EU taxpayers are paying over 2,410 million (€ 2.4 bn) Euros to receive EU propaganda of EU bureaucracy. This amazing figure can be found from recently published study “The hard sell: EU communication policy and the campaign for hearts and minds” (Dec.2008) made by UK-based think tank Open Europe.
Open Europe is an independent, non-party political think tank which contributes bold new thinking to the debate about the direction of the European Union. Open Europe believes that the EU must now embrace radical reform based on economic liberalization, a looser and more flexible structure, and greater transparency and accountability if it is to overcome these challenges, and succeed in the twenty first century. (More about Open Europe here)
The calculation
The very well detailed and quoted new study with its 151 pages has concluded that total EU’s total propaganda spend amounts to more than € 2,410,231,282 per year. Alarming is that this €2.4bn estimate of EU propaganda spending is very conservative, calculated using only those budget lines which explicitly indicate their use. The study claims that “Indeed much of the funding that goes on propaganda is hidden deep inside the EU budget, under headings which do not suggest from their titles or descriptions that this is how the money was spend.”
(The full study can be found from here)
How the propaganda was made
The study has divided the money spending (or squandering if you like) into four chapters which are telling how the propaganda was – and still is – made:
My conclusions
As said before, the study “EU communication policy and the campaign for hearts and minds” is well detailed with well-grounded arguments. However must disagree that EU funding itself creates EU propaganda. For example the study mentioned that e.g. cafebabel organization gets support from EU. I am one blogging under that platform and my writings have been quite euro-skeptical, I have e.g. claimed EU covering its own weaknesses by blaming member states, proposed to EU wannabees to seek also other alternatives, accused EU missions and its external policy about short-sighted and disastrous etc. – probably not what they want hear in Brussels. My point is that even EU facilitates organizations, groups or media it can not know if these are telling their side of the story.
Also this blogging campaign – Th!nk about it – has got some financial aid from EU. After few days I will write more about my perspectives and topics what I am planning to cover in this blog. And then you dear reader can conclude yourself if my writings are EU propaganda, anti-EU mission, pro-EU-sceptic approach or whatever or does it matter.
(14 votes, average: 3.57 out of 5)
Loading ...
Very interesting entry, but I sincerely doubt the methodology used by these guys at Open Europe. I read some other stuff they are compiling and according to them programs sponsored by European funds in the field of youth action and promoting active citizenship among young people are propaganda. After all, what is propaganda? Where do you distinguish between propaganda - communication - PR? We are always complaining the EU gets little support and attention from EU nationals. That there is no support for EU citizenship. How can it be any if the EU is not communicating itself to the people? Spending a company’s budget on communication is a key process for making that company work. Why not do the same with the EU? Simply because it’s taxpayer’s money and communication is not noble enough for them? Really, these are weak arguments.
Corina - I agree with you. Open Europe are excellent at digging up ‘facts’ that back up their case that the EU is a huge waste of time and money, so you have to take what they say with a pinch of salt.
Having said that there are plenty of things (such as the Europarl TV budget as mentioned by Julien Frisch) where the EU could undoubtedly commit less cash.
I would not describe Open Europe as independent. Yes, they might not have any party affiliation, but just look at their supporters page: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/about-us/supporters.aspx
It is largely pro-business, and hence has less interest in a “political EU”, beyond free-trade and liberalisation.
Let’s also not forget that we are talking about a population of 500 million people here. Divided by that, the EU spends about 5 euro a person, and that already draws an other picture.