EPP/CoR Summer University for local and regional media

Fifty journalists from across Europe’s regions and cities will be invited to take part in the 2009 edition of the Summer University, which will focus on ways to combat the financial crisis. As 2009 is the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, we will look at how these skills can be used to promote jobs and growth in our regions and cities. The first day will provide participants with the opportunity to exchange views with high-level representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament and academic experts. On the second day, journalists will be invited to share their experience of accessing and using information from and about the European Union in a session devoted to communicating on European Affairs. This will be concluded by a networking lunch in the European Parliament; just ahead of the European elections in June.

The EPP family is convinced that citizens have to feel closer to Europe and that they should be more involved in the discussions relating to the direction the European Union is taking. In order to achieve this, we believe the EU should ’go local’ and communicate with its citizens on a much more decentralised basis. Through its Summer Universities, the EPP/CoR Group aims to support the European Commission's communication strategy by providing local and regional journalists with the opportunity to participate in EU debates on subjects which affect their daily lives.

We warmly invite all interested journalists to join us for the debate!