Public Information Programme on European Integration Process

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Public Information Programme on European
Integration Process

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Aida Hodic
• Directorate for European Integration
• Brussels, 11th May 2006

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DEI and awareness raising on the European
integration process

• Importance of the transparency of the EI Process
• Directorate has established excellent
  relationship with the media and the public
• TA Project for Promotion Departement
• Working together with the Delegation of the
  European Commission in BH.

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How DEI deals with awareness raising

• Action plan forsees
• Reactive Approach
• Proactive Aproach

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Reactive Approach

• Press Releasses
• Press conferences
• Statements for the press
• Interviews
• Media Monitoring (latest 957 titles)
• Weekly Media Reports (65)

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Proactive Approach

• Information Campaign Educated for Europe
• Cooperation with the NGO sector (5000
  participants in 2004-2005, local NGOs)
• Bulletin Europuls (5 issues)
• Booklets
• Leaflets (SAA, European Partnership, DEI)
• Info Stands
• Study trips for Media representatives.

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Public Reactions

• Majority support (80)
• No survey conducted by local authorities (regular
  survey conducted by EC delegation in Sarajevo)
• Positive political attitude towards the EI
  Process
• Increased interest of universities and local NGOs.

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The Public Information Programme on European
Integration process

• Aim of the Programme is to ensure broad public
  participation in SAP and ultimately public
  support for the full EU membership
• The Programme is an integral part of the EU
  Integration Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina
• The Programme takes into account specificities of
  Bosnia and Herzegovina and phases of the European
  integration of the country
• Based on the Programme, Action plans are and will
  be prepared for each year and for every phase of
  the process.

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S.W.O.T Analysis

• Strenghts
• - government and Parliament parties commited to
  EU accession
• - The DEI has mandate to lead the information EI
  activities
• - General public support.
• Weaknesses
• - Lack of structure for distribution of
  information
• Poor cooperation among government institutions on
  EI matters
• Opportunities
• Raising public interest in EU integration
  matters
• Creating partnership between public and private
  sectors, as well as NGOs and govermental
  divisions
• Threats
• DEI lacks the number of staff needed to fully
  engage in public information activities
• Lack of objective nad analytical information
  regarding the impact of the EU integration
  process.

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Main principles

• Cohesion distribution of information
  coordinated
• Promptness timely distribution of information
• accuracy and acocuntability checked information
• Transparency DEI open to cooperation for
  improvement
• Efficacy and efficency helpfull to target
  groups, produce adequate results.

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Objectives, Tasks and Expected results of the
Programme

• Main objectives raising awareness, gaining
  public support, encourage active public
  participation
• Tasks strenghten administrative capacity,
  develop cooperation with NGOs promoting EI,
  strenghten the DEIs relationship with the media,
  presenting government positions regarding EU
  integration process
• Expected results higher level of knowledge,
  increased participation of media in information
  activities, administrative capacity for conveying
  the information will be stronger, timely and
  objective informing of target groups...

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The Programme Phases

• The Programme implementation based on the
  progress of the BH and the EU relations
• SAA negotiations
• SAA implementation
• Membership Application
• EU membership negotiations...
• Each phase involves
• public needs identification,
• defining channels for informaiton distribution,
• developing the appropriate info distribution
  techniques,
• analysing and evaluating the progress made.

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Organisation of information activities

• DEI entrusted with mandate to coordinate and
  organise the overall information activities
  related to the EI Process.
• Other state institutions responsible for
  information campaigns for public education in
  their respective areas of the Process.
• DEI to establish cooperation with appropriate
  information offices in BH institutions.

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Distribution of information

• Promotion and information techniques selected on
  goals established, target groups, nature of the
  information.
• Primary forms of communication publications,
  events, media.
• Information distribution directly (publications,
  events), indirectly (NGO grants), electronically,
  media (interviews, announcements, radio and TV
  programmes, debates...), press excursions.
• Information presented to the public all aspects
  of the BH accession into EU, the activities of
  the executive and legislative power involved in
  the Process, the institutions, function and
  decision-making processes of the EU, experience
  of EU candidates and other countries in the SAP.

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Target groups

• General public
• Young people and those influencing them
• Media
• Decision makers
• Mobilisers and public opinion shapers
• Social partners.

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Monitoring and analysis of the realisation of the
Programme objectives

• The Programme implementation shall be formally
  evaluated once a year.
• The implementation of the Action plans will be
  assessed quarterly.
• Assesment will be made with respect to the
  presence of EU related topics in the media and
  other impacts.
• The annual analysis of the Programme
  implementation to be presented to the Council of
  Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Financing

• Annual Action plans will include lists of
  projects with specified costs.
• Projects costs amount to an overall action plan
  budget.

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We are quite aware...

• That big task of informing the public in Bosnia
  and Herzegovina is in front of us
• This is a challange
• We have already started the implementation
• We have results behind us.

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HVALA THANK YOU

• aidahodzic_at_dei.gov.ba
• press_at_dei.gov.ba
• www.dei.gov.ba