Press Release: EU Commission launches a comprehensive communication strategy on enlargement

An enlargement process which will almost double the number of EU Member States and bring about major changes affecting the citizens can only be carried out successfully while thoroughly informing public opinion and gaining its support. Therefore, at the initiative of Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen and Education and Culture Commissioner Viviane Reding, the Commission has adopted a communication strategy for Enlargement aiming to meet the need for information, generate dialogue with citizens and dispel misapprehensions about the enlargement process - in the Member States as well as the candidate countries. Building on experience with the Euro-campaign, and in close co-ordination with the Dialogue on Europe, the strategy will run from 2000 to 2006 with an indicative budget of nearly €150 million.