Chiara Valentini

Promoting the European Union Chiara Valentini

Especially in the last ten years, the European Union has increased its power and influence on the decision-making processes of its member states and also outside in the international arena. The process of integration is only beginning and it promises to include many more features and countries. In this process, communicating to EU publics and citizens, is very important. Support for and trust in EU institutions legitimatize EU functions and allow the implementation of more policies. Support and trust also depends on citizens knowledge of the EU and on their involvement. Thus communication and informing citizens about what EU does has become an important issue for EU institutions. This book examines EU information and communication policies developed from 2001 to 2006 and their possible impacts on the communication strategies of two member states, namely Finland and Italy. Besides presenting some practical implications for public communication officers, it provides a collection of insights into how European institutions communicate with their different publics and how cultural differences affect the receptions of EU messages among different groups.