French interfunds communication strategy

1. French interfunds communication strategy • French communication frame • Towards a national and interfunds coordination • The national interfunds communication plan • Action plan 2007-2010 • Interfunds actions in regions : results and issues Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

2. French communication frame • Numerous programs and communication plans (CP) • Regional communication plans for ERDF • 1 national communication plan for ESF with regional strands (+ 1 CP per overseas region) • 1 national communication plan for EARDF with regional strands (+ 1 CP per overseas region) • Multiple strategies and communication officers • Prime Minister’s ordinance February 12th 2007 • Strong message to managing authorities : make the public know about EU interventions • Some requirements beyond EU regulation • Spend more technical assistance on communication (target 10% of TA) • Announces a national interfunds CP Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

3. Towards a national and interfunds coordination • Diagnosis of a necessary coordination • To make communication officers share their practices • To strengthen communication function within MAs • To build a common message on EU involvement (opportunity of Lisbon strategy) • Create synergies (human and financial meanings, competences) on national and regional levels • Launching of a national communication committee • Ministries of employment, agriculture, overseas affairs and DIACT meet every 2 weeks since October 2006 • First actions to impulse 2007-2013 communication • National evaluation of 2000-2006 communication • Conference « Objectif com’ » March 14th 2007 • State of the interfunds communication plan • Document stabilised since March 2007 • Still to be submitted to European Commission Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

4. The national interfunds communication plan • Horizontal and vertical complementarity • Create synergies between national CPs • Accompany and give tools to regional communication officers • Three strategical objectives • Mobilize program managers (communication officers, MAs, intermediate bodies) • Transmit information to the press and informing bodies • Convince the public of EU involvement (campaign) • Two perimeters • All strands common to structural funds • EARDF and EFF participate in public campaign (strand “convince”) • Steering principles • One fund and ministry cofinancing per action • Cost shared proportionally to each fund’s national weight Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

5. Action plan 2007-2010 (1/3) • « Mobilise » strand (ERDF-ESF/MAs and communication officers) • National evaluation of 2000-2006 communication Objective : general view of 2000-2006 and recommendations for 2007-2013 Achieved : Final report published on June 2007 (report in French) www.projetsdeurope.gouv.fr/actu-news.php?id_article=4690 Perspective : to be renewed on mid-term and ex-post • Networking the communication officers Objective : share practices, boost interfunds coordination Achieved : national conference on March 14th 2007 (program and report in French) http://www.projetsdeurope.gouv.fr/actu-news.php?id_article=4369&lang=fr Perspective : frequent technical meetings and cooperative platform • Training sessions for communication officers Objective : professionalize communication officers and strengthen their function Work in progress : recruitment of a school and national enquiry on network needs Perspective : 80 participants, 3000-4000 hours in 2008 (2nd wave depending on turnover) • List of beneficiaries Objective : save time for all MA’s by doing a national list Work in progress : PRESAGE team configures the software for January 2008 Perspective : MA’s can link to www.projetsdeurope.gouv.fr or host regional database, multimedia applet to be developed Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

6. Action plan 2007-2010 (2/3) • « Transmit » strand (ERDF-ESF/press and informing bodies) • Press relations Objective : address usable information on Lisbon strategy and EUs’ interventions Achieved : common press dossier and conference at national seminary in Bordeaux (22-24 October 2007) Perspective : Recruiting and feeding a press relations agency • Publicity kit Objective : help MAs to fulfil publicity requirements, motivate project holders to become ambassadors of Europe Work in progress : agencies recruited, communication officers identify “ambassadors”, first shipments to MAs in February 2008 Perspective : approximately 80 000 items attached to grant conventions (50% flyers for little projects, 50% full kits, few flags) • General information tools Objective : give MAs and informing bodies general and accessible tools Achieved : itinerant stand on cohesion policy (12 dates scheduled), 18 000 brochures Perspective : Reference guide on structural funds for a large public Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

7. Action plan 2007-2010 (3/3) • « Convince » strand (FSE-FEDER/general public) • « l’Europe s’engage » logo > • Objective : does not replace EU logo but multiple OPs’ logos, common and adaptable message (EU involvement on national and local issues) for MA’s communication • Achieved : “l’Europe s’engage” chart sent to all MAs , widely used on events and documents • Perspective : post-test within the national opinion enquiry (see below) • National opinion enquiry Objective : context indicator, national and regional poll, qualitative wave preparing public campaigns, methodology in accordance to Eurobarometer requirements Work in progress : 6 qualitative groups beginning, final results in February 2008 Perspective : To be renewed on mi-term and ex post • Public campaign Objective : Respond to public mistrust about EU, increase cohesion policy notoriety work in progress : Opinion enquiry to con/infirm that cohesion policy corresponds to French public expectations on EU and to determine the best media Perspective : public campaign during French EU presidency (2nd semester 2008) Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

8. Interfunds actions in regions : results and issues • A spreading interfunds approach • Interfunds communication groups and CPs in most regions • Opened to informing bodies (Europe Direct) • Consensus on common actions (launching events, public campaigns, websites, general documentation) • Ambitious events for launching programs, connected to the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome > • Some persistent difficulties • Gaps between funds’ agendas • Sharing of EU financing and public counterparts Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

9. For more details, do not hesitate to contact : Vasilije Kujacic Délégation interministérielle à l’aménagement et à la compétitivité des territoires (DIACT) Tél : (0) 1 40 65 11 52 Fax : (0) 1 40 65 12 19 Vasilije.kujacic@diact.gouv.fr www.projetsdeurope.gouv.fr Thank you for your attention Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

10. L’Europe s’engage chart examples < Document accompanying public campaign (posters on buses), Franche-Comté Presentation of rural development national plan Website, Pays de la Loire ERDF OP , Aquitaine Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission

11. Launching events examples < Lorraine region, September 18th 2007 Champagne-Ardenne region, September 7th 2007, a European afternoon, debate about Europe during the regional fair, European projects awards with movies Telling the story, 26-27 November 2007, European Commission