1. How we communicate
about EU funds
IVANA ĐURIĆ,
Assistant Director,
Department for Communication and Training,
European Integration Office
Government of the Republic of Serbia
- 2nd South Eastern European Government
Communication Conference (SEECOM)-
Budva, 27-29 September 2013

2. You never would have guessed…

3. And the story about EU visibility started...

4. Enigma is solved!
Zezelj bridge – project worth 45 million euro, out of which 26
million is co-financed from IPA

5. • Basic guidelines for visibility of EU (co)financed
projects are given in COMMUNICATION AND VISIBILITY
MANUAL FOR EUROPEAN UNION EXTERNAL ACTIONS
• What does every “EU” project need to communicate?
Basic visual elements:
• Flag of the European Union
• Name of the project and logo of the project if there is
one
• co-financing statement
• content disclaimer
EU visibility criteria

6.  Promotional meetings, press conferences
 Websites, blogs, newsletters
 Brochures, leaflets, catalogues
 Studies, publications, newspaper articles
 Advertisements, audio and visual materials
 Promotional material/props (business
cards, pens, folders, calendars, badges, bags, caps, shirts
, etc.)
EU recommendations for communication,
desired activities

7. Still – communication YES, but for a purpose...

8. • How do the media report about ”European topics
and EU funds“?
• What does the voice of the people say?
• What is our strategy?
• What are our tools?
• What is the result?
…”the European story”…

9. ‘HOW DOES IT RELATE TO US?’
Media reports on European integration
BBC Worlds Service Trust research financed
by the EU, September 2010

10. • There is a large number of reports, but readers and viewers of Serbian media marked
them as bad – too short, too formal and difficult to understand
• 1/3 of the stories are placed well
- On TV and radio in the first three news stories
- In printed media on the first three pages
• National media report much more than local
- 40 : 14 on average, per month
• Main topics are politics, economy and the process itself and they are often based
on covering official events
• Agriculture, environment, consumer protection, health and education have been neglected
as topics in reporting
- Less than three percent of all reports are from the field of agriculture
• Reports do not have “depth” – they are descriptive and without analysis
- 42% of TV reports, 56% of printed reports and 58% of online reports are just descriptive
KEY RESULTS

11. • Reports are not balanced
- 61% of EU stories on TV present only one speaker or only one opinion
• Reports are mainly positive towards the EU, which makes the audience doubt their
credibility
• Respondents mostly want to see stories about lives of ordinary people
• Main obstacles – lack of specialisation of reporters and media’s fear that the
stories would not “sell”
KEY RESULTS

12. July 2013
• If there was a referendum tomorrow asking, “Do you support
Serbia’s accession to the European Union,” 50% of the
citizens would vote for, and 24% against.
• A large number of citizens, 68 percent, still believes that
reforms essential for EU accession should be implemented
even if they are not set as conditions for EU accession,
because it would create a better Serbia for us.
• 47% of citizens consider TV shows showing experiences of ordinary
people in the EU accession process the most interesting type of topic.
What does the voice of the people say?

13. Interest in the European Union
13
• Around one third of citizens have heard about projects financed from EU funds
31
69
Yes
No
Have you heard about any
project financed from EU funds?
% 27
24
23
21
21
16
16
13
12
Justice and home affairs
Protection of the
environment
Public administration
reform
Development of private
sector
Energy
Agriculture
Social development
Cross-border
cooperation
Transport
THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD What area does this
project or these projects cover? % Multiple
answers

14. 14
European Union is considered the biggest donor for Serbia
since 2000
%
41
38
23
20
13
12
1
European Union
Russia
Japan
China
USA
Norway
Do not know / No
answer
What countries from this list would
you consider the biggest donors to
Serbia from 2000 until now? % Two
answers
1
1
1
97
Up to 150 million
EUR
Over 150 million
EUR
A lot of money
Do not know / No
answer
Do you know what is the
approximate amount of money
that Serbia gets from EU funds
yearly? %
46
31
12
1
34
About specific projects
in Serbia financed from
EU funds
The amount of aid
depending on Serbia's
status (how much it is
right now, how much…
What are the rules for
submitting proposals
Other
Not interested in any of
the topics
What topics related to EU funds would you
like to learn more about? % Multiple
answers

15. NEW APPROACH
 “Human dimension” in EU stories
 Introducing national, regional and local dimensions
 Use of new media technologies and social networks...

16. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY 2011
Activities
Electronic and printed media (national, regional and local) are the main partners in implementation
of communication activities and in providing information about EU accession negotiations and EU
funds.
1. Regular communication with the media
2. Organising quarterly consultations of SEIO with the press, editors in chief and media directors (just
before publishing the report on the implementation of NPAA of RS). The goal of these consultations is
primarily timely sharing of information, in accordance with established goals and new
communication approach.
3. Training and press study visits
- Shifting focus from information about the process of accession of Serbia to the EU to the effect this
process has on everyday life (e.g. How to recognize the Law on Consumer Protection or the Law on
Waste Management in a real life situation).
4. Giving the press information about examples from everyday life that the press would be interested
in, in the context of the accession process of Serbia to the EU.
5. New specialized media formats and contents relating to dialogue groups –

17. SEIO website + Isdacon database

18. Communicating about EU funds
• Specialised TRAINING for the press
• Organising PRESS TOURS for the press (“Požarevac –
reconstruction of the water supply system” and “Požarevac
at the end of Decade of Roma Inclusion”, at the end:
Radovanović Winery), direct result – large number of
publications on specific projects (focusing on stories of the
people)
• Coordinating the IPA VISIBLITY OFFICER network and
specialized training for them (regular
communication, common activities)

19. Communicating about EU funds
• Development of specialized audio and visual content (content
selection – examples of good practice, cooperation with partners on
cross-border cooperation programmes and EUD, editing and
placement into different media formats – recorded stories about 6
towns in Serbia where more than 15 projects have been
implemented. Distribution through the network of local TV stations
and TV stations with national frequency).
• Award for a media report on a project realized in Serbia financed by
the EU
• Organizing different events and happenings

20. Flash mob, Knez Mihailova street, 21 September 2013

21. WE DID THIS LAST SATURDAY...
European Cooperation Day
21 September
It was celebrated by more than
40 countries throughout Europe
for the first time last year
Flash mob
Report

22. Thank you!
IVANA ĐURIĆ
idjuric@seio.gov.rs
European Integration Office
Government of the Republic of Serbia