| | | ACC Bulletin No. 67
February 2nd 2006
ACC International Programme Office
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EU-Commission White Paper on A European Communication Policy
Invitations received
Calendar
New Members
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EU-Commission White Paper on A European Communication Policy:
At a press-conference yesterday EC-vice-president Margot Wallström presented the EU-Commission 'White Paper on A European Communication Policy'.
The press-conference: http://europa.eu.int/comm/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm?date=02/01/2006
The White Paper: http://europa.eu.int/comm/communication_white_paper/doc/white_paper_en.pdf
As expected and hoped for, the White Paper includes good news for the future of our ideas.
"The main purpose of this White Paper is to propose a way forward and to invite all these players [EU, national, regional and local authorities, civil society and political parties, ed] to contribute their ideas on how best we can work together ... The result will be a forward-looking agenda..." (p.2)
Please remark the following quotations:
Describing the EU-Commissions own vision of what an EU-Communication policy should be and do, we read: "In short, the 'public sphere' within which political life takes place in Europe is largely a national sphere. To the extent that European issues appear on the agenda at all, they are seen by most citizens from a national perspective. The media remain largely national, partly due to language barriers; there are few meeting places where Europeans from different Member States can get to know each other and address issues of common interest.... an inadequate development of a 'European public sphere' where the European debate can unfold." (p.4)
For the forecasted forward-looking agenda, there is five areas for action identified, and within these areas a number of possible action points are mentioned. We remark especially the following:
"New forums for public discussion of European issues are essential for building mutual trust, respect and willingness to work together towards common objectives. While communication technologies are obviously mportant, face-to-face meetings remain crucial. Existing initiatives like Plan D, Youth in Action and Culture have shown how the EU can help set up new meeting places for civic debate.
Adoption of the proposed Citizens for Europe programme would ... help Europe-wide civil society organisations to run trans-national projects that promote active citizenship and to hold public debates on Europe". (p.7)
"Member states could cooperate in a joint effort to establish new meeting places for Europeans, open to citizens of all generations and backgrounds, to host cultural and political events relating to Europe." (p.8)
Another interesting suggestion from the White Paper would, if implemented, make it much easier for European narratives, like for example the story of ACC in itself, to become visible and registered. Visibility for ACC and other real European organisations would again make it easier to find sponsors and would in the longer run make it possible for us to operate on the same conditions as nationally defined NGO's and organisations. That is the suggestion to transform libraries into "digitally connected European libraries". (p.8)
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Invitations received:
A number of invitations are available from the http://public.acc.eu.org .
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Calendar:
24-27/11: European Civil Society Platform on Life Long Learning (EUCIS) represented at the Salon de l’Education 2005 in Paris.
16/12: John Petersen meeting auditor Lene Albrechtsen
3/1: Mjellma Mehmeti and John Petersen strategy meeting, Skopje (MK)
6/1: Rhisiart Talebot visiting the office
15/1: John Petersen meeting auditor Lene Albrechtsen
27/1-29/1: Diana Kalacinska, Douwe Eekma, Jort Bijleveld, Miranda Tamminga, Lucie Ciskova, John Petersen, Astrid Ranvig, Jonas Ladefoged and Morten Tønning attending prep meeting for the "Dreams for the Future Community College" at IPC, Helsingør (DK)'
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With this a warm welcome to our new members:
Ornela Ismalaja, Tirana
Camelia Florentina Paraschiv, Bucharest
Doro Frantescu, Pitesti
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Sincerely,
John Petersen
ACC International Programme Office
Falstersgade 44, st., gaarden
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
0045 7363 0043 (ground)
0045 2425 3068 (mobile)
0045 7363 0023 (fax)
www.acc.eu.org
office@acc.eu.org
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