The Guidelines for the Organization of a Press Office on SF presented in Brussels

The Head for Information and Communications of the Directorate General for Regional Policies, Ms Barbara Piotrowska from the European Commission invited Formez experts to present some of the material produced in the ambit of the two Twinning projects in Bulgaria on the occasion of an organizational workshop for an international conference. The event entitled “Telling the story. Communicating Cohesion Policies Together” on cohesion policy communications was held in Brussels on November 26th and 27th. The Twinning projects aimed at Institutional and capacity building related to the utilization of the Structural Funds in which Formez took part together with national and regional Italian administrations and space was given to the theme of “Information and Communications of Structural Funds”. It is well-known that this is the key topic to which the European Commission pays particular attention by supporting the preparation of ad-hoc means. For the 2000-2006 SF planning period, some of the Formez experts participated in a workgroup of the European Union Committee “Structural Funds Information Team – SFIT” on the actions of SF Information and Communications in the ambit of the “EURO PA” project. These experts assisted those responsible for information and communications of the intervention co-financed by the Structural Funds at the Bulgarian Ministry of Public Administration and Works (Pubblica Amministrazione and Lavoro) through the draft of some of the guide-lines to provide for the staff committed to the Units for SF Information and Communications of the two Bulgarian Ministries. Three publications were issued: 1) guide-lines (linee guida) for drafting communications plans for the current planning period; 2) guide-lines (linee guida) for the organization of events in the ambit of the activities co-financed by the Structural Funds; 3) guide-lines (linee guida) for organizing the activities of a press office which has to inform the public about activities and projects co-finance by the Structural Funds. The guide-lines content is now available in the European Commission website. Furthermore, the Communications Plan elaborated by the Managing Authority of the Operational Programme of the Bulgarian Ministry for Public Administration in compliance with these guide-lines and with the aid of Formez experts, was approved by the Committee for Surveillance of that Operational Programme during the first meeting. This plan was openly approved by the Committee representatives.