Europe Direct
Annual Report 2011
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Key figures in 2011
Europe Direct =
The Europe Direct Contact Centre
Almost 80 000 enquiries
+
Europe Direct Network
468 Europe Direct Information Centres
More than 850 000 personal contacts
Almost 10 000 events
More than 12 000 information products published (audiovisual, print, on-line)
401 European Documentation Centres
More than 2 000 events attended by 68 600 people (students and general public)
397 Team Europe speakers
More than 3 200 speeches
1 000 articles
More than 700 TV and radio appearances
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Europe Direct Annual Report 2011
Table of contents
3
Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction to Europe Direct ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Europe Direct Information Centres ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
European Documentation Centres ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Team Europe...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10
The Europe Direct Contact Centre .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11
Success stories ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................12
Encouraging network cooperation.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................19
Streamlining citizens’ access to information..........................................................................................................................................................................................................21
.........
. .
Headquarters - a supporting role ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................23
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Foreword
The EU matters
© European Commission
4
There can be little doubt that 2012
promises to be a challenging year.
The EU will focus its efforts on
economic growth. Although many
citizens remain uneasy about what
lies ahead, we have confidence in our
resourcefulness.
The European Union has a fundamental
role in leading this path. Many of the
benefits that EU citizenship brings, such
as being part of the Single Market and the free movement of people
and capital, contribute hugely to Europe’s competitiveness. We are
also finding new ways of engaging with the younger generation, to
ensure that they have the opportunity to learn, train and prosper.
Economic and Social Committee in involving citizens in the
democratic life of the Union.
We must reach out to citizens and explain the benefits of being
part of this Union. We must guard against apathy; turnout in the
European elections fell from 63 % in 1979 to 43 % in 2009. We
have to engage with citizens in the run-up to the next Parliament
elections in 2014. Aer all, we are a union of citizens for citizens.
The EU is stronger with the support and enthusiasm of the people.
This is why Europe Direct is important to the success of the
European project. Addressing Europeans directly is the best way of
informing them of their rights. Citizens want a ‘one-stop-shop’ for
information on Europe, and the Europe Direct network is important
to making this a reality.
The need for collective actions is recognised by many citizens
who see the EU as the most effective actor – ahead of national
governments – in tackling the effects of the economic crisis
according to a Eurobarometer poll published in December 20111.
We must build on this belief with effective policy measures to
accelerate our recovery.
Communication is more than information; it is also a dialogue.
That is why during the ‘European Year of Citizens’ 2013 we will
engage with citizens. They can all have their say through the online
public consultation2 until 9 September 2012, and let us know what
actions the EU should focus on to make their life easier. Europe
Direct is an essential part of this process of engaging citizens.
In this context, we need to step up the cooperation with the other
EU institutions. I, therefore, welcome the support of the European
Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the European
Viviane Reding
1
The EU remains in first place (23 %, up 1 % from 2010) as being recognised as the
most effective economic actor, followed by national governments (20 %, unchanged).
The G20 (16 %, up 2 %) ranks third, ahead of the International Monetary Fund (14 %,
down 1 %), in Eurobarometer 76: Public Opinion in the European Union.
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Vice-President of the European Commission
Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship
2
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/
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Introduction to Europe Direct
The Union on your doorstep
5
Europe Direct brings together half a billion citizens across Europe.
It is made up of the Europe Direct Contact Centre (EDCC) and
three decentralised networks which operate locally: Europe
Direct Information Centres (EDICs), European Documentation
Centres (EDC), and Team Europe speakers on EU affairs. This
Annual Report summarises the many activities, achievements and
successes of Europe Direct in 2011.
As we shall see, a number of notable successes were achieved
in 2011 and, thanks to the three decentralised networks, the
European project has been brought significantly closer to EU citizens. Indeed, EDICs perform a vital local role, organising events
and activities at the grass-roots level that involve every aspect of
society. More and more EDICs are also taking advantage of social
media in order to promote and highlight local EU-related initiatives. In 2011, for example, many events connected to the Year of
Volunteering were communicated via Twitter, Facebook and other
social platforms. A great deal of interest in social media was also
shown at the EDIC annual general meeting in Malta.
Statistics for 2011 reveal that Europe Direct members succeeded
in increasing their output while remaining totally committed to
high-quality communication products. For example, in 2011 the
communication activities performed by the EDICs included over
9 900 events, which are their main type of activity. The EDICs are
able to respond to the specific communication needs of local citizens, an important factor given the national and regional diversity across all 27 Member States. Meanwhile, the EDCs held over
2 100 events, which were attended by more than 68 600 people.
Commission Representations in each Member State continued to
manage and coordinate the networks at the national level.
Europe Direct Information Centres:
reaching citizens
There was yet another increase in 2011 in the number of communication actions undertaken by the Europe Direct Information
Centres, in line with their goal of becoming more proactive in their
communication and outreach efforts.
Together, they organised some 9 900 events and published around
12 100 information products (audiovisual, print and on-line). In
addition, the 468 EDICs made over 850 000 personal contacts,
took more than 144 000 phone calls and answered in excess of
209 000 emails.
Events focused on a wide variety of issues, of which the three
most popular were education, culture and the European Year of
Volunteering.
Phone contacts
12%
Email
17%
Personal contacts
71%
Europe Direct members also continued to focus their activities
on the Commission’s priorities while, at the same time, providing
feedback from the grass-roots level to the Union’s institutions. The
Europe Direct Information Centres' contacts with the public in 2011
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6
European Documentation Centres:
documented progress
European Documentation Centres organised over 2 100 events,
which were attended by over 68 600 people. Of these, 1 500
events were targeted at students, while the rest were aimed at
the general public.
The themes covered included European information sources
on-line, and research and analysis on EU policies. A quarter of
the EDCs used social media as a teaching tool and even more as
promotion channels. Most of them answered questions from the
general public, not just from students, relating to in-depth information on the Union.
Team Europe: speaking out
Team Europe made a significant effort in 2011 to reach European
citizens directly. In fact, 50 % of their activities consisted of
speeches – some 3 240 were given in 2011. In addition, Team
Europe members wrote 1 000 articles and appeared 520 times
on the radio and 200 times on TV. The main topics covered during
Team Europe presentations last year included economic governance, institutional affairs and education.
Books
1%
Other
(school visits,
panel discussions…)
21%
TV 3%
Speeches
51%
Radio
8%
Articles
16%
Team Europe: contribution by media in 2011
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7
Europe Direct Contact Centre: Hello Europe!
The Europe Direct Contact Centre (EDCC) in Brussels received a
total of 79 683 enquiries from citizens and businesses during
2011. Most of these arrived either by e-mail (54.1 %) or by phone
(41.3 %). Enquiries received via the chat channel represented
4.5 % of the total volume. The EDCC answered questions on a
wide range of issues, from passenger rights to pensions, residency to roaming, and studying to healthcare.
The EDCC continued to respond in each and every one of the
EU’s 23 official languages, with the largest number of enquiries
received in English (39.2 %), followed by French and German
(14.2 % for each language). The top issues were general questions about the EU and the institutions, air passengers’ rights,
and employment and social affairs.
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Europe Direct Contact Centre: top 10 subjects of questions received in 2011
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Europe Direct Information Centres
Experiencing European diversity
8
With 468 offices across all
27 Member States, EDICs represent a truly grass-roots network.
Serena Barilaro, a Europe
Direct Firenze (Italy) employee,
explains what motivates her and
reveals her hopes for 2012.
© Serena Barilaro
Like many young Europeans,
Serena has been able to experience European diversity first
hand. “When I was in Spain as
an Erasmus student, I attended
a European law course and studied what being a European citizen
means,” she says. “Later, I decided to live in another country and,
thanks to the Leonardo da Vinci programme, I worked as an intern
in Scotland. At Scotland Europa, I draed a publication about local
projects financed by the European Social Fund.”
However, Serena views her experience at Europe Direct Firenze
as the most significant. “I got really interested because this office
offers assistance to citizens on European policies, grants, projects,
etc. You can assist youngsters looking for training experiences in
other countries, citizens interested in European regulations, or
pupils learning about European cultures. I like the multicultural
dimension of being a member of this European network.”
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Nevertheless, 2011 was not an easy year. “We had to promote
European policies during a global economical crisis,” continues
Serena. “It was difficult to interact with people who had lost their
job, or who blamed the euro for high prices.”
For Serena, several events stand out. The first was Notte Blu di
Firenze, a 27-hour Europe Day celebration that involved a diverse
range of cultural and artistic events. The second was the decision to develop a blog to improve the EDIC’s visibility on social
networks such as Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter. A visible
online presence enabled the EDIC to organise a seminar-dinner on
the subject of travelling in Europe.
Finally, two activities were organised in recognition of the
European Year of Volunteering: an international photo contest
and the publication of practical information about the European
Voluntary Service (EVS) and other volunteering initiatives.
This year, Serena hopes to develop a stronger communication
strategy in an effort to target all citizens, from school students
to the elderly and from entrepreneurs to policy-makers. “Because
of the economic difficulties, we believe in the importance of
co-operation with other centres,” she says. “Therefore, we intend
to strengthen our collaboration both with other EDICs and with
other European networks.”
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European Documentation Centres
Promoting academic interest
© Katarzyna Bura
9
European Documentation Centres
have played a vitally important role in promoting academic
interest in European integration.
With over 400 offices across the
Member States, usually located
in university libraries, the EDCs
promote education and research
on the subject of European integration, and encourage the academic
community to get involved in the
debate on Europe’s future.
EDC Bialystok (Poland), which was established in December
2008 and is located at the Bialystok University’s main library,
boasts an impressive collection of EU-related publications. As the
Centre’s Katarzyna Bura explains, the EDC has also been proactive
in promoting its services to the general public.
“The first two months of the EDC’s existence were spent adapting
the Centre’s room to users’ needs, filling the shelves up, establishing co-operation with local organisations and publicising the
new facility,” explains Katarzyna. “On 2 February 2009, the EDC
was finally opened to the general public.” The grand opening,
which took place two months later, was attended by delegates
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from the Commission Representation in Poland, the university and
local authorities.
“Our EU material collection is open to the general public who can
also search it online,” says Katarzyna, who is one of two EDC
employees. “The purchase of books is financed by the Bialystok
University’s faculty of law. We have already collected over 3 800
publications.”
In addition to making collections available to users and helping
the public with everyday issues, the EDC has also taken steps
to align its work with various EU objectives. Presentations
have been made to children and teachers on the subject of
European education at school, along with lectures for highschool students preparing for school-leaving examinations.
Most of these sessions were led by qualified experts from the
university’s law faculty.
“Since 2009, we have also participated in two international EDC
training seminars and five domestic network meetings,” continues
Katarzyna. “In 2011, we organised a meeting for Polish EDCs in
Bialystok, and have also produced a short film to promote our
EDC.” The Centre now plans to carry on learning about what citizens need, and to encourage them to participate in European
discussions and debates.
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Team Europe
Explaining Europe
10
© Anne-Marie Dumont
Since the 1980s, the EU has had
an informal network of grass-roots
speakers who explain the policies
and themes of European integration
to the general public, academia, the
business community, the public sector
and civil society. Team Europe, as it is
known, is a speaker service comprising
397 independent speakers across the
EU. They do not receive speaking fees
or other direct financial support from the European Commission.
Team Europe was revamped in 2009 to make it a younger, fresher
and more dynamic network where the rotation of members is one
of its guiding principles.
Anne-Marie Dumont, a Team Europe volunteer since 2007 from
the French city of Reims, explains why she feels so passionately
about discussing European issues with citizens, and why the
current economic crisis is an opportunity for engagement that
cannot be missed.
“My strength is that I speak simply,” acknowledges Anne-Marie. “I use
words and phrases about how Europe works to people who may have
little knowledge. I explain why the EU should concern them, and why
they should be interested in decisions that are being taken by the
Union. As a result, I am oen contacted by associations or groups
whose members oen think that the EU is too complicated.”
The ability to address the everyday concerns of European citizens
from a European perspective is crucially important, especially
given the current economic climate.
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“My big fear is that people think that the current situation is all
the fault of the euro, or the EU,” she says. “If we don’t take time
to explain to people the benefits of union, then an opportunity will
be missed. Through conversation, we are about to diminish this
fear of the unknown.”
Her point is that people are oen confused and looking for
answers. Team Europe volunteers should be engaging with people
and talking to them about European issues that directly affect
them. In France, for example, she fears that the conversation will
soon revert back to national politics, and Europe will once again
be sidelined.
“The best success I have is when I get a call from someone
saying that they understand, they are interested, and they want
to continue asking questions,” enthuses Anne-Marie. “My pleasure
is talking to the ordinary European citizen, and for them to realise:
Ah! I am a European!”
Anne-Marie recalls that she was exceptionally busy in 2009,
with the European elections being a major topic of discussion.
She reckons she spoke to 3 600 people that year, and conducted
numerous interviews with various media. Last year, she estimates
that she spoke to about 1 000 people, oen on the subject of the
economic crisis.
Looking to the future, Anne-Marie would like to see greater
co-operation among Team Europe members. “We need to develop
this service so that we have more contact with each other,” she
says. “There needs to be a better way of linking up. The Europe
Direct Information Centres have developed good relationships
amongst themselves. We need to be more like them.”
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The Europe Direct Contact Centre
Addressing citizen concerns
© ESN
11
In a sense, the Europe Direct
Contact Centre (EDCC), which
answers hundreds of questions
from citizens each day, is a microcosm of Europe. This, at any rate,
is the opinion of communication officer Nicola Santini who
has worked at the Centre since
September 2008.
“What I like is that this is possibly the only place on the whole continent where you get to see what the EU is about on a daily basis,”
he says. “There is no similar service elsewhere. It is quite a privilege.
You find out why the EU matters to citizens and the difference it can
make. You also get to work with fantastic colleagues from all over
the continent, who are enthusiastic and helpful.”
Nicola adds that daily contact with citizens has also opened his
eyes to the gap in understanding that oen exists between citizens and the EU. As far as he is concerned, one of the EDCC’s
chief goals is to help bridge this gap by acting as an open door to
Europe, where citizens can ask anything they want. These questions can be on anything, from passengers’ rights (a very popular
topic) to questions about EU energy policy.
Nicola is one of about 30 communication officers, all based in
Brussels, who manage to cover all 23 official EU languages.
Citizens who phone the service (which can also be reached by
email) are first given a recorded choice of several languages,
depending on where they are calling from – as Nicola explains,
the full list of 23 would take too long – and they are then put
through to the appropriate team member.
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“Among the most common concerns is the coordination of social
security schemes,” he continues. “I’m German, I’ve lost my job,
I get unemployment benefits… I want to go to the UK, but will I still
keep my benefits?’ The answer is yes, for a limited time but under
certain strict conditions. The answer is oen very complicated!”
In 2011, events were dominated by the financial crisis and the situation in the euro zone. Nicola says that queries relating to these issues
are very difficult to deal with, because things are changing every day.
“Besides, many citizens want to comment or to propose solutions,
to criticise or show support for the European Union,” he says. “In our
position we cannot comment or provide any opinion and it is sometimes hard not to give the impression that we don’t care about the
citizen’s opinion.”
Nicola, who works mainly in Italian and French, notes that most
enquiries still come from the older Member States, with the lowest
number tending to come from countries that joined aer 2004.
Nicola is very enthusiastic about the EDCC, and believes it has the
potential to be a powerful agent of two-way communication between
citizens and the European institutions. “I think it is astonishing that we
cover the whole continent with the number of people we have,” he
says. “But we are still not well enough known among citizens. I think
it would also be useful to build up an accurate impression of what
citizens really think about the EU, based on the questions we receive.
This would give us a realistic image of citizen views.”
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Success stories
12
2011 was a busy year as usual for EDICs. A wide variety of activities and events were organised, helping
to make European citizenship a reality. This report examines the innovative ways in which Europe Direct
members managed to reach young people, develop new communication techniques, enhance cultural
exchange and promote volunteering.
EDICs oen provide the perfect setting for children
to learn about and understand the EU.
© EDIC Dobrich
Young Europe
Child’s play
© EDIC West Vlanderen
For many children, their
knowledge of Europe
does not extend much
further than well-known
countries,
such
as
France, Germany, Italy
and Spain, despite the
EU currently comprising
Flying the flag
27 Member States. So,
EDIC West Vlanderen (BE) devised a game for 11- to 12-yearolds to teach them, in a fun and interactive way, about different
European countries as well as about Europe as a whole.
Parliamentary questions
EDIC Dobrich (BG) recently helped to organise an event to highlight
the work of the European Parliament. Students who represented
Bulgaria at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in March under the
Euroscola Programme gave a presentation and shared their impressions with other students. The event, which encouraged discussion
and debate, finished with a quiz on EU topics.
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Future Parliamentarians?
Laying down the law
EDIC Grenoble (FR) recently organised the second edition of
the European role-playing game ‘Les jeunes font la loi dans le
domaine de l’environnement’ (Young people make environmental
law), which aimed to explain the role of each European institution
and how they all work. Three Grenoble high schools, two volunteer
groups and five French Members of the European Parliament were
involved. Discussions on the themes of the environment, transport
and energy were carried out in different languages to simulate the
European law-making process.
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13
© EDIC Algarve
Since 2009, three EDICs
representing three different regions – EDIC Algarve
(PT), EDIC Alentejo (PT)
and EDIC Huelva (ES)
– have joined forces to
organise an annual Youth
Making a difference together
Exchange Programme,
involving young people from secondary schools in the two countries.
In 2011, EDIC Algarve invited 60 young people to come together
under the European Year of Volunteering slogan ‘Make a difference’.
their region or country,
and these are then
exchanged between
partner schools in the
exchange group. Many
schools have taken
part in the project for
several years now, and
Making learning fun
find that pupils really
benefit from discovering the celebration of Christmas in different
EU countries, learning about traditions and customs, languages,
geography and culture through this simple exchange.
© EDIC Llangollen
Iberian exchange
A dream come true
Learning through fun
EDIC Warsaw (PL) asked more than 110 young students what the
EU means to them, during eight workshops held in January 2011.
The aim of these get-togethers was to provide young citizens with
basic knowledge about the EU and to arouse curiosity in youngsters
aged between eight and nine. This was achieved through a series
of interactive and fun workshops and quizzes, which drew attention
to how decisions made in Europe can affect pupils.
EDIC The Hague (NL) was instrumental in the success of European
Dreams Festival 2011, which took place in The Hague, in the
Netherlands, and showed a different side of Europe. The festival,
aimed at young citizens from 16 to 26, emphasised the opportunities that exist within the EU, such as scholarships and interesting internships abroad. The event reached over 1 000 people
and put them in touch with European topics.
Future of research
Cultural Christmas exchange
Last Christmas, some 38 EDICs and 196 schools from 19 different
EU countries took part in the UK’s EDIC Llangollen annual
European Christmas-tree-decoration exchange. From Wales to
Bulgaria, Denmark to Italy, primary schools applied to participate in this initiative. Pupils make decorations that represent
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EDIC Nuoro (IT) was involved in organising a highly successful
research night which enabled both children and parents to learn
more about subjects such as archaeology, language, astronomy,
natural science, ICT and medicine. The EDIC also set up a stand
to offer information and guidance regarding European research
programmes and opportunities.
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14
© EDIC Murcia
To highlight the European Citizens’ Initiative
which entered into
force on 1st April
2012, according to the
Lisbon Treaty, EDIC
Murcia (ES) launched
a European Citizens’
Initiative Competition
Getting involved: Europe’s young citizens
for young people. The
aim was to promote debate on topical European issues, learn about
how the EU works and develop a sense of active citizenship. Working
in teams, the young people developed proposals they thought should
be regulated at EU level. The authors of the two winning initiatives –
numbering 16 participants in total – won a trip to visit the European
institutions in Brussels.
Good news from Austria
© EDIC Styria
Young citizens
EDICs continue to perform a crucial role
in communicating Europe to the citizens.
Radio Europe
EDIC ERT (GR) has enjoyed extensive coverage through its
cooperation on the radio programme Exercising my Rights in
the Europe of Tomorrow, made by the Greek public broadcaster.
This show, which focuses on EU issues, has an average nationwide audience of between 4 000 to 5 000 listeners per week,
which means that thousands are listening to EU news and
debate each month.
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EDIC Styria (AT) recently launched a daily newsletter in order to
better inform the public about what is happening in their region. The
initiative has proved to be a hit, with subscriber numbers steadily
increasing. The EDIC has also placed an emphasis on encouraging
young people to participate in events, with experts visiting schools
on a regular basis. In addition, the regional government is providing
financial help for young students to travel to Brussels through the
‘EU in Schulen’ project.
Improving communication
EDIC Skaraborg (SE) challenged young people to
provide EU policy-makers
with five tips on how to
better communicate with
young people. Eight teams
The future of communication
from Västra Götaland participated, and the winning class enjoyed a field trip to Brussels in
September. The winning team’s five tips were: a computer game
© European Commission
Spreading the word
Presenting flags of EU countries to children
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15
© EDIC Bornholm
with information about the EU, smartphone apps announcing the
EU’s work, improved use of social media, EU-organised festivals,
and more competitions.
Airing their views
Several events promoting European Commission priorities were
organised by EDIC Gorzow (PL) in 2011. They focused on pressing
issues such as the European labour market, the Schengen
Agreement, and working and studying abroad. Europe in a nutshell
– a series of 12 radio programmes about the EU – was a particular
highlight, enabling listeners to find out what regional policy is,
how the Polish EU presidency works, and why European funds are
important for the development of their region.
Debating climate action
EDICs also promote cultural exchange and help
to enhance citizens’ understanding of what the
EU has to offer.
Celebrating Danish democracy
The Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea hosted its first
‘Folkemøde’ (People’s Meeting) in the summer of 2011, inviting
politicians, NGOs, organisations and citizens from all over
Denmark for four days of public debate. To ensure that the EU’s
presence was felt, EDIC Bornholm (DK) joined forces with the
Commission Representation and Parliament Information Office in
Denmark to share an exhibition tent. Visitors to the venue found
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a variety of EU publications and enthusiastic staff. The EDIC
was also instrumental in organising various public debates, one
of which involved the Commissioner for Climate Action Connie
Hedegaard and another including Danish MEPs.
Raising rural awareness
EDIC Arges, Pitesti (RO) organised an awareness campaign
focused on the Europe 2020 strategy, and how it might impact
the region. Ten European information points were established
to promote discussions on
Member State issues, and more
than 3 500 information materials
were distributed on EU-funded
projects, European rights and job
Europe is everywhere
opportunities in the Union.
© EDIC Arges
Promoting European
citizenship
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16
Club Europe
At home in Europe
A volunteer network of public speakers in the Alsace region, Club
Europe was set up by EDIC Strasbourg (FR) in 2003. Presentations,
which are carried out in schools, usually include a general explanation about the EU, followed by an interactive game. The diversity of the network members – seniors, teachers, students – is
also instrumental in raising public awareness of the Union. By
December 2011, an amazing total of 3 000 presentations had
been achieved, providing a perfect end to the year and underlining
the success of the initiative.
EDIC Coburg (DE) launched an interesting exhibition entitled
‘Europeans in Coburg’, which told the real-life stories of people
who have moved to Germany from other European countries.
The exhibition, which was opened on Europe Day, 9 May 2011,
brought together all the Europeans who took part in the exhibition
together with their families and friends. Members of nearly every
EU country were represented.
Cycling around Europe
© EDIC Lower Saxony
EDIC Lower Saxony
(DE) took part in
an event to mark
the opening of the
2011
European
Senior Campaign
of Lower Saxony
in Hanover. The
campaign, entitled
‘Mitten im Leben mitten in Europa’
(In the middle of
life - In the heart
of Europe), attracted over 1 000 seniors across 34 events. The
German EDIC co-organised and funded the events, which were
hosted by the registered association ‘Bürger Europas’ (Citizens of
Europe). The campaign, involving meetings, debates, quizzes and
competitions, will continue in 2012, in relation to the European
Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.
© EDIC Debrecen
Active ageing
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Finding the answers
To mark Europe Day 2011, EDIC Debrecen (HU) organised
an innovative cycling event together with the Eszak-Alfold
Region Development Agency. Entitled ‘EU wandering for
cyclists’, it involved participants riding to locations where they
had to answer questions. Target places were oen connected
to European projects, such as the Europe Direct office, the
Development Agency or places where European investments
are being implemented.
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17
Helping others
EDIC Ljubljana (SI), which covers the Pomurje region in northeast Slovenia, organised a highly successful public debate on
the topic of renewable energy. Pomurje region is rich in various
renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro, wood biomass and
biogas and, in particular, geothermal water. However, it appeared
that the region was unaware of this great untapped potential.
Therefore, the EDIC gathered renewable energy experts to explore
the subject in a debate which was deemed very successful by all
parties involved.
A volunteer day organised by EDIC Schengen (LU) managed to
attract volunteers and visitors from all over Europe. The event
gave credit to volunteers for giving up their free time to help
other people, and aimed to motivate others to become volunteers
themselves. Activities were organised all day to entertain guests
and visitors, along with workshops and discussion groups. VicePresident of the European Commission and Justice, Fundamental
Rights and Citizenship Commissioner, Viviane Reding, gave the
welcome speech and talked with volunteers.
© European Commission
Tapping into renewable energy
Volunteering
EDICs were heavily involved in promoting the
2011 European Year of Volunteering (EYV 2011).
Engaged in the community
© EDIC Waterford
EDIC Waterford (IE)
hosted a very successful
volunteering fair at its
base in the Central Library.
The event, the result of
a great deal of planning, promotion and hard
work, involved a large
number of organisations
including Saint Vincent de
Paul, Brothers of Charity,
EDICs: A visible presence at events
Childline/Samaritans and
Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Sean Kelly, Member of the European
Parliament, was among the many visitors to the fair.
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Promoting volunteering
Passport to a better future
All ten Lithuanian EDICs were involved in a Volunteering Marathon
to mark the European Year of Volunteering 2011. The goal of
the Network of Lithuanian EDICs (LT) was to encourage volunteering at every layer of society. The marathon involved more than
20 seminars, a 9 May Europe Day celebration, and a competition to
become the volunteer of the year. Three hours of volunteered work
was recognised with one stamp in a special volunteer passport. The
winner, a volunteer with Youthline, collected 132 stamps.
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18
Volunteering together
EDIC Andalucía Rural (ES) spoke with more than 600 students
as part of efforts to raise awareness of the European Year of
Volunteering 2011 (EYV 2011). They asked high-school students
what they knew about the EYV 2011, whether they were aware of
the relevance of volunteering in Europe, and if they would be interested in volunteering themselves. The EDIC also conducted a survey
of more than 400 people of all ages to ask them about the EYV 2011,
and produced five radio programmes for five different radio stations.
In 2011, EDIC Valmiera (LV) brought together regional and local
NGOs to create a framework for volunteering in the region, Latvia
and Europe. The purpose was to develop a common understanding
and to coordinate activities for the European Year of Volunteering
2011. To achieve this, the EDIC members organised a training
workshop, three working group gatherings and a number of evaluation meetings.
Mobilising students for the EYV 2011
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© EDIC Andalucía
Getting the message across
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Encouraging network cooperation
19
The European Commission has established a series of services to
connect with citizens and to respond to requests for information
and assistance. These EC networks play a crucial role in connecting
Europe and Europeans. Effective communication oen involves
sharing strengths and resources, which is why these networks
must work together to function efficiently and effectively.
One of the networks EDICs oen work with is EURES, linking
public employment services, trade unions and employers’ organisations. This network facilitates employment across borders by
helping job-seekers to find work in another country while helping
employers to recruit from abroad free of charge. In addition to the
Job Mobility Portal, a network of more than 700 advisers provides
information on all aspects of living and working in another country.
Kaire Cocker is the EURES coordinator for the Estonian
Unemployment Insurance Fund. The purpose of EURES, she says,
is to provide information, advice and recruitment services for any
citizen wishing to benefit from the principle of the free movement
of persons. “In Estonia, the role of EURES is to offer fair mobility
COM_11_105_RapportAnnuel_EN_fichier_pintingFile.indd 19
advice, as well as provide opportunities for younger people to gain
valuable experiences working abroad,” she explains.
“I am also cooperating daily with other European programmes
and initiatives, local and European employers, and colleagues to
deliver EURES service with high standards.” Indeed, co-operation
is central to Kaire’s job. Her office has a very active relationship
with other European networks and programmes, many of which are
targeted at providing advice services for youth. These organisations
include Eurodesk, Euroguidance, Europass, Archimedes foundation
and the NGO Youth for Understanding. “The objective is to offer
youngsters as much information about studying, voluntary work
and employment opportunities abroad as possible,” continues Kaire.
“By cooperating with partners, information about EURES services has
spread in a more comprehensive way, and better responds to youth
needs. We recently participated together with partners such as Eurodesk
to develop a common stand at a number of major youth information
and educational fairs in Estonia. This strategy enabled us to cut
participation fees and at the same time reach a bigger target group.”
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© EDIC Lombardy
20
Informing on job opportunities in European markets
EDIC Lombardy (IT) recently collaborated with EURES to
organise the European Job Days event that took place on
13 October 2011. The event, which was held in Milan, involved
university students and young applicants looking for information on mobility throughout the EU, along with job-matching
services. Qualified EURES advisers were on hand to speak to
job-seekers. The EDIC plans to publish a booklet shortly entitled Working in the EU, with a particular emphasis on the EURES
service and network.
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EDIC Brno (CZ) is another EDIC to have organised an event recently
in co-operation with EURES. This time, the focus was on new rules
for Czech workers wanting to work in Germany and Austria. The
occasion, which attracted significant media interest, examined the
implications of the new law which came into force on 1 May 2011
and confirmed the free movement of Czech workers anywhere
within the Union. This event was very well attended by workers
from the region eager to find out about their rights.
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Streamlining citizens’ access to information
21
Streamlining and improving the coordination of EU networks is a
priority, as outlined in the EU Citizenship Report 2010. The aim is
for Europe to offer its citizens a service where, regardless of which
network is contacted, the citizen will always get a relevant answer.
The EU Citizenship Report 2010 contains 25 actions aiming at
making citizens’ life easier. One of the actions deals with the
streamlining of information networks in the Member States so
that citizens can easily find the right contact point at national,
regional and local level. The Report explicitly recognises that the
Commission Representations in the Member States, together with
the 468 EDICs, are crucial to improving the promotion of citizens’
rights, through better co-operation and interaction with existing
EU-level assistance and problem-solving services.
“EC networks need to work together to provide the best possible
information service for citizens,” says Ylva Tivéus, Director of the
Citizens Directorate at DG Communication. “Each network should
have a basic level of knowledge of the others, so that if a citizen
contacts one network they won’t be turned away, even if that
particular network may not have all the answers.”
One means of achieving this is through greater co-operation
between the networks, and creating open lines of communication
between the networks and Brussels. Commission Representations
have been involved in facilitating this, organising national meetings and events with all EC networks and bringing people together
to share experiences and best practice. The ultimate goal of
everyone along the chain, from DG Communication through to
COM_11_105_RapportAnnuel_EN_fichier_pintingFile.indd 21
local network members, is to get to know each other better in
order to be able to signpost questions seamlessly to the most
appropriate contact point.
The report also highlights the development of the “Your Europe
web portal” into a one-stop-shop information point on the rights
of citizens and businesses in the EU, easy to use and accessible
via the web and a free phone number (Europe Direct Contact
Centre). This will enable citizens to get clear and practical information. The portal is a central port of call which can dispatch
enquiries to various specialised assistance services.
In 2011, preparations were made to bring to the attention
of European citizens that the Commission has made this onestop-shop information point available to them. In January and
February 2012, a series of promotional posters and billboards
were displayed in a few major European transport hubs. Moreover,
an online campaign was launched during February on websites of
the 27 Member States in all EU official languages. Four different
banners focusing on mobility issues, such as working, studying,
living and doing business in another EU country will alert citizens
to the fact that information about their rights can be obtained for
free by consulting Your Europe-Citizens Portal or by contacting the
Europe Direct services.
The benefits of networks operating together are becoming increasingly clear. The Commission therefore intends to further reinforce
co-operation at the local level so as to achieve a coherent information service for citizens.
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22
European Direct Information Centres
mid- term review
The review found that a clear majority of EDICs operate
very satisfactorily. They organise more events, develop more
information material and engage more actively with local
stakeholders and media than in the previous generation.
Debating about the future of the network at the AGM 2011
COM_11_105_RapportAnnuel_EN_fichier_pintingFile.indd 22
Furthermore, a significant number of these activities are linked to
EU political priorities, defined each year.
Importantly, the review noted that EDICs generally comply with
their role as a one-stop-shop, with abundant evidence of the
Centres signposting users to other relevant information and
contacts to other services. However, the review also established
that such referrals were oen limited to a few selected European
Commission services and networks, so although awareness and
knowledge of other networks has increased within the EDIC
network, improvements are still needed.
© European Commission
An evaluation of the Europe Direct Information Centres network,
which was carried out from June 2011 to January 2012, found
that nearly all EDICs undertake some sort of proactive information activities. In a number of cases, EDIC activities are interlinked,
so that some activities (press, social media and print material)
support or promote other activities, oen events.
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Headquarters - a supporting role
23
With strategic steering and support from Brussels, the
Commission Representations in each country manage and
coordinate the networks at the national level. Besides the
grants awarded to Europe Direct Information Centres, network
members also benefit from a wide range of support activities
by DG Communication in Brussels. These include specialised
training to enhance their EU expertise and communication skills,
tailor-made information products and publications, an online
communication platform, and networking sessions for exchange
of expertise and good practice. Two video clips were also
produced in 2011, one promotional, the other a documentary.
Both aimed to raise awareness about EDICs.
Each year, four training seminars are organised for the EDICs,
one for the EDCs and one for Team Europe. Examples of topics
in 2011 included the financial crisis, the Europe 2020 strategy,
the European Year of Volunteering, and citizens’ right to access
to information.
The Europe Direct Information Centres’ annual general meeting
also gives members the opportunity to exchange good practice
with colleagues from different countries and to identify possible
co-operation activities. The main objective of the 2011 annual
general meeting (AGM) was to promote and improve local
co-operation between networks. Representatives from several
Directorate-Generals/networks participated and presented their
COM_11_105_RapportAnnuel_EN_fichier_pintingFile.indd 23
network, resulting in many new ideas for collaboration. Other
ideas focused on reinforcing the European dimension of the
network, addressing the current economic climate, and encouraging spontaneous participation as much as possible.
The participatory nature of the 2011 EDIC AGM contributed to
achieving its principal aims. The inclusion of high-level keynote
speakers, open question-and-answer sessions, and free interaction with staff from the EU institutions helped strengthen
EDIC relationships with key EU stakeholders and become better
equipped for communication actions in 2012.
Some very positive outcomes of this will include greater co-operation in the future between the EDICs and EU institutions, and
a better understanding of the EU’s one-stop-shop information
policy, with EDICs very much at the centre.
In addition, the conference led to fruitful discussions on our
common purpose, the added value of EDICs, and how working
methods can best be improved. Throughout the conference, participants were encouraged to share their experiences, discuss the
challenges they face, and put forward suggestions in a combined
effort to better prepare the next Europe Direct generation.
More information on Europe Direct can be found at:
http://europedirect.europa.eu
22/06/12 16:32
Know your rights,
use your rights
By freephone
00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11*
By e-mail or by visiting your local
Europe Direct Information Centre
europedirect.europa.eu
Find practical information on your rights
and opportunities in the EU
europa.eu/youreurope
* Weekdays 09:00–18:00 CET
Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers
or these calls may be billed.
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22/06/12 16:32