What did the EU do for me in 2006?

The European Commission is launching a new multimedia product, the European Union Yearbook, which sets out 10 major policy actions undertaken by the European Union this year and is available in 22 languages. “Europe and you – a snapshot of EU achievements” aims at giving citizens a better understanding of what the European Union does and how this impacts on their daily lives.

“People can better understand the added value of the EU if they can see the real examples: cheaper mobile phone charges, a cleaner environment and no misleading labelling of food.” said Margot Wallström, Vice President of the Commission responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, about the EU Yearbook.

“Europe and You” is a selection of 10 concrete examples in areas where the European Union is active. These areas range from new legislation on chemicals to cheaper roaming fees; from the tackling of illegal immigration to the Galileo project.

This new communication approach developed in the White Paper on Communication (http://ec.europa.eu/communication_white_paper/doc/white_paper_en.pdf) aims at reaching out to larger audiences through new channels which are better adapted to people's lives. Apart from the technical aspect, the novelty of this approach lies in the way it highlights the efficiency of joint European action in concrete areas of daily life.

The EU yearbook is available on the website: www.ec.europa.eu/snapshot2006 where each example will be presented through a short text and a video-clip. A printed leaflet will also be available for the general public and a DVD has been produced for media professionals.

The official launch will take place on 19 December 2006 at a press event hosted by Vice-President Wallström.