An important buzzword in Brussels is “communication”. Experts like to say that by “communicating the EU to the citizens”, the Union can avoid the low turnouts that have dogged European elections.
Communication is also high on the new Commission’s agenda with a new Commission vice-president especially tasked with ‘communicating’ how Europe affects its people.
And while most people agree that communication is the key weapon in the battle to win the forthcoming referendums on the Constitution, the snag is that “Brussels” is seen as too remote to affect ordinary citizens.
This was neatly demonstrated by a recent poll showing that more than 80 percent of British people could not name their MEP.
It is in bridging this gap that the Committee of the Regions (CoR) is hoping to play a role.
