The European Affairs Communication Department of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic sets a target to mediate information about the European Union to the general public through the Integrated Information System. The System is based on the website Euroskop, a network consisting of 13 regional Eurocenters and a free hotline for general information enquiries on the EU, Eurofon 800 200 200. The Department also organizes conferences and seminars to discuss European issues. Since 2009, the Office of the Czech Republic Government has cooperated withthe Delegation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic withinthe so-called Strategic Partnership. Every year the Department creates a Strategic Plan on EU Affairs and Communication in the Czech Republic, which establishes communication priorities for the Government in the field of European affairs in a concrete year. The Committee for the EU of the Czech Government approves the Strategic plan every year. It is available for download on the Euroskop website. The head of the European Affairs Communication Department is JUDr. Mgr. Igor BLAHUŠIAK, Ph. D. Contact for the European Affairs Information Department secretariat: velebilova.martina@vlada.cz; tel.: +420 224 002 739. Autor: Euroskop

The website Euroskop is the official government website for European Affairs and is known as the main web source forinformation about the EU in the Czech Republic. Euroskop provides up to date information about the activities of EU institutions as well as member statesof the EU. Euroskop also provides daily news about the European Union.In 2008, the website established a special division called EU Law Monitoring, which monitors the European legislature, and has monitored it from the beginning of its implementation into the Czech law system. The network of 13 regional Eurocenters organizes seminars, public debates and conferences following up on European issues and discussing topics associated with the European integration. Eurocenters provide added value mainly through their coverage of Czech regions reflecting on the regional information needs of particular target groups. Eurocenters cooperate with institutions throughout the Czech regions; especially with offices of local governments, universities, groups of interest and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Regional coordinators also give free public lectures introducing students to the issue of the European Union taking place in both high schools and secondary schools throughout the Czech republic. The final element of the ISS is the Eurofon whose employees provide information about the European Union, the membership of the Czech Republic to the EU, and the EU structural funds and grants to the general public on a free hotline 800 200 200. Based on the Government Resolution No. 1088 of 21st December 2015, the Integrated Information System is closely cooperating with the Ministry of Regional Development. The Ministry participates in the development of the Eurocenters and the Eurofon. The close link between both organisations has developed a good information service in the field of fundsand grants. Autor: Euroskop

The priorities of the European Affairs Communications Department are placed in an annual report to be reviewed and approved by the Committee for the EU on an annual basis.

The Committee for the EU adopted the European Affairs Communication Strategy on November 24, 2015. It provided a comprehensive framework for the Czech government’s communication activities in the field of European affairs. Its’ aims were to familiarize Czech citizens with the functioning of the EU, as well as the role of the Czech Republic within it, and to lead the debate on Czech-European policy.

The strategy designated that the long-term goals of public communication about European affairs will be monitored and evaluated on the basis of criterion set for each communication priority once a year, and will be a part of the annual update of this strategy. Essentially, the following criteria, as appropriate, will be used:

• Primary Criterion: monitoring the change in Czech public attitude to the European Union
  • Tool: regular sociological research with standardized questions enabling year-on-year comparison and identification of trends in order to react to them and adjust the communication to current conditions.
• Secondary Criterion: monitoring the number of individual information actions/outcomes
  
  • Tool: annual activity evaluation submitted to the Government Committee for the EU, which will include a clear summary of activities performed in the previous year during the implementation of the Strategy, quantified results and year-on-year comparison.

• Tertiary Criterion: monitoring the public response
  • Tool: Monitoring the activities that require public response – e.g. monitoring the number of posts/questions on Facebook, re-tweets or website visits.

Concurrently, the strategy stipulated that specific communication priorities would be chosen each year based on the Czech Strategy in the EU. The strategy will, on an annual basis, take into account the current development of European integration, the situation in the Czech Republic, and possible communication priorities set at the European level. Part of this update will also be an evaluation of the strategy fulfilment in the past year and an analysis of the current public attitude towards the European Union.

Each year, the long-term goals of the department’s communication are evaluated under three spheres of criteria, for instance the attitude of the Czech Republic towards the EU, measured through sociological surveys. For each year, the priorities for communication are chosen considering the Czech Republic’s European policies, as well as the activities and priorities of Europe as a whole. The document focuses on four important aspects; why there is an update for the communication strategy, how the Department operated in 2021, how the priorities of 2021 were communicated, and what the focus will be in 2022.

Before discussing the specific communication priorities for the ongoing year, the document outlines trends in the public’s perception of the EU in 2021 and evaluates how information and priorities were communicated that year.  Based on the data gathered from the Pan-European Eurobarometer survey, 49% of Czech respondents were confident of the EU and 67% expressed the sentiment of feeling like EU citizens, both of which represented an increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, 48% of Czech citizens are satisfied with the EU membership of the Czech Republic and their priorities, finding migration, public finances of member states, and economic affairs as the EU’s top three issues.

In 2021 the Department hosted a total of 761 events that reached 173,899 people through a network of regional Eurocenters. In fact, in 2021 the Eurocenters´ network was significantly strengthened through the additional operation of four EUROPE DIRECT regional centers across the country. Furthermore, the Euroskop social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube experienced increases in followers and subscribers. Reflecting on the involvement in 2021, the Department intends to use the experiences of the past year in the future activities of the Department, with a special focus on the communication of the upcoming Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Considering 2022 is a very important year for the Czech Republic’s involvement in European affairs, with the Country holding the Council of ministers presidency in the second semester of this year, the communication priorities deal closely with strengthening Czech involvement in Europe and the economic development of security, sustainability, and European funds. While one of the most pressing issues in Europe at the moment is the threat of aggression by Russia, the communication of internal and external security is of importance, along with the creation of the Strategic Compass to further strengthen and develop the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy. The communication department also plans to promote digital and green transition processes to further economic and climate goals, as well as to communicate on the digital rights of consumers and the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for economic and social growth. Lastly, the Conference of the Future of Europe in the context of the European  Year of Youth, and in light of the Czech Presidency in the Council will be communicated. The Department plans to organize the highest number of events in 2022 concentrating on the public’s awareness of the Czech’s role under the EU Presidency.

To review the full English report, please see the European Affairs Communication Strategy 2022.