Tribune | 30/08/2006 

With the White Paper on the Commission communication policy published by Margot Wallstrà¶m in early February, the debate is at last open on this crucial issue for the future of the Union. The debate has been insufficient in recent years. However, to make a meaningful difference, this debate needs to fulfil three conditions.

First, it has to be taken seriously by officials, who often consider communication only as a mere extension of decision making. Second, the debate has to steer away from the usual top-down approach that characterises the EU. At its most basic, communication involves a message from an emitter to an audience. However, the EU institutions should stop thinking that they are the only emitter, without involving the citizens in that role. Also, a proper EU debate requires transnational and integrated communications efforts. Encouraging national communications campaigns that run in parallel, as seems to be the norm, should belong to the past.

The EU should dare to invent new forms of communication.