TELLING THE STORY | Communicating Cohesion Policy Together The Challenges of Communicating Cohesion Policy in one of the less developed and most depressed.
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TELLING THE STORY | Communicating Cohesion Policy Together The Challenges of Communicating Cohesion Policy in one of the less developed and most depressed regions in Hungary Barbara KERNER 26–27 November 2007 | Brussels Participation in 64 international organizations (EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, G-9, IBRD, ILO, IMF, Interpol, NATO, OECD, UN, UNESCO, WHO etc. etc. The Republic of HUNGARY • Capital: Budapest • Government type: parliamentary democracy • Population: 9,956,108 (July 2007 est.) 2% of EU population (13th place in EU rank) • Area: 93,030 Km² | 2.1% of EU area • Currency: Forint (HUF) • Administrative divisions: 19 counties + 23 urban counties + 266 cities + 2856 villages = Total settlements: 3145 • GDP composition by sector: agriculture: industry: services: 3.4% 31.5% 65.1% The Republic of HUNGARY • GDP per capita: 66% of EU average • 0.95% contribution to total EU budget 1.73% expenditure of total EU budget • Unemployment rate: 7.4% • Inflation: 6.4% | 5th place in EU rank • Minimum wage: approx. 266 EURO • Public dept: 64.9% of GDP • Human Development Index (poverty/GDP per capity; education; health/life expectancy) 20th place in EU rank 7 STATISTICAL REGIONS NUTS 2 level 19 COUNTIES NUTS 3 level 2007–2013 BARANYA COUNTY Region: South-Transdanubia County seat: Pécs The southern most county of Hungary, it covers a surface of 4,487 square kilometres. Borders: Danube River, Dráva River, Croatia, Somogy & Tolna counties The highest point is Zengő at 682 m Population: 402 700 Settlements: 302 Largest number of minorities: Germans 34%, Southern Slavs 32%, Bulgarians, Greeks, Gypsies, Polish, Armenians, Romanians, Ruthenians, Slovaks, Slovenians and Ukrainian South Transdanubia One of the less developed regions. Poor accessibility from the foreign and domestic economic centres. The road and railroad network is of low quality and incompletely constructed, 1/3 of the region’s settlements are dead-end settlements. The crisis in South-eastern Europe and the decline of heavy industry and mining had severe impact on its economy which could not have been counterbalanced by the extremely low influx of foreign investments (hardly 2 % of the capital invested in the country came to this region) The ratio of active SME-s is the lowest here in a national comparison and there are no big companies around which groups of supplying small enterprises could develop. The region has a substantial R&D capacity outstanding of the country average that is, however, limited to the Pécs University centre. Decrease of population, increasing migration (unhealthy lifestyle, and bad living conditions, ageing, high level of unemployment that in some places is up to 30%, average gross salary much under the national average) Outstanding agricultural – ecological potential, but its efficiency of production is low due to the lack of capital and its structure of land ownership characterised by small, segmented plots of land. The most competitive sector is traditional grape and wine culture. Although tourism is rather seasonal based on Lake Balaton, thermal and wine tourism, as well as the World Heritage City of Pécs, plays an important role in the economy of the region. Peripheral situation both in international and domestic aspects. Its transportation system is characterised by the complete lack of motorways in North – South and East – West directions, poor network of railways, inadequate number of bridges and border crossings. The underdeveloped network of regional roads weakens internal cohesion. Appropriate roads connecting the county capitals are missing and there are too many isolated and inaccessible villages. EU-communication in the Region FOUNDATION & SPONSORSHIP 12 May 2000 in Europe House – Pécs Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IPE network) Prime Minister’s Office (2004) The Representation of the European Commission DG Communication General Assemblies of the three Counties (Baranya, Tolna and Somogy County) Communication Priorities | 2007 Treaty of Rome | 50th Anniversary European Year of Equal Opportunities for All Growth and Jobs Constitutional Treaty Single Market, Consumer Protection, flexicurity ERASMUS programme | 20th Anniversary Research and Innovation Energy for a Changing World Fight againts terrorism and crime, imporved border controls, Schengen Cohesion and Regional Policy between 2007–2013 Communication Priorities | 2007 II. National Development Plan Ageing Europe, Ageing World Further Enlargement of the EU Settle and work in an other country The Bologna Process The EU in the World German Presidency Portugal Presidency Up-to-date news from EU institutions etc. Target Groups | Steakholders Youth | elementary schools, high schools, University of Pécs Decision makers, civil servants, municipalities Civil society, NGO’s Teachers | elementary schools, high schools, University of Pécs Local and regional MEDIA Pensioners Farmers ANYBODY who needs information about the European Union EU-communication | Past … Present … Future Before the Referendum on EU accesion 1999 – March 2003 After the Referendum, before EU accession March 2003 – May 2004 After EU accession since 2004 Tools of Communication General information at local level (customer service office, internet) Special focus on Call for proposals (launch) Special focus on Project results Special focus on Partnership Events (special focus on hardly accessable target gropus) Mediacommunication | Press relations Trainings | lectures Publications Some important implemented projects, conferences | Event organizing 2007 • The road that links – Hungarian-Croatian conference on the V/C Transeuropean Corridor • Together in EUrope – past, present and future – conference on the 50th Anniversary • Ecological Region of the Drava River, Interreg IIIA programme – international conference • Integrating Ethnic Minorities, Assembly of European Regions (AER) Committee Social Policy & Public Health” – international conference and workshop 2006 • PRINCE EU information project – Baranya, the best EU-informed rural county in Hungary (EU road-show in the villages of Baranya County, production of brochure, organization of final conference) • CIVITAS TRENDSETTER project final international conference – The challenges and opportunities of Hungarian large towns focussing on transport development within the framework of the II. National Development Plan • Alps-Adriatic Working Community – II. Youth Researchers’ – international conference and festival 2006 „Exploration of economic co-operation opportunities in Baranya County and OsijekBaranja PHARE CBC project – international closing conference ToolsCounty”, of Communication Learning Regions and Cities Promoting Active Citizenship, Committee of the Regions (CoR) Commission for Culture, Education and Research – international seminar The World Heritage sites of Pécs – utilization of the sites for heritage tourism purposes project (Regional Operative Programme, I. National Development Plan) – television forum Dialogue for strenghtening European development – conference of the European Parliament and the National Assembly of Hungary 2005 • CASE - Cities Against Social Exclusion, Interreg III C project – international conference • Croatia’s European Union Accession Process (The Alps-Adriatic Working Community and the Local, Regional Challenges) – international conference • 5th Anniversary of the Info Point Europe of Baranya County – 5-day conference, 1 day dedicated to the regional policy of the EU • Alps-Adriatic Working Community – Working Group „EU-Relations“ • Conference for the equal treatment of the Disabled, Town Twinning Active citizenship project – international conference 2004 | Successful Municipalities of Baranya County in the enlarged EU – conference for the mayors of the 302 settlements about best practices 2003 | The chances and challenges of the Hungarian municipalities in the European Union, 3-day summer university Total budget of the Europe Direct Relay before EU acession 36,000 EURO / year Total budget of the Europe Direct Relay after EU acession 24,000 EURO / year Budget only for the communication of EU funds in the region 48,000 EURO / year Regional Development Agency SWOT Analysis Strenghts – more results and benefits to communicate – positive messages – success stories – unified institutions – part of communication strategy Opportunities – trainings (media, multiplicators) – more funds for communication Weaknesses – bureaucracy – complicated procedures – complicated terminology Threats – EU-scepticism – too many institutions (scepticism) – moderate interest of the media towards positive results – recent corruption affairs Future must be invented – not discovered Dennis GABOR The Nobel Prize in Physics 1971 Thank you for your kind attention! Barbara KERNER [email protected]