The Fast Lane to Europe

Helena Kiina & Martti Ruokolainen:

EU INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE

CONTENTS

• The network of regional EU information officers covers the whole country
• Information via the networks
• Low public awareness of the EU

The network of regional EU information officers covers the whole country

The Finnish model for public information on the EU is based on the principles of full regional coverage and an active provision of information. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs' Department for Press and Culture's public EU information unit, Europe Information, runs 19 regional information offices whose EU information officers have been given the task of providing a broad range of information on the EU in each region, in line with the subsidiarity principle.

Europe Information was originally set up to distribute a wide range of information on EU membership ahead of the referendum. However, Union membership has not dried up the public thirst for knowledge; on the contrary, there is still lively interest and a great need for information.

With the exception of the Åland Islands, the Helsinki metropolitan area and the province of Uusimaa, the regional EU information officers currently work from offices located in the regional central libraries. Information then flows by a variety of routes into libraries, offices, media, schools, and organizations in the area - in short, to all interested parties. For instance, municipal public libraries currently house EU information desks for the distribution of Europe Information's publications and publication order forms.

The choice of the libraries as home to the EU information officers has proved a successful move, as Finns are used to seeking information there. Our libraries have a highly professional staff capable of providing a quality service in many matters relating to information acquisition and management.

Information via the networks

Although information flows in a number of directions, it must first be gathered from an even greater number of sources.

The regional EU information officers follow the activities of the European Union as extensively as possible, both directly from EU sources and also via the mass media. The Finnish News Agency's EU news appears on their screens on a daily basis, while they also have access to Reuters' EU information service. The Internet is a further important tool.

In addition to local sources, information is also accessed from the various ministries responsible for the preparation and provision of information on EU matters in their own sectors. As the regional EU information officers in each office nowadays work alone, they have developed their own e-mail contact network to facilitate the swiftest possible response to customers' questions.

Information can also be obtained from the permanent Finnish mission to the European Union in Brussels. Other available sources of information are the Finnish Parliament's EU Information Service, the Information Unit of the Council of State, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' EU Secretariat, and the information units of EU institutions.

The knowledge and skills of the regional EU information officers are regularly updated through training and study trips to Brussels and elsewhere to allow them to learn about the operations of EU institutions and EU information provision in other Member States.

Prior to EU membership, groups were set up in each area to support the regional services, with representation from the public authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the mass media. Cooperation with local officials at both municipal and regional level has become even closer since membership. One of the most important partners for the regional EU information officers have been Finland's Regional Councils, which have provided information on funding decisions for EU projects, for example. The universities have also played a central role.

Low public awareness of the EU

Despite the work which has been done, when members of the public are asked about their knowledge of EU affairs they describe it as poor. Among topical aspects of the integration process, the progress of the Intergovernmental Conference excited little interest, while EMU has aroused mainly suspicion and fear. On the one hand, the European Union is criticised for interfering in even the smallest matters, while on the other hand members of the public are keen to appeal to it for help.

Taken as a whole, EU matters are still felt to be complicated and hard to understand. For instance, the division of responsibility between the main EU institutions - Commission, Parliament and Council - is often unclear. When even people who follow EU matters for a living may have trouble isolating relevant information from the flood of data, what chance has the ordinary member of the public?

EU membership is still a novelty in Finland and Europe Information and its regional EU information officers are working actively to help members of the public to find the information they need on the Union. Hopefully, increasing numbers of Finns will be able to declare themselves better acquainted with their Union a few years from now; after all, the European adventure has only just begun.