is the donor in order to receive the funding. (See
above and Part One).
41 1 http://ec.europa.eu/citizenship/action4/index_en.html
412 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
413 Telegraph, 11 December 2007 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1572225/Germany-seeks-to-enshrine-EU-flag.html
414 http://vge-europe.eu/public/Lettre_P_ttering_juillet_2007.pdf
415 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/703/703557/703557en.pdf
81
As the Commission says: "The European flag is not only the symbol of
the European Union but also of Europe's unity and identity in a wider "The European flag
sense. The circle of gold stars represents solidarity and harmony is not only the
between the peoples of Europe." 416 symbol of the
European Union
As well as a flag, the EU has its own anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy; . . . r p ljrr)np ^
its own logo, 'Together since 1950'; and its own motto, 'United in
Diversity'. It even has its own equivalent of a 'national' day, called un| ty and identity
'Europe Day', which is celebrated on 9 May each year and marks the m a wider sense"
anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which led to the creation of
the European Coal and Steel Community.
All of these are designed to 'bring Europe closer to its citizens' - in other words, to increase their
attachment to the EU - especially Europe Day. As the Commission says:
"Today, the 9th of May has become a European symbol (Europe Day) which, along with the
flag, the anthem, the motto and the single currency (the euro), identifies the political entity
of the European Union. Europe Day is the occasion for activities and festivities that bring
Europe closer to its citizens and peoples of the Union closer to one another." 417
The European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee believes that:
"It would be hard to find such a well-known piece of music and poetry that would better
symbolise the idea of European integration than this ode 'to the unity of the human species
transformed into the subject', heightened by the exultant and sublime music of a composer
who is one of the best symbols of European genius."
They are also meant as symbols of "European success." One of the Commission's brochures, "50
ways forward" notes:
"What does 9 May mean to you? It's Europe Day, and it is as much a symbol of European
success as the European flag, the anthem, or even the euro. Europe Day is a time to celebrate
peace, stability and citizenship.[...] In 1985, EU leaders decided to create me, 'Europe Day', to
celebrate European togetherness and citizenship on 9 May each year. One perfect day" 418
The day is celebrated across Europe, promoted on the one hand by the Commission through
initiatives such as Spring Day for Europe in schools (see Part Four), which encourages teachers to
mark Europe Day on 9 May, and also through the national governments - in the UK's case the
Foreign Office which holds events. The Commission also promotes the event through its funding
to organisations like the European Movement, whose UK branch this year celebrated 9 May with
a night of European cinema dubbed "From Europe with Love". 419
The European Parliament writes:
"9 May has gradually been emerging out of the institutions and into the outside world
through the organisation of shows, exhibitions and events such as open days when citizens
416 http://publications.europa.eu/code/en/en-5000100.htm
417 http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/9-may/index_en.htm
418 http://europa.eu/success50/xml/story_02_en.xml
419 http://www.euromove.org.uk/
82
can visit the European institutions and their offices in the Member States, acquire material for
information and entertainment, etc., so that bit by bit it is becoming a holiday for European
citizens. However, its deeper significance will only truly take root in the emotional memory
of European citizens if the Member States themselves join efforts to this end, recognising
Europe Day as a real European public holiday" 420
"To promote a
There has even been talk of rebranding celebrities from around cpncp of Eurooean
Europe into European icons of culture. In its December 2006 paper on . , ... . . ■_■
identity celebrities
"Making European citizenship visible and effective", the European
Economic and Social Committee recommended suggested that: trom the world Ot
sport or the arts
"To promote a sense of European identity, celebrities from the could be presented
world of sport or the arts could be presented in information j n information
campaigns as authentic "Europeans", using their personality to ramoaians as
highlight this expression of identity. Similarly, one should also ,
promote ambitious initiatives to develop European culture and
promote its dissemination in the media." 421 Europeans
C Marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome
In much the same vein as the Europe Day celebrations mentioned above, in 2007 the EU made
a huge celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which was initially budgeted
at €7 million.
A website dedicated to the year-long celebrations and called "Celebrating Europe!" was set up,
which is pure propaganda. A page titled "What we are celebrating" explains why "we have a
lot to celebrate", and featured articles explaining things like: "Entering into force on 1 January
1958, the Treaty of Rome laid the foundations of the modern EU. Primarily an economic
organisation at its inception, the EU has evolved into a project to guarantee high levels of social
protection for its citizens." 422
There was a competition to decide on an official symbol for the anniversary celebrations, with entries
from 1701 designers and design students from all EU member states. The Commission explained its
choice of the winning entry, 'Together since 1957' written with letters in different fonts, saying:
"In line with the Commission's Plan D (Democracy, Debate, Dialogue), this logo gives a graphic
interpretation to the voice of all Europeans, especially the new generations. These Europeans
look for peace, stability and prosperity without taking anything away from their rights of
individuality and diversity. The word "together" expresses in a simple and immediate way
what was originally bound to the idea of Europe: not only politics, or money, or geographic
boundaries, but most of all co-operation and solidarity."
Collectively the top three finalists were awarded €10,000. 423
Examples of the EU-funded events to mark the anniversary in the UK include: a Primary School
Birthday Card Competition, inviting children in Cardiff to design a birthday card for the EU; a
420 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/pr/703/703557/703557en.pdf
421 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:318:0163:01:EN:HTML
422 http://europa.eu/50/news/article/080102_en.htm
423 http://europa.eu/50/anniversary_logo/competition_en.htm
83
Primary School Postcard Competition in Northern Ireland; a photo competition called "What makes
Plymouth a European city?" 424 , and many other similar initiatives designed to "celebrate" the EU.
There was also a two-week series of public lectures, discussions and art exhibitions called
"London Festival of Europe". One event that an Open Europe member of staff attended, called
"The British media and Europe" had a panel made up of representatives from the Independent
and the Guardian, neither of which take a critical line on the EU, plus other well-known pro-
integrationists. 425
Likewise, a conference at the FCO called "Reflections on European integration" gave a podium
to a huge number of high-profile EU integrationists, including Peter Sutherland (former EU
Commissioner), John Palmer (European Policy Centre), Lord John Kerr, Brendan Donnelly (the
Federal Trust), Simon Tilford (Centre for European Reform), Elfriede Regelsberger, (Institut fur
Europaische Politik) Jean Monnet professors Simon Bulmer, Jo Shaw, Helen Wallace, Alan
Dashwood, Knud-Erik Jorgensen and Jolyon Howorth; and two Commission representatives. Of
the remaining eleven panellists, none are recognisable as critics of the EU. 426
However the most high-profile of the anniversary events in the UK was a televised football match
played at Old Trafford between Manchester United and an "all star Europe XI team". Commission
President Jose Barroso said:
"The best of European football will be on show at the "Theatre of
Dreams" in Manchester next March, to mark the 50th Anniversary "There is no better
of the creation of the European Union. There is no better way to way to showcase
showcase the European Union at 50 than through Europe's the European
favourite sport that unites Europeans in a unique way, through a Union at 50 than
passion we all share and a language we all speak." 427 throuah Eurone's
These kind of events were mirrored throughout all the EU countries. favourite s P ort tnat
To give just a few examples 428 , France, among other things, broadcast unites Europeans in
a Franco-German love story called "How we hated each other"; a unique way"
organised a "European roller skate trip" across Paris; and hosted a
journalism competition for students, inviting them to investigate
"goals achieved as a result of the impetus given by the Rome treaty" to win the prize of a trip
to Brussels, "the capital of Europe." 429
In Germany, the highlight was a huge all-night party, called Europafest, when 27 nightclubs
hosting 27 bands from every member state stayed open all night, and a shuttle bus carried visitors
from one stop to the next.
In Lithuania, the German Embassy organised an exhibition to "highlight the enduring relevance
and importance of Europe." It explained:
"Initially set up to end the frequent and disastrous wars between neighbouring countries, the
EU has achieved significant results in many fields over the last 50 years. The EU is the world's
424 http://europa.eu/50/countries/united_kingdom/index_en.htm
425 http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/pressAndlnformationOffice/newsAndEvents/archives/2007/ContestedBorders.htm
426 http://europa.eu/50/countries/united_kingdom/070323_en.htm
427 http://europa.eu/50/countries/united_kingdom/070313_en.htm
428 To see lists of all the events in all the countries, click here: http://europa.eu/50/countries/index_en.htm
429 http://europa.eu/50/countries/france/index_en.htm
84
largest free trade area, the largest community of exporters and the
biggest contributor of development aid in the world. It has "European
established common rules on product safety and consumer Commission
protection and promotes a large number of educational delegations used
programmes. The EU is also very active in the environmental area, ^ e 50th
for example in promoting the use of renewable energy sources. The ___:. ,„„,„, + _
_ _ . ... .. . . .. ... anniversary to
German Embassy wishes to use this exhibition to raise awareness ...
about these important achievements." 430 organize activities
publicizing the
As well as events, the 50th anniversary celebrations included "special European Union
publications and products", quizzes and games, and reams of press and its
releases and speeches. Other, related EU-funded anniversary achievements"
celebrations include the 20th anniversary of ERASMUS.
The European Commission's representations outside of the EU also took part in the 50th
anniversary celebrations, using them as an excuse to promote the EU. The Commission's website
very candidly says:
"European Commission delegations used the 50th anniversary to organize activities
publicizing the European Union and its achievements: conferences, seminars and other events
portrayed the EU as a model for regional cooperation respecting national diversity and
committed to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and good governance; cultural and
sport activities involved young people, the media, and the wider general public." 431
2 Promoting a common European culture
Closely related to the efforts to create a European Citizenship are the EU's policies for promoting a
common EU culture. The Commission clearly believes that: "respect for cultural and linguistic diversity
and promotion of a common cultural heritage lies at the very heart of the European project." 432
A Culture Programme
The Culture Programme 2007 to 2013, dubbed by the Commission as "a serious cultural
investment" has a budget of €400 million 433 , with around €45 million allocated for 2008. This
includes "support for bodies active at European level in the field of culture" 434 , such as some of
the organisations looked at in Part Two.
The Culture Programme succeeds the 2000 to 2006 programme, 'Culture 2000'.
The explicit objective of the Programme is to promote the EU and engender support for EU
integration -to improve the "external visibility" of the EU and to help convince citizens "to give
their full support to, and participate fully in, European integration." 435
The Council decision which established the Culture Programme candidly states: "For citizens to
give their full support to, and participate fully in, European integration, greater emphasis should
430 http
431 http
432 http
433 http
434 http
435 http
//europa.eu/50/countries/lietuva/index_en.htm
//europa.eu/50/around_world/index_en.htm
//eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriSetv/site/en/com/2007/com200 7_0242en01.pdf
//ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc41 1_en.htm
//eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_372/l_37220061 227en00010011.pdf
//eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006D18B5:EN:HTML
85
be placed on their common cultural values and roots as a key
element of their identity and their membership of a society founded
on freedom, equity, democracy, respect for human dignity and
integrity, tolerance and solidarity." 436
It goes on to underline the propaganda value of the programme
stating: "An active cultural policy aimed at the preservation of
European cultural diversity and the promotion of its common
cultural elements and cultural heritage can contribute to improving
the external visibility of the European Union." 437
"For citizens to give
their full support to,
and participate fully
in, European
integration, greater
emphasis should be
placed on their
common cultural
values and roots"
The aim is to heighten people's "awareness of the common
European cultural heritage they share." It says: "Promoting cultural and linguistic cooperation
and diversity thus helps to make European citizenship a tangible reality by encouraging direct
participation by European citizens in the integration process."
The Programme provides funding for cooperation between countries
on cultural and artistic projects; support for European Capitals of
Culture; funding for "organisations active at European level in the field
of culture" 438 , including those acting as "European cultural
ambassadors"; and support for "analysis and dissemination activities"
helping to raise awareness of the Culture Programme. 439
Some of the titles of the projects funded in 2007 include: "Plants and
culture: seeds of the cultural heritage of Europe", "Festival S.O.U.PE.
symbol of the opening and union of European people", "European
Culture Expressed in Agricultural Landscapes", and "A Night of Urban
Gypsies". 440
"Promoting
cultural and
linguistic
cooperation and
diversity thus
helps to make
European
citizenship a
tangible reality"
For "Organisations active at European level in the field of culture", in 2007 the Commission gave
away more than €6.8 million in grants to organisations such as the European Youth Orchestra
and the European Music Office, 441 who put in bids for funding.
In addition, a list of 40 organisations automatically receives funding for the whole period without
even having to put in a bid. 442 (Some also receive money separately from the European
Parliament, such as the European Youth Jazz Orchestra, 443 and the European Writers' Congress,
or from other Commission budget lines, such as EUnetART - the European Network of Arts
Organisations for Children and Young People). 444
Some are appointed "European Cultural Ambassadors" by the Commission, such as the Chamber
Orchestra of Europe, which received €304,652 in 2007. 445 Almost all of the organisatons' websites
are splashed with the EU flag.
436
http
437
http
438
http
439
http
440
http
441
http
442
http
443
http
444
http
445
http
://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006D1855:EN:HTML
://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006D1855:EN:HTML
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/calls2007/results/call_22_2007/index_en.html
://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc41 1_en.htm
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/calls2006/results/documents/cult_com_%202007_strand 1.2. 1.pdf
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/calls2007/results/call_22_2007/documents/OCE_Se]ection%20results%20Publication.pdf
://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32004D0792:EN:HTML
://www.swinging-europe.com/pdf/Annual-Report_2007.pdf
://www.euneta rt.org/
://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/calls2007/results/call_22_2007/documents/OCE_Selection%20results%20Publication.pdf
86
The list of automatic recipients includes for example:
The European Union Choir (Les Choeurs de I'Union europeenne), which was founded following
the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1958, and whose "mission is to promote Europe through
music and music in Europe." Its website notes: "In the context of the recent celebrations of the
50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the choir participated on 24 March 2007
festivities, held at the Brussels Atomium entitled "Stars of Europe", broadcasted in over 50
countries worldwide." 446
Europa Cantat (European Federation of Young Choirs), whose statutes refer to its mission of
bringing singers together from existing and future EU states "within the scope of European
integration". 447 It received €87,500 in 2007. 448
The European Opera Centre (Manchester), which performed during the UK Presidency of the EU
for the Culture Ministers and Foreign Ministers of the EU. 449
The International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, whose website says: "One of the main
interests of the
"One of the main interests of the foundation is to promote the foundation is to
values underpinning the European Union, and work towards an promote the values
integrated Europe. Cultural exchanges and international . ._■ ■ +i_«
^ u i_ , , lL ,„„. P lL u ^-ll x underpinning the
cooperation have been pursued by the IYMF through different
European projects, aiming to build bridges between cultures and European union,
countries in Europe, and to enhance the idea of a common and work towards
European citizenship." 450 an integrated
Europe"
Association Europeene des Conservatoires, Academies de Musique
et Musikhochschulen (AEC), which "promotes the role of music and
therefore music education as an outstanding example of non-verbal communication in the
integration of Europe". 451
The Yuste Academy Foundation, which focuses on "bringing closer Europe and our region,
Extremadura." It says:
"In our case, culture has been the way chosen to tighten the links between both realities... in this
way progresses are made towards European integration on one of its strongest pillars -culture...
The philosophy defended by the Yuste European Academy Foundation is embodied in this message:
Maastricht's Europe represents a decisive moment of the European integration process, with an
explicit declaration of the will to build the European Union, stating its double political and economic
dimension and considering that both the common citizenship and the single currency have
introduced two powerful motive forces. These forces would not be relevant if they were not
considered together with other important elements, like culture and economic and social cohesion.
In order to rise to the challenge of European integration, all economic and political objectives must
be accompanied by an interest in making progress towards European cultural identity. 452
446 http://www.choeurs-union-europeenne.net/
447 http://www.europacantat.org/conpresso/_data/EC.statutes.02.doc
448 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/calls2007/results/call_22_2007/documents/OCE_Selection%20results%20Publication.pdf
449 http://www.operaeurope.org/site/programme.htm
450 http://www.menuhin-foundation.com/arts-for-europe/european-projects/intro.html
451 http://www.aecinfo.org/content.aspx?id=27
452 http://www.fundacionyuste.org/fundacion/objectives.htm
87
European Forum for the Arts and Heritage (EFAH), which is a Brussels-based arts lobby group
whose activity is "advocacy for culture in the EU." 453
Union des theatres de I'Europe, whose "objective is to contribute to the construction of the
European Union through culture and theatre, to develop a common cultural action which
transcends language barriers in favour of a theatre of art considered as a federative instrument
of poetry and fraternity between people." 454
Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, whose website states:
"Through its various activities, Europa Nostra seeks to highlight the importance of cultural
heritage as a building block of European identity and as a contribution to the strengthening of
the sense of European citizenship." 455
European Writers' Congress (EWC), whose website states:
"The EWC champions the diversity of literatures while raising awareness for both the role of
creators & culture for the EU's Lisbon Agenda... The EWC defends the professional interests
of its members' some 60.000 members, all being protagonists of civil society at European and
national level, in legal and political contexts, concerning cultural and social policy... And the
EWC remains determined to raise and publicly present the commitment of some 60'000
professional writers and literary translators to shaping the profile of Europe via individual
creativity and common elements of cultural policy within the diversity of expressions." 456
The European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC), which hosts the
Cultural Policy Research Award. One of its two published papers is "Why we need European cultural
policies", which "look[s] at possible future scenarios for EU involvement in the field of culture." 457
The Network of European Museums Organisations (NEMO), which lobbies the EU and provides
information to museums on relevant EU legislation. Its publication "Europe through the Eyes of
Museums" states: "Cultural heritage is at the heart of a closer union among the people of
Europe." It also receives funding from the EU Commission budget line "Subsidy to cultural
organizations advancing the idea of Europe." ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
x r /-■* j n x "Cultural heritage
Les Rencontres: Association of European Cities and Regions for Hj
Culture, which is described as "an open forum for debate and action, IS a * * ne near t °* a
grouping together elected members from all levels of local closer union
government throughout Europe in order to actively take part in the among the people
setting up of European cultural policies." 458 of Europe"
The European Music Festival - or Europamusicale, which is run by the European Cultural
Foundation. The website states that this
"is contributing to building the European house. As an independent, international institution,
it will promote cultural exchange in Europe. To do so, it has the European Music Festival
EUROPAMUSICALE as its own measure, which supports the growing together of Europe by
means of culture in a special way... The European Union to a great degree determines our
453 http
454 http
455 http
456 http
457 http
458 http
88
//www.efah.org/index.php?id=5&pagelang=en
//www.ute-net.org/
//www.europanostra.org/lang_en/index.html
//www.european-writers -congress.org/
//www.encatc.org/cpraward/publications/CPRA%202004%20N.Obuljen.pdf
//www.lesrencontres.eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=viewSid=17Sltemid=31
political, social and economic reality today. The already long-lasting process of the countries
joining to form a united Europe is both contemporary and forward-looking.. Culture makes
it possible for members of this society to actually experience the abstract entity of Europe,
making it likeable. As members of an area of culture jointly inhabited and experienced,
people feel at home in Europe with all their hearts." 459
Funding is also open to other bodies fulfilling the objectives of the decision. Other cultural
organisations receiving EU grants include, for example, the European Union Youth Orchestra,
which in 2007 received €600,000, and the European Union Baroque Orchestra, which received
€33,000 in 2003 for a "concert in London to coincide with the accession of the ten new Member
States." It explained:
"The audience will largely consist of ambassadors, cultural attaches, "Culture makes it
FCO representatives, MPs, MEPs, journalists, representatives from possible for
the commercial and business sectors, UK-based music students and members of this
professional musicians. It will be combined with a fact-finding societv to actually
initiative for representatives of music conservatoires and arts festival " . _,
,. x , xU \ ,. . . „„„ experience the
directors of the ten acceding countries. 460 r
abstract entity of
In 2007, the Baroque Orchestra received €332,246 under the Culture Europe, making it
Programme, and is an "ambassador" for culture in Europe. 451 likeable"
Another was Nisi Masa, a Paris-based "European network of
associations" made up of "young professionals, students and enthusiasts with a common cause
- European cinema." Part of the aim is "to foster European awareness through cinema". 462 It
received €29,088 under the "Europe for Citizens" project 2007-201 3. 463
B European Capital of Culture
Each year the EU designates two European cities as 'European Capital of Culture.' The general
aim is "to help bring European citizens closer together", and, the Commission explains, "One of
the key objectives of the event is to foster the knowledge which European citizens may have of
one another and at the same time to create a feeling of belonging to the same community." 464
In 2007 alone, the Commission earmarked €1 .5 million for each European Capital of Culture. 465
C European Year for Intercultural Dialogue 466
Each year the EU has a theme. 2008 is the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, for which the
Commission has earmarked €7 million. Part of this is dedicated to "information and promotion
campaigns, particularly in cooperation with the media, at Community and national level to
disseminate the key messages concerning the objectives of the European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue."
459 http://www.europamusicale.eu/kulturstiftung. html ?L=2
460 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_uk_fr.pdf
461 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/culture/calls2007/results/call_22_2007/documents/OCE_Selection%20results%20Publication.pdf
462 http://www.nisimasa.com/
463 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/compendia/documents/selection_action32.pdf
464 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc435_en.htm
465 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc441_en.htm
466 http://www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu/
89
2007 was the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, 2006 was the European Year of
Workers' Mobility, and 2005 was the European Year of Citizenship through Education. 2009 will
be the European Year of Creativity and Innovation.
EU Education and Culture Commissioner Jan Figel has been open
intercultural about the objectives of the European Year 2008.
dialogue is linked
to a more political He said: "There are plenty of good reasons why the Union should
goal: creating a work on intercultural dialogue... Firstly, building Europe has always
sense of European meant integrating histories, value systems, and world views. There is
: t - u : „ a strong sense in which our process of integration has always been a
dialogue between cultures."
He said the Year of Intercultural Dialogue would concentrate on "raising the awareness of
European citizens and those living in the Union" of the importance of intercultural dialogue,
"developing social and personal habits that will equip us for a more open and complex cultural
environment".
Both of these are laudable aims, but Figel also admitted that "finally, intercultural dialogue is
linked to a more political goal: creating a sense of European citizenship." 467
Indeed the year's website states: "Intercultural dialogue has an increasingly important role to
play in fostering European identity and citizenship." 468
The year is marked by a number of events and projects at both European and national level. In
the UK, for example, in 2008 there is a series of day-long 'LoveDifference Festivals' in London,
Northampton and Bristol, which are clearly exercises in propaganda.
The official website notes that:
"With a political as well as cultural edge, the LoveDifference Festival is a long overdue,
updated take on an old-fashioned debate to promote a new European ideal of culture, travel,
youth and exchange. It pulls European discussion away from the grey corridors of Brussels into
exciting fresh and young venues such as Cargo in London and The Fishmarket Gallery in
Northampton. In the firm belief that cultural diversity is to be celebrated and cherished,
LoveDifference Festival aims to promote the benefits and inspirations that a diverse and
unique community can have. Creating a bridge for UK understanding of European cultures
and arts, food and lifestyles, LoveDifference Festival is at the forefront of understanding
across borders and The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue." 469
D MEDIA 2007
The EU's MEDIA 2007 programme is a programme of support for the European audiovisual sector,
which is worth €755 million over seven years (2007-13). It is the latest phase in the MEDIA
programme, which has existed since 1991. It is candidly admitted that the objective underpinning
the support is a contribution towards "the emergence of European citizenship".
467 Speech at the "A Soul for Europe" Conference, Berlin, 1 7 November 2006
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/figel/speeches/docs/06_1 1_17_Soul_for_Europe_Berlin.pdf
468 http://www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu/406 .0. html ?&redirect_url=my-startpage-eyid. htm I
469 http://www.europe.org.Uk/culture/events/view/-/id/654/
90
The Council decision establishing the programme states that:
"The European audiovisual sector has a key role to play in the emergence of European
citizenship because it is one of the principal vectors for conveying the Union's common and
shared fundamental social and cultural values to Europeans and especially young people.
Community support is designed to enable the European audiovisual sector to promote
intercultural dialogue, increase mutual awareness amongst Europe's cultures and develop its
political, cultural, social and economic potential, which constitutes genuine added value in the
task of making European citizenship a reality" 470
The programme co-finances training initiatives for audiovisual industry professionals, the
development of production projects (feature films, television drama, documentaries, animation
and new media), as well as the promotion of European audiovisual works. 471
"The European
audiovisual sector
has a key role to
play in the
emergence of
European
citizenship"
According to the Commission, half of all European films in the cinema
are shown with the support of the EU's MEDIA programme. It supports
the distribution of 9 out of every 10 feature films in Europe that are
distributed outside their originating country, and 2.5 million cinema-
goers watch over 1 5,000 European screenings in more than 1 00 festivals
funded by MEDIA. Every year 300 new European film projects are
supported by MEDIA. 472
This fact is advertised using a whole series of short film clips such as the
controversial "Film lovers will love this!", which, as mentioned in Part
One, features three minutes of people having sex and ends with "Let's come together... Millions
of cinema lovers enjoy European films every year... Europe supports European films" with a
picture of the EU flag and MEDIA logo. 473 Indeed the Media 2007 programme was launched
amid controversy when the Commission showcased the film, among others, at the Berlin Film
Festival. 474
Many people will take the view that supporting the European film industry is a worthwhile EU
cause, given the dominance of US-produced films on the European
market. However, it is relevant to this paper insofar as it is also a
convenient and effective way of promoting the European Union.
EU rules stipulate that:
"Beneficiaries must clearly acknowledge the European Union's
contribution in all publications or in conjunction with activities for
which the grant is used. Furthermore, beneficiaries are required to
give prominence to the name and logo of the MEDIA Programme
on all their publications, posters, programmes and other products
realised under the co-financed project. If this requirement is not
fully complied with, the beneficiary's grant may be reduced." 475
"Beneficiaries
must clearly
acknowledge the
European Union's
contribution in all
publications or in
conjunction with
activities for
which the grant is
used"
470 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006D1718:EN:NOT
471 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/index_en.htm
472 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/overview/clips/index_en.htm
473 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koR!FnBIDHO&feature=related
474 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/overview/clips/index_en.htm See Sunday Times 1 June 2007
475 See here, for example: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/producer/develop/slate1st/docs/1607/guidelines_en.pdf
91
The EU supports both production of films and also distribution - mainly through the EUROPA
cinemas film theatre network which co-ordinates 685 cinemas in 42 countries based in the EU,
the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe. The EU recently agreed to extend the network into 52
new countries including South Korea, Mexico, Brazil and the Palestinian Territories, under the
EU's new €2 million Media International programme. Media International involves 18
international film cooperation projects, such as a €50,000 venture between the Belgian cartoon
company 'Cartoon Connection' and an Argentine cartoon company 'Encuadre'. 476
Separate from the MEDIA programme, the EU also promotes European cinema for the purposes
of its own communication policy.
The European Parliament's Culture Committee, for example, has
established the Lux Prize for cinema. Launching the prize, Gerard
Onesta, Vice-President of the Parliament, described cinema as "A
warmer, more direct way of communicating with citizens... a
quality communication vector."
He said the aim of the prize was to pick a European film of the year,
described as "a film which can identify the European in each of us...
A common European identity... Sometimes within Europe we have
difficulty in finding what unites us, and sometimes we need to use
emotions as well as a way of contacting people... We're really
trying to get out of this national approach." 477
"Sometimes within
Europe we have
difficulty in finding
what unites us, and
sometimes we need
to use emotions as
well as a way of
contacting people...
We're really trying to
get out of this
national approach"
Other developments in this area are expected in the future. In
December 2006 the European Economic and Social Committee recommended, in a paper titled
"Making European citizenship visible and effective", that "The European Union should
encourage the setting-up of a European film school and promote its own prizes, like the Oscars,
to reward its best creative people and artists." 478
E Euroglobe
The EU's Communication Policy agenda for 2008 involves spending up to €1 .5 million on a project
called 'Euroglobe.' 479 According to the Commission, the project "promotes a European public
space for debate, culture and study by means of cultural events for the general public."
The idea is that member states holding the Presidency of the EU organise events - such as theatre
plays, music concerts, dance shows, TV shows and websites etc - that "maximise the influence of
this Presidency; strengthen the feeling among citizens of this country that they belong to the EU
and believe in its activities; raise their interest in current headline European issues and their
knowledge of these, by using culture as the vehicle." 480
Euroglobe has its own website, showcasing events taking place under the current, previous and
next EU presidencies. The events taking place under the French EU Presidency in October 2008,
for example, are themed "From Shakespeare to Euro Rap" and include events such as "Rap
476 European Voice, 27 August 2008 http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/2529august/international-film-projects-get-eu-funding/62050.aspx
477 http://www.lux-prize.eu/prize/index_en.htm
478 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:318:0163:01:EN:HTML
479 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/euroglobe/EuroGlobe-Call-EN.pdf
480 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/prog2008_en.pdf
92
Freestyle - Europe: I have a dream", "Poetry Slam competition - Europe: I have a dream", and
an "Open Stage" event called "Searching for the Soul(s) of Europe". 481
F Other initiatives
The Commission's DG Culture also funds "special annual events", including, in 2006 for example,
€1 million for an exhibition in Brussels "tracing the history of European integration" in
celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. 482
€500,000 was given to finance "the organisation of cross-border venues in Augsburg, Salzburg
and Vienna and to highlight the importance of W.A. Mozart's work for music and European
culture." 483
The EU also sponsored a "Marathon for a United Europe" for young people from across the EU
in September 2008. Among the aims for the three-day event in Greece is to "promote and
support European citizen ideals." 484
On the official website the Marathon is described as "a completely European event supporting
in every way the harmonious and prosperous coexistence of young people under the EU
umbrella."
Outlining the objectives of the event, it says "All speakers, (Greeks and EU representatives) will
point out EU policy and practices on the above mentioned points as well as their impact on the
younger generation of European citizens."
It continues:
"Marathon for a United Europe is an important event for it supports and promotes European
efforts on unity and solidarity under the multicultural umbrella of European citizenship. The
activities of these few days are designed to bring together the young people of Europe
linking them with the past while pointing them to the
future... Marathon for a United Europe" is a European event
and the young people will be in a place where all 27 member
states are present and equally represented. Spending a few
days in this environment, will help them absorb the
European spirit and its values of mutual respect and peaceful
co-existence and they will understand what it means to be
European." 485
"Marathon for a United
Europe is an important
event for it supports
and promotes European
efforts on unity and
solidarity under the
multicultural umbrella
of European
citizenship"
481 http://www.euroglobe.info/en/the-program.html
482 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc592_en.htm
483 http://ec.europa.eu/culture/our-programmes-and-actions/doc589_en.htm
484 http://www.britishcouncil.org/greece-sport-marathon-for-a-united-europe.htm
485 http://marathonforaunitedeurope.com/index. php?option=com_contentSview=article&id=50<emid=92
93
4
Investing in the long-term: Targeting young
people
"It is above all through the involvement of young people that Europe will assure its future"
Commission communication "Building our common Future - Policy challenges and Budgetary
means of the Enlarged Union 2007-201 3" 486
The EU concentrates much of its propaganda effort on children and young people. Targeting
young people is the key part of a long-term campaign to foster support for the idea of European
integration, and education is widely used as a method for selling it.
The EU identified the need to target young people many years ago, with the "Youth for Europe"
policy launched in 1988, and the subsequent 1993 Maastricht Treaty which said the EU should
"encourage the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socio-educational
instructors." 487
However in the past few years the EU has raised its game with regard to young people,
recognising that "It is above all through the involvement of young people that Europe will assure
its future." 488
The EU has a sophisticated and multi-pronged approach to targeting young people, with 'youth'
becoming an official part of the Commissioner for Education, Training and Culture's portfolio in
January 2007, despite the fact that, as the Commission elsewhere acknowledges, "youth policy
falls under the remit of the Member States." 489
Notwithstanding this fact, the EU has a hefty budget for targeting youth, and several
frameworks and strategies, even if there is so far no actual legislation in force.
The current approach has three main strands: "fostering young people's active citizenship"
through the Youth in Action Programme, the Youth portal, the European Center on Youth Policy
and a so-called 'structured dialogue'; "Social and occupational integration" of young people,
through the European Youth Pact, which aims at improving education and training,
employability and social inclusion; and the inclusion of a "youth dimension" in other policies.
These strands make up the EU Framework for European Cooperation in the Field of Youth, which
aims to "promote, in particular, the participation of young people in civil life and civil society" 490
The 2001 White Paper which launched all of these initiatives, called "A new impetus for
European youth", reveals that the impetus behind the EU's approach to youth policy comes not
from a desire to help young people for the sake of it, but from an explicit desire to help create
the notion of a European citizenship, which, as we have seen, has been identified by the
Commission as key for its ultimate objective of securing support for EU integration.
486 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2004:0101:FIN:EN:DOC
487 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/glance/glance5_en.htm
488 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2004:0101:FIN:EN:DOC
489 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc26_en.htm
490 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc23_en.htm
94
The paper identifies an objective of "Getting young people more involved in the life of the local,
national and European communities, and fostering active citizenship." A key part of the White Paper's
objective is to involve young people in the decision-making processes of
the EU, but with the explicit objective to develop young people in order
to in effect use them to help the EU project succeed. It says:
"The European project is itself young, still forming and still being
debated. If it is to make progress, it needs ambition and enthusiasm,
and commitment on the part of young people to the values on
which it is based... It is time now to regard youth as a positive force
in the construction of Europe rather than as a problem." 491
"It is time now to
regard youth as a
positive force in
the construction of
Europe rather than
as a problem"
It also establishes a plan to use young people as a justification for European integration. It boldly
states: "Young people in Europe subscribe to the same fundamental values as does the European
Union. They expect the EU to be in a position to meet their aspirations."
"This mass
information
exercise will require
a coordinated
approach,
considerable
resources and the
involvement of
young people"
The White Paper identified the need for an "information and
communication campaign for young people", using content "geared
towards young people's expectations". It said that as regards
information:
"it is important to reach the young people themselves if possible, but in
any case those who come into contact with them in school, in clubs, in
associations, etc. This mass information exercise will require a coordinated
approach, considerable resources and the involvement of young people
in devising and implementing these communication tools." 492
The main result of the White Paper was the Youth in Action programme, which was agreed in 2006.
Youth in Action
The Youth in Action programme runs from 2007 to 2013 and "aims to inspire a sense of active
citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping
the Union's future." 493 Its main objective is "Promoting young people's active citizenship in
general and their European citizenship in particular." 494
"The aim of the YOUTH
programme is to
encourage young people
to make an active
contribution to European
integration"
It is the successor to the 2000 to 2006 Youth Programme.
According to the Commission, "The aim of the YOUTH programme is to encourage young people
to make an active contribution to European integration." 496
491 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc7smartapJlcelexplus! prod !DocNumber&lg=en&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2001&nu_doc=681
492 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc7smartapilcelexpius! prod !DocNumber&lg=en&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2001&nu_doc=681
493 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/index_en. htm ?cs_mid=74
494 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/documents/info_kit_0107_v02.pdf
495 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-policies/doc28_en.htm
496 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexpius!prod!DocNumber8!lg=en&type_doc=COMfinal&an_doc=2001&nu_doc=681
It has a budget of €885 million over the seven years, and
"funds projects which are designed to encourage a sense of
active European citizenship in young people and encourage
young people to become more involved in the democratic
process at regional, national and European level." 495
95
The legal base for Youth in Action talks about bringing "citizens, and primarily young people,
closer to the European design and the European institutions." 497
Among the objectives of the Youth in Action programme are:
"to promote young people's active citizenship in general and their European citizenship in
particular; to promote European cooperation in the youth field; giving young people and
youth organisations the opportunity to take part in the development of society in general and
the EU in particular; developing young people's sense of belonging to the EU; encouraging
the participation of young people in the democratic life of Europe; fostering the mobility of
young people in Europe; and promoting the fundamental values of the EU among young
people, in particular respect for human dignity, equality, respect for human rights, tolerance
and nondiscrimination."
The objectives of the programme are pursued through the following five actions:
1) Youth for Europe, which involves youth exchanges between different countries;
2) the European Voluntary Service, designed to "develop solidarity and promote active
citizenship and mutual understanding";
3) Youth in the World, which involves cooperation with countries outside the EU in order to
"develop mutual understanding between peoples in a spirit of openness";
4) Youth support systems, which involves funding NGOs and other organisations "active in
the field of youth" in order to "promote the civil participation of young people at
European level by supporting bodies active at European level in the field of youth"; and
5) support for European cooperation in the youth field (including "structured dialogue"
between young people and youth workers and policymakers. 498
The emphasis on the civic participation of young people suggests a Making young
desire not only to educate young people to support European people aware that
integration, but to encourage them to be its future advocates. they are European
citizens is a priority
Indeed, the Commission writes that: f *^ e Youth in
„.. .. - .. . .. _ ... Action Programme"
Making young people aware that they are European citizens is
a priority of the Youth in Action Programme. The objective is to
encourage young people to reflect upon European topics including European citizenship and
to involve them in the discussion on the construction and the future of the European Union.
On this basis, projects should have a strong European dimension and stimulate reflection on
the emerging European society and its values." 499
It notes: "The cohesion of the Union depends on actively engaging Europe's youth in the
European project." 500
497 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_327/l_32720061 1 24en00300044.pdf
498 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_327/l_32720061 1 24en00300044.pdf
499 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/youth/faq/objectives_en.htm
500 http://ec.europa.eu/youth/youth-in-action-programme/doc104_en.htm
96
In 2007 a 'European Youth Week' promoted the Youth in Action programme. On its website, the
'get informed' page links first to the heavily biased "What has Europe ever done for us?" website
mentioned in Part One, and secondly to a page titled "Celebrating youth", which plugs the EU's
White Paper on Sport and begins, "If it is still too early to dream about an united EU in sport for
challenging with the other world's superpowers, the Commission just issued a document full of
strategies, advices and proposals: will Member States get the challenge?" 501
There is also a link to "Our common future - European Youth Pact." The Pact was adopted by
the European Council in March 2005 with an aim "to improve education, training, mobility,
employment, and social inclusion of young people, whilst helping to achieve a work-life
balance." 502
European Youth Week 2008 involved projects such as "Perfecting young European Citizens
through art", whose "main goal was to show all the opportunities that young people can have
if they work together as one." The topic of one exchange under the programme was "softening
differences (ethno-cultural, religious, personal or sexual, conceived by economical, geographical,
social or cultural factors)".
It said: "The aim was to assist the participants in getting to know themselves and the others
better and to help them to get over their stereotypes in order to build skills for co-operation in
the name of a common goal." 503 The propaganda value for the European Union - which aims to
be a model of cooperation by eliminating differences in the name of common goals - is obvious.
Another project was a "Learn about your neighbours" event on the Isle of Wight. According to
the description of the event:
"Students on the Isle of Wight possibly have less contact with their European peers than other
young people of their age in this country. This can make them seem insular and anti-
European. Our European Youth Week project aims to widen their awareness of our European
partner schools and European students studying at our school, so that they feel more
European." 504
There is also a European Youth Portal, which not only offers young people information about
studying, working and volunteering in the EU, but also includes links to the heavily biased
'information' about the EU referred to above, such as the EuropaGo! website, and the 'European
Union at a glance' site, and links to organisations such as the European Youth Forum (see Part Two).
It also tells young people about their rights: "The rights of EU citizens are protected by the EU
Charter of Fundamental Rights, the purpose of which is to ensure that all the Member States and
European institutions defend and promote measures for equality, justice, dignity and citizens'
rights." 505
It links through to an online European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy: "A single entry point
to get accurate and up-to-date research based information on the realities of young people
across Europe." 506
501 http
502 http
503 http
504 http
505 http
506 http
//www.youthweek.eu/get-inform ed_en.htm I
//www.youthweek.eu/our-common-future_en.html
//www.youthweek.eu/best-youth-projects/active-best-practise-projects-en/best-practise-bulgaria.html
//www.eurodesk.org.uk/Special/Events.aspx?id=4
//europa.eu/youth/your_rights/index_eu_en.html
//europa.eu/youth/news/index_24 12_en.html
97
In terms of concrete actions, the EU targets young people in a number of ways. Firstly, as touched
on briefly in Part One, it produces enormous amounts of literature, websites and other material
aimed specifically at children and young people.
Secondly, it directs these and other initiatives directly at pupils and at teachers, by organising
school initiatives and programmes, such as Spring Day for Europe and guided visits to the EU
institutions.
Thirdly, it heavily subsidises university courses, professors and researchers pursuing the study of
European integration. All of these initiatives fit into the overall aims of attempting to create a
European public sphere and a European citizenship, as looked at above.
1 Biased publications and websites
Any teacher oryoung person can find a wealth of resources on the EU's Europa website designed
and written specifically with children and young people in mind. The EU institutions, as well as
the host EU 'information' points such as those mentioned in Part One, distribute huge amounts
of literature and resources for teachers and young people alike.
The content is consistently and overwhelmingly pro-integrationist, presenting the EU as an
unqualified success, with a clear aim to teach young people - both directly and with more
subliminal messages - that a stronger EU is the answer to many of the world's problems.
For example, there is a whole section on the europa 'Easy reading" page 507 with a special section
for 'young people', with links to booklets on every EU policy area in the 'Europe on the move'
booklet series.
Some of the titles really speak for themselves. For example, the booklet on the topic of
Competition is titled: "It's a better life - How the EU's single market benefits you," on Consumer
Affairs it's "Your rights as a consumer - How the European Union protects your interests," and
on External Trade it's "Making globalisation work for everyone -the European Union and world
trade." There is also "Better off in Europe - How the EU's single market benefits you", "50 ways
forward - Europe's best successes," and "Serving the people of Europe -What the European
Commission does for you," to pick just a few. 508
Specifically with teachers and their schoolchildren in mind, there are also wallcharts, posters,
postcards and maps. The emphasis is on explaining the different 'successes' of the EU and how
it reaches its decisions. The most critical it gets is an acknowledgment, on the wallchart "This is
your Europe - the EU at your service," for example, that "the EU is complex and hard to
understand. It is not always easy for 25 countries to agree on what to do," and "EU leaders have
not been good at explaining what they do and why." 509
There is no mention at all of the drawbacks of EU policies, such as higher food prices, import
tariffs against poor countries, fraud, waste and corruption in the EU institutions, misdirected EU
regional funds or the lack of democracy - all of which are also facts about the EU.
507 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/index_en.htm
508 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/atoz_en.htm
509 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/others/58/panorama_en.pdf
98
Below are some of the clearest examples of this propaganda in action.
Euro pa Diary
Now in its fifth edition, the "Europa Diary: Wise Choices?" is produced yearly by the European
Commission's DG Consumer Affairs and distributed to schools across the EU by the Generation Europe
Foundation. For the 2008-2009 school year, more than 2.8 million copies have been distributed
throughout the member states in all of the EU's languages, and for 2009 a Serbian edition is under
prepa ration. 510 The diary comes complete with a Teachers' Guide, to help them make the most of it. 511
In the UK, 230,000 copies of the 2007/2008 edition were distributed. 512 The price per copy
delivered to the schools was €1 .67 513 , bringing the total cost to more than €4.6 million for the
2008-2009 edition.
According to the EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection, who had a foreword in the 2207-
2008 edition, the diary "provides practical tips and 'know-how' on becoming healthier, safer and
more assertive as a consumer, by taking advantage of all the rights offered to you by the EU." 514
The diary opens with an EU timeline, which starts out: "1946: The aim, in the aftermath of the
Second World War, was to secure peace between Europe's victorious and vanquished nations."
The entry for the year 2001 reads: "The Treaty of Nice was signed which brought further reforms
to the EU institutions and reinforced fundamental rights, security and
defense, and judicial co-operation in criminal matters." „ci i m p m hp r chin
The main text of the diary opens with: "The European Union has grown has made '* easier
a lot, not just in terms of geographic coverage, population and to travel, live,
economic power but also in the number of ways that it touches on our shop, work and
everyday lives. This success has made the European Union much more study wherever
visible to the general public." we want j n any
-■ r- , ., EU Member State"
An interview with EU Communications Commissioner Margot
Wallstrom reads: "What is the European Union's single greatest
achievement in the past 1 years?" to which she replies: "I think uniting many of the Eastern and
Western countries is a great achievement, also the single market and having a single currency in
many countries. The EU has improved the quality of people's everyday lives."
A section titled "What is the European Union" says:
"The European Union is a group of 27 Member States who have decided to share power in
order to make their populations safer and wealthier. The system of government they have
created is unique in the world. Most of the things you read or hear about the EU focus on big
issues such as economic competition, but its work touches almost every aspect of our lives, from
the quality of the environment around us to ensuring that we get a fair deal as consumers.
And EU membership has made it easier to travel, live, shop, work and study wherever we want
in any EU Member State."
510 http
511 http
512 http
513 http
514 http
//www.generation-europe.eu.com/drupal_prev_v1/about-ge/work-ge
//ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_info/cons_diary2007-2008/tk_uk.pdf
//ec. europa. eu/consumers/cons_info/cons_diary2007-2008/nat_report_uk.pdf
//ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_info/consumer_diary_en.htm
//ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_info/cons_diary2007-2008/agenda_uk.pdf
99
A section on the Court of Auditors explains that "The European Union is funded by taxpayers'
money. Taxpayers have the right to know whether their money is being spent properly. The Court
of Auditors, also based in Luxembourg, reviews the Commission's accounts and publishes an
annual report on the way money has been spent". However it neglects to point out that the
Court has failed to sign off the EU's accounts for the past 13 years in a row.
Euro pa Go!
Aimed at 10 to 14 year olds, the strapline of this colourful website is "Learning about Europe can
be fun!" 515 It shows a picture of a child's bedroom with the EU flag on the
wall, and has interactive games and quizzes for children as well as
wallpaper downloads for desktops. There is a series of different quizzes on
EU topics, including "Europe in Harmony," "Game of Stars" and "The Euro
Game."
"Learning
about Europe
can be fun!"
The Euro Game quiz links to the Euro Kids' Corner, which tells the story of the euro with a
treasure island theme and challenges children to pit against each other in interactive games
including "Coins and currencies - which country does each euro-coin design come from?";
"Banknote puzzle - put together the pieces of each euro banknote"; "Dive and count - can you
add up?" and the "Euro quiz - test your knowledge of the euro". 516
The quizzes are clearly intended to familiarise children with the
currency, but the "learn" section of the site is about promoting the
euro. As well as explaining what the euro is, how it was introduced and
how coins and notes are made, it explains that "Using many different
currencies within Europe made life more difficult and more expensive
when moving between countries. Exchanging currencies cost money:
trade was more expensive and travel cost more."
It goes on to talk about the benefits of the euro under "How does the
euro help us?", without a single counter-argument against it or in
favour of national currencies. It is portrayed as a complete success:
"Using many
different
currencies within
Europe made life
more difficult and
more expensive
when moving
between
countries"
"Much of the good work the EU does is not always obvious - it is often
hidden in legal documents and pages of reports. But the euro can be
held in your hand - it is very real... the euro is an everyday symbol of
the economic integration of Europe into the single market, and of the
progress of European integration overall." 517
In the past, now EU Trade Commissioner Baroness Ashton has justified
spending EU money on these exercises by saying, "All our young people
need to understand the workings of the euro if they are to travel within
Europe. They need to know what a euro note looks like to ensure that
they receive the correct currency and understand how it is used."
"the euro is an
everyday symbol
of the economic
integration of
Europe into the
single market and
of the progress of
European
integration
overall"
This may well be true, but the above examples prove that the EU is
unable or unwilling to inform people in a neutral way. 518
515 http://europa.eu/europago/welcome.jsp
516 http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/netstartsearch/euro/kids/index_en.htm
517 http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/netstartsearch/euro/kids/learn_en.htm
518 Hansard, 14 July 2003 http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?gid=2003-07-14a. 710.0
100
Let's explore Europe!
Aimed at 9 to 12 year olds. Let's Explore Europe 519 , published in 2008 charts the geography and
history of Europe as a continent, "our home", and its successes (e.g. "Some of the world's best
planes are built in Europe" and "Europe's seaside resorts are great places for a holiday").
Until about halfway through, the pamphlet is fairly harmless, apart from a few subtle
endorsements of the EU's approach: "Europe had record-breaking hot summers in 2003 and
2006. Is this a sign that the climate is changing? Climate change is a world-wide problem that can
only be solved if all countries work together"; and "We all need to do what we can to look after
the countryside and keep it beautiful."
But after exploring the great European inventions and personalities, it notes that:
"Sadly, the story of Europe is not all about great achievements we can be proud of. There are
also many things to be ashamed of. Down the centuries, European nations fought terrible
wars against each other. These wars were usually about power and property, or religion."
"Could anything be done to stop these things happening again? Would Europeans ever learn
to sit down together and discuss things instead of fighting? The answer is yes. That's the story
of our next chapter: the story of the European Union."
"The EU tries to Noting that what was needed was "a really good plan that had never
make life better in been tried before," it goes on to chart the beginnings of the
all sorts of wavs" European Coal and Steel Community, which later became the EEC
and eventually the European Union.
Covering "What the EU does," it says "The EU tries to make life better in all sorts of ways... the
EU is doing all it can to create new and better jobs for everyone who can work. It helps people
to set up new businesses, and provides money to train people to do new kinds of work."
It says the EU helps poor countries: "It also buys many things that „yw today's
those countries produce without charging customs duties. That way, , ./,
the poor countries can earn more money." It continues:
before long we'll
"The European Union has brought many European countries together be Europe's adults.
in friendship. Of course, they don't always agree on everything but. The future is for us
instead of fighting, their leaders sit round a table to sort out their to decide
disagreements. So the dream of Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman toapthpr'"
has come true: the EU has brought peace among its members."
"We are today's European children: before long we'll be Europe's adults. The future is for us to
decide — together!"
519 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/young/letsexplore2008/en.pdf
101
What scorching weather!
With the more specific aim of convincing children that climate change is a fact, (and thereby
implicitly justifying a role for the EU in combating it) the Commission's illustrated publication
"What scorching weather!" 520 is a children's story about a boy called Tom who sees a forest fire
while out on his bike on a hot day and starts to worry about his friend, Lila the Fox.
A friendly fireman explains why the weather is so hot:
"You see, Tom, the problem is that the world is getting warmer. The climate is changing, so
we're getting heat waves like this one. And storms, and floods, and all sorts of other natural
disasters! The ice at the north and south poles is melting, and so are the glaciers on high
mountains like the Alps. The melted water runs off into the rivers and down to the sea, so the
sea level is rising. Some islands and coasts are likely to disappear under the water! At the
same time, if the climate goes on getting hotter, some countries will become deserts!"
He goes on to explain that the problem is caused by greenhouse gases from cars, planes and
factories. After the fire is extinguished, and Lila the Fox and her fox cubs have been saved, Tom
and the fireman are presented with medals from the Mayor (who happens to be wearing a blue
sash dotted with gold stars).
Tom says: "Mr Mayor, please take a look at these poor little fox cubs. They nearly died today...
And it's all because of climate change! I think you should give these medals to people who are
trying to save the earth!"
The fireman chimes in with "Mr Mayor, we're fireman. We were just doing our job. But we see
that the earth is warming up. Today's forest fire was not a coincidence. We humans were
probably responsible. The climate is changing!"
Captain Euro
In the late 90s a brand agency working for the EU created a superhero. Captain Euro, whose
remit is to "defend the security of Europe and uphold the values of the Union." According to the
animated website 521 :
"Captain Euro is a diplomatic hero - the symbol of European unity and values."
"[He] plays a crucial role in the building of a European identity. His message is about
protecting and nurturing European diversity and culture while creating a strong and powerful
brand that unites us at European level."
"He's fun. He's friendly and he appeals to all Europeans because he's totally multicultural and
non-political. In other words, he is a true European - through and through... Captain EURO
is the super-hero of Europe. He's the protector of Europe who holds out for justice, who
promotes peace and carries the message of goodwill around the world."
The website states "Everyone will want to identify with the Captain Euro brand. It brings
emotion to the concept of a united Europe, adding value to products and services.... Captain
Euro makes everyone proud to be European."
520 Also available online - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/pubs/pdf/weather/en.pdf
521 http://www.captaineuro.com/
102
Captain euro and his sidekick, Europa, "are the new ambassadors of global peace... solving
problems and averting the threat of danger." They even "represent Europe in the sporting arena
too. Competing in a host of sporting championships and triumphing in the name of Europe."
"Everyone will want
to identify with the
Captain Euro brand.
It brings emotion to
the concept of a
united Europe,
adding value to
products and
services. Captain
Euro makes
everyone proud to
be European"
The chief baddy is Dr. D Vider, whose "evil" intention is "to divide
Europe and create his own empire," with the help of his son, who "is
always crisply dressed in immaculate Saville Row of London suits."
There are also some extraordinary old publications that are no
longer available, including. Let's Draw Europe together (the opening
section of which was entitled "My country: Europe") and classroom
videos, including one which proclaimed that "to simplify things, they
should make a Single Currency [so that] everyone is happy. See - it's
better this way."
Another one no longer around is the infamous Raspberry Ice-Cream
War, a comic book, which, as MEP Daniel Hannan has reported:
"tells the story of a group of intrepid
youngsters who travel back through time to a land where there are
still nations and borders. They explain to the ignorant inhabitants
that, where they come from - the EU - frontiers have been abolished
and, with them, every misery and misfortune that used to afflict
mankind. The grateful natives agree to pool their sovereignty,
thereby ushering in a period of cross-border trade and sustainable
growth." 522
2 Support for education
"to simplify things,
they should make
a Single Currency
[so that] everyone
is happy. See - it's
better this way"
The EU also spends large amounts of money each year targeting children and young people
through education. The underlying idea is to help promote European citizenship, which, as we
saw in the previous section, is viewed by the EU as an essential means for fostering support for
EU integration.
As the Economic and Social Committee recommended in a paper on "Making European
citizenship visible and effective" in December 2006: "Ambitious initiatives should... be
undertaken to consolidate European citizenship through education and training, not least about
Europe. A common European core should be ensured at all levels of education: primary,
secondary and university" 523
In terms of education, the EU's central campaign for the period up to 2013 is the "Lifelong
Learning Programme", which supports education and training across Europe at a cost of around
€1 billion a year. 524
522 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml7xmh/opinion/2006/08/05/do0503.xm!
523 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:3 18:01 63:01 :EN:HTML
524 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc78_en.htm
The Lifelong Learning Programme was called the Socrates programme before 2007. A full list of projects funded under Socrates, including Comenius, Erasmus,
Leonardo etc can be found here: http://www.isoc.siu.no/isocii.nsf One Comenius project for example, undertaken by an Austrian school on the subject of
European Identity, took as its premise: "To be European is not something one is born to be but a matter of education".
http://www.isoc.siu.no/isocii.nsf/DE_print/053ADEF3EE9491B3C1256DE2004C8FD5
103
This is divided up into four programmes - school education (Comenius), higher education
(Erasmus), vocational training (Leonardo da Vinci) and adult education (Grundtvig). There is also
the Jean Monnet programme which promotes the study of European integration in universities.
The Commission says the aim of the programme is
"to contribute through lifelong learning to the development of the Community as an advanced
knowledge society, with sustainable economic development, more and better jobs and greater
social cohesion. It aims to foster interaction, cooperation and mobility between education and
training systems within the Community, so that they become a world quality reference." 525
These are laudable aims, as is the objective to advance student mobility and language-learning,
such as through the Erasmus scheme.
However, the Commission goes on to explain that there is an underlying, wider purpose to
funding education, which is "to reinforce the role of lifelong learning in creating a sense of
European citizenship." 526
Indeed many aspects of the programmes serve to promote the EU, purporting to "make people
more aware of Europe" but in practice offering children and young people only the 'good news'
about the EU.
The most controversial aspects of the EU's action in the area of education are its activities in
schools, and the Jean Monnet programme for universities. 527
A Propaganda in schools
Clearly the literature, websites and teaching materials mentioned above are key examples of
how the EU targets children in primary and secondary education, since many of them are
designed for use by teachers and pupils.
In addition to this, there are several other ways in which the EU concentrates on schools.
According to EU Trade Commissioner Baroness Ashton:
"The Government are committed to increasing the awareness of European and wider
international issues in schools... From 1997 until December 2002, the European Commission
subsidised — by 360,000 euros (approximately £250,000) — the provision of information to
schools and some colleges in the UK through a network of European resource centres. The
host organisations, mostly educational authorities but some colleges and a few universities,
met the remainder of the costs by providing accommodation and staff resources."
"Those centres played an important role in providing information to students and teachers,
face-to-face and on the phone, as well as offering a range of materials including, for example.
525 http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/newprog/index_en.html
526 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc7smartapilcelexpius! prod !CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32006D 1720
527 The more worthwhile aspects of the Lifelong Learning Programme have been excluded from the calculation of the propaganda spend - such as Article 1 5 02
03, "Cooperation with non-member countries on education and vocational training", worth €6.65m in 2008, Article 15 02 23, "Erasmus-style programme for
apprentices", and Article 15 02 25, which allocates €17m to the European Centre for Development of Vocational Training.
104
the loan of European Treasure Chests. The Treasure Chest project, with financial assistance
from Building Europe Together, was funded through the EU Prince Programme... Chests
contain CD-Roms, books and maps about Europe. The project subsequently extended to the
secondary sector" 528
Comenius
The Comenius branch of the Lifelong Learning Programme, run by the British Council in the UK,
"provides opportunities for schools and colleges to introduce or strengthen the European
dimension in their curriculum." 529
This involves school partnerships, enabling schools from across Europe to work together on joint
projects (a project which will be rolled out to Local Authorities from 2009); in-service training for
teachers in other European countries; and an assistants' programme which places trainee
teachers in schools and colleges across Europe.
A look at the Comenius case studies shows that the project has provided school children with
some valuable opportunities to work with other children around Europe, increasing their mutual
understanding and even helping them to learn new languages, through both classroom work
and visits and exchanges.
However, it is clear that the underlying theme is to promote the idea of 'Europe' as a concept to
school children, linking it in with issues ranging from the environment, to energy supply, to
diversity and equality. There is a subtle message running throughout the projects funded that
Europeans generally work better "together" - helping to cement support for further integration,
and, therefore, for the EU.
The leader of one project, for instance, on citizenship, diversity and equality, undertaken by a
school in Cambridge in conjunction with schools in Italy, Sweden and Germany, wrote:
"We felt that the final year should be one of celebration of our sustained collaboration, of
friendships made, of curriculum development, of the potential for Europe to create equality
and harmony, and of the richness of diversity. We called the final year Celebrating Diversity,
so we could demonstrate not only recognition of problems within Europe and its position in
the wider global community, but the hope, even the conviction, that by working together we
can create a better and more equal future." 530
Another project, involving schools in Gloucestershire, Italy and Romania said its broad aim was
"to enable the children to explore and engage in dialogue about their roles and responsibilities
as citizens in their immediate community and as future adults in the European Community" 531
One project, called "The European Citizen - Thinking, Teaching and Learning for Europe",
identifies its aims as to "develop a better understanding of living together as European Citizens
and tolerance between nations; and embedding European Citizenship into the curriculum areas
of all three schools."
528 Hansard, 14 July 2003
529 http://www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-about-us.htm
530 http://www.g[obalgateway.org/default.aspx?page=1490
531 http://www.gtobalgateway.org/default.aspx?page=1491
105
Its activities included the creation of a website called 'Europeans Working Together' and a visit
to Poland "to celebrate Poland's entry to the EU." 532
Another, called "Europe - United in Diversity", encouraged pupils to write letters describing
their ideal European school to the EU Education Commissioner. 533
In addition to these there are also broad-brush campaigns designed for promoting the EU in
schools, which are distinct from the Comenius programme.
Spring Day in Europe
Spring Day for Europe is an annual, three-month campaign that takes place between March and
June to engage school children in EU issues. It is part of the DG Communication's 'Plan D for
Democracy' campaign (see Part One). There is a particular focus on 9 May, which, as we saw in
Part Three, is 'Europe Day'.
As the website notes: "Spring Day for Europe was first launched in 2002 as a campaign to: raise
awareness about the European Union, its citizens and institutions; promote European citizenship
education at school through traditional and ICT curriculum-based activities." 534
By 29 April 2008, 3000 schools from across the EU had signed up to take part. 535 Schools are
enticed to sign up to participate by the possibility to "Receive a digital certificate of participation
signed by top-level EU decision makers." 536
In addition: "A set of digital games are offered to support and make the teaching and learning
of European topics more fun for students. The games are interactive and cover a number of
thematic areas such as: European integration, citizenship, common cultural values and heritage,
EU institutions, the EU and its citizens and EU treaties." 537
The theme for 2008 is the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, whose aim is "to promote
intercultural dialogue and help raise awareness of cultural diversity with young people, as a
major asset to our common European cultural heritage." 538
In 2007 the theme was 'Together since 1957: Schools celebrating Europe.' As the Commission
explains: "This anniversary is an opportunity to communicate about what the EU has achieved
so far and to intensify the debate on the future of Europe, a future matching the needs and
expectations of young generations." 539
One element of Spring Day for Europe in 2008 is "Guess who is going back to school". 540 The idea
is to organise for a public figure "to talk about Europe and its role in intercultural dialogue." 541
532 http://www.globalgateway.org/defauit.aspx?page=1481
533 http://www.g[obalgateway.org/defautt.aspx?page=2773
534 http://www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/about/glance.htm
535 http://www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/news/press_releases/3000.htm
536 http://www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/about/whyregister.htm
537 http://www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/about/whyregister.htm
538 http://www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/about/glance.htm
539 http://www.europeanschoolnet.org/ww/en/pub/eun/portais/spring_day.htm
540 Not to be confused with the separate initiative "EU Back to schools", which, the Commission explains, is "part of a communication effort of the European
Commission, the European Parliament and national governments to better communicate Europe to young people. Prepared by the Commission and by the
government of the concerned Member State, ELI Back to schools has already taken place in Germany, Portugal, Slovenia and the Netherlands. Schools involved
in this operation are strongly recommended to get registered in Spring Day for Europe in order to continue to reinforce their knowledge about the EU."
http://www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/news/newsflash/backschool.htm
106
As the website states:
"It has the purpose of inviting public figures and experts to visit schools and host debates
that focus on the latest developments in the European Union. To date a large number of
public figures, including EU Commissioners, Members of the European Parliament, state
presidents and members of national parliaments have visited schools." 542
These are listed on the website and those visiting schools in the UK -such "This anniversary is
as Conservative MEP Neil Parish, Labour MEP Gary Titley and SNP MEP Ian an opportunity to
Hudghton - seem to suggest a degree of balance in this exercise, communicate about
representing a range of views on the EU, both critical and pro. what thp FU has
However, some of the other activities teachers are encouraged to
undertake with pupils are much less balanced and are clearly to intensify the
designed to convince schoolchildren about the need for EU debate on the
integration. future of Europe"
One activity encourages children to interview "an MEP or another political figure" about their
background in the context of the Year of Intercultural Dialogue. They are instructed to pick someone
"that is important or has contributed to the development of Europe or intercultural dialogue." 543
Among its recommended resources for teachers, the website lists Debate Europe, EU Tube, and
the hugely one-sided "EU at a glance" brochure which was looked at in Part One. 544
As part of the 2007 Spring Day for Europe, the teacher resources recommended a quiz. With
questions like "The EU Constitution aims at creating a more efficient and effective enlarged
Europe, closer to the citizens, and representing Europe's interests in the world. True or False,"
the bias is evident. 545
The Commission earmarked €500,000 for Spring Day in 2008. 546
The initiative is coordinated by European Schoolnet on behalf of the European Commission. 547
Created in 1997, European Schoolnet (EUN) is a consortium of 28 ministries of education in
Europe. According to its website:
"Since its establishment, European Schoolnet (EUN) has been at the forefront in supporting
the European dimension in schools. This goal is achieved through projects, competitions,
activities, communication and information exchange at all levels of school education using
innovative technologies." 548
Its proximity to the EU and its objective to promote the EU agenda is evident from its pledge "to
maintain close links with the European Commission... and other European institutions like the
European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions... as part of its efforts to contribute
towards the attainment of European objectives for education and e-learning." 549
541 http
542 http
543 http
544 http
545 http
546 http
547 http
//www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/about/whyregister.htm
//www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/news/newsflash/katedralskolan.htm
//www.springday2008.net/shared/app_uploads/springday/2008/guidelines/E N_guide_interview.pdf
//www.springday2008.net/ww/en/pub/spring2008/resources/selection.htm
//myeurope.eun.org/shared/data/myeurope/2004/docs/eu-const/abc.html
//ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/prog2008_en.pdf
//www.springday2008. net/ ww/en/pub/spring2008/news/press_releases/pr0 1.htm
107
Europe Day in schools
In April 2008 the UK office of the European Parliament circulated ideas for activities for teachers
involved in Spring Day for "How to celebrate Europe Day". (See Part Three for more on Europe Day).
They included: "Set up a European cafe in school using Euros/European currencies and arrange
a European lunch provided by the canteen or the children" and "Play maths games using the
Euro and other European currencies or distances from one capital to another."
Another was: "Write a short story about Europe, what does it mean to you, which country would
you like to know more about and why?" And "Young people are invited to express in a picture
what they think about the impact of Europe in their region and how Europe begins first and
foremost in their community" 550
Despite all this, the Commission vehemently denies spending money promoting the EU in schools,
but has been unable to properly refute the idea that it has a propaganda budget.
In response to an article in the Telegraph in 2002, which claimed that the EU was spending £1 50
million on pro-euro material for primary school classes, it wrote:
"Quite where Peterborough got the idea of a 'propaganda war-chest totalling more than
£150 million' is unclear. A similar amount has been earmarked for a new communication
strategy to improve public awareness of the EU across all 1 5 Member States, but the notion
that any of this money is to be spent on distributing pro-euro material to primary school
children in the UK is mendacious rubbish." 551
Likewise, now EU Trade Commissioner Baroness Ashton claims: "Teaching about Europe and
Britain's relationship with the European Community is essential in the global community in which
we live. It is not designed to encourage particular European views." 552
School Milk Scheme
The EU provides subsidies for milk to be provided for school children through the EU School Milk
Scheme, and has recently ruled that as a condition for receiving the milk, schools must advertise
the role of the EU on big posters visible at the entrance to the school.
According to the Commission regulation, the justification for this is:
"Experience has shown that the beneficiaries are not sufficiently aware of the role played by
the European Union in the school milk scheme. The subsidising role of the European Union
in the scheme should therefore be clearly indicated in each educational establishment
participating in the school milk scheme."
The regulation is very strict on exactly how the "European school milk poster" should look: it
must be "A3 or bigger", with letters "1 cm or bigger", with the title "European school milk," and
548 http://www.europeanschoolnet.org/ww/en/pub/eun/about/euninfo.htm
549 Work Programme 2007 http://www.europeanschoolnet.org/shared/data/corporate/pdf/WP2007full.pdf
550 http://www.europarl.org.uk/outreach/factsheets-outreach/Factsheet03.pdf
551 http://ec.europa.eu/unitedkingdom/press/press_watch/pdf/14.pdf
552 Hansard, 13 July 2003 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200203/ldhansrd/vo030714/text/30714-22.htm
108
the content must contain "at least" the following wording: "Our [type of educational
establishment (e.g. nursery/pre-school/school)] provides dairy products subsidised by the
European Union under the European school milk scheme".
The regulation states that in addition, "It is recommended to emphasise nutritional benefits and
nutritional guidelines for children."
The poster must be "permanently situated at a clearly visible and readable place at the main
entrance of the establishment." 553 Clearly the exercise is targeted at parents and other adults as
much as it is the children.
What's more, the details of the regulation reveal that the overriding aim of the provision of milk
subsidies for schools is not to contribute to children's nutrition, but to help advertise the EU. The
regulation states that:
"Experience has shown monitoring difficulties as regards the use of subsidised milk products
in the preparation of meals served to pupils. Moreover, this is not an effective way of
attaining the educational purpose of the scheme. Therefore the preparation of meals should
be restricted accordingly. ..Milk and milk products used in the preparation of meals shall not
benefit from the aid."
In other words, milk which cannot be seen and therefore easily identified and advertised as the
result of EU funding is not eligible for the aid.
Targeting teachers
As well as providing teachers with guidebooks, literature and classroom materials to help them
approach the subject of the EU, as detailed above, there is evidence to suggest that the
Commission may be indirectly funding organisations such as the European Association of
Teachers, which "aims to be an association for all teachers wishing to work together for the
creation of a European Union."
Indeed its website says it "Aims to widen the teachers knowledge of European issues and to
show them the means and methods which can rapidly lead to the creation of a European
Union." 554 It even came up with a "Manual to promote European Active Citizenship". 555 It is a
member of the European Movement International, which suggests it may have received funding
indirectly from the EU. 556
An EU-wide history book?
Recently there have been moves towards common teaching of history in European schools. In
2008 the second volume of a joint Franco-German textbook was unveiled for pupils in the lower
sixth 557 , after the German Education Minister, backed by the EU Commission, called for an EU
history textbook to foster a "common cultural identity" across the EU. A spokesperson for the
German Education Ministry said: "A common history book could contribute to a common
European identity and knowledge about what is important for European culture and history." 558
553 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:183:0017:0026:EN:PDF
554 http://www.aede.org/index.php?id=Aims&L=1%20class%3DI%2Findex.php3%3FI%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fyogyafree.net /o2Ffiles%2Farab.txt%3F
555 http://www.aede.org/fileadmin/download/docs/citeuract_en.pdf
556 http://www.europeanmovement.org/all_members.cfm
109
Germany and Poland are now working on a joint text aimed at 13 to
1 5 year olds, for publication in 201 1 , 559 "A common history
book could
In 2006 then-Europe Minister Geoff Hoon proposed that children contribute to a
should be taught more about the EU, about what it does and what common European
it means. However, he said explicitly that he wanted to go about this ■ , ... .
by teaching children about the "benefits" of the EU - about "free
trade and cheap travel", he said. 560 This clearly goes beyond neutral knowledge about
information. what is important
for European
B The Jean Monnet programme - propaganda in higher culture and history"
education?
The EU also spends millions of euros a year funding higher education initiatives in universities. The
main programme here is the Jean Monnet Programme for Understanding European Integration.
Launched in 1990, the Jean Monnet Programme for Understanding European Integration
"stimulates excellence in teaching, research and reflection on European integration in higher
education institutions throughout the world." 561
It provides funding for students, researchers, professors and establishments operating in the
"field of European integration". Its budget for 2007 was €4.4 million. 562
Currently present in 61 countries throughout the world, the programme has helped to set up
around 3,000 teaching projects in the field of European integration studies, including 134 Jean
Monnet European Centres of Excellence, 768 Jean Monnet Chairs, and 2,014 European modules
and permanent courses. The Jean Monnet Action, as it is called, brings together a network of
1,500 professors, reaching audiences of 250,000 students every year. 563
In the UK, there are currently 178 Jean Monnet projects in operation, including 14 Jean Monnet
Centres of Excellence in the Universities of Bath, Birmingham, Cambridge, Essex, Glasgow, Hull,
Kent, Leeds, Liverpool, Loughborough, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sussex and Wales
(Aberystwyth), and funding for courses throughout the UK in community law, European
economic integration, European political integration and the history of the European
construction process. 564
The objectives of the programme are listed as:
"to stimulate teaching, research and reflection activities in the field of European integration
studies; to support the existence of an appropriate range of institutions and associations
focusing on issues relating to European integration and on education and training in a
European perspective; to stimulate excellence in teaching, research and reflection in European
integration studies in higher education institutions within and outside the Community; to
enhance knowledge and awareness among specialist academics and among European citizens
557 Le Figaro, 9 April 2008
558 Telegraph, 22 February 2007
559 Le Figaro, 20 May 2008
560 Daily Mail, 2 August 2006
561 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc88_en.htm
562 Bill Rammell, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, Written Answer, 2 May 2007 : Column 1766W
563 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc88_en.htm
564 Bill Rammell, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, Written Answer, 21 February 2008 : Column 872W
110
generally of issues relating to European integration; to support key European institutions
dealing with issues relating to European integration; to support the existence of high-quality
European institutions and associations active in the fields of education and training."
The study of European integration is a valid pursuit, given the importance of the EU in terms of
its impact on national legislation. There is nothing wrong per se with funding courses to help
students understand the complicated processes and politics of the European Union.
However, there is a problem if the people teaching and designing these courses - who are the
ones which apply for and receive the funding - are not sufficiently impartial in their beliefs and
their teachings. It would be speculative to assume that university courses on European
integration - usually known as "European Studies" - are inherently biased in favour of the EU,
and therefore help to generate graduates who actively or subconsciously support the EU.
This would require a detailed and enormous study into the content of courses, the quality of
teaching, the details of the funding decisions, and the psychological impact on students.
However, even without speculating, there is evidence to suggest that this may in fact be the case.
A 2002 UACES briefing paper on the structure and content of European Studies courses for a
Standing Conference of Heads of European Studies, which comments on the uninterrupted
growth of European Studies degree programmes in the UK since the early 1970s, states (in a no
doubt unintentional revelation) that such a growth "has run so curiously counter to the apparent
ambient 'Euroscepticism' in British society." This clearly suggests that the author believes the
content of the courses to be capable as serving as some kind of antidote to 'euroscepticism'.
It goes on to reveal that: "Many of the pioneer advocates of European Studies had a research
interest in the EEC and usually, also, a conviction of the benefits that would follow British
accession." 565
Furthermore, in a 2007 report titled "Jean Monnet: Success "j ean Monnet nrofessors
Stories", the Commission, detailing the origins of the .. , . , .
programme, writes: "The purpose was to stimulate universities
throughout the world to explain the European Union model for contributed to the
peaceful coexistence and integration as well as European Union European Union's visibility
policies and external action." 566 in the world and to the
better understanding of
It continues: "Jean Monnet professors all over the world the European integration
greatly contributed to the European Union's visibility in the , .,
world and to the better understanding of the European P rocess as a model tor^
integration process as a model for peaceful cooperation." peaceful cooperation.
Emphasising the potential of the programme to promote the EU cause even beyond its own
borders, one Jean Monnet Chair of Law listed in Slovakia is quoted saying: "The Jean Monnet
Action has been instrumental in the intellectual preparation of the Slovak Republic for EU
membership."
565 http://www.uaces.org/SCHESEUStudies.pdf
566 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/monnet/success-stories_en.pdf
111
Another, based in Lebanon said: "The Chair's visibility has opened a key interest in a different
study and knowledge of the European Union in Lebanon and in the Arab world, one which is
based on values and achievements typical of European soft power."
The booklet also lists the "numerous" Jean Monnet professors "who, on the basis of years of
teaching and research, are entering public service to make a contribution to the European
construction." Among the ex-Jean Monnet Professors listed are 11 MEPs, two Commissioners,
four judges at the European Court of Justice, and a President of the European Court of Auditors.
There are also nine with jobs as high-level advisors to the EU institutions. 567
While there is no conclusive evidence that the Jean Monnet scheme is definitely a tool for pro-
EU bias across the board, it seems fair to conclude that a system of huge public funding from a
body whose existence depends on the continuation of the European integration project is
inherently flawed as a source of impartial information and teaching. Arguably, the system almost
unavoidably attracts inherent bias however one teaches it -just as, say. Gender Studies, or Peace
Studies might.
Support for the College of Europe and other pro-EU educational institutions
In addition to funding for European Studies courses in universities, the Jean Monnet programme
also directly supports a number of institutions "pursuing an aim of European interest",
specifically the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin, the European University Institute
(Florence), the European Institute of Public Administration (Maastricht), the Academy of
European Law (Trier), the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education
(Odense), and the International Centre for European Training (CIFE) in Nice. 568 These receive
automatic funding without having to put in an application. 569
These institutions provide an academic factory for an elite trained in 'EU integration', not unlike
the French state-funded Ecole Nationale d'Administration, which churns out officials and
bureaucrats and politicians trained in the art of government with a view to getting a lifetime's
job in the French government.
Indeed the College of Europe, for instance, is more than a university but a training ground for
a job in the EU institutions. Its website describes it as "the world's first university institute of
postgraduate studies and training in European affairs," 570 and the alumni section of the site
notes: "The primary goal of the College is to form competent and experienced Europeans." 571
As the EU's High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana says on the website:
"The College of Europe has groomed successive generations of European leaders. From European
institutions to government; from business to journalism. College alumni rank among the most
qualified decision-makers". 572
EU Commission President Jose Barroso is quoted saying: "The College of Europe is not just a pole
of academic excellence; it is above alia place of practical application - a rich source of tomorrow's
Europe."
567 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/monnet/success-stories_en.pdf
568 http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/jm/more/institut_en.htmI
569 http://ec.europa.eu/education/iifelong-learning-programme/doc88_en.htm
570 http://www.coleurop.be/template.asp?pagename=history
571 www.coleurop-alumni.org
572 http://www.coleurop.be/template.asp?pagename=introduction
112
And EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danute Hubner says:
"I have met people in their sixties who still love to talk about
their year at the College of Europe. From now on you will never
think in a purely national framework. As problems arise you will
say to yourself 'but what would my old French or German or
Polish friend from the College of Europe think about this'?"
These institutions therefore have immense propaganda potential
justifying their EU grants. As Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter
Balkenende said when he endorsed the College of Europe:
"I have met people
in their sixties who
still love to talk
about their year at
the College of
Europe. From now
on you will never
think in a purely
national framework'
"We have Europe. Now we need Europeans. Mr. Geremek, you are
lucky because this auditorium is full of young Europeans. Europeans from different
backgrounds and with different ideas about new ways of doing things. But united by their
common interest in the history and future of the European community of values."
Something of an indicator on the philosophy catered for at the College of Europe emerges from
a recent product by its Alumni Association. Moving away from the standard alumni activities of
organising reunions, setting up pub meetings, and exchanging information on births and
marriages, these alumni have created an internet site to make children love Europe. 573
Called "Children of Europe", the aim is to get primary schoolchildren to make films on the subject
of Europe. It begins: "Hello dear 'Child of Europe'", telling them:
"Thanks to Jean Monnet, there are no more wars nowadays in Europe but many things need still
to be done to make everyone live happier! For this reason, I'd need all your ideas to put them on
my website so they can be shared with other children in Europe. Come on, guys! Do you[r] best!"
The website notes that:
"Recent events, most notably the French and Dutch rejection of
the Constitutional Treaty, have shown the widening gap between
the European idea and its citizens, in particular the younger
generation.... A small group of people, supported by the Alumni
Association of the College of Europe, decided to 'do something'
by targeting the younger generations, and in particular,
schoolchildren in their last years of primary school. These children
will tomorrow be 'the new Europeans' and they should have the
chance to make the Europe, in which they live, learn, play, travel,
discuss and dream, their Europe." 574
Teachers are told in no uncertain terms what it is about: "It is
organised in order to sensitize schoolchildren to the 'European
adventure' and to fully participate in it. 575
"These children
will be 'the new
Europeans' and
should have the
chance to make the
Europe, in which
they live, learn,
play, travel, discuss
and dream, their
Europe"
573 http://www.children-enfants.eu/En/
574 http://children-enfants.eu/En/content/view/1 9/32/
575 http://children-enfants.eu/En/content/view/18/31/
113
Possible subject matter includes European values, "the main achievements of the construction of
Europe", and "beyond the frontiers". Also the message that: "Since more than fifty years peace
has reigned between EU countries. This has not previously happened. Just for this European
cooperation can be considered a success. Never forget this when you think of Europe." 576
As for the International Centre for European Training in Nice, the Commission notes on the Jean
Monnet funding website that "CIFE's objective is to conduct education and training activities,
studies and research concerning European unification, world unification, federalism, regionalism
and changes within the structures of contemporary society." 577 It carries out long-term
programmes such as MAs, EU evening courses, universities, seminars, conferences and
publications, all with the help of EU grants.
Plans are afoot to go even further than this and create a 'University of Europe' for the "study and
appreciation of the spirit and values of a united Europe." The idea was proposed by the French
Foundation for Political Innovation (Fondation pour I'innovation politique) in a paper which
revealed that the French government had already taken part in discussions to set it up, ahead
of the country's EU Presidency from July 2008.
According to the proposal, the University, which would be paid for by the EU and run by the
Commission, would "have its own European vision, offering training in the history of Europe
and the European spirit."
The paper talks about "Reuniting three fundamental principles: the spirit of Europe, Europe's
place in international competition and building a Europe of Knowledge" It would target "adults
with significant professional experience who were looking to retrain or deepen their
knowledge" of the EU, and students wanting to "gain an understanding of Europe's history and
an appreciation of the European spirit." 578
The Jean Monnet programme also includes support for other "European associations active at
European level in the field of education and training." 579
These include, for instance, the European Network of Education Councils, which this year "wants
to disseminate all documents, texts, studies. ..that are launched by the European Commission
within the framework of the Lisbon process, the Bologna process, the Copenhagen process and
Education and Training 201 0," 580 or the European Parents' Association, whose aim is "To pursue
education policies at European level which will bring the highest possible quality of education
for all our children." 581
The Commission also funds Jean Monnet Conferences, which "aim to accompany the decision-
making process and allow makers to benefit from academic reflection, to promote the
interaction between the academic community, policy-makers and civil society, and to stimulate
new thinking on a variety of policy issues," and Jean Monnet Thematic Groups, which allow Jean
Monnet professors to discuss topics with Commission officials and MEPs. 582
576 http://children-enfants.eu/En/index. php?option=content&task=view&id=26
577 http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/jm/more/institut_en.htm I
578 http://www.fondapol.org/fileadmin/uploads/pdf/documents/DT_Universite_de_l_Europe_Eng.pdf
579 List of those receiving funding for the 2008 to 2010 period available here: http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/jm/selected2807.pdf
580 http://www.vlor.be/webEUNEC/05action%20plan/Annual%20plan%202008.pdf
581 http://2 13.1 0.1 39.1 10/epacontent/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12<emid=27
582 http://ec.europa.eu/education/lifelong-learning-programme/doc88_en.htm
114
Scholarships
As well as providing funding for the Jean Monnet Chairs and Centres of Excellence, the EU also now
pays scholarships for citizens from outside the EU to study Masters in European Integration Studies.
In May 2008 the Commission launched a call to fund scholarships for citizens from the European
Neighbourhood Policy countries or Russia, offering up to €20,000 per student per academic year.
150 scholarships are available, and, crucially, it is the European Commission which makes the
ultimate decision on who to award scholarships to. 583 The pilot project costs €2 million from the
EU budget.
C Other initiatives aimed at young people
Other funding of educational establishments
It is not just the Jean Monnet programme which channels money to higher education bodies
specialising in EU affairs. Evidence of grants made can be tracked down in other EU programmes
and policies.
For example, the Centre for European Studies in Strasbourg has received funding under the
'Active European Citizenship' Programme (see Part Three) for "training in European affairs to civil
servants" 584 , as has the College of Europe in Hamburg, and the European Institute for Advanced
Studies in Management, the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and the Intercultural
Leadership School. 585
The European Commission also funds the 'European Movement Training Academy', which offers
courses to graduates, professionals, civil servants and business people to find out "how Brussels
works." The fact that it was founded and is operated by the European Movement, whose
objective is to promote "a united Europe" (See Part Two), suggests the content of courses is
unlikely to be neutral. 585
Universities have also been the recipients of event-based funding. In 2003, Liverpool Hope
University received €25,000 for a series of debates for local school pupils and students to "discuss
and debate issues such as the Lisbon Agenda and the creation of a more competitive Europe, and
explore the concept of the rights and responsibilities inherent in the concept of European
citizenship." 587
The University of Hull received €10,551 in 2003 for a project which
"aims to raise awareness and understanding of the European convention and its potential impact
on the Humber region of England. In particular, it will identify the specific elements that are of
practical interest to EU citizens and local business and seek to demonstrate the link between
future European integration and the development of key EU policies." 588
583 http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/calls/1508/index_en.html
584 http://www.cees-europe.fr/en/
585 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/citizenship/documents/legalbasis/legalbasis_en.pdf
586 http://www.acad-emi.org/content.php7level 1 = 1&mode=1
587 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_uk_fr.pdf
588 http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/communication/pdf/grants_2003_uk_fr.pdf
115
ERASMUS
Distinct from the Jean Monnet scheme and also part of the Lifelong Learning Programme is the
EU's ERASMUS scheme, which provides valuable opportunities for young people to spend time
abroad studying by facilitating links with universities.
There is clearly nothing wrong with making it easy for young people and students to move
around, work and study in other EU countries, and indeed a lot to be gained. This is one of the
key ways in which the EU's free movement brings tangible benefits to many people.
However, there is perhaps something to be said for the propaganda value of the exercise,
given the evidence that some parts of the project are aimed at promoting the idea of a
united Europe.
The Erasmus Student Network which is paid for by the EU's Youth in Action Programme and
which aims to "foster student mobility in Higher Education underthe principle of SHS -Students
Helping Students", has an underlying objective to work for "unity in diversity, diversity in the
unity", and "love for Europe as an area of peace and cultural exchange". 589
There is also a separate programme called Erasmus Mundus, which promotes intercultural
cooperation in higher education with countries outside the EU, and whose aims include "to
promote EU values" 590 and "to promote EU external policy objectives." 591
European Youth Parliament
The EU also provides funding for the European Youth Parliament. The website of the
international section of the European Youth Parliament, which also has branches in the member
states, states that it
"encourages independent thinking and socio-political initiative in young people and
facilitates the learning of crucial social and professional skills. Since its inauguration, many
tens of thousands of young people have taken part in regional, national and international
sessions, formed friendships and made international contacts across and beyond frontiers. It
has thus made a vital contribution towards the uniting of Europe." 592
The website of the UK branch says the EYP
"seeks to promote the European dimension in education and to give students in the 1 6-22 age
group the opportunity to participate in a practical, positive learning experience. As the
citizens of the future, the EYP experience encourages young people to be aware of the
thoughts and characteristics of other nations, respect their differences, and learn to work
together for a common good."
"The EYP has been instrumental in the establishing of European studies programmes,
research libraries, databanks and exchange programmes - for both teachers and students
589 http://www.esn.org/esn_international/vision_mission_values.php
590 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/extcoop/cali/index.htm
591 http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/doc/com395_en.pdf
592 http://www.eypej.org/?area=3
116
- in more than 600 schools in Europe. Furthermore, in
conjunction with the Heinz Schwarzkopf Foundation's 'Junges "The EYP is a
Europa' initiative, the Young European of the Year Award was project for youth by
established, with an annual prize of €5,000, which enables the the youth of
winner to gain an even wider insight into Europe through the Europe We will
funding of a six-month traineeship for them in Brussels." 593 rnntinup nur pffnrK
In a foreword to the EYP's 2007 annual report, the Chairman of the in Drin 9 in 9 tne
Heinz-Schwarzkopf-Foundation, whose organisation runs the EYP European dream to
said: "The EYP is a project for youth by the youth of Europe. We will the hearts and
continue our efforts in bringing the European dream to the hearts minds of young
and minds of young Europeans." 594 Europeans"
The report also confirms that the project is supported financially by
both the European Commission and the European Parliament. The UK section also enjoys the
support of the FCO. 595
593 http://www.eypuk.org/about.htm
594 http://www.eypej.org/docs/2007_EYP_Annual_Report.pdf
595 http://www.eypej.org/docs/2007_EYP_Annual_Report.pdf
117
5
Conclusions - EU propaganda: Why does it
matter? What's the alternative?
In the 'EUTube' film "Communicating Europe with Margot Wallstrom", the EU Communications
Commissioner is asked whether or not the Commission's efforts to increase public knowledge
about the EU amount to taxpayer-funded propaganda. She replies that all citizens have a right
to know what the EU is doing and proposes to do. 596
It is true that people generally know very little about the EU, and the impact it has on citizens,
and this has got to change. After all, the EU is now said to be at the root of an estimated 50%
of our national legislation - at least - and affects almost every area of our daily lives. 597
In an ideal world we all need to know what the EU is doing, and how it works. But so far, the
European institutions have on the whole proved an unsuitable vehicle for that information.
Over the years, the EU's 'Communication Policy' has become less and less about giving people the
facts, and more and more about selling the EU's policies and promoting the concept of EU
integration. Not only that, but the vast resources poured into the EU's culture and citizenship
activities are also used as a propaganda tool, as are some of the grants available to outside
organisations through other areas of the EU budget.
The EU's propaganda spend now amounts to more than €2.4 billion a year - at the very least. This is
more than Coca Cola spends on advertising every year, worldwide, which amounts to $2.7 billion. 598
But why does it matter? And what is the alternative?
1 Much of it is subtle enough to pass under the public radar and not be
considered advertising
One of the most worrying things about EU propaganda is that so much of it has been dressed
up as something altogether more worthwhile - and therefore unidentifiable as advertising and
promotion.
While the EU's communications and information budget is relatively simple to isolate, because most
of it operates from DG communications, the funds spent promoting the EU through culture and
citizenship initiatives are not only less easy to identify as bias, but they are also more difficult to
quantify.
In this sense, the EU's huge yearly budget for promoting European citizenship and culture is
arguably the worst kind of propaganda. Some might call it 'soft' propaganda, since it operates
on a subconscious level. But this makes it extremely dubious as a taxpayer-funded public project.
The EU is spending hundreds of millions of euros every year on things which, ultimately, serve
to persuade people to support the European Commission's vision of the world, thereby
promoting EU integration. This is notwithstanding the fact that some of these activities may be
596 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wJlcpaFjlRs&NR=1
597 Government Written Answer, January 2006 http://www.parliament.uk/commons/ljb/research/notes/snia-02888.pdf Other estimates suggest the proportion is
higher, such as that of the German Ministry of Justice which suggested it was closer to 84%: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/anaiysis/herzog.pdf
598 Coca Cola 2007 Annual Report http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2007/Coca-Cola_10-K_ltem_07.pdf
118
things from which the public might reap reward - such as films, concerts or opportunities to mix
with people from other European countries.
In fact, some of these initiatives, such as the otherwise innocuous sounding 'town twinning'
initiative, are truly worrying because they so actively promote EU integration - and yet pass
under the public radar because they are not, on the face of it, the kind of advertising that citizens
living in a free society recognise as government advertising per se.
But the millions of euros spent trying to engender a feeling of 'Europeanness', a shared European
culture whose future lies in acting together to face the challenges of the 21st century, helps to
justify a stronger, more political EU.
2 The Commission pretends to be listening, but is selective about who it listens to
Particularly since the series of 'no' votes to the EU Constitution, the Commission has talked
continuously about "giving the EU ears", listening to citizens and getting them involved in the
process - which is clearly to be welcomed.
Margot Wallstrom says: "The key point is how we can contribute to the creation of a real
European public sphere and increase the awareness and the involvement of the citizens in what
is decided at European level. There are many ways of doing so... I wish all citizens would commit
themselves more to this democratic process." 599
Even after the Irish 'no' vote, she was still saying "You cannot impose citizenship on people - it
must come from democratic legitimacy". 600
And yet the few times when citizens in their millions have genuinely been involved in having a
say on the EU - the referendums in Ireland, Denmark, France and the Netherlands - EU leaders
have sensationally ignored the categorical wish of citizens to reject further EU integration. Not
only that, but Margot Wallstrom and the rest of the EU establishment has gone out of their way
to delegitimise the verdicts, spinning that people did not truly know what they were doing, or
even to skew the no votes to present them as calls for "more Europe... not less". 601
Indeed Margot Wallstrom makes a lot of noise about wanting "to engage and involve citizens
in a much more democratic way" 602 , but has no time at all for what is arguably the ultimate
means of asking voters what they think - a referendum. This is because she knows that the
general public are likely to reject further EU integration if asked in referendums, (as evidenced
by the only independent poll of voters across all EU countries, which found that 74% of people
think that the EU should not acquire any new powers.) 603 Despite the warm words from the
Commission, there is no genuine desire to listen to real citizens.
The problem with the types of initiatives that the Commission advocates is that these are not
realistically going to be taken up by most people - simply because they are not open to, nor
targeted at, the mass of citizens. Instead, they target a minority of interested specialists and
599 2 January 2008 http://europa.eu/50/news/views/080102_en.htm
600 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
601 For example, Guy Verhofstadt, Speech at the London School of Economics, 21 March 2006
602 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
603 Across the EU as a whole, 28% think the EU should have more powers than it has now, and that more decisions should be taken at the European level. 23%
think the EU should keep the powers it has now, but should not be given any more, and 41% think the EU should have less powers than it has now and that
more decisions should be taken at a national or local level. Source: TNS poll for Open Europe, March 2007 http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-
centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=31
119
supporters - they are essentially 'preaching to the converted' by involving the kinds of "civil
society" organisations we came across in Part Two which, as well as receiving EU funding, usually
also have an agenda to promote it.
3 Funding for outside organisations skews the debate on Europe
The EU's propaganda - and in particular the outsourced propaganda that results from the EU
funding outside think-tanks and NGOs which share its vision - matters because it artificially skews
the debate on the EU. Interest groups should be able and free to promote the EU if that is what
they believe in, but there is no justification for using taxpayers' money to fund them.
Groups which do not share the EU's 'vision' suffer a double blow, in that, on the one hand, they
tend not to be recipients of EU funds, and must therefore privately fundraise; and, on the other
(and as a result of that need to privately fundraise) they find themselves in the minority and
therefore less able to propel their views through the torrent of pro-integration propaganda that
dominates the mainstream in Europe.
The lack of transparency about EU funding for outside organisations allows groups that are
funded by the EU to misrepresent themselves as "independent", and therefore to be taken
seriously as neutral commentators. This means misleading the public. The UK Government's
efforts to convince MPs to vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty by announcing that it had the
support of a number of influential charities and NGOs, which turned out to be recipients of EU
funds, is a case in point. (See Part Two).
How can an organisation that is funded by the EU, claim to be "independent"? It's striking how
many of them do.
The question is, why should taxpayers' money be available to campaign groups such as this? It
is perfectly legitimate - indeed welcome -for supporters of a united Europe to campaign in
favour of their beliefs - especially at opportune moments in the debate.
However, it is unacceptable that they should benefit from public funds in order to do so, because
this gives them an unfair advantage over those trying to put forward a different argument. It is
not in the public good for groups on one side of the argument only to be heavily supported by
public funds, because it ends up stifling debate, and prevents citizens from seeing both sides of
the argument fairly.
EU leaders and Commissioners have free reign and a generous budget to visit schools and
participate in debates across Europe - in a fashion which is unlikely to ever be picked up by the
media as being biased or unfair. Not only that, but the Commission even pays outside
organisations - who have even more freedom to do and say as they please - to promote EU
policies beyond the public radar.
This is essentially a brake on true democracy - a huge and concerted campaign to stifle real
debate about the future of the EU. The Commission is only interested in debating one side of the
argument - it is willing to accept an 'exchange of views' only to the extent that this takes place
solely within the parameters of an acceptance that EU integration is to be broadly supported.
120
The disparate amounts of private funds spent by independent organisations are dramatically
dwarfed by the hundreds of millions of euros of taxpayer funds going into the varied and
complex advertising methods of the European Union every year.
The gulf between the resources available to the established, taxpayer-funded campaign for a
stronger EU, and the privately funded efforts of the handful of organisations and individuals
trying to offer a different perspective, is truly staggering.
It is up to national governments to pull back funding from EU 'information' initiatives and allow
such activities to take place at national level, where better scrutiny can be ensured, making for
a fairer, more neutral and balanced debate.
4 The EU and its advocates deride opponents
It also matters because the EU and its strongest advocates are so vociferous in their attack on
critics of the EU. Instead of being viewed as a legitimate part of a democratic debate, criticism
of the EU is invariably derided as 'anti-European propaganda'. Meanwhile, the EU enjoys a
substantial yearly budget to promote itself in often subtle ways which go unnoticed as
propaganda, yet which cost taxpayers billions of euros a year.
The Commission-funded Young European Federalists, for example, campaigned in favour of the
EU Lisbon Treaty in Ireland during the referendum campaign in 2008, while painting the 'no'
campaign as propagandists. A press release read:
"Last night's opinion poll on the Lisbon Treaty referendum published in the Irish Times has
placed the YES campaign down five points, trailing behind the NO vote which has almost
doubled in support, gaining 17 points. The numberof undecided voters remains high on 28%."
"This race is wide open' commented Toni Giugliano - European youth for an Irish YES Co-
ordinator. 'They are indeed worrying figures - a result of the NO campaign's propaganda
which has undoubtedly had some effect on people's perception of the Treaty. On the other
hand, these results give us the drive to fight back. We have all the winning arguments - it's a
case of reaching out to people and making them aware of the wider benefits of this Treaty
reform'". 604
In the aftermath of the 'no vote' in Ireland, the government talked a lot about 'Europhobia', with
Europe Minister Dick Roche repeatedly referring to supporters of a 'no' vote as 'europhobes'. 605
Another example is the highly politicised message the Commission office in Ireland leaked out
to the Irish media following the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, which said that the "British media"
was to blame for the vote. This was a clear attempt to discredit those newspapers which had run
articles or opinion pieces which were critical of the Treaty.
Likewise, several prominent Members of the European Parliament began a smear campaign against
Libertas, which was one of the leading groups calling for a 'no' vote, in a clear attempt to discredit
the result. Libertas was publicly accused of being funded by the US intelligence services.
604 http://www.jef.eu/index. php?option=com_content&task=view&id=502<emid=242
605 For example, speaking on a panel at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
121
Backed by Hans-Gert Poettering, President of the European Parliament, Daniel Cohn-Bendit,
joint leader of the Greens/EFA group, issued a statement which said:
"We are awaiting confirmation of reports in the media regarding funding of Libertas'
campaign for a no vote to the Lisbon treaty in Ireland. If proved true, this would clearly show
that there are forces in the United States willing to pay people to destabilise a strong and
autonomous Europe. If this can happen for the treaty vote, it raises grave concerns for
interference in next year's European elections."
"There is now a direct link between the Irish referendum, the US military and the Pentagon.
I call on the authorities to probe the matter". 606
These allegations, coming from high-profile people within the EU institutions, managed to make
the headlines and infiltrate the media, and, presumably the minds of voters.
But the institutions made no mention of the huge amounts of funding available to 'yes'
campaigners - the money available to the European Parliament groups for 'information'
activities on the Treaty, the information networks throughout the country, money given to pro-
Lisbon thinktanks, etc -and where that came from. These had a prominent say in the campaign,
but have remained beyond the public line of inquiry.
Because so many people are unaware of the extent of the EU's funding for outside organisations,
these types of activities are rarely considered to be an extension of the EU's campaign strategy,
and mostly go unnoticed.
The point is that while the EU itself and those organisations which are deemed to share its 'vision'
remain free - and indeed are encouraged - to publicise their message wide and far, those
organisations which do not necessarily share that vision are targeted and attacked for trying to
do the same thing.
In the aftermath of the Irish referendum, when it started to become apparent that EU leaders
did not want to accept the 'no' vote and were thinking about asking Ireland to hold a second
referendum. Open Europe commissioned a poll of Irish voters, carried out by a well-known and
reputable independent Irish polling company, which asked them whether or not they were in
favour of a second referendum, and how they would vote in such a referendum.
Incensed by the results of the poll, which showed that the overwhelming majority did not want
to have to vote again, and would vote 'no' by a greater majority than the first time around, the
Irish government accused Open Europe of "outside interference" in some strong language in the
media. 607
Considering the extent of the European Commission's involvement in the Irish referendum -the
trip by President Jose Barroso to Dublin in the run-up to the referendum, the misleading leaked
Eurobarometer poll of the reasons why people voted the way they did and the leaked note to
the press blaming the British media (see Part One), not to mention the high-profile trips by other
EU leaders promoting the Lisbon Treaty, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel 608 ) - the Irish
606 Irish Independent, 23 September 2008 http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/eu-president-demands-probe-into-source-of-libertas-funding-
1480303.html
607 Europe Minister Dick Roche, for example, said Open Europe had a "europhobic attitude" live on national public radio Newstalk, 27 July 2008.
122
As EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom says:
government's accusation of "outside interference" against an independent think-tank publishing
a poll seems unjust.
Moreover, there is a deep problem when small, independent organisations are vilified for
carrying out polling on EU issues, while the European Commission remains free and encouraged
to spend €25 million a year on the highly skewed Eurobarometer polls, and to use them as a
"strategic tool" to promote the EU across Europe.
5 EU advertising falls short of UK Government standards
The EU and its strongest supporters show a fundamental failure to
understand the difference between providing information about the EU, "a sustained
and promoting its 'benefits'. They simply refuse to separate the two effort must be
concepts - made to explain
the benefits that
the European
"The issue is not just one of redressing ignorance and indifference per Union brings to
se: it is about serving the needs of healthy democratic debate, and each Member
ensuring that people have the facts they require - and are entitled States in a much
to... a sustained effort must be made to explain the benefits that the more effective
European Union brings to each Member States in a much more „
effective way" 609 way
While it is true that people do not know enough about the EU, it is wrong to claim that telling
people more about the benefits of the EU is a sufficient solution to this knowledge gap.
The EU's biased information campaigns should be of grave concern to taxpayers in member
states, particularly in the UK where there are clear rules on government public information
campaigns in order to ensure that taxpayers get value for money and that their money is not
used for propaganda purposes.
Indeed the use of taxpayers' money for government publicity purposes is something the UK
public has in the past been very vigilant about.
For example, in 2002, Tony Blair's Labour Government was strongly criticised by the BBC's
Panorama programme for appearing to use public funds for what was essentially party political
campaigning in the run-up to the 2001 General Election.
Television adverts ostensibly designed to promote the nursing profession and attract new
recruits, for example, were criticised for simultaneously promoting the NHS. Sir Michael
Partridge, a former Permanent Secretary at the DSS made an important distinction when he said:
"I think there is a clear line between adverts which tell the public something that they need
to know and something they need to do, and an advert that simply says this is a government
which has done splendid things for a certain group of people, and I think, if one thinks about
608 Irish Independent, 14 April 2008 http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/politics/merkel-in-dublin-to-push-for-yes-vote-in-lisbon-poll-
1347012.html
609 Speech, 24 May 2005 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/296&format=HTML&aged=0S!language=EN8iguiLanguage=en
123
it, the dividing line in one's mind is quite clear, and that goes of course to the content of the
advert and the style of the advert as well as the timing." 610
Tony Blair himself was extremely critical of the idea of using public funds to promote the then-
Conservative Government's position in the late 1980s. In 1988 he complained to the Government
about politicians who mask party propaganda as factual information.
He said:
"The government are not just giving the public the facts, they are promoting a particular
Conservative Party view of areas of high political controversy. Now that's not just an abuse
of the broadcasting service, it's an abuse of literally hundreds of millions of pounds worth of
taxpayers' money. There are millions of pounds of public money being used to fund party
propaganda."
Later he said: "You can see quite clearly that the purpose of this is not to give us, the public, the
facts, but is to sell the government's political message and that's quite wrong." 611
Why then, should the European Commission be allowed to get away with failing to concentrate
on giving the facts and instead selling its own political message?
UK rules on government publicity and advertising stipulate that government publicity should
be: "relevant to government responsibilities; objective and explanatory, not tendentious or
polemical; not liable to misrepresentation as being party political; and conducted in an economic
and appropriate way, having regard to the need to be able to justify the cost as expenditure of
public funds." 612
The official conventions state that:
"It is right and proper for Governments to use Civil Service Information Officers and public
funds and resources to explain their policies and to inform the public of the Government
services available to them, and of their rights and liabilities, whether through direct contacts
with the media or by means of publications, publicity or advertising and any public inquiry
unit. These resources may not, however, be used to support publicity for Party political
purposes: this rule governs not only decisions about what may or may not be published, but
also the content, style and distribution of what is published." 613
For example, it is one thing for the Commission to print leaflets which inform citizens of their
rights under EU law - such as those that appear in airports within the EU, telling passengers
610 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_vjdeo/programmes/panorama/transcripts/transcript_26_05_02.txt
611 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_video/programmes/panorama/transcripts/transcript_26_05_02.txt
612 Government advertising -A review by the National Audit Office, April 2003 http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/gov_advertising.pdf
613 Guidance on the work of the Government Information Service, Cabinet Office, updated 3 May 2007
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil_service/government_information_service/workgis.aspx
124
about their compensation rights in the event of delays etc. But it is quite another for it to print
leaflets which argue that EU integration is a success that must be continued - such as some of
the publications listed in Part One.
The rules also specify that "Subject matter should be relevant to Government responsibilities. The
specific matters dealt with should be ones in which Government has direct and substantial
responsibilities."
It definitely can't be said of the Commission's advertising that it deals only with subject matters
in which it has direct and substantial responsibilities. Much of the Commission's literature clearly
advocates a greater role for the EU in policy areas where it does not currently have direct and
substantial responsibilities.
For example, the Commission's promotional pamphlet "Europe in 12 lessons" states that "a
common EU criminal justice policy is required", and that "Sustainable development, population
trends, economic dynamism, social solidarity and an ethical response to progress in the life
sciences are issues that can no longer be effectively dealt with at national level", implying that
the EU does not at present but ought to take an active role in these areas. 614
The UK rules also state that it is not proper to "directly attack policies and opinions of Opposition
parties and groups." Clearly there is no equivalent of an 'Opposition' to the Commission in the
party political sense, but there are plenty of examples of the EU attacking and denouncing
groups which oppose the Commission's vision of Europe, as we have seen above.
The UK conventions state that citizens need to be informed of their legal entitlements and
obligations, and the services available to them. They also state that the Government has a clear
right to use publicity to encourage behaviour which is generally regarded as being in the public
interest (such as crime prevention or road safety advertising), and that publicity may include
leaflets, posters, TV commercials and so on.
However, the rules also acknowledge that "There may be some sensitivity where the matters
publicised are the product of controversial legislation or potentially controversial policies... Care
should be taken in such cases to present the information in a way that concentrates on informing
the public about the content of legislation and how it affects them."
Clearly the EU abides by no such rules. Much of what the EU does is, by its very nature,
controversial, and yet is often presented - particularly to children and young people - in a non-
neutral way which goes beyond informing the public about the content of legislation.
The publications listed in Part One and Part Four- such as those that talk about "The European
Union -a success story", are all examples. To take just one, the euro, which is highly controversial,
is introduced to children as follows: "Using many different currencies within Europe made life
more difficult and more expensive when moving between countries. Exchanging currencies cost
money: trade was more expensive and travel cost more." As we have seen, this particular
publication goes on to talk about the benefits of having the euro, without a single mention of
any of the drawbacks of a single currency.
614 http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/60/en.pdf
125
Likewise, the EU Lisbon Treaty, and the Constitutional Treaty that went before it, was persistently
presented by the Commission in emotional terms, while there has been little effort to explain
how the Treaty affects the public. In fact, some senior EU officials, including the Irish
Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, even admitted to not having read the full Treaty, despite
championing it to impressionable voters. 615
We are not objecting to the need to inform people of their rights, legal entitlements and
obligations under EU law, and the services available to them, nor to efforts to inform people
about the content of legislation.
But where the use of taxpayers' money is concerned, it is fair for citizens to expect standards at EU
level that are comparable to those at national level. The EU should therefore introduce clear and
strict rules on the use of EU funds for information and communications, drawing on guidelines in
place in the member states.
6 In times of economic down-turn the EU can ill-afford to be wasting money on
expensive advertising
The EU's total propaganda spend amounts to more than €2.4 billion a year - at the very least.
That is more than what Coca Cola spends on advertising each year - worldwide. 616
This means that UK taxpayers are losing around €240 million a year to EU propaganda, given
that average UK contributions make up around 10% of the yearly EU budget. 617
By comparison, in 2007/2008, the UK Government spent around £190 million on advertising in
press, TV, radio and digital media advertising, out of the Central Office of Information's £392
million budget. 618
Because of the nature of EU advertising, most people will be unaware that on top of this UK
Government advertising, there is a parallel level of propaganda simultaneously operating at the
European level, which they are also paying for through their taxes.
The Conservative Party has pledged to cut the budget of the UK's Central Information Office by
half 619 , but if they are serious about cutting down on Government advertising, then this must be
matched by a commitment to work to dramatically reduce the EU's advertising budget -
otherwise they will have done only half the job.
At the bare minimum, DG Communications should be abolished, saving €206m year, and the
enormous budget for Culture, Education and Citizenship, from which many more, but less
obvious propaganda campaigns are financed, must be stripped back.
Even in the good times, all this is a waste of money. But at a time of recession, EU governments
can ill-afford to be wasting money on biased publications and campaigns and propping up
hundreds of think-tanks which exist to campaign for more EU integration.
615 Irish Independent, 24 May 2008
616 Coca Cola 2007 Annual Report http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/pdfs/10-K_2007/Coca-Cola_10-K_ltem_07.pdf
617 The EU's Financial Framework for 2007 to 2013 is €864.169bn: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2008:0152:FIN:EN:PDFThe UK's
contribution over the seven-year period is €89.95bn (£71 bn. gross, after abatement): http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/budget07.pdf (Source: Written
Answer, 9 Jan 2006. Past figures from Pink Book 2005 table 9.9)
618 C0I annual report http://www.coi.gov.uk/documents/coi-annualreport2007-8.pdf See also Telegraph, 10 November 2008
619 Guardian, 30 September 2008 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/30/georgeosborne.economy
126
7 A distraction from the EU's real problems
Some would argue that in spite of all the examples explored in this paper, the EU's propaganda
effort is clearly not having much concrete effect, given the last three rejections of the
Constitutional/Lisbon Treaty. Even in terms of just trying to make people feel 'European', it does
not appear to be working particularly well. A recent poll of French people, for example, found
that only 38 percent feel like European citizens, an increase of only one percent since the notion
of European citizenship was first mentioned in the treaties in 1992. 620
So depending on how one views it, at best, all of this is an enormous waste of time and money
- an ineffective and vain attempt to engender support for something about which people on the
whole care very little. At worst, it is a deeply sinister EU propaganda campaign which will in the
long run eliminate naysayers, undermining democracy and stopping people from having a truly
independent view about Europe.
Somewhere in between, is probably where the main point lies. The wider problem is that this
'information' and 'citizenship' drive is a dangerous distraction. EU leaders misguidedly think that
all they need to do to solve Europe's problems is to "explain it better", to close the "perceived"
gap between citizens and the EU, rather than the real gap that is often caused not by public
"misperceptions" of the EU, but by a genuine realisation that it is fundamentally undemocratic
and unsuccessful in so many of its key policies.
The Former President of the European Parliament and MEP Nicole Fontaine summed up the
failure to understand this when she told a conference in November 2008: "We have a
communications problem... We haven't explained enough the benefits of European
construction... We have been too modest." French Europe Minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet claimed
that "One of Europe's main problems is that we have not transformed our common values into
a sort of citizenship, a European consciousness." 621
Throughout a full day of conference on the communication policy there was absolutely no
acknowledgment at all of any of the EU's real and very pressing problems - no mention of
people's feeling that the EU is undemocratic. No mention of the fraud, the waste, the lack of
transparency. No mention of the problematic trade policy and unpopular CAP, or the fisheries
policy which the EU Fish Commissioner himself as described as "morally wrong". No, the only
thing wrong with the EU in the eyes of the Commission is that the people of Europe simply know
nothing about it, and are therefore ungrateful for it.
This approach in itself compounds the problem, because it basically involves ignoring or even covering
up the failures with spin - all paid for by taxpayers. As well as the obvious problem that 'papering
over the cracks' entails, there is the additional truth that spending time and money on spin leaves
fewer resources available for the reform of its policies and processes that the EU so badly needs.
And in fact it is actually even worse than that: EU leaders seem to regard improving perceptions of the
EU - polishing its image - as even more important than improving its actual policies and governance.
EU Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom recently confirmed that, in her eyes,
communication takes priority over decent policymaking, when she said: "Europe has to reinvent
itself - first by better explaining its continuing relevance to bemused or sometimes hostile
electorates, and second by responding better to their visions for the future." 622
620 Le Monde, 4 September 2008
621 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
127
It seems obvious that if the EU was more successful in its core objectives then it would not need so
much spin - because people would see it for themselves. People should be able to feel the benefits
of policies, without billions of pounds of their own money being
spent forcing it on them.
"Europe has to reinvent
8 Storing up problems for the future itself - first by better
explaining its continuing
The other, illogical thing about the EU's propaganda drive is relevance to bemused or
that it threatens to backfire in the long term and alienate sometimes hostile
people all the more. ■ . . „
The EU's popularity is in serious decline. The Commission's own
Eurobarometer polls show that in the UK, for instance, the EU is in 2008 the most unpopular it
has been in 25 years. At a high-point in 1991, 57 percent of British people thought the EU was
broadly a good thing, compared to 1 3 percent who thought it was a bad thing. 623 Now, only 30
percent think it is a good thing, compared with 32 percent who think it is a bad thing. 624
The falling popularity of the EU across Europe, not to mention the rejections of the
Constitutional Treaty in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, point to deep dissatisfaction with
the EU and the direction it is taking. Ignoring this sentiment in favour of a conviction that
people simply do not know enough about the EU to be grateful for it, is a mistake, which will
serve to further discredit the EU in the long run. The EU seriously needs to address its problems
head on, instead of investing in more and more spin to try and convince people that it is doing
a good job.
The increasing focus on trying to create feelings of European citizenship and culture seems
particularly misguided. There is much to be gained from cultural collaboration across Europe, for
example - but using top-down initiatives to drive European unity is a mistake.
Using culture as a tool for EU propaganda is counter-productive. After all, cultural differences,
are, amongst other things, an impetus for cross-border travel in the EU. People visit other
countries to appreciate their cultural diversity. The EU claims to support cultural diversity, and yet
in reality, its efforts to engender allegiance to the EU through its cultural programme threaten
to weaken diversity by trying to instill a common mindset.
What's the alternative? Recommendations for reform
Taxpayers' money should not continue to be spent on biased EU information campaigns and
efforts to engender EU culture and citizenship for the purpose of promoting European
integration.
There is clearly a strong case to be made for improving citizens' knowledge of the EU, but this
can be done without resorting to propaganda. There are also several key ways in which the EU
could improve its image with the public, to an extent that expensive propaganda never can.
622 2 January 2008 http://europa.eu/50/news/views/080102_en.htm
623 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb35/eb35_en.pdf
624 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb69/eb_69_first_en.pdf
128
1 Stop propaganda spending by cutting back the EU budget
A Abolish the Commission's Communications department
Future EU budget agreements should concentrate on scaling back spending on these initiatives.
Because of its clear mandate to promote the EU, the European Commission's DG Communications
department should be scrapped, saving more than €200m a year.
Other Commission departments responsible for policy areas could continue to have modest
budgets to publish literature and information for journalists, while a budget should also be kept
for broadcasting 'raw' events such as meetings of the European Parliament, press conferences etc
for public channels. A separate department dedicated purely to communications as currently
exists, is superfluous.
Millions of euros a year would be saved by stopping the production of EU-branded merchandise,
adverts, films, books, websites and events, which could be put to far better use in this time of
economic downturn. There is simply no argument for the EU to be spending taxpayers' money
on things such as free EU merchandise at a time when families are suffering in the recession.
B Scale back the EU's 'Education, Culture and Citizenship' budget
Likewise, the EU's €1 .5 bn budget for 'Education, Culture and Citizenship' should be dramatically
scaled back, scrapping expensive campaigns to "foster European citizenship" and other initiatives
which exist for the purpose of promoting the EU.
The EU could slice millions of euros a year off its budget by scaling back the plethora of
unnecessary and wasteful projects and events designed to encourage EU citizenship and a
'European public space'.
Particularly in these times of economic downturn, EU ministers must take a long, hard look at the
hundreds of projects receiving EU funds which do nothing to promote jobs and growth but
instead prioritise "fostering European citizenship". While it is not clear if these projects even
achieve their aims, they should be phased out in favour of more meaningful spending
programmes.
C Scrap funding for think-tanks promoting EU integration and publish clearer
details of recipients
In terms of funding outside organisations, one solution to the current bias might be to try to
ensure that a genuine spectrum of views on the EU and its policies were in receipt of the money.
But this seems an impossible goal to set a public institution whose very existence depends on
there being a case for "ever closer union" and therefore continued EU integration.
129
In any case, civil servants working for the EU - particularly the Commission - are unlikely to be
able to exert truly independent judgment when their careers depend on the continuation of
the project - however flawed it may be. Truly independent judgment in the allocation of grants
seems an impossible ideal, however well meaning and reformist members and employees may
consider themselves to be.
This means that the EU's various budgets for outside organisations must be reviewed and
dramatically cut back. All funding for think-tanks and groups which actively promote EU
integration should be scrapped. If their views represent public opinion then they will find private
funders who share their views and are willing to make up lost Commission funds.
All the remaining EU-funded organisations, receiving money from whichever part of the EU
budget, should be listed online on a clear and easy to access website, with details of the funds
they receive and how the funds were spent. Currently some information on who receives EU
funding is available, but it isfartoo sporadic and incomplete. Recipients should also be required
to mention any EU funding on their own websites, which must be regularly updated.
In addition, lobby groups operating in Brussels must be forced to sign on to the Commission's
currently voluntary register of lobbyists, which aims to improve transparency. There are an
estimated 1 5,000-plus lobbyists in Brussels, many of which, as we have seen, receive EU funds to
help them influence decision-making. 625
2 Improve citizens' interest and understanding of the EU by promoting
transparency and genuine debate
A Improve EU transparency
One of the biggest problems with the Commission's approach is that there is an inherent
contradiction between supposedly wanting "the involvement of the citizens in what is decided
at European level" 626 and the fact that it is so difficult to find out what is actually going on during
the legislative process.
Not only that, but the Commission even seems to think that it has a greater right to promote policies
once they have already been agreed -at which point citizens or MPs have no power at all to influence
them. The Commission has in fact hidden behind this contradiction to justify its propaganda.
During the hearing in Ireland when the Commission was reported to the broadcast regulator
for its advertisements of the Europe Direct service (See Part One), the Commission representation
in Ireland responded that:
"Most of the policies mentioned in the advertisements have drawn criticism from different
sectors of society at one time or other. The essential aspect is that these are now well
established policies, enshrined in European law, and are no longer contentious in the sense
that they are in place and are being implemented. Informing citizens of the existence of laws
that already exist cannot, at any stretch of the imagination, be considered as political. Neither
can it be seen as trying to elicit support for such measures. Support is not necessary if such
provisions already exist." 627
625 For more information, see http://blog.brusselssunshine.eu/
626 Margot Wallstrom, 'Speak to the people!', 2 January 2008 http://europa.eu/50/news/views/080102_en.htm
627 http://www.bcc.ie/decisions_details/Mar 2007/285.06 286.06 287.06 Ms. P Mckenna Summary Complaint.doc
130
The last two sentences are particularly misleading because, as we have seen, the very explicit
strategy of the EU is to communicate existing policies in order to solicit support, not for those
policies per se, but for the institutional establishment which came up with them.
But the main point is that surely, if the objective truly were "the involvement of the citizens in
what is decided at European level" then it would be better to publicise proposed policies, rather
than those which have already been passed? This would give people - journalists, MPs, and
possibly even interested citizens - the time and the information they need to respond to and
have input into the policy process.
If the Commission truly does want to "engage better with citizens" it should begin by
concentrating on making the EU more transparent, so that people -particularly journalists- can
see for themselves exactly what is going on, rather than being fed spun information
concentrating only on the "successes" of the EU.
Currently, it is very difficult for journalists (let alone the public at large) to get access to the bulk
of the EU decision-making process, because proceedings, documents, agendas and outcomes of
meetings are so often made secret. 628 There have been attempts to improve this in recent years
but the system on the whole remains woefully opaque. This leads to relatively poor media
coverage of EU issues, which the Commission so often complains about.
In this respect, the EU's efforts to increase broadcast coverage of "raw" meetings in the
European Parliament, the Commission and so on, for example, are welcome - but only if the
transmissions offer a true reflection of the institutions' activities, and are not manipulated to
offer only the information the 'editors' in the institution want us to see - as currently seems
to be the case.
But even all this is very expensive. If the EU were actually 'doing less but doing it better', to
borrow the Commission's own motto, then all of this information and broadcasting wouldn't
be necessary in the first place.
B Improve national parliamentary scrutiny of EU legislation
Likewise, the "communication gap" between citizens and the institutions that the Commission
constantly talks about is less a result of poor promotion of existing legislation, than the lack of
input from national MPs and proper coverage in the media of the details of the legislation while
it is being drawn up.
To improve citizens' interest in and knowledge of the EU, they must be given a greater feeling
that their elected members of Parliament are able to have a meaningful impact on EU legislation.
Currently, systems in place in the UK and elsewhere allow the Government to sign up to EU
legislation in meetings in Brussels, without first having sought agreement from the national
Parliament. Often Parliament isn't even given time to discuss the issues, and even when
Parliament specifically asks the Government for time to debate a new EU law, the Government
can use an 'override' mechanism to avoid parliamentary scrutiny.
628 For more on this, see "E-who? Politics behind closed doors", by Bruno Waterfield http://www.manifestoclub.com/files/EU%20Essays.pdf
131
To improve scrutiny, member states could take lessons from the Danish system of scrutiny, where
governments get a 'mandate' from the European Committee before it can sign up to an EU
proposal. 629
Better national parliamentary scrutiny could help to change the whole culture of member states'
relations with the EU for the better. Journalists often complain, (perhaps rightly) that it is difficult
to make EU affairs "newsworthy".
Introducing the threat that a government might not be allowed to sign up to what it wants
would certainly raise the level of media interest in EU business. That in turn could boost public
interest and involvement.
C Establish a set of binding guidelines for EU literature and campaigns
The EU should implement a set of binding guidelines along the lines of the UK conventions for
Government advertising and promotion, as seen above. The guidelines could be upheld by a
small, independent body which seeks to ensure that EU taxpayers' money is not used to 'sell' EU
policies or ideas, but to publish neutral information which genuinely seeks to keep citizens
informed of the facts.
EU leaders must be made to make a clearer distinction between improving the flow of
information to citizens, and promoting the 'benefits' of the EU. Currently, these two concepts are
far too often taken to mean the same thing.
D Ensure teaching in schools on the EU is balanced
If people are to learn more about the EU then there is an argument for beginning that process
in schools. The problem is, when this becomes a one-sided propaganda exercise that focuses only
on the "benefits" of European integration - as it so clearly has.
National and local educational authorities must do their bit to ensure that teaching on the EU
is fair and genuinely balanced.
The Government must publish its own literature on Europe, after consulting all sides of the
argument, and leaving less room for one-sided Commission literature to dominate teachers'
resources. Failing that, teachers must take responsibility and ensure that any EU-produced
material they use is counterbalanced by genuinely independently produced resources, from
sources offering a variety of different viewpoints.
Likewise, educational authorities and teachers should do much more to make sure that debates
held in schools are balanced. Inviting an EU Commissioner to speak should be offset by a visit
from someone who has criticisms to make about the EU, such as a business person.
E Hold more referendums on EU issues
Finally, the EU must be more open to the idea of directly consulting national populations about
the issues that affect them.
629 For more on this, see here: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/scrutiny.pdf
132
EU politicians talk endlessly about wanting to "listen to citizens", but are increasingly hostile to
the idea of giving people a say on EU issues through national referendums. This is because they
fear a growing tendency to reject further EU integration, as seen in the recent French, Dutch and
Irish 'no' votes.
Irish Europe Minister Dick Roche, for example, said in the aftermath of the Irish 'no' vote that
"the first thing to learn about referendums - is to avoid them." 630
But in fact, if EU leaders are serious about wanting to engage citizens more in the EU process and
improve their knowledge and understanding of the EU, as they claim they are, then they should
make far more use of referendums, not less.
Research shows that voters' lack of information about the EU is a result of too little, rather than
too much democracy. A 2007 report by Matt Qvortrup, Professor of Government at the Robert
Gordon University, found that citizens' knowledge about politics is
higher in countries that allow more citizen participation (e.g. through
referendums).
"the first thing to
learn about
referendums - is
to avoid them"
It found that according to polls taken in countries that have held
referendums on European integration, such as Ireland, France and
Denmark, respondents could answer twice as many questions correctly
about EU institutions as could respondents from Germany, Italy and
Belgium - countries that had not held referendums on the EU. In fact, a representative sample
of Danish voters during the 1992 referendum campaign on the Maastricht Treaty showed they
actually knew more about the treaty than the average backbench MP.
Professor Qvortrup found that voters in Switzerland were more enlightened about the EU than
were their opposite numbers in Germany, despite the fact that Germany is a founding member
of the European Communities, while Switzerland is outside the EU. This is a more or less direct
result of the frequent use of referendums in Switzerland. 631
However, there also needs to be more respect for the results that
referendums deliver. In reference to the series of 'no' votes, former
Commission President Jacques Santer recently claimed: "A referendum
is good for democracy; it is not always good for a country. We need to
make a distinction between democracy and what is good for the
country" 632
The EU could dramatically improve its image and reputation with the
public by genuinely listening to and respecting 'no' votes as well as the
'yes' votes. It is simply hypocritical if, on the one hand, EU leaders are
talking continuously about wanting to listen to citizens, and on the
other, they are simultaneously ignoring votes they dislike in order to
press ahead with the agenda for 'ever closer union', in which they so
passionately believe.
"A referendum is
good for
democracy; it is
not always good
for a country. We
need to make a
distinction
between
democracy and
what is good for
the country"
630 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
631 "Can we trust the people? Voter competence and European integration" http://www.iwantareferendum.com/publication/qvortrup.pdf
133
6
ANNEX: Breakdown of the EU's €2.4bn
propaganda budget
The information comes from the EU General Budget 2008. 633
This €2.4bn estimate of EU propaganda spending is very conservative, calculated using only
those budget lines which explicitly indicate their use for information or campaign purposes, or
for the purposes outlined in the chapters above, such as for fostering European citizenship or
promoting a common European culture.
The estimate should be regarded as an absolute minimum amount. On the one hand, where
such spending has been included as part of many different objectives under a particularly big
budget heading, these have been disregarded for the sake of fairness.
Indeed much of the funding that goes on propaganda is hidden deep inside the EU budget,
under headings which do not suggest from their titles or descriptions that this is how the money
will be used. This goes for many of the examples given in this paper.
One, for example, is the money spent on the Diversity Truck Tour. This is funded by the
Commission's Employment DG under the Progress programme, which isn't included in our
calculations because the line is very broad and described as covering "expenditure on
technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of Community measures to
achieve equality between men and women and tackling the particular needs of disabled
people." (04 01 04 10)
Another reason why the amount should be regarded as a minimum is because often the
amount shown is only part of the story for a particular project. One example is Eurobarometer.
The table below, taken from the 2008 EU budget, suggests that €5.8 million was spent in
2008 on 'public opinion analysis', of which the Eurobarometer is a part. However, Antonis
Papacostas, the European Commission's Head of Unit for Public Opinion Analysis told Open
Europe during a telephone conversation that the figure is closer to €25 million a year. 634 This
was following a query about an article in the Economist which said the figure was €16.5
million in 2007. 635
Other types of budget items have also been excluded for the purposes of remaining true to the
strict aim to identify propaganda spending. Many of them involve huge spending which could
be said to have propaganda value.
For the Commission's 'Communication' title, the entire budget is included, including the staff
and running costs of the department, since the whole of this department could be scrapped if
it weren't for the propaganda effort - which cannot be said for other departments which spend
money on promotion.
632 Speech at the European Commission conference "35th anniversary of the Eurobarometer", Paris, 21 November 2008
633 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/www/index-en.htm
634 16 September 2008
635 21 February 2008 http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10727874
134
Examples of the types of spending excluded from the calculations:
Vaguely defined expenditure on 'information and publications' and 'studies and experts'.
The Commission alone in 2008 dedicated more than €86m for budget lines "intended to
cover expenditure on studies, meetings of experts, information and publications directly
linked to the achievement of the objective of the programme or measures coming under this
budget heading." This type of spending can be found for each of the Commission's main
policy budget headings. Because it is impossible to differentiate what was spent on
"information and publications" and what was spent on the meetings of experts, these have
been excluded from the calculations. This is in spite of the fact that these 'meetings of experts'
could also be seen as having propaganda value, since they involve third parties from
organisations such as some of those listed in Part Two. Also, several budgets covering general
publications have been excluded, such as, for example, the €2m the European Parliament
spends per year on "Digital and traditional publications." Some of this money will be spent
on the types of pro-EU publications looked at in Part One, but some seems to be dedicated
to upkeep of the website and translation systems. Likewise, the European Parliament's
€15.4m budget for "Expenditure on publication, information and participation in public
events" has not been included, because some of it is spent on updating the EU's Legislative
Observatory, which cannot be considered as advertising.
Money spent on visits to the European Parliament for young people. In 2008 the European
Parliament spent €28.5 million on group visits, including the 'Euroscola' programme for
school children'. The aim of this is to bring students together "to lean about the European
Parliament and discuss topical European issues." The objective of the scheme is described as
"Raising awareness of youth about the impact of Europe on their future." 636 Given the
tendency for bias evident in other EU 'information' schemes, it may well be that this is used
as an opportunity to 'sell' the EU to children. However, a lack of information about the
programme means it would be speculative to assume that this is the case, so it is excluded
from the estimate.
Costs of meetings of expert groups from the other institutions. In addition to the first
point, several other EU budget lines, particularly outside the Commission in the other
institutions, pay for 'experts' taking part in EU study groups, workshops, committees,
conferences, hearings etc. They also include money spent on external staff for research,
and the costs of members of the institutions taking part in similar exercises. Again, many
of the experts consulted will be lobby groups and NGOs such as some of those mentioned
in Part Two. Costs may include travel expenses and the cost of organising the meeting etc.
A rough calculation shows that the acquisition of expertise in this way amounts to around
€158m a year, at least.
Entertainment and representation costs for members of the institutions. For the European
Parliament, for example, this includes costs of "items and medals for officials who have
completed 1 5 or 25 years' service" and "miscellaneous protocol expenditure, such as on flags,
display stands, invitation cards, printed menus, etc." In 2008 the EU budget for entertainment
and representation amounted to around €82m.
636 http://www.welcomeurope.com/default. asp?id=1300&idnews=453&genre=0
135
Money spent on "Social contacts between Members of staff". Several budget lines are
intended for "schemes to promote social contact between staff of different nationalities, for
example subsidies to staff clubs, sports associations, cultural societies, etc", and for
"interinstitutional social activities." The EU spends €850,000 a year on social contacts between
members of staff just in the EU institutions outside the Commission. 637 The Commission no
doubt also carries out such activities, on a much bigger scale, but it is not possible to identify
what it spends.
Generous perks, pensions and other payments and facilities offered to former members and
civil servants of the institutions. These arguably help to keep former employees and members
from publicly denouncing the EU - helping the EU in its aim to "polish its image." After all
they would be extremely well-placed to do so if they felt that way inclined. The EU now
spends almost €1 billion a year on pensions alone. 638
Budgets for "information exchanges with national parliaments", which include funded visits
to the institutions.
637 The European Parliament, Council, Court of Justice, Court of Auditors, Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the Ombudsman all
have budget lines for this purpose.
638 http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/publications/budget_in_fig/syntchif_2008_en.pdf
136
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Budget Budget heading
Code
Comments
3243 Visitors Centre
6,840,000
3245 Organisation of seminars,
symposia and cultural
activities
2,093,000
Covers "the financing of cultural projects of
European interest, such as the Sakharov Prize
and the European Parliament Lux Prize for
European Cinema."
3246 Parliamentary television
channel (Web TV)
9,000,000
(Figure unavailable for 2008 so taken from
2009 preliminary draft budget)
3247 Expenditure on information
about the Debate on the
Future of Europe
500,000
3248 Expenditure on audiovisual
information
14,300,000
400 Current administrative
expenditure and expenditure
relating to the political and
information activities of the
political groups and
non-attached Members
51,660,000 Covers secretarial, administrative and operational
expenditure, but also "expenditure on political
and information activities conducted in
connection with the European Union's political
activities."
402 Contributions to European
political parties
10,645,000 "Intended to finance, at European level, political
parties which contribute to forming a European
awareness and to expressing the political will of
the citizens of the Union."
403 Contributions to European
political foundations
5,000,000 "Intended to contribute to the financing of
European political foundations, in order to assist
European political parties in their work of political
information and education."
440 Cost of meetings and other 1 30,000
activities of former Members
Covers the cost of meetings of the association of
former Members of the European Parliament,
whose objective is "To use the experience of
former members to strengthen parliamentary
democracy and to serve European unity" and
"To promote debate on the development of the
European Union in the political field as well as in
public opinion. " 63g
104 Reserve For Information and
Communication Policy
9,300,000
TOTAL
109,468,000
COUNCIL
2213 Information and public events
1,198,000 Covers "assistance for audiovisual media covering
the work of the institution", and "the cost of
miscellaneous information and public relations
activities" as well as "expenditure on publicity and
the promotion of publications and public events
relating to the institution's activities".
3312 Information and public events
TOTAL
50,000
1,248,000
639 http://www.formermembers.eu/default.asp
137
EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE
256 Expenditure on
information and on
participation in public
events
1 87,575 Covers "the purchase and publication of works of
general interest on Community law", but also "other
expenditure on the dissemination of information
and photographic costs, and contributions made for
visits to the institution."
2741 General publications
1,427,977
Part of this covers
for visitors".
brochures produced by the Court
TOTAL
1,615,552
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
1404 Graduate traineeships, grants
and exchanges of officials
788,756 Covers travel and mission expenses for trainees, but
also "the realisation of research projects in the fields
of activity of the European Economic and Social
Committee which are of particular interest for
European integration; the cost of programmes to
inform young people in the European spirit."
2600 Communication
654,000 Covers "information activities aimed at the general
public or socio-occupational organisations, media
coverage of conferences, congresses and seminars",
and "the organisation and media coverage of major
public events, cultural initiatives or any other of the
Committee's various events, including the organised
civil society prize."
TOTAL
1,442,756
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
1404 Graduate traineeships, grants
and exchanges of officials
440,000 Covers travel and mission expenses for trainees, but
also "the realisation of research projects in the fields
of activity of the Committe of the Regions which are
of particular interest for European integration; the
cost of programmes to inform young people in the
European spirit."
2600 Expenditure on publishing,
dissemination of information and
participation in public events
450,000 Covers all communication and information expenses,
"whether relating to the objectives and activities of
the Committee, information activities aimed at the
general public, cultural initiatives or any other of the
various Committee events. It also covers all materials,
and audiovisual services connected with these events."
2602 General publications
81 6,000 Covers "the Committee of the Regions' publication
costs on all media to promote publications and
general information; also distribution and publication
costs for promotional and publicity purposes."
264 Expenditure on publishing,
dissemination of information and
participation in public events:
information and communication
activities
408,000 Covers "expenditure resulting from the political and
information activities of Committee members in the
exercise of their European mandate."
TOTAL
2,114,000
138
COMMISSION
Title 01 — Economic and financial affairs
0102 04 Prince — Communication 7,700,000
on economic and monetary
union, including the euro
Covers "the funding of priority information measures
on Community policies on all aspects of the rules
and functioning of EMU, of the benefits of closer
policy coordination and structural reforms and to
address information needs of citizens, local
authorities and enterprises in relation to the euro."
Includes: "the development of communication
activities at central level (brochures, leaflets,
newsletters, Internet site graphic design,
development and maintenance, exhibitions, stands,
conferences, seminars, audiovisual products, opinion
polls, surveys, studies, promotional material,
twinning programmes, etc.), communication
initiatives in third countries, in particular to point out
the international role of the euro and the value of
financial integration."
TOTAL
7,700,000
Title 02 — Enterprise
02 02 06 Pilot project — Regions of
knowledge
1 00,000 Includes funding for "regional-level research with a
view to promoting the integration of the regions of
Europe."
02 02 08 European Destinations of
Excellence
2,500,000 "The aim of this initiative is to draw attention to the
value, diversity and shared characteristics of
European tourist destinations and to promote
destinations where the economic growth objective is
pursued in such a way as to ensure the social,
cultural and environmental sustainability of tourism.
The measure will also help European citizens to
become better acquainted with one another."
02 03 01 Operation and development
of the internal market,
particularly in the fields of
notification, certification and
sectoral approximation
14,500,000 Includes funding for "information and publicity
measures, greater awareness of Community
legislation."
TOTAL
17,100,000
Title 04 — Employment and social affairs
04 03 02 Cost of preliminary consultation 400,000
meetings with trade union
representatives
Covers "expenditure on preliminary consultation
meetings between European trade union
representatives with a view to helping them form
their opinions and harmonise their positions
regarding the development of Community policies.
04 03 03 01 Industrial relations and
social dialogue
1 5,350,000 Covers "the financing of the social partners'
participation in the European employment strategy.
Covers "grants for promoting social dialogue" and
"support for industrial relations measures, in
particular those designed to develop expertise and
exchange of information on a European basis."
139
04 03 03 02 Information and training
measures for workers'
organisations
16,400,000 Covers "information and training measures for
workers' organisations, including representatives
of workers' organisations in the candidate countries,
deriving from the implementation of Community
action on the social dimension of the internal
market, including gender equality issues, and
monetary union." Involves support for trade union
institutes "which have been established to facilitate
capacity building through training and research at
European level, as well as to improve the degree of
involvement of workers' representatives in European
governance."
04 03 03 03 Information, consultation and 8,100,000
participation of representatives of undertakings
Aims to promote particular EU Directives on
European works councils etc, and "the setting-up of
information and observation points on the premises
of European social partners possessing the necessary
expertise in the field of action covered by this item.
The aim of such information points is to inform and
help the social partners and undertakings to set up
transnational consultation, participation and
information structures, and to foster relations with
the European institutions."
04 03 04 EURES (European Employment 20,050,000
Services)
Includes "funding for promotion of EURES among
firms and the general public."
04 04 01 02 Social protection and inclusion 28,030,000
Includes "raising awareness, disseminating
information and promoting debate about the key
challenges and policy issues raised in the context of
the EU coordination process in the field of social
protection and social inclusion, including among
NGOs, regional and local actors, social partners, civil
society and other stakeholders", and "developing
the capacity of key EU networks to support and
further develop EU policy goals and strategies on
social protection and inclusion, through the
development of community-based services and
independent living."
04 04 01 04 Anti-discrimination and diversity 20,520,000
Includes "raising awareness, disseminating
information and promoting the debate about the key
challenges and policy issues in relation to
discrimination and the mainstreaming of anti-
discrimination in all EU policies, including among
NGOs in the field of anti-discrimination, regional and
local actors, social partners and other stakeholders;
developing the capacity of key EU networks to
promote and further develop EU policy goals and
strategies."
04 04 06 European Year of Equal
Opportunities for All in 2007
5,500,000 Covered measures "aimed at raising awareness of
the need to work towards a more cohesive society
that celebrates differences and respects the
substantial EU acquis in equality and non-
discrimination and at stimulating debate and
dialogue on questions which are central to achieving
a just society."
140
04 04 09 Support for the running costs
of the Platform of European
Social Non-Governmental
Organisations
680,000 Covers "the running costs of the Platform of
European Social Non-Governmental Organisations
(NGOs). The Social Platform will facilitate
democracy in the European Union by promoting the
participatory consistent involvement of social NGOs
within a structured civil dialogue with the EU
institutions. It will also provide added value to the EU
social policy-making process and strengthen civil
society within new Member States."
04 04 1 1 Pilot project — New employment 1 ,000,000
situation in the health sector: best
practices for improving professional
training and qualifications of health
care workers and their remuneration
Among other things funds "information
campaigns."
TOTAL
116,030,000
Title 05 —Agriculture and rural development
05 08 06 Enhancing public awareness 7,000,000
of the common agricultural
policy
TOTAL
7,000,000
Title 06 — Energy and transport
06 02 04 01 Internal market and
optimisation of transport
systems
6,000,000 Among many other things, includes funding
for "promotion of Community approaches in
international forums", and "awareness-raising and
communication activities to promote the global
approach advocated by the Community and
publicise the trans-European networks in the
Community and in Europe"
TOTAL
6,000,000
Title 07 — Environment
07 03 02 Completion of Community
action programme promoting
non-governmental organisations
primarily active in the field of
environmental protection
200,000 Covers "payments in respect of commitments
remaining to be settled from previous years and
resulting from grants to non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) primarily active in the field of
environmental protection, towards their general
running costs, annual work programmes and
projects in order to contribute to the further
development and implementation of EU
environmental policy and legislation and to increase
the participation of civil society in the environmental
debate at European level."
07 03 06 Completion of awareness-raising
and other general actions based
on the Community action
programmes in the field of the
environment
6,000,000 Covers "payments in respect of commitments
remaining to be settled from previous years and
resulting from actions undertaken by the
Commission to implement existing legislation,
awareness-raising and other general actions based
on the Community environmental action
programme. Those actions include grants to projects
and service contracts, workshops and seminars, as
well as preparation and production costs of
audiovisual material, events and exhibitions, press
visits, publication and other dissemination and
website activities."
141
07 03 07 LIFE+ (Financial Instrument
for the Environment —
2007 to 2013)
248,094,000
Only partly relevant. Includes, among many other
things, "support for independent and non profit-
making non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
which contribute to the development and
implementation of Community environmental policy
and legislation", and "support for the Commission's
role in initiating environment policy development
and implementation, through studies and
evaluations, seminars and workshops with experts
and stakeholders, networks and computer systems,
information, publication and dissemination activities,
including events, exhibitions and similar awareness-
raising measures."
TOTAL
254,294,000
Title 09 — Information society and media
09 06 01 01 Media 2007 — Support 93,794,000
programme for the
European audiovisual sector
See above. Supports "the transnational distribution
of European works, to improve the circulation of
non-national European works. For example: support
cinema and video distribution of non-national
European films; automatic and selective support for
distributors of non-national European films, support
for promotion kits, support to digitisation improve
the promotion of European works. For example:
ensuring access by professionals to European and
international markets; ensuring access by the
audience to works reflecting European cultural
diversity". Also covers support for "a network of
information offices (Media desks) throughout Europe".
09 06 01 02 Preparatory action on the
implementation of the
Media 2007 programmes in
2,000,000 Includes "support for the development of cinema
networks" such as the EuropaCinema model in third
countries." States that "Cinemas in networks
third countries should devote a significant share of
their programming to European film distribution."
09 06 02 Completion of previous
media programmes
21,600,000
TOTAL
117,394,000
Title 13 — Regional policy
13 03 08 Completion of European
Regional Development
Fund (ERDF) — Technical
assistance and innovative
measures (2000 to 2006)
TOTAL
35,000,000
35,000,000
Includes expenditure for "information and publishing
expenditure" and "contracts for the provision of
services and studies, grants."
Title 1 5 — Education and Culture
Overall objectives of this Title include: "Reinforce European identity and solidarity and foster creativity by supporting
cultural diversity and common values within Member States" and "Improve the basis for establishing solidarity
between people in Europe through policy measures and direct support for activities aimed at encouraging and
enabling active citizenship."
15 01 04 1 4 Erasmus Mundus —
Expenditure on administrative
management
1,530,000 Includes expenditure on "information and
publications."
142
1 5 01 04 20 Visits to the Commission —
Expenditure on administrative
management
620,000
15 01 04 22 Lifelong learning — Expenditure
on administrative management
8,670,000 Includes expenditure on "information and
publications."
15 01 04 30 Education, Audiovisual and
Culture Executive Agency —
Subsidy for programmes
under Heading 1a
1 9,982,000 Covers the operating costs of the Education,
Audiovisual and Culture Agency, which manages the
Youth, Culture, Media, Civil Society and Town-
Twinning activities.
15 01 04 31 Education, Audiovisual and
Culture Executive Agency —
Subsidy for programmes under
Heading 3b
9,327,000 Covers the operating costs of the Education,
Audiovisual and Culture Agency, which manages
the Youth, Culture, Media, Civil Society and Town-
Twinning activities.
15 01 04 32 Education, Audiovisual and
Culture Executive Agency —
Subsidy for programmes under
Heading 4
520,000 Covers the operating costs of the Education,
Audiovisual and Culture Agency, which manages the
Youth, Culture, Media, Civil Society and Town-
Twinning activities.
15 01 04 44 Culture Programme (2007 to
2013) — Expenditure on
administrative management
670,000
15 01 04 55 Youth in Action — Expenditure
on administrative management
780,000
15 01 04 66 Europe for Citizens — Expenditure
on administrative management
350,000
15 0161 Cost of organising graduate
traineeships with the institution
6,664,000 Covers "in-service traineeships intended for graduates
and is designed to provide them with an overview
of the objectives set and the challenges faced by the
European Union, an insight into how its institutions
work and an opportunity to enhance their knowledge
through work experience at the Commission."
15 02 02 05 Erasmus Mundus
90,892,000 Includes "promoting the emergence of a clearly
European system of higher education which is attractive
both within the European Union and beyond its borders;
fostering greater international interest in obtaining
European qualifications and/or experience among
graduates and highly qualified academics throughout
the world, and more opportunities to obtain these
qualifications; fostering more structured cooperation
between the European Community and third-country
institutions, and increased outgoing mobility from the EU
as part of European study programmes; achieving a
better brand image for European education, with a
higher profile and easier access."
1 5 02 09 Completion of previous
programmes in the field of
education and training
90,000,000 Covers the completion of actions supported before
2007 under the following budget headings:
European integration in universities, College of
Europe, European University Institute,
Florence.European Law Academy (Trier), European
Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht, Study
and Research Centre, International Centre for
European Training, European Agency for
Development in Special Needs Education,
strengthening of Community actions in the field of
education, Socrates, Connect, e-Learning, promotion
of European pathways in work-linked training,
including apprenticeship, Leonardo da Vinci.
143
15 02 22 Lifelong learning programme 873,204,000
Covers Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci and
Jean Monnet programmes.
1 5 02 30 Pilot project — European
Neighbourhood Policy —
Enhance education through
scholarships and exchanges
2,000,000 Covers "scholarships for graduate students from
European Neighbourhood Policy countries to follow
courses leading to a degree of Master in European
Studies."
15 04 Developing cultural cooperation in Europe
1 5 04 09 Completion of previous
programmes/actions in the
field of culture and language
1 3,000,000 Includes "subsidies for European interest
organisations" and support for Framework
programme in support of culture.
1 5 04 44
Culture Programme
(2007 to 2013)
44,639,000 Includes "support for cultural cooperation projects in
all artistic and cultural fields (performing arts, plastic
and visual arts, literature, heritage, cultural history);
promoting the European Cistercian Route in view of its
importance for heritage protection and cultural
exchanges; financing protection, conservation and
restoration operations in respect of shared cultural
heritage sites of European importance and Unesco-
designated world heritage sites; multiannual
cooperation focal points; annual cooperation activities;
special actions with a European or international
dimension; support for bodies active at European level
in the field of culture, as well as actions supporting the
preservation and commemoration of the main sites
and archives associated with deportations, symbolised
by the memorials which have been raised on the sites
of the former camps and other large-scale sites of
human suffering and extermination, and support for
keeping alive the memory of the victims at these sites;
support for work to analyse, collect and disseminate
information in the field of cultural cooperation."
1 5 04 45 Pilot project for artist mobility
1,500,000
1 5 04 47 European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue
7,000,000 Covers "information and promotion campaigns,
particularly in cooperation with the media, at
Community and national level to disseminate the key
messages concerning the objectives of the European
Year of Intercultural Dialogue; events and initiatives on a
European scale aimed at promoting intercultural
dialogue and highlighting achievements and experiences
on the theme of the European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue; events and initiatives at national level with a
strong European dimension aimed at promoting the
objectives of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue;
surveys and studies on a Community or national scale to
assess and report on the preparation for, effectiveness
and impact of, and long-term follow-up to the European
Year of Intercultural Dialogue."
1 5 04 48 Preservation of the historical
finds of regional museums
through the digitisation of
their archives
500,000 Aims for "the preservation and conservation of the
finds of regional museums through the creation of
digital archives" and "wider dissemination of the rich
cultural heritage and history of the peoples of the
European Union through the exchange of digital data."
1 5 04 49 Preparatory action — Fostering
Baltic Sea regionalisation
1 ,500,000 Unclear why this is in here, but is deemed by the
Commission to be part of the objective of '
Developing cultural cooperation in Europe'.
144
15 05 09 Completion of previous
programmes/actions in the
field of youth
1 8,801 ,000 Covers the completion of measures supported before
2007 under the following budget headings: Youth,
pilot projects for participation by young people,
sport: preparatory measures for a Community policy
in the field of sport, European Year of Education
through Sport; European Youth Forum, support for
international non-governmental youth organisations.
15 05 55 Youth in Action
120,983,000 See above
15 06 Fostering European Citizenship
1 5 06 01 Pilot project in favour of citizenship 1 48,857
1 5 06 02 Completion of cost of organising 560,000
graduate traineeships with the
institution
15 06 05 Visits to the Commission
2,080,000
1 5 06 06 Special annual events
1 ,880,000 Includes 880 000 for the organisation of the '9th
Winter Olympics for European Youth - Silesia -
Beskidy 2009, and 1 000 000 as a contribution to
the financing of the 'Marathon for a United Europe'
to take place in Athens in summer 2008.
1 5 06 07 Pilot project — European
political foundations
1 ,000,000 (2007 figure as 2008 is unavailable)
1 5 06 08 Erasmus public administration
programme
1,000,000
1 5 06 09 Completion of previous
programmes/actions in the field
of civic participation
885,335 Covers the completion of measures supported before
2007 under the following budget headings:
"preservation of Nazi concentration camp sites as
historical monuments.measures for civil society, 'Our
Europe' associations,grants to organisations
advancing the idea of Europe, associations and
federations of European interest, European think
tanks, support for the Jean Monnet House and the
Robert Schuman House, town-twinning schemes in
the European Union."
15 0610 Amicus — Association of
Member States Implementing a
Community Universal Service
3,000,000 "The preparatory action should define a common
framework for national civic services across the
European Union, relying on the existing national civic
service infrastructures and permitting the large-scale
exchange of participants between EU Member
States, leading to a truly universal European civic
service. The service should be civic, i.e. civil or
military. Each Member State would be able to choose
the form of civic service. It should be open to young
people, male and female, between 16 and 28 years
old. This project would give tangible substance to
the notion of European citizenship since it would
provide an opportunity for the young participants to
carry out part of their civic service in another country
taking part in Amicus."
145
15 06 66 Europe for Citizens
26,424,000 Covers: "Active citizens for Europe, consisting of:
town twinning, citizens' projects and support
measures; Active civil society in Europe, consisting of:
structural support for European public policy
research organisations (think-tanks), structural
support for civil society organisations at European
level, etc., support for projects initiated by civil
society organisations; Together for Europe, consisting
of: high-visibility events such as commemorations,
awards and Europe-wide conferences, etc., studies,
surveys and opinion polls, information and
dissemination tools."
TOTAL
1,350,110,192
Title 16 — Communication
The overall objectives of this Title are: "to inform the media and the public about European Union activities and
policies, to inform the Commission, the media and the public about trends in public opinion in the Member States.
16 01 01 01 Expenditure related to
staff in active employment of
'Communication, policy area:
Headquarters
47,232,271
16 01 02 01
External staff of 'Communication,
Directorate-General: Headquarters
6,447,736
16 01 02 03 Local staff of 'Communication,
Directorate-General:
Representation offices
16,000,000
1601 02 11
Other management expenditure
of 'Communication,
Directorate-General: Headquarters
3,487,253
16 01 03 01 Expenditure related to
equipment, furniture and
services of 'Communication,
Directorate-General: Headquarters
3,522,522
16 01 03 03 Buildings and related 25,073,000
expenditure of 'Communication,
Directorate-General:
Representation offices
16 01 03 04 Other working expenditure
2,000,000
16 0104 01 Communication actions —
Expenditure on administrative
management
3,600,000 Covers "expenditure on studies, meetings of experts,
information and publications."
1 6 02 02 Multimedia actions
22,200,000 Covers "general information operations concerning
the European Union, for the purpose of making the
work of the Community institutions more visible, the
decisions taken and the stages in the building of
Europe. They concern essentially the funding or co-
funding of the production and/or dissemination of
multimedia information products."
146
16 02 03 Information for the media
4,470,000 Covers "the European Union's communication-
related expenditure. The aim of the communication
activities is to provide target groups, mainly the media,
with the tools for better understanding and reporting
of topical issues." Includes €1,020,000 for training
seminars with journalists, and €550,000 for exchanges
with the media.
16 02 04 Operation of radio and
television studios and
audiovisual equipment
6,212,000
1 6 03 01 Information outlets
15,300,000 Includes €10.8 million for Europe Direct, and €4.5
for "coordination and support activities for relays
and networks."
16 03 02 Local actions
1 1,400,000 Covers "the European Union's expenditure on
decentralised communication. The aim of local
communication activities is in particular to provide
target groups with the tools to gain a better
understanding of burning topical issues." Included:
€1,2m on "International Exhibition in Zaragoza",
€3, 85m on "9 May and other European events",
€2, 4m on "Seminars and conferences", €1 .6m on
"Other communication actions" (visits etc),
€550,000 on Euorjus service, €1m on "Information
centres connected to the Representations", and
€800,000 on "promotional material". Objective is
"To capitalise on special events, such as the
anniversary of the Schuman Declaration (9 May), so
as to increase the general public's knowledge of the
Commission's activities." Potential beneficiaries are
"Proactive civil society organisations on European
issues." "The projects selected should contribute to
better public awareness of the EU's role and action."
In terms of grants in the form of prizes awarded in
competitions the expected results are "Promotion
and stimulation of the work and thought processes
involved in building the Community or in European
policies." "The Representations take part in
numerous events in order to promote the European
Union."
16 03 04 Specific actions on priority
themes, of which PRINCE
12,830,000 Covers in particular activities such as: 'Plan-D for
Democracy, Dialogue and Debate' . Includes €2m for
Debate Europe, €500,000 for Spring Day, "Plan D will
be continued on the basis of current results in order to
encourage citizens to fully understand the content of
European policy issues and thus enhance a feeling of
European identity." Expected results: "The projects
selected should contribute, through greater dialogue,
to closer links between citizens and the institutions of
the European Union, in particular through better
knowledge of the Union's role and activities."
16 03 05 EuroGlobe
1 ,000,000 "Intended to continue the pilot project started in
2007 for a mobile Globe theatre aiming to foster a
European public space for debate, culture and
learning." Part of the objective is to "foster a better
public understanding of the relevance of the
European Union for culture and society in the
Member States".
147
16 03 06 Pilot project — Pilot
information networks (PINs)
1,500,000
1 6 04 01 Public opinion analysis
5,800,000 Covers "the analysis of trends in public opinion,
mainly by means of opinion polls (e.g. general-public
'Eurobarometer, surveys, 'flash, surveys, by telephone,
of specific populations on particular subjects, at
regional or national level, or qualitative surveys),
together with quality control of these surveys."
16 04 02 Online information and
communication tools
10,880,000 Covers "on-line multimedia information and
communication tools concerning the European
Union, for the purpose of providing all citizens with
general information on the work of the Community
institutions, the decisions taken and the stages in the
building of Europe. On-line tools make it possible to
gather citizens' questions or reactions on European
issues." Includes €3. 5m for the operation of the
Europe Direct contact centre, and €3. 1 5m for the
Europa site.
16 04 03 Targeted written publications
5,1 50,000 Covers "expenditure relating to the production for
various target groups of written publications
concerning the Union's activities that are often
distributed through a decentralised network."
1 6 04 04 Written publications for
general use
2,520,000 Covers "expenditure on issuing, in whatever
medium, publications on matters of major topical
importance relating to Commission activities and the
work of the European Union, selected under the
priority publications programme. The publications
may be targeted at the teaching profession, opinion
leaders and the general public."
TOTAL
206,624,782
Title 1 7 - Health and consumer protection
17 03 02 Community tobacco fund — 14,250,000
Direct payments by the European
Union
"This appropriation is intended to finance
information activities under the Community tobacco
fund."
TOTAL
14,250,000
Title 1 8 — Area of freedom, security and justice
18 04 05 04 European Union Agency for 6,512,000 Includes "promotion and dissemination of
Fundamental Rights — information and awareness-raising activities to
Subsidy under Title 3 enhance visibility on fundamental rights."
1 8 04 06 Fundamental rights and
citizenship
1 2,000,000 Intended "to promote the development of a
European society based on respect for fundamental
rights as recognised in Article 6(2) of the Treaty on
European Union, including rights derived from
citizenship of the Union."
18 07 03 Drugs prevention and information 3,000,000
Includes "support to the activities of non-
governmental organisations or other entities
pursuing an aim of general European interest
regarding the general objectives of the programme
under the conditions set out in the annual work
programmes."
148
18 08 01 Prince — Area of freedom,
security and justice
7,814,000
TOTAL
29,326,000
Covers "priority information measures on
Community policies." Also covers "information
measures in the field of justice and home affairs in
relation to the establishment of an area of freedom,
security and justice (internal web sites, public events,
communication products, Eurobarometer surveys, etc.)"
"This appropriation is intended to cover the funding of
an awareness-raising campaign by the Commission, in
cooperation with civil society, on EU citizens' rights
under Article 1 3 of the Treaty on European Union. "
Title 1 9 — External relations
19 05 01 Cooperation with industrialised
non-member countries
24,870,000 Includes "the enhancement of awareness about and
understanding of the European Union and of its
visibility in partner countries."
19 11 02 Information programmes
for non-member countries
1 0,700,000 Covers activities such as the European Union visitors
programme (EUVP), as well as "the production and
distribution of publications on priority themes as part
of an annual programme; the production and
dissemination of audiovisual material; the
development of information delivered via electronic
media (the Internet and electronic message systems);
the organisation of visits for groups of journalists; the
organisation of visits for groups of representatives of
civil society; the bulk purchase of promotional material
to be made available to delegations; the support for
the information activities of opinion leaders that are
consistent with the European Union's priorities; the
coverage of Euronews in Farsi." Also includes
"decentralised measures carried out by delegations in
non-member countries and vis-a-vis international
organisations", including "newsletters, websites,
relations with the media (press conferences, seminars,
radio programmes, etc.), information products (other
publications, graphic material, etc.), organisation of
events, including cultural activities, other activities."
Includes management of the 'European
Documentation Centres'.
19 11 03 Prince — Role of the
European Union in the world
3,000,000 Covers "priority information and communication
activities" in order to "Address a weak public
perception of external assistance. The objective is to
make clear that external assistance is an integral part
of what the EU does and is one of the crucial policies
that define the EU and its role in the world." Includes
"Information activities... on the aims and development
of the common foreign and security policy."
TOTAL
38,570,000
149
Title 20 - Trade
20 02 01 External trade relations,
including access to the
markets of non-Community
countries
1 1 ,244,000 Includes the "development and implementation of a
consistent and comprehensive communication and
information strategy, promoting the Community's
trade policy and raising awareness on the detail and
objectives of Community trade policy, both within
and outside the EU."
TOTAL
11,244,000
Title 21 — Development and relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific
(ACP) States
204,000
21 01 04 04 Coordination and promotion
of awareness on development
issues — Expenditure on
administrative management
Includes expenditure on "publication, production,
storage, distribution and dissemination of
information material, in particular via the
Publications Office."
21 08 02 Coordination and promotion
of awareness on development
issues
8,896,000 Includes "the financing of activities designed to draw
attention to action by the EU and the Member
States in the development field and to raise public
awareness of development issues. Every activity
financed under this article must include the following
two components, which are complementary in the
Commission's view: an 'information, component,
designed to promote the various activities which the EU
undertakes in the development aid field and the
activities which it conducts in partnership with the
Member States and other international institutions; an
'awareness-raising, component, covering public opinion
in the Community and in the ACP States (78 countries).
These activities are targeted primarily at the young. An
immediate priority of this component is also to raise
public awareness in the Member States about the
Community's action in the development cooperation
field. These activities consist mainly, though not
exclusively, of financial support for schemes in the
audiovisual, publications, seminars and events fields as
applied to development, the production of information
material, the development of information systems, and
also the Lorenzo Natali prize for journalism in the
development field. These activities are directed at public
and private sector partners, and at the EU's
representations and delegations in the Member States,
the accession countries and the ACP States."
TOTAL
9,100,000
Title 22 — Enlargement
22 02 07 03 Financial support for
encouraging the economic
development of the Turkish
Cypriot Community
53,000,000 Includes, among several other objectives, "bringing
the Turkish Cypriot community closer to the Union,
through, inter alia, information on the European
Union's political and legal order, promotion of youth
exchanges and scholarships". Also includes
expenditure on "information and publications."
22 04 01 Prince — Information and
communication strategy
5,000,000 Covers "the funding of priority information and
communication activities on enlargement, mainly
regarding Member States, including impact
assessments and evaluation actions."
150
22 04 02 Information and communication
programmes for non-member
countries
7,000,000
Covers "the funding of priority information and
communication activities on enlargement mainly
regarding candidate and potential candidate
countries... Information and communication actions will
be directed at the general public, relevant audiences,
target groups, especially youth, media and the rural
population, and will seek to enhance support among
opinion leaders for enlargement as well as the
association and stabilisation process. The aim is also to
strengthen the EU's profile and political leverage in
those countries and generate public support for the
reforms process during the accession and pre-accession
periods. The appropriations allocated will build on the
strategy from the previous year and lessons learnt and
finance activities such as management of information
centres, organising information events, seminars and
training, networking, media relations, research, studies
and opinion polls, publications and Internet websites."
TOTAL
65,000,000
Title 23 — Humanitarian aid
23 01 04 01 Humanitarian aid —
Expenditure on
administrative management
9,600,000 Includes "expenditure on studies, information and
publications; on public awareness and information
campaigns; and on any other measure highlighting
the Community character of the aid."
TOTAL
9,600,000
TOTAL EU
PROPAGANDA SPEND (€) 2,410,231,282
151
About Open Europe
Open Europe is an independent, non-party political think tank which contributes bold new thinking to the debate
about the direction of the European Union.
'Ever closer union', espoused by Jean Monnet and propelled forwards by successive generations of political and
bureaucratic elites, has failed. The EU's over-loaded institutions - held in low regard by Europe's citizens - are
ill-equipped to adapt to the pressing challenges of weak economic growth, rising global competition, insecurity
and a looming demographic crisis.
Open Europe believes that the EL) must now embrace radical reform based on economic liberalisation, a looser
and more flexible structure, and greater transparency and accountability if it is to overcome these challenges,
and succeed in the twenty first century.
The best way forward for the EL) is an urgent programme of radical change driven by a consensus between
member states. In pursuit of this consensus, Open Europe seeks to involve like-minded individuals, political
parties and organisations across Europe in our thinking and activities, and to disseminate our ideas throughout
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Who supports Open Europe
Our supporters include men and women who run
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Sir Antony Acland
Former head of the Diplomatic Service
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Former Chairman St Chief Executive, the Caudwell Group
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Former Deputy Chairman, Hutchison Whampoa (Europe) Ltd
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Chairman, J Hambro Ltd
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Chairman and Chief Executive, The Rocco Forte Collection
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Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover
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Derek Scott (Deputy Chairman)
Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, 1997-2003
Lord Sheppard of Di dgemere
Chairman, Didgemere Consultants
Michael Spencer
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Sir Neville Trotter
Chairman, British-American Chamber of Commerce N-East
Monima Wardle
Managing Director, City Analytics
Sir Brian Williamson, CBE
Senior Advisor, Fleming Family & Partners
Simon Wolfson
Chief Executive, Next pic
Lord Young of Graffham, PC DL
Chairman, Young Associates Ltd
Contact Us
about Open Europe please contact the team on 0207 197 2333 or email
.org.uk, or write to us at 7 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3QN.
To find out more please go to www.openeurope.org.uk.
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