Online & Media Engagement : Transparency + efficiency via languages & EU Community

I was invited yesterday to speak at the first European Digital Advocacy Summit, organised by Andras Baneth of European offices of the Public Affairs Council (PAC). Speaking after a keynote by Robert Madelin, I shared a panel with Bruno Waterfield of The Telegraph, on this topic: ‘sucessfull online & media engagement’.

These are the main points of my presentation:

• EU transparency and engagement, issues in the 90’s, now quite good:
• notably thanks to online media indeed…
• law firms and Council, notably, still have to improve
• also: professionalisation of public affairs, including register, etc.
• also: stakeholder engagement in Brussels, animated and constructive.
• two much greater challenges remain, also from democracy viewpoint:
• Languages and reaching to the countries, as underlined again during EU elections
• efficiency of EU policy-making: far too slow, often out of touch, not creative, etc.
• there, online (media) has not yet helped enough:
• social media helped block ACTA and perhaps next TTIP, failed on Citizen Initiatives: not shaping policies
• mass of information increases transparency at expense of efficiency
• most online content is not media: lack of summaries / overviews by balanced / neutral parties
• but there is hope:
• online media do allow cross-border debates & campaigns
• between public web info & human value added (consultants, associations): techno-supported platforms with media values
• more R&D under way… e.g. glimpes into our ‘EU Community’ project

The slides of my presentation can be downloaded here.

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Some highlights from Twitter — Full conversation at #EDAS2014

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If Berlin is the most influential capital in Europe, should you learn German or social media? Probably both, says @LeclercqEU at #EDAS2014

. @LeclercqEU asked who had a Google+ account. Wish he’d asked who had a Google+ account despite not wanting one! #EDAS2014

– Jennifer Baker (@BrusselsGeek) 19 Juin 2014

– AlexandraEkkelenkamp (@alexekkelenkamp) 19 Juin 2014

– AlexandraEkkelenkamp (@alexekkelenkamp) June 19, 2014

Transparency Reg. in EU : Should MEPs divulge whom they are lobbied by, instead of lobby organizations simply signing up? #EDAS2014 — EurActiv (@EurActiv) 19 Juin 2014

#EDAS2014 EP COM Ombuds…all talk on own tools + US-originated platforms… On existing media, leading country debates: not a word. So far!

– Christophe Leclercq (@LeclercqEU) 19 Juin 2014

@Eurohumpf #EDAS2014 COM spending too much on consultants, not using XXIth century tools enough, even@CONNECT#EUCO

– Christophe Leclercq (@LeclercqEU) 19 Juin 2014