Friends of Europe-Gallup Europe-EurActiv.com survey 'Can EU Hear Me ?' finds EU "DISTANT AND UNFRIENDLY".

Hard-hitting criticisms of the EU's methods of communicating with Europe's citizens are contained in the findings of a unique opinion poll just published by Gallup Europe, the Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe, and EurActiv.com, with the support of Weber Shandwick Worldwide and European Citizen Action Service (ECAS).

Over 90% of the respondents were people with direct experience of working on EU-related issues - within EU Institutions, as officials in member states, in private sector business and in the media. The picture painted by their answers raises serious questions about how EU officialdom should be tackling information policy.

Analysis by Gallup Europe of almost 2,000 survey forms casts the EU's Institutions in an unflattering light, and reflects deep concern amongst the professional-level respondents over the nature of EU communications methods.

In its executive summary, Gallup Europe reports: "The European Commission is described by these professionals as an unfriendly, bureaucratic body, distant from ordinary people, driven by complicated, unclear and sometimes even unreasonable procedures".

The draft findings marshal respondents' answers to some 25 questions on EU-level information and communication issues. Giles Merritt, Secretary General of Friends of Europe, added: "These findings offer a wide range of important and useful suggestions, and taken as a whole urge the incoming Commission in November to upgrade dramatically the importance of communications." The draft findings are being put on Friends of Europe's and Gallup Europe's website to attract further comments and suggestions to be included in a report with concrete recommendations that will be published in the autumn.

Friends of Europe has since 1999 laid heavy emphasis on research into improved information techniques that could be used by the EU. It has simultaneously published an "Information Manifesto for the EU".

The three-point manifesto has been drawn up in association with ECAS - the European Citizens' Action Service - to coincide with the election of the new European Parliament and the beginning of a new 5-year EU term. It underlines the need for a much more determined EU-level information effort and calls for the new Commission President to appoint a senior Commissioner in charge of information and communications, as well as an immediate doubling of EU spending on communications activities.

Friends of Europe's forthcoming report will reflect the finalised Gallup Europe survey findings, including one-to-one interviews with key personalities who deal with information and communications. The report will also contain substantial input from Friends of Europe's Working Group of communication experts who have been meeting regularly since September 2003. That report will be officially presented to the new European Commission and Parliament in the autumn.

For a copy of the Interim Report, click here .

More information on the Can EU Hear Me ? Survey, click here