In October 2007 the European Commission adopted a Communication entitled “Communicating Europe in Partnership.” On this Communication, the Commission put forward proposals for an enhanced communication policy for the EU. The Commission is seeking citizen’s support for the European Project as well as to increase the participation rate in the next European Parliamentary elections.

According to the Commission “communicating Europe” is a joint responsibility of the EU institutions and Member States. The Commission main objective is to strengthen synergies between the activities carried out by the EU institutions and by Member States so that citizens can be offered “a better understanding of the impact of EU policies at European, national and local level.”

National governments are responsible for communicating their policies to their citizens. The European Commission wants to coordinate the Member States communication work on EU issues at national, regional and local level so it can provide rosy information on the EU to all Member States citizens. The European Commission literature is focused on the so called EU achievements but not in real problems.

In order to improve cooperation on the EU communication process, the Commission has proposed an inter-institutional agreement (IIA). According to the Commission an inter-institutional agreement would provide “a framework for better cooperation on the EU communication process, while respecting the autonomy of the EU institutions and Member States.”

The Commission does not have a legal basis for an EU communication policy and the Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström is aware of that. However, with legal basis or not, soon we will be even more injected with EU propaganda.

The Council Legal Service has said "the proposed IIA is not a matter of administrative co-operation between the institutions (and possibly the Member States), but a matter of political choice which requires a legal framework, adopted in accordance with Treaty procedures.” The then Minister for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Jim Murphy, has explained to the European Scrutiny Committee that following the Council's Legal Service and several other Member States' reservations over the legal base the proposed Inter-Institutional Agreement had been dropped. Nevertheless, Jim Murphy has said that there are Council Conclusions which have conferred a mandate for the Presidency to explore possible solutions as regards a basis for cooperation between the Member States and the EU institutions. Consequently, the Council and Presidency have entered into discussions with the Commission and Parliament, at the Inter-Institutional Group on Information (IGI), which lead to the draft of a declaration in the form of a “guidelines document.” According to Jim Murphy the political declaration is "a simple statement of a shared commitment to improve EU communications among the institutions" which "explains the principles which underpin this co-operation.”

Hence, the declaration entitled "Communicating Europe in Partnership" was approved by the Council and signed on 22 October at the European Parliament by Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Margot Wallstrom, Vice-President of Commission and Jean-Pierre Jouyet representing the French Presidency. According to Alejo Vidal-Quadras "More information and better communication are necessary if we want to raise the interest of European citizens in the European Union and make them aware of the achievements of the European Union for their daily lives. We need to convince them of the value of the common European project, guaranteeing peace and defending a unique way of living and working together." The EU-institutions and Member States agreed, on this declaration, to provide citizens “with adequate and objective information on the EU's issues and policies, which takes into account their expectations.”

Although it has been said that the individual responsibility of each Member State concerning their own communication strategy and priorities will be respected it seems that Member States will have communication priorities imposed on them by the European institutions.

The EU institutions and the Member States have decided to develop synergies intending to address the communication challenge together. The European Parliament, the Commission and the Member States will select each year joint communication priorities. There are already four common priority projects for 2009: climate change, the European elections, the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fifth anniversary of enlargement. The final agreement is expected to take place at a meeting in the European Parliament in November.

It should be recall that the development of “management partnerships” with interested Member States are also on the Commission’s plans to carry out joint activities on communication initiatives at a central, regional and local level. The so called “management partnerships” between the Commission and Member States are aiming at enhancing the coordination of communication activities based on joint communication plans. Such plans would be negotiated at political level between the Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States concerned. According to the Commission “this cooperation will help to adapt communication to local circumstances and to link it to national political agendas (such as elections, major national events, and specific interests).” Whereas the Commission provides funding, human resources, the Member States provide the infrastructure.

The Commission already signed “management partnerships” with Germany, Hungary and Slovenia. According to the EUobserver the Commission is also set to sign a "memorandum of understanding" to launch a "management partnership" with Ireland when communication commissioner Margot Wallstrom visits Dublin on 13 to 14 November.

Margot Wallstrom said "It's not about the European Commission interfering with the procedures and referenda on the Treaty, but it is investing in trying to correct the situation where so many people said they didn't know anything about the EU, or didn't know enough to take a position when they were asked."

After the No vote on the Lisbon Treaty the European Commission is planning to lecture Ireland on how to communicate better with its citizens on EU issues hopping, in this way, to ensure a yes vote on a second referendum on the text.

People have been told that the Lisbon Treaty is essential to “enhance the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the enlarged Union, as well as the coherence of its external action.” Moreover, citizens from all Member States should believe that the treaty consecrates the principles of a democratic Europe and respects national diversities while all this process shows exactly the opposite. In order to avoid the repetition of "no" votes that rejected the European Constitution the EU’s leaders have decided to ratify the new treaty through national parliaments. Whereas a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty should have been held in all Member States solely the Irish people were allowed to have their say on the Lisbon Treaty.

According to Margot Wallström the European Commission had learned a number of lessons from the no votes and from the period of reflection, it has “listening better, explaining better and going local.” Margot Wallström has also said “Together we must deliver a European communication policy that serves European citizens and European democracy.” The EU is doing everything but listen to European citizens. The Irish people said NO to the Lisbon Treaty and now the EU is planning to bypass the Irish No vote.

It is outrageous that the Commission wants to spend €7.2 million of taxpayer’s money in providing citizens with deceitful information about the EU.