Oisín
01-10-2009, 12:01 AM
New research shows EU spending 2.4 billion euros a year on propaganda
Open Europe has published new research which shows that the European Union is spending billions of euros a year promoting itself and its central aim of 'ever closer union'. In 2008 alone, it spent more than 2.4 billion euros. That is more than Coca Cola spends on advertising each year, worldwide.
As well as a sophisticated information and communication strategy designed to 'sell' the EU and its political message, the EU also spends billions of euros a year on efforts to engender a common European culture and citizenship, with the explicit aim of increasing people's attachment to the EU project.
The EU pours hundreds of millions of euros a year into think-tanks and lobby groups which promote its policies and campaign for further EU integration, and many of its efforts are directed very deliberately at young people.
In the book, "The hard sell: EU communication policy and the campaign for hearts and minds", Open Europe shows how EU information policy is geared not towards providing neutral, balanced information, but towards trying to convince people to support EU integration.
It reveals how even the most innocuous-sounding cultural projects funded by the EU are designed to promote European integration, and argues that, at best, all this is an enormous waste of time and money.
[Continue reading] (http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=96)
Open Europe has published new research which shows that the European Union is spending billions of euros a year promoting itself and its central aim of 'ever closer union'. In 2008 alone, it spent more than 2.4 billion euros. That is more than Coca Cola spends on advertising each year, worldwide.
As well as a sophisticated information and communication strategy designed to 'sell' the EU and its political message, the EU also spends billions of euros a year on efforts to engender a common European culture and citizenship, with the explicit aim of increasing people's attachment to the EU project.
The EU pours hundreds of millions of euros a year into think-tanks and lobby groups which promote its policies and campaign for further EU integration, and many of its efforts are directed very deliberately at young people.
In the book, "The hard sell: EU communication policy and the campaign for hearts and minds", Open Europe shows how EU information policy is geared not towards providing neutral, balanced information, but towards trying to convince people to support EU integration.
It reveals how even the most innocuous-sounding cultural projects funded by the EU are designed to promote European integration, and argues that, at best, all this is an enormous waste of time and money.
[Continue reading] (http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=96)