We need networking, exchange of ideas and good practices.
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Belin Mollov, Sofia, Bulgaria
BELIN MOLLOV, BULGARIA
Since regional authorities are spending EU money to improve public infrastructure, they should have to consult the public … The EU redistributes billions of euros to its regions. Regional authorities can spend a huge proportion of such amounts on investment in public infrastructure, with almost no rules attached. I AM EUROPE proposes that the EU impose a civic participation charter on the regions when they apply for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) or European Social Fund (ESF) money in the upcoming programming period 2014–2020. Public spaces include streets, squares, parks, sports and recreation areas, underground spaces such as subways, etc. When designing such spaces, it’s important to carry out a study of the environment, including social, historical, cultural and emotional factors. Public space is the “gateway to the soul of the city” (Sharon Zukin), because the city is a living organism, connecting people with their everyday needs and dreams. This is why it is of utmost importance to include citizens in this process, who are experts on their living environment.
Public spaces: civic participation charter would be a win-win PUBLIC FUNDS SHOULD MEAN PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
The two funds enable inner-city revitalisation projects, urban renewal, small industrial areas in cities, rural development projects, and so on – without any rule or recommendation on civic participation. However, since regional decision-makers are using public funds for developing and implementing projects, these should meet the real needs and desires of citizens. Citizens should be engaged in the process from the beginning, at an early stage of the
Park SpoorNoord – an example of good practice, where EU money was invested and citizens were strongly involved in the project – is now a favourite hotspot for Antwerp citizens
planning process. Providing clear accountability and efficiency in the use of public funds is proven to have a positive impact on the performances of civil activity. I AM EUROPE proposes that the EU insist that regional authorities ensure, both legally and organisationally, citizen participation in early decisionmaking on designing, financing, constructing and rehabilitating public spaces. The EU regulations for implementing the Cohesion Policy should also ensure
close monitoring of the targeted and efficient use of public funds in the interest of citizens. Imposing a civic participation charter on the regions would create a win-win situation for the EU and its citizens: the EU would be assured that citizens were aware of its impact on their lives; it would be a concrete instrument for bridging the gap with citizens, and citizens in their turn would feel empowered by Europe because they could join the debate, share their ideas and get heard. Park Spoor Noord, Antwerp, Belgium
The EU invests a lot of money in public spaces all over Europe. One of the largest funds in the EU budget is the Structural Fund, intended to narrow the development disparities among regions and member states, with a budget of €308.041 billion in the period 2007–2013. There are two main sub-funds: the ERDF and the ESF.
Information overload, conflicting messages and ‘free’ news
Back in the year 1255 the Dominican Vincent of Beauvais complained about “the multitude of books, the shortness of time and the slipperiness of memory”. If he suffered from information overload, what about the poor EU citizen in 2013 – faced with the vast volumes of information generated by the EU? BRAM SOUFFREAU, BELGIUM
E
uropa.eu, the website of the European institutions, is one of the biggest collections of information on the Internet. Great, in principle. But abundance of information can be just as problematic as lack of information. “The EU website struggles with information overload,” says Marco Incerti of the CEPS think-tank. “But all that information is necessary. Europe has many policy areas, languages and countries, and some visitors to the website, like journalists or researchers, want very detailed information.”
Mina Andreeva, spokesperson for Commissioner Viviane Reding, insists that Europa.eu has recently been redesigned to be more usable and that the amount of information has been cut down. “We design every subsite with a targeted approach. We try to keep in mind who the visitor will be and what they want.” Marco Incerti points to the important responsibility of intermediaries, such as the media, trade unions and citizen organisations. “The website has indeed room for improvement, but journalists, activists and other public repre-
sentatives should also dig into the site and channel the information to the general public.” A further problem is that, while European institutions try to communicate with one voice, the messages are not always that coherent. “Every institution has a different role,” says Incerti. “The Parliament is a place for debate and its members are thus more critical. The Commission, on the other hand, has to brief people on the decisions. That’s more technical, drier stuff.”
BLAME GAME
Parliament and Commission have their frictions. But the most capricious are the Council and the member states. Mina Andreeva regrets that government representatives sometimes use ‘Brussels’ in a blame game, and that they change
their position once they are back in their home country. To cope with the perceived communications deficit, since 2011 the European Commission has been ‘talking to citizens’ during the Citizens’ Dialogues in different cities. Europeans with questions can ask their question at one of the 500 local Europe Direct Contact Centres or via the Europe Direct Hotline. Besides the website, the institutions are open to enquiries from the media. They provide lots of video footage. Overall, the Union provides the media with an enormous amount of hassle-free news. Meanwhile, investigative journalism is provided with limited resources. The risk, therefore, is that the media fail to fulfill their critical role of investigating and assessing what is really going on.