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European Conference: "Communications and EU-Funds"
Backround
European Funds spend taxpayer’s money and are meant to change the lives of people in the European Union. The problem is that while Member States and the Commission work hard to pursue this goal, the people they work for do not know about it. This is why communication plans and strategies have to be important to everyone working with Operational Programmes of European Funds.
It is in your own interest to let your constituency know about your work so that the benefits will have the chance to fully develop and serve people’s needs.
Getting people involved and their voices heard is absolutely crucial to the success of the programmes and the benefit of the regions.
Through coherent and enhanced communications you will be better able to distribute the funds allocated to your region if residents, businesses and initiatives know about them and are therefore more likely to submit applications. As a result the best projects may be chosen.
Developing and executing communication strategies presents itself as a challenge to civil servants who usually deal with the structures and lay-outs of EU-Funds.
As communication is at least a two way street, all actors involved need to cooperate to achieve their goal of serving citizens and clients.Admitting and paying for outside knowledge to deal with the subject may be a solution. Yet, not every administration has this possibility.
Further, you will advance on the question and analysis why the new requirements on Communication represent crucial components of every Operational Programme in EU-Funds.
TARGET GROUP
Heads and members of national, local and regional administrative authorities and business associations dealing with EU-Funds, Press Departments, spokes people. Regional agencies responsible for allocating Funds and providing services to applicants.
Invitations are going out to all EU Member States.
