Management Plan Comm 2019 en

Ref.
Ares(2018)6545554 - 19/12/2018
[Version of 29/11/2018]
Management Plan 2019
DG COMMUNICATION
Contents
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 3
PART 1. MAIN OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR ........................................................................... 9
PART 2. MAIN ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR ................................. 32
2
INTRODUCTION
In the Letter of Intent sent to President Antonio Tajani and to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz
on 12 September 2018, President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that 2019 will be a
crucial year for the Union: 'We cannot pause for a second in showing to our citizens that
the European Union is there to protect, empower and defend them. That together, we
can achieve a more united, stronger and more democratic Union. (…)'.1 President Juncker
also emphasised the importance of the informal meeting of the Leaders of the European
Union in Sibiu of 9 May 2019, which 'will take place six weeks after Brexit and two
weeks before the European elections (23 - 26 May 2019)' and will thus be 'a crucial
moment for EU Leaders to provide renewed confidence in the future of the new Union of
27'.
Since 2017, the Directorate-General for Communication has been implementing

communication activities around the three narrative strands 'EU delivers (#Invest EU) –
EU empowers - EU protects'. Building on the current momentum, these activities will be
complemented by a strong focus on the concrete deliverables as defined in the Roadmap
to Sibiu (Roadmap for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union, see page 5)
which found strong support in the European Parliament and which was taken up in the
Leaders’ Agenda.
For 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will contribute to building a more
united, stronger and more democratic Europe2. It will do so by (i) providing state of the
art communication products and services accompanying the crucial period of the run up
to the European elections, 'the biggest democratic exercise of the European continent'3,
and (ii) by flanking the policy deliverables defined in the Roadmap to Sibiu (Roadmap for
a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union) with modern and innovative
communication products and services.
Since 2019 will be a transition year to a new European Parliament and to a new European
Commission, the Directorate-General for Communication will communicate the European
Commission’s core messages with even more clarity, focussing on concrete actions that
are important for European citizens and national Parliaments. The Directorate-General for
Communication will continue to stimulate the debate on the Future of Europe 4, to tackle
new challenges raised by disinformation and to work closely with other institutions.
Thus, the 2019 Management Plan of the Directorate-General for Communication focuses
on supporting:
 The ten political priorities identified in the 2014 Political Guidelines for the
Commission;
1
State of the Union Address, 12 September 2018 - Letter of intent to President Antonio Tajani and to
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
2
'Communicating Europe - Communication on how to make the Union more united, stronger and more
democratic in communication terms' (as per Commission Work Programme 2018 and Letter of Intent 2019).
3
State of the Union Address, 12 September 2018.
4
White Paper on the Future of Europe 1 March 2017. https://ec.europa.eu/commission/white-paper-future-
europe-reflections-and-scenarios-eu27_en and https://ec.europa.eu/commission/future-europe/consultation-
future-europe_en.
3
 The priorities of the Commission as specified in the State of the Union Address
2018 (such as the European Union - Africa Partnership) and in the Commission
Work Programme 2019;
 The political calendar of 2019 (European elections, informal meeting of the Leaders
of the European Union in Sibiu, transition to a new Parliament and to a new
Commission), including the adoption by the College of the communication
'Communicating Europe - Communication on how to make the Union more united,
stronger and more democratic in communication terms' in the first quarter of 2019.
As domain leader for external communication, the Directorate-General for

Communication, in 2019 will contribute to further coherence of communication activities
across the European Commission, notably through new material in existing corporate
campaigns as well as upcoming campaigns5, the centralisation of communication
framework contracts and the European Commission’s web presence 6 as well as via its
leading role in the Corporate Communication Steering Committee 7 and in the
Communication Network.
All the above will complement the efforts by the European Parliament and Member States
to empower citizens to take informed decisions on Europe's future in the European
elections of 23 - 26 May 2019.
5
See page 14 for more information.
6
The Directorate-General for Communication will lead the preparations and implementing relevant changes
linked to the entry into office of a new College, it will work with a number of Directorates-General to improve
websites more in line with the corporate structure and look and feel, as well as transferring them to upgraded
technology allowing for more reusable components.
7
Commission Decision on the Corporate Management Board (C(2018)7706 final -21.11.2018) gives a more
prominent role to the Corporate Communication Steering Committee.
4
The Roadmap to Sibiu: Milestone deliverables and related communciation measures.
5
The 2019 Management Plan of the Directorate-General for Communication is aligned to
its 2019 Work Programme / Financing Decision8 supporting the main political priorities
identified in the Political Guidelines as well as in the 2019 Commission Work Programme.
DG COMM MISSION STATEMENT:

Listen – Advise – Engage
DG COMM, as a corporate communication service,
brings Europe closer to its citizens.
The Directorate-General for Communication provides state of the art

communication products and media advice to the President, Vice-Presidents and
the College. Such executive services are complemented by high quality country
specific information and analysis.9
With its corporate services, the Directorate-General for Communication ensures

coherence in the Commission's communication aligning the Commission's corporate
messages to the political priorities and ensuring that the relevant Commission services
contribute to a coherent and efficient corporate communication.
With its communication products and services for citizens, the Directorate-
General for Communication ensures that simple, clear and understandable messages
focus on the Commission priorities. This also means:
 Communicating messages with the appropriate media mix - or directly - to
European citizens via corporate campaigns;
 Informing the public and stimulating exchange and engagement via Citizens'
Dialogues, Europe Direct Networks or Visitors' Services.
Being a Presidential Service, the Directorate-General for Communication has steered the
process to streamline and define one sole overarching Commission-wide objective for
external communication in its Strategic Plan 2016-202010. The objective is aligned with
the political agenda, the increasing expectations of the political level and the Directorate-
General's role as domain leader for external communication11.
Beyond the strategic objectives, defined in its Strategic Plan 2016 – 2020, the objectives,
outputs and actions defined in the 2019 Management Plan of the Directorate-General for
Communication are anchored in:
8
C(2018)8454 – 13.12.2018.
9
Representations of the European Commission in the Member States political and economic intelligence,
Eurobarometer polls, media monitoring, feedback from local citizens' contacts, etc.
10
'Citizens perceive the European Union is working to improve their lives and engage with the European Union.
They feel that their concerns are taken into consideration in the European decision making process and they
know about their rights in the European Union'.
11
This objective was mainstreamed in the context of the Synergies & Efficiencies process across the
Communication Units of all Directorates-General via the Management Plan exercise. This cross-cutting
objective for the Commission's communication domain can be summed up as 'information to and
engagement with European citizens'. It is measured by the Eurobarometer survey on the image of the
European Union.
6
 Commission Work Programme 201912: In a joined–up approach, the
Directorate-General for Communication is leading communication activities on the
priority 'Jobs and Growth' and is steering the communication products and services
developed under the three strand narratives 'EU delivers (#InvestEU) – EU
empowers - EU protects'. In addition, it steers the communication around the
deliverables defined in the Roadmap for a More United, Stronger and More
Democratic Union and in the Joint Declaration on the European Union's legislative
priorities for 2018 - 2019;
 Communication to the Commission on corporate communication actions in
2019-2020 under the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-202013: The
Directorate-General for Communication will implement campaigns together with all
contributing Directorates-General. Requests for services will be launched for one or
more integrated corporate communication campaigns under the three strand
narrative (EU delivers (#InvestEU) – EU empowers - EU protects). Part of the
corporate communication budget will be implemented through other types of local
actions, mainly by the Representations of the European Commission in the Member
States (Representations) and via Citizens' Dialogues;
 Communication on Synergies and Efficiencies in the Commission – New
Ways of Working: As domain leader for communication, the Directorate-General
for Communication, together with the Directorate-General for Human Resources for
internal communication, has put in place since 2016 governance structures
(Corporate Communication Steering Committee and Communication Network)
leading a joined-up approach with all Directorates-General. In 2019, the
Directorate-General for Communication will continue playing a key role in ensuring
that communication actions of other Directorates-General support the political
priorities of the College, also taking into account the strengthened role for the
domain leaders following the new Governance package14;
 'Communicating Europe - Communication on how to make the Union more
united, stronger and more democratic in communication terms': The
Communication is part of the Commission’s increased focus on engaging with
citizens, demonstrating the role of communications in delivering on President
Juncker's promise of a more democratic Europe that meets citizens' needs. It will
share success stories, emphasise the importance of the joined-up approach,
promote a truly corporate vision of communication among European institutions in
the run-up to the European elections and encourage Member States authorities and
partners, at local, regional and national levels, to join forces with the European
institutions. The adoption of this Communication is planned for the second quarter
of 2019. The activities outlined in the communication will be implemented through
2019.
12
COM(2018)800 final – 23.10.2018.
13
C(2018)4063 – 4.7.2018.
14
C(2018)7704 final – 21.11.2018.
7
8
PART 1. MAIN OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR
In 2019, the activities of the Directorate-General for Communication will focus on the
political priorities as set out in the 2014 Political Guidelines for the Commission, the 2018
State of the Union Address and the 2019 Commission Work Programme, in line with the
Roadmap to Sibiu. The new organigramme entering into force in 2019 will strengthen its
capacity to deliver state of the art products.
With the three services outlined below, (i) executive communication, (ii) corporate
communication and (iii) citizens communication services, the Directorate-General for
Communication contributes to professionally communicating on the achievement of the
10 general objectives stemming from the 10 priorities of the Commission15, as illustrated
in the visualisation of its intervention logic on the previous page.
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION AS EXECUTIVE SERVICE
The Directorate-General for Communication, working as executive service, aims to

provide state-of-the-art communication products and media advice to the
President, Vice-Presidents and the College. Such services are complemented by high
quality country specific information and analysis from a variety of sources
(Representations, Spokesperson's Service, and Headquarters)16.
This support increases visibility of European Union policies and activities and it
contributes to better informed European Union policy making for citizens.
Representations of the European Commission in the Member States
Each Representation has developed its annual country strategy defining a wide
range of activities and communication tools tailored to national and local audiences.
Representations mains outputs will be outreach activities targeting young audiences/ first
time voters in the context of the European elections. Specific country action plans will
accompany the three corporate campaign (#InvestEU, #EUandme and #EU-protect) as
well as the rural campaigns targeting a selected number of countries. There will be a
special focus on the informal meeting of the Leaders of the European Union in Sibiu of 9
May and on the European elections in May 2019. Whenever possible, related
communication actions will be organised in partnership with the European Parliament
and / or with the Member States as well as with the European Economic and Social
Committee and with the Committee of the Regions. This creates or reinforces synergies
and helps coordinating information and communication activities on the European Union.
In addition to the communication activities, the Representations will continue their liaison
activities with stakeholders to discuss the Commission agenda and priorities and gather
political and economic intelligence. Those activities contribute to strengthening country
specific knowledge provided by the Representations to the Headquarters where feedback
15
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities_en.
16
Executive services include activities creating media coverage and management of technical facilities (e.g.
studios) related to Commissioners' visits and roadshows as well as Representations political and economic
reporting / analysis, analysis of stakeholder / citizens' feedback, Eurobarometer polls and media monitoring
and analysis.
9
is then complemented with further analysis before being fed upstream with the political
decision-making process of the Commission.
The activities will range from debates and conferences to stakeholders events, Citizens’
Dialogues and similar platforms of exchange with the general public.
The Representation in the United Kingdom will be closed and a Delegation will open, with
measures to ensure a smooth transition.
Headquarters
Headquarters provide further analysis, taking different forms. These include:
 The analysis of trends in public opinion via Eurobarometer surveys carried

out in the Member States and, when relevant, in candidate countries and / or in
other countries. They cover generic or ad hoc studies addressing specific themes
(such as the Future of Europe), and / or specific target groups. Synergies are
systematically sought through an annual programming with other Directorates-
General and through coordination with the European Parliament;
 Quantitative and qualitative media monitoring and analysis regarding the

media impact of the Commission. The results of the media monitoring and analysis
work are provided to the College and to senior management in different types of
reports and summaries. In this context, in 2019, the preparation of the hearings for
the President-designate and Commissioners-designate and adaptations in view of
the transition to the new Commission will represent an important moment.
Specific objective 1 - Executive Service: College, cabinets and services use

political reports and analysis, Eurobarometer results, media analysis products
and stakeholders and citizens’ feedback for decision making on
communication purposes
Main outputs in 2019:
Important items from work programmes/financing decisions/operational
programmes
Lead
Target
Output Indicator Unit/
2019
Service
Activities related to Number of Commissioners'
C1/C2
Commissioners' visits and activities in Members States on 1 000
(ex-B)
roadshows in Member States Commission's priorities
Country profiles: number of C1/C2
4 000
hits/downloads (ex-B)
Representations Political C1/C2
Political reports 400
Reporters and European (ex-B)
Semester Officers produce a Weekly summaries of political C1/C2
48
variety of political and reports (ex-B)
economic reports, analysis and Horizontal and thematic C1/C2
briefings 80
reports (ex-B)
C1/C2
Weekly reports 48
(ex-B)
10
Country-specific economic C1/C2
1 000
reports (ex-B)
Country Briefings for President,
Vice-Presidents, C1/C2
400
Commissioners and senior (ex-B)
officials
Number of audio-visual
products provided to the
College (messages, interviews, 700 A4
clips, statements, Google
hangouts)
Number of hours provided in
Management of audiovisual
Electronic News gathering (TV 4 500 A4
technical facilities17
Crews)
Number of hours of shooting in
COMM studios/VIP 3 200 A4
corner/press room
Number of hours in video
8 500 A4
editing
A full programme of 28 opinion Percentage of programmed 75% A2
poll surveys (Eurobarometer) 18 opinion polls implemented (ex-A3)
Production of media monitoring Number of days when the A2

and other media analysis media monitoring and analysis 365
(ex-A3)
products (365 days/year) service was ensured
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION AS CORPORATE SERVICE
With its corporate services, the Directorate-General for Communication ensures

coherence in the Commission's communication by aligning the Commission's
corporate messages to the political priorities and by ensuring that the relevant
Commission services contribute to coherent and efficient communication.19
The Commission defines and delivers impactful messages and narratives on political
priorities and European Union values. Hence, the corporate services of the Directorate-
General for Communication ensure coherence in the Commission's messaging by aligning
all Commission communication services20. In 2019, these efforts will continue, leading
gradually to the definition of clearer corporate messages narratives and distinctive
visual branding (brand recognition) and economies of scale, thus contributing
to the positive perception of the work and the achievements of the Commission
and of the European Union.
17
Audio-visual studios of the Commission (2 TV studios - 1 radio studio).
18
Each opinion poll should produce an output in the form of a political memo to the Cabinet(s).
19
Corporate services include service mode of the Europa website, implementation of corporate communication
actions (campaigns and flanking measures), alignment / coordination of networks, central management of
communication framework contracts and professionalisation measures as well as identifying further potential
for Synergies & Efficiencies and Pooling & Sharing.
11
Coherent web presence
In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will further optimise the

Commission's web presence to increase its coherence, relevance and cost effectiveness
under the Digital Transformation programme. 21
The focus is on:
 leading the preparations and implementing relevant changes on Europa linked to

the entry into office of a new College;
 improving and enforcing further the web governance by updating the Information
Providers Guide where policies, guidelines and rules on how to use Europa are
published (including data protection and accessibility) and launching the
Operational Editorial Board;
 cooperating with all Directorates-General of the Commission and Executive
Agencies to align their websites;
 standardising the Information Technology solutions, in particular by upgrading of

the technology used for the Europa Web Content Management System and the
subsquent migration of websites owned by the Directorates-General.
Specific objective 2.1 - Corporate Service 1: Building a coherent web

presence of the European Commission, by implementing the digital
transformation programme
programmes
Lead Unit/
Output Indicator Target 2019
Service
Visitor satisfaction rate for B3
Commission web presence Above 65 %23
ec.europa.eu22 (ex-A5)
21
This follows the conclusion of the building phase of the programme, in line with the strategic direction
decided by the Corporate Communication Steering Committee in January 2017. Following an initial
rationalisation of existing websites resulting in the cutting of 114 websites or 800 000 pages in 2013-2014,
the building phase of the Digital Transformation programme has been carried out. It included the creation of
one single central website for the 28 Commissioners in 2014, the cutting of 48 websites whose content has
been transformed into the new info site in 2015-2016, as well as the creation of the overall new thematic
structure of the web presence with the publication of the first three levels of the content of the fifteen
themes by the end of 2017. As a result, the Directorate-General for Communication, will no longer report on
the completion rate of the themes and start reporting on the qualitative indicator of visitor satisfaction.
22
Based on the results of an annual satisfaction survey among visitors to ec.europa.eu.
23
The 2019 target will depend on the results of the 2018 satisfaction survey available in 2019.
12
Public awareness
Since 2012, the Directorate-General for Communication

has been implementing a centralised approach to the
Commission visual identity; so that, more than 200
individual logos could be phased out. This centralised
approach will continue in 2019 - 2020 and under the new
long-term budget of the European Union. In the run-up to
the adoption of the Commission proposal for the
European Union’s future long-term budget 2021 - 2027,
the Directorate-General for Communication took the
initiative in February 2018 to introduce a legally binding
set of common minimum requirements for
communication and visibility in all future
programmes, regardless of the management mode. 24
This will lead to a simpler, more coherent and more
effective approach to communication and visibility.
Through the 2019 Corporate Communication budget (EUR 15 million)25, the three
ongoing corporate communication campaigns (#InvestEU, #EUandME and
#EUprotects) will reflect, until the end of 2019, the three main narrative strands of this
Commission – an EU that delivers, an EU that empowers and an EU that protects.
 EU delivers (#InvestEU) has now entered its second phase, with an upgraded
look-and-feel and a set of new stories, told from a more emotional angle. Existing
stories will also be revisited to reach new audiences.
 EU empowers (#EUandME) will intensify in 2019, with the launch of a new set of
five independently selected films, based on European values, directed by young
European film-makers. 'Digital stories', in which young people from every Member
State share their European story will also be promoted on social media and at
events – such as cinema and music festivals, in collaboration with Representations.
A toolkit for teachers will also be promoted.
 EU protects (#EUprotects) was launched in October 2018. During 2019, new

material will highlight how the Union brings together people from different walks of
life to help deliver European action in the domains of safety and security. The
stories will be promoted through different media, chosen by the Representations.
These three main corporate campaigns involve a substantial amount of digital output.
Given that populations in rural areas across Europe are the least likely to consume digital
media, a pilot corporate rural campaign will be rolled out early in 2019, reaching out to
rural areas in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Latvia. The pilot
campaign will be implemented in close collaboration with the Representations, Europe
Direct Information Centres and local partners.
25
C(2018)4063 - 4.7.2018.
13
Furthermore, following the 2018 State of the Union Address, the European Union -
Africa Partnership will be included as a corporate communication priority. A new
campaign for 2019 will highlight opportunities
through closer collaboration between both
continents. The objective is to move from a
narrative based on aid to one focused on
investment yielding results for both Europe and
HRVP Federica Mogherini, speech to the African Union, Africa.
Addis Abeba 20.10.2015
At the same time, the Directorate-General for Communication is stepping up its

cooperation with the other European Union institutions, in particular with the
European Parliament. This is in view of the European elections in 201926 and to promote
the Commissions’ political priorities 'to build a more united, stronger and more
democratic Europe for 2025.'27. Since September 2018, the Directorate-General for
Communication has started mobilising
other Directorates - General to
communicate ahead of the European
elections in a more concerted corporate
spirit, complementing the efforts of the
European Parliament and Member
States, to allow citizens to take
informed decisions on 23 - 26 May and
State of the Union Address, 12.9.2018
increase voter turn-out.28
The Directorate-General for Communication in collaboration with other Directorates-

General and in particular the Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content
and Technology and the Joint Research Centre are working in the fight against
disinformation. Wherever inaccuracies in relation to the European Union or its policies
are reported by the media, the Spokesperson's Service and the Representations ensure
rebuttals and fact-checking. A network against disinformation composed of delegates of
Directorates-General across the Commission was established in 2018. In 2019, the
Directorate-General for Communication will continue to work via the network across the
Commission on fostering a culture of early detection, fact-checking, debunking and
positive messaging. Work across the different services of the Directorate-General for
Communication will be streamlined and Representations and Europe Direct Information
Centres will have a key role in delivery on the ground.
26
Through the implementation of the 'Joint Statement between the Directorate-General for Communication of
the European Parliament and the Directorate-General for Communication of the European Commission on
communicating together ahead of the 2019 European elections' signed in December 2017.
27
State of the Union Address, 12.9.2018.
28
The three corporate campaigns will complement the European Parliament's campaign for the European
elections 2019. Links to the main campaign site will be placed on all the three campaign websites. All
campaign material is also being made available to the European Parliament to be used during their events.
14
Specific objective 2.2 - Corporate Service 2: Citizens are aware of the
Commission’s 10 political priorities, in particular delivery on 'jobs, growth and
investment' as the overarching priority
All new initiatives / significant evaluations from the Commission Work
Programme
Lead
Output Indicator Target 2019 Unit/
Service
Communication on how to
Adoption by the B1
make the Union more united, Q2 2019
Commission (ex-A1)
stronger and more democratic
programmes
Lead
Service
Reach (number of contacts
EU delivers: Continuation of B1
made during the 100 000 00031
Phase 2 (Citizens) of the (ex-A1)
campaign)30
campaign on the Investment
Recall (% of reached
Plan and other Jobs and B1
audience able to recall the 25 %33
Growth initiatives29 (ex-A1)
campaign)32
EU empowers: Continuation of Reach (number of contacts
B1
the public information and made during the 50 000 00034
(ex-A1)
communication campaign campaign)
towards European Union Recall (% of reached
B1
citizens 'A Union that audience able to recall the 25 %
(ex-A1)
empowers' campaign)
B1
EU protects: Continuation of (ex-A1)
campaign)
the public information and
Recall (% of reached
communication campaign
audience able to recall the
towards European Union B1
campaign) 25 %
citizens 'A Union that protects' (ex-A1)
29
EUR 21.25 million were co-delegated in 2016, based on Decision C(2015)7346.
30
Aggregate figure of channels used in the campaign (website, social media, outdoor advertising, media).
31
Figure to be updated once Key Performance Indicators for continuation of #InvestEU campaign are
determined (expected by September 2019). Reach will be for the period autumn 2018 – autumn 2019, since
the campaign runs until the end of this Commission’s mandate.
32
All 'recall measurements' will be measured with a survey towards the end of the campaign, targeting the
profile of the audiences (clearly defined per campaign), which will be selected via control questions.
33
Will be measured by a survey in autumn 2019.
34
The campaign’s Key Performance Indicators do not specify annual targets or aggregated data for reach and
recall for all campaign activities, as they cannot not be summed up.
35
The campaign’s Key Performance Indicators don’t specify annual targets or aggregated data for reach and
recall for all campaign activities, as they cannot not be summed up.
15
EU-Africa Partnership B1
Campaign (ex-A1)
campaign)
Number of organisations
on the ground in the 7 B1
Rural Pilot Campaign 1 20037
Member States associated (ex-A1)
to the campaign
Interinstitutional relations – Implementation of the
cooperation with the European Joint Statement: Number B2
4
Parliament for the 2019 of meetings of the steering (ex-A2)
European elections group and working groups
Network the Directorate-
General for Communication on
Number of network B1
disinformation with stregthens 6
meetings (ex-A1)
cooperation and coordination
cross Commission.
Commission's communication networks
In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication as domain leader for external

communication will keep steering, coordinating and supporting corporate communication
activities and the implementation of the Synergies and Efficiencies for Communication.
This work will continue to further align and professionalise the external communication
community to better support the political priorities through the established governance
structures: the Corporate Communication Steering Committee and the Communication
Network.
The Graphic Design Network of the European Commission, managed by the

Directorate-General for Communication, consists of around 50 professionals working on
visual communication for print, web, social media and events. It supports the
Commission's communication through multichannel visual campaigns accompanying
important policy proposals. The Directorate-General for Communication organises
network meetings at least twice a year to discuss topics of general interest to all
designers and also manages an online space for discussion and knowledge sharing
(Graphic Design Wiki).
In addition, a new network38 for communication procurement experts, launched in 2018,

will professionalise the community of procurement practitioners. Between 2017 and
2018, under the central steer of the Directorate-General for Communication, the number
of framework contracts in the field of the Communication could be reduced from 58 to 34
(see also page 40). In 2019, the network will pursue two objectives: mainstream good
practices and foster exchange of information, and generate a common approach to the
specificities of communication procurement, shared by all relevant services within the
Commission.
36
The indicator is indicative, calculated on the basis of the indicative budget and in comparison with the
indicator of the #EU protects campaign. The contractual procedure has not been launched yet. Indicative
date autumn 2019.
37
Idem as above. The contractual procedure is ongoing. Indicative data winter 2019.
38
In addition to the existing networks / Communities of practice outlined on the next page.
16
Specific objective 2.3 - Corporate Service 3: Via the Corporate Communication
Steering Committee and the Communication Network, Directorates-General
exchange best practices, receive assistance on technical issues of
communication tools and services and they align their sectorial
communication strategies / plans to the corporate messaging
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Number of Corporate Communication
B1
Steering Committee Meetings 3
(ex-A1)
organised39
Number of Communication Network B1
10
Meetings organised40 (ex-A1)
Number of Audiovisual Correspondent
4 A4
Network meetings organised
Number of Communication Network D1/ B1
4
Masterclasses organised (ex-A1)
Coordination of
Number of consultations provided to B1
Commission's 500
other Directorates-General (ex-A1)
communication networks
Number of Graphic Designers' A1
2
Network meetings organised (ex-A2)
Number of Social media Network A1
4
meetings organised (ex-A6)
Number of Europa Cross- B3
1-2
editorial / Editorial board meetings (ex-A5)
Number of Communication
B2
procurement experts Network 2
(ex-A2)
Meetings organised
Monitoring the Number of meetings and workshops
A1
implementation of the on awareness raising or training staff 2-4
(ex-A2)
Visual Identity Guidelines in the use of corporate templates
Communication Network Mapping of B
1
existing prizes delivered (ex-A)
Mapping and rationalising Rationalisation criteria defined and
B
of existing communication approved by Corporate 1
(ex-A)
prizes Communication Steering Committee
Implementation as of Draft Budget B
PER DG
2020 per Directorate-General (ex-A)
39
Corporate Communication Steering Committee and Communication Network Meetings are jointly organised
by Units COMM.A.1 and HR.A.4.
40
See previous footnote.
17
Streamlining of communication framework contracts
Rationalising of communication framework contracts currently spread amongst

Directorates-General started in 2016 and will continue in 2019 helping streamline the
Commission's corporate communication. Placed under the domain leadership of the
Directorate-General for Communication, this centralisation generates significant benefits
in terms of:
 Corporate approach – This centralisation will ensure co-ordinated activities
among Directorates-General along the political priorities. Also, concentrating the
oversight of communication activities will contribute to mitigating potential
reputational risks of the production and diffusion of products below professional
quality standards;
 Efficiency gains – Centralising procurement generates economies of scale, staff
reallocation, and increases expertise of the Commission’s communication experts as
regards market behaviours, actors and prices;
 Tackling supply-side market anomalies – An in-depth analysis by the

Directorate-General for Communication proved that communication procurement
has been affected by long-standing supply-side market anomalies due to the
Commission's specificities and unique needs. Centralisation can also help address
these issues through a mix of measures: reopening competition, consistently
grouping framework contracts into lots, simplifying procedures, 'direct open'
procedures for more specialised contracts and external consultancy.
 One stop shop – In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will continue
to manage centrally the set of new communication framework contracts, accessible
to all Commission services, agencies and institutions through the newly created
Corporate Communication Contracts Team, acting as a one-stop-shop for all
interested Directorates-General. It will provide advice and expertise to the users of
these framework contracts with a view to maximising synergies and efficiencies and
reducing duplications41.
In addition, a new network for communication procurement experts was created and
launched in 2018 to fulfil a perceived need. It will continue its work in 2019.
41
In line with the recommendations of the Directorates-General level working group on synergies and efficiency
gains in external and internal communication.
18
In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will continue to use the Graphic
Design Network to promote collaboration and strengthen mutual support. To this end, a
mechanism for the temporary pooling of graphic designers was established in 2017,
to be activated in situations of high-priority demands of corporate importance (e.g. State
of the Union address).
19
Specific objective 2.4 - Corporate Service 4: More consistency, efficiency gains
and savings
Lead Unit/
Service
Up to three new
Less duplication of corporate
communication-related communication B2/A2/A4
FWC in the framework-contracts (ex-A2/A3/A4)
Commission's services put in place by DG
COMM42
Number of Framework
contracts focusing on
Number of the total
the communication of
FWC across the B2
Centralisation of the 10 Commission
Commission reduced (ex-A2)
communication political priorities
to 27
related Framework- centralised by DG
Contracts (FWC) COMM
Level of assistance to
line DGs and project
management for
Joint project
individual actions
management for 30
undertaken by B2/B3/A4
collaborative
Commission services (ex-A2/A5/A4)
actions43
in order to increase
alignment with the 10
political priorities
Number of projects
Strengthened mutual
with the strengthened
support in the
mutual support
Graphic Designers A1
(including two or more 3-4 projects44
Network, following (ex-A2)
DGs temporarily
the decision of CCSC
pooling their graphic
of 30 May 2017
design services)
42
With the new framework contracts, the total of framework-contracts managed centrally will be between eight
and ten.
43
As examples: campaign on Refugees (Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian
Aid Operations), campaign on awareness raising on violence against women (Directorate-General for Justice
and Consumers), conferences, including 'Enterprise days' (Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs), online awareness raising campaign related to product safety and the
Corporate Campaign (Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers).
44
These would be graphic projects to visualise content of major political initiatives and events. They would
consist of strengthened mutual support among graphic designers from various Directorates-General to
design and deliver in good time (multilingual) fact-sheets, infographics, visuals for social media, leaflets,
brochures, etc.
20
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION AS COMMUNICATION SERVICE
The Directorate-General for Communication provides the tools and services to inform,
exchange and engage directly with European citizens.
These communication services for citizens ensure information for and engagement
with citizens through simple, clear and understandable messages, either via a mix of
channels and media (traditional and new) or by directly communicating with citizens and
stimulating exchange and engagement.45 Together, this helps citizens to access up-
to-date and user-friendly information on European Union policies and values. It
contributes to citizens' increased awareness and understanding of European
Union affairs, supporting them to take an informed decision at the 2019
European elections. In turn, this stimulates citizens interest to directly engage
with 'the faces of the Commission' be it locally, nationally or Europe-wide.
Targeted media coverage
In 2019, the main activities of the Spokesperson's Service will

include media relations, facilitation of Commisioner's interventions in
the Berlaymont press room, online press releases, speeches, and
memos. This work in the press room will be flanked by localised
messaging of the Representations’ media work in the capitals and
regions.
Regarding audiovisual services, the main activites in 2019 will concentrate particularly
on:
 Europe by Satellite, the European Union's TV information service which provides

EU related audiovisual material via satellite and online to media professionals;
 Video news with the production of Commission-centred video news intended for
use by the media and available on the interinstitutional Europe by Satellite
distribution platform;
 Photographs with the production of Commission-centred photo news, thematic
photos illustrating the political priorities, and diplomatic or ceremonial activities of
the Commission (all made available to the media and the general public on the
Commission's corporate Audiovisual Portal and used widely in communication
materials and in news items);
 Journalists information visits to the TV studios at the Berlaymont and other

support for journalists;
45
Communication services for citizens include media support for the Spokesperson's Services, audiovisual and
multimedia productions, Visitors' Centre, Europe Direct Information Services, Representations' outreach and
information events, Back to School activities, and Citizens' Dialogues.
21
 The ‘revamped’ EUTube channel, launched in September 2018, aims at
transforming the EUTube channel into a very active TV channel; the objective is to
build a user-oriented platform based on the interest of the audience and create a
place to get to know the European Commission work in different areas, with a
special focus on Commission priorities.
 A day in a life of an European citizen series will promote basic benefits that
European citizens’ benefit from in their everyday lives thanks to European Union
initiatives and actions (examples are clean air and drinkable tap water)46 The series
will consist of short videos from all Member States, focusing on the benefits
relevant for each of the countries.
 Intensifying in the distribution of corporate audiovisual material ahead of

the European elections aims at connecting more with the general public in the
Member States and at having a wider distribution potential when promoting the
corporate videos. Several actions are / will be put in place such as:
o screening thematic videos (climate, energy, roaming, Schengen, Euro, plastic

strategy, etc.) during events such as Citizens’ Dialogues and conferences
organised by Directorates-General;
o screening the videos in venues / buildings of the Commission and European

Info Centres;
o intensifying the distribution towards local/regional media (focus on

broadcasters) with the help of the Representations, Europe Direct Information
Centres, and other European networks;
o make use of the historical audiovisual archives on social media an in video

clips to promote European achievements including through a ‘past-present’
angle;
o continue to produce thematic playlists on EU tube (e.g. climate, energy,

roaming, Schengen, Euro, plastics strategy, etc).
 Audiovisual resources (photos, videos, films and audio recordings) continuously

made accessible to the public for consultation and reuse. In particular, for 2019 the
following actions are planned:
o consolidating the central repository of the Commission's audiovisual

production as part of the 'synergies and efficiencies' initiative for both current
and historical productions;
o organising the Audiovisual Portal as the main point of distribution;
o opening the archives to the public to the widest extent possible while
respecting intellectual property, image and privacy rights;
o extending ways of distribution (Europeana, Social Media);

o continuing the work on long term preservation, digitisation and metadata
enrichment of the media library.
46
The main idea for this series is to follow a citizen (played by an actor) from the moment he/ she wakes up till
the moment when he / she goes to bed and during the timeline of one day showcase these real life benefits.
22
Specific objective 3.1- Communication Service 1: Commission receives
targeted media coverage through relevant publications and continuous
engagement with media
programmes
Lead
Service
Increased relevance of
Number of online views A
press material produced by 10 000 000
of all press releases (ex-SPP)
Spokesperson’s Service
Commissioners presence Frequency of appearance
Minimum
triggering media interest in of the President, Vice-
appearance of two A
the Commission 'midday' Presidents and
members of the (ex-SPP)
press conference is ensured Commissioners in the
College per week47
by Spokesperson’s Service press-room
240 press
Number of press events
conferences C1/C2
organised by
150 journalist (ex-B)
Representations
Press activities of the visits/training
Representations Press conferences:
Number of participants in
3600 C1/C2
press events organised
Journalist training (ex-B)
by Representations
and visits 1500
Number of Corporate
60 A4
Video productions
Audio-visual productions
Number of items
and multimedia projects
downloaded 130 000 A4
(Audio/Video/Photos)
Number of EbS video
items, photo reports and 40 000 A4
audio files produced
Number of TV uptakes A4
Europe by Satellite (EbS) 72 000
from EbS (in minutes)
News coverage
Number of hours A4
4 000
transmitted by EbS
Number of unique visits A4
750 000
to Audiovisual Portal
Conservation and Number of archived
42 000 A4
availability to the public of audio, video and photo
audio-visual material Number of archived video
(audio, video and photo) via versions from other 4 000 A4
Media library DGs48
47
Based on statistics of appearances per week reported by Spokesperson’s Service.
48
Central repository as a corporate tool.
23
Better informed citizens
The Commission’s presence on social media is an opportunity to inform and engage in a

dialogue with European social media audiences, in all official languages. In 2019, the
Social Media Team of the Directorate-General for Communication will further develop
social media strategies centrally while also providing support for the local corporate social
media platforms of the Commission. This includes support to the Commission's Social
Media Network (including the Representations), on editorial planning and engagement
opportunities, social media publishing and analytical tools used by the Commission, as
well as monitoring and analysis of social media communication and data.
The europa.eu web domain is the entry point for most citizens looking for information
on the European Union. In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will
continue to manage the operation, structure, design, functions and editorial tasks of the
political content of the Commission site (e.g. College, priorities, news), of the top level of
the corporate info site and of the interinstitutional site. It will also continue providing
structured support for development and maintenance of the Representations’ websites.
The Visitors’ Centre is a key communication tool, giving visitors an insight into the work
and functioning of the Commission as the political executive of the European Union, as
well as explaining European Union policies. Visits will be organised around the political
agenda and priorities of the Commission focussing on the Leaders’ agenda in the run up
to the informal meeting of the Leaders of the European Union in Sibiu of 9 May 2019
and the forthcoming European elections as announced by the President in his State of the
Union Address.
Visitors' Centre: Digital wall displaying information about the Juncker Commission
24
A new corporate Commission Information Centre, replacing the current Info Point
on Schuman Square, is planned to open in 2019 as a corporate flagship installation.
Primarily designed for individual self-guided visits, it will offer an innovative and creative
‘experience’ of the Commission's role, key policies and achievements as well as promote
an active and engaged citizenship.
The Europe Direct Contact Centre, managed by the Directorate-General for

Communication, will continue to provide free of charge, general multilingual information
services about European Union matters, replying to questions received via phone and
email.
The Europe Direct Network will keep on playing an important role in contributing to
the communication about European Union matters via its three branches: 1) Europe
Direct Information Centres 2) European Documentation Centres and 3) Team Europe.
1. The 2018 – 2020 generation of Europe Direct Information Centres will enter the
second year of its operations on 1 January 2019. By organizing open dialogues and
debates with the citizens on European elections and on the Future of Europe, the
Europe Direct Information Centres support the emergence of a European public
sphere. In this context, a series of eleven transnational dialogue projects is
organised, each involving three events, run by the Europe Direct Information Centres
partnering across national borders. The first events of most projects already took
place in 2018, with its final phase of third events to take place in Spring 2019.
2. European Documentation Centres will continue encouraging and facilitating the
study and the research of European Union policies, initiatives and actions, providing
expertise on searching for information sources and documents on the European Union
and engaging in debates on the future of Europe. Currently there are 335 European
Documentation Centres in all Member States, except Luxembourg 49.
3. Team Europe in general supports the Directorate-General for Communication in

reaching out to the general public and facilitating the debate on the Future of Europe
at local level in the Member States. This network exists in 11 Member States and is
composed of experts on European Union politics who inform the general public and
stakeholders about political priorities and engage them in the debate about European
Union policy. During 2019, the network will be revamped.
Representations and European Parliament’s Liaison Offices will continue their

joined communication efforts in the Member States, organising outreach activities and
managing the European Public Spaces in 18 Member States50. The Commission
manages event organisation as well as logistical arrangements for the 18 European Public
Spacesthat have been created since 2007 for better joint communication and outreach to
citizens and stakeholders at national level. Working groups between Representations and
European Parliament's Liaison Offices have been set up for enhanced joint
communication in the run-up of the 2019 European elections.
49
A call for expression of interest to sign new agreements with existing or new structures hosting the European
Documentation Centres was published by the Representations in the summer of 2018. The new agreements,
to be signed until the end of 2018, aim to better adapt to the digital times and emphasise the importance of
outreach actions.
50
Athens, Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Lisbon, London (until 29.3.2019),
Madrid, Nicosia, Prague, Riga, Rome, Stockholm, Tallinn, The Hague and Vienna.
25
The Directorate-General for Communication - both in the Headquarters and through the
Representations – is also strongly involved in implementing the European Union Back to
School initiative, supporting and encouraging European officials to go as 'ambassadors'
Back to School and give young people direct access to learn about the European project.
As regards audiovisual and multimedia in 2019, production for the general public will
be intensified and diversified and dissemination improved through the Audiovisual Portal
and various technological platforms, including social media.
Publications will be provided in print on demand and in electronic formats presenting
the activities and priorities of the Commission in particular and the work of the European
Union in general. Furthermore, this will also cover the publications envisaged by the
Treaties such as the General Report on the activities of the European Union and other
institutional or reference publications.
Specific objective 3.2. - Communication Service 2: Citizens are better informed

about the European Union, in particular about the Commission's political
priorities and their rights
programmes
Lead Unit/
Service
B4
Number of visits 1 700
(ex-C4)
Average number of participants in B4
30
each visit (ex-C4)
Percentage of visitors to the
Visits to the B4
Commission very satisfied with the 90 %
Commission (ex-C4)
visits (8+/10)
Percentage of visitors declaring to
have increased their knowledge of the B4
95 %
Commission and its ten priorities (ex-C4)
(8+/10)
B2
Europe Direct Number of citizens' questions replied 110 000
(ex-C3)
Contact Centre
Percentage of EDCC users satisfied B2
(EDCC) 90 %
with EDCC service (ex-C3)
C4
Number of events 9 00051
Europe Direct (ex-C3)
Information Centres Percentage of users who would
C4
(EDICs) recommend the Europe Direct 96 %53
(ex-C3)
Information Centres service52
51
Figure based on experience from the 2018 Europe Direct Information Centres network operations.
52
Based on the results of the ongoing satisfaction survey among Europe Direct Information Centres users.
53
This contributes to satisfaction rate of indicators 3 and 4 of this specific objective as set in the Strategic Plan.
26
Representations Number of Representations' events on
C1/C2
events under the the Commission's 10 political 5 000
(ex-B)
Commission's 10 priorities55
political priorities by Number of participants in
C1/C2
the Representations events on the 650 000
(ex-B)
Representations54 Commission's 10 political priorities
Number of EPS events on the B4
700
European Public Commission's 10 political priorities (ex-B)
Spaces56 (EPS) Number of participants in these
B4
organise events events on the Commission's 10 120 000
(ex-B)
political priorities
Number of Back to School/University C3
550
visits organised (ex-B)
Number of students addressed in total C3
58 000
Back to School Back to School/University events (ex-B)
Percentage of Pupils'/Students'
confirming their knowledge on the EU C3
80 %
issues has increased after Back to (ex-B)
School/University event
Number of unique visitors to all EC-
B3
managed europa.eu and ec.europa.eu 233 000 000
(ex-A5)
websites
Number of visits to all EC-managed B3
348 000 000
europa.eu and ec.europa.eu websites (ex-A5)
Europa websites Number of visits to europa.eu (inter- B3
30 000 000
institutional website) (ex-A5)
Visitor satisfaction rate for europa.eu B3
94 %
(inter-institutional website) (ex-A5)
Number of visits to the Commission's B3
23 000 000
political and information sites (ex-A5)
Number of followers/fans/Subscribers:
A1
Twitter 1 100 000
Commission social (ex-A6)
media corporate A1
Facebook 950 000
accounts including (A6)
the Representations A1
Instagram 230 000
(ex-A6)
A1
LinkedIn 480 000
(ex-A6)
54
The reduction (compared with 2018) takes into account the end of the mandate of this current Commission
with these ten political priorities.
55
Comprises of political meetings, workshops and consultations; Journalist visits and training, press
conferences and other media events; Lectures, conferences, events in schools, universities etc., and other
public and outreach events.
56
Athens, Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Lisbon, London (until 29.3.2018),
Madrid, Nicosia, Prague, Riga, Rome, Stockholm, Tallinn, The Hague, Vienna.
27
A1
EUTube 55 000
(ex-A6)
A1/C1/C2
Twitter (Representations) 700 000
(ex-A6/B)
A1/C1/C2
Facebook (Representations) 1 000 000
(ex-A6/B)
Engagement rate on social media57:
A1
Twitter 0.9
(ex-A6)
A1
Facebook 3.18
(ex-A6)
A1
Instagram 3.3
(ex-A6)
A1
LinkedIn 1.45
(ex-A6)
A1
EUTube 0.20
(ex-A6)
Audiovisual (AV) Number of AV productions linked with
60 A4
productions and the 10 priorities of the Commission
multimedia projects Number of AV products provided to
linked with the 10 the College (messages, interviews, 700 A4
political priorities statements, clips, Google hangouts)
Eurobarometer web Total number of unique visitors to A2
1 500 000
pages Eurobarometer pages (ex-A3)
Number of readers / listeners of
A3
COMM’s publications [web analytics, 5 000 00058
(ex-C1)
Publications for OP orders]
citizens, including Average of
Overall usefulness of COMM’s A3
the European 80 % or
publications for readers [survey] (ex-C1)
Union’s General above
Report Number of visits to the merged and
A3
revamped Kids’ Corner and Teachers’ 1 500 000
(ex-C1)
Corner on Europa59
57
The engagement rate is calculated by the number of engagements (retweets, tweets, replies to tweets, likes,
shares and comments on Facebook as well as other channels like Instagram, or YouTube) received from the
audience on a specific channel divided by the number of that profile's posting activities within 365 days
preceding the benchmark date. On Twitter the engagement rate is measured by all engagements on a post
divided by how often the post has been seen (impressions) x 100. On Facebook the engagement rate is
measured by dividing the number of unique users that engaged with a post by the number of unique users
that have seen the post x 100. On LinkedIn and Instagram the engagement rate are measured by all
engagements on a post / the number of followers of the profile) x 100. YouTube highlights another form of
engagement, it therefore looks at the average length of video views duration as the most suitable measure
of engagement for the video platform.
58
Given that almost all publications will need to be updated to reflect changes in 2019, and given that some of
those changes will only take place in the autumn of 2019 when the new Commission takes office, reaching
the figure of 5 000 000 readers/listeners may prove a challenge.
59
http://europa.eu/kids-corner/index_en.htm and http://europa.eu/teachers-corner/.
28
Number of factsheets including data
Visual A1
and message visualisation (graphs, 5060
communication (ex-A2)
charts, infographics, timelines, etc.)
output in print and
Number of other static or animated A1
online 70
visuals and infographics (A2)
Direct communication with citizens
In 2019, Citizens' Dialogues will remain an important tool for engaging with citizens. The
Dialogues are closely synchronised with the Commission's political calendar and are part
of an integrated approach to reach out to citizens and capture their views on the future
of Europe. The online consultation on the Future of Europe follows the same rationale.
THE ONLINE CONSULTATION
Number of Number of
contributions contributions
France 22,869 Czechia 718
Germany 10,021 Sweden 683
Hungary 7,830 Bulgaria 672
Spain 5,419 Finland 421
Poland 4,249 Croatia 407
Belgium 4,187 Luxembourg 319
Italy 4,089 Denmark 299
Portugal 1,948 Slovenia 235
Romania 1,408 Cyprus 178
Netherlands 1,353 Malta 165
United
1,347 Lithuania 146
Kingdom
Austria 1,149 Latvia 109
Ireland 867 Estonia 68
Greece 844 Non-EU countries 726
Slovakia 844 Not specified 2,572
Total 76,142
60
In 2019, it expects a focus on policy delivery and fewer policy initiatives, therefore fewer factsheets would
be needed to explain policy to target groups. Visual communication is deeply anchored in the Commission’s
communication model and it expects a sustained demand for visuals and infographics for publications, web
and social media.
29
Citizens' Dialogues are a modern communication tool, that operationalises the pledge of
the Rome Declaration 'to listen and respond to the concerns expressed by our citizens'61,
offering a platform for debate about major European initiatives and allowing Members of
the Commission or senior officials / Heads of Representation, to harvest citizens'
feedback notably on the Future of Europe 62 and the deliverables of the Roadmap for a
More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union.
As such, Citizens' Dialogues:

 'Give Europe a face' and allow citizens to discuss and to better understand the
political responsibility for decisions which have a great impact on their lives;
 Provide a channel to engage citizens in the debate on the Future of Europe as a
contribution to the opinion-building process ahead of the European elections in
2019;
 Contribute to re-building the trust of citizens in the European Union 63;
 Complement all other instruments that allow citizens to make their voices heard.
Whenever possible these various communication actions are organised in partnership

with the European Parliament and / or the Member States as well as the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. This creates or
reinforces synergies between the means of each partner and it helps coordinating their
information outreach.
The President mandated Members of the College to engage actively in the Member States in dialogues with
citizens and stakeholders.
61
Rome Declaration – 25.3.2017.
62
White Paper on the Future of Europe 1.3.2017:https://ec.europa.eu/commission/white-paper-future-europe-
reflections-and-scenarios-eu27_en.
63
Standard Eurobarometer 89 (March 2018), First results report, page 12: 'Overall, 42 % of Europeans trust
the European Union. (…) At 42 %, trust in the European Union remains at its highest level since autumn
2010.' Correspondingly, Standard Eurobarometer 89 (March 2018), First results report, page 18 also states
that 'The proportion of Europeans who consider that their 'voice counts in the European Union' has reached
a new high after a fourth successive increase (45 %, +1 percentage point since autumn 2017, and +7 since
spring 2016). For the first time since autumn 2004, less than half of respondents now disagree with this
statement (49 %, -1 percentage point since autumn 2017).'
30
Specific objective 3.3 - Communication Service 3: Citizens express themselves
towards and engage with European Union Commissioners through Citizens'
Dialogues and other forms of direct communication (like Social Media) which
stimulate citizens' interest in European Union affairs and contribute to
restoring trust in European Union institutions
programmes
Lead
Target
201964
Service
C3
Organisation of Dialogues65 Number of events 200
(ex-C2)
Number of participants:
C3
Attendance of Dialogues - Total 20 000
(ex-C2)
C3
- Average per event 100
(ex-C2)
Number of events that are
Multiplying the effect of C3
covered by TV for a minimum 25
Dialogues via TV coverage (ex-C2)
of 90 seconds / event
Multiplying the effect of
C3
Dialogues via print/online Number of articles / features 250
(ex-C2)
media coverage
Mentions of Twitter hashtag
Multiplying effect of #EUdialogues and of Citizens' C3
15 000
Dialogues via Social media Dialogues by citizens on (ex-C2)
Facebook
Number of viewers / listeners /
readers reached through
Multiplying effect through C3
reporting on Citizens' 25 000 000
media reporting (ex-C2)
Dialogues in TV / radio / print
and online media
64
Compared to 2018 the number of Citizens’ Dialogues will decrease, because of the 2019 European elections
and the formation of a new European Commission.
65
In addition to the Dialogues centrally organised in cooperation with the Representations, a multitude of
Dialogues can be organised with Commissioners, senior Commission officials and other representatives of
the European Institutions by relying on the Europe Direct Network.
31
PART 2. MAIN ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR
As a Presidential service and domain leader for external communication, the Directorate-
General for Communication with its three entities (Spokesperson’s Service,
Representations and Headquarters services), is striving to increase performance and
professionalisation. Silo-breaking and change management are key ingredients for
successfully achieving cultural change or, at least, progressively adapting to new ways of
working whilst becoming more 'digital'.
A. Human resource management
In the Directorate-General for Communication, the Human Resources Business

Correspondent’s Team and the Internal Communication team are part of Unit DG.01,
reporting directly to the Director-General.
The Strategic Plan 2016-2020 for the Directorate-General for Communication set targets
in the areas of female representation in middle management, staff well-being and staff
engagement. As of 1 October 2018, the Directorate-General for Communication
continued to exceed its target regarding female representation in middle management at
49 % which is above the 40 % original Commission target for 2019. The Directorate-
General for Communication will continue to monitor the situation, seeking to stay close to
this level in 2019. In addition, on current projections, the Directorate-General for
Communication is on track to reach its target of seven first female appointments by
November 2019.
Regarding staff well-being and staff engagement, the Directorate-General for

Communication has taken action to address shortcomings expressed in the 2016 staff
survey (with particular reference to staff mobility, career opportunities and learning
needs analysis). The success of these actions will become apparent in the results of the
2018 staff survey66, after which a new action plan will be compiled with appropriate
responses.
In 2019, the Human Resources Business Correspondent team will focus on the following
priority actions:
 Organisational development and Staff engagement: Follow-up of the January 2019

reorganisation of the Directorate-General’s services, including team-building
activities and coaching where relevant;
 Learning and Development initiatives for the Directorate-General for

Communication together with awareness-raising actions on learning opportunities
available to staff and managers;
 Professionalisation initiatives for the External Communication Community across

the Commission as part of the domain leader role of the Directorate-General for
Communication;
66
The results of the 2018 Staff survey are expected in 2019.
32
 Cooperating with services concerned for the implementation of the Directorate-
General’s Strategy on the use of intra-muros contractors and its action plan for
2018-2019.
 Preparing for the transition between the outgoing and the incoming Commission in
the second semester 2019, notably as regards the structure and recruitment for the
new Spokesperson’s Service.
 Developing an action plan comprising talent management and staff engagement

measures that cover the career arc from recruitment through learning and
development, mobility, staff engagement and staff well-being.
Objective: The Directorate-General deploys effectively its resources in support

of the delivery of the Commission's priorities and core business, has a
competent and engaged workforce, which is driven by an effective and
gender-balanced management and which can deploy its full potential within
supportive and healthy working conditions.
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Action plan comprising talent
management and staff engagement Approval of the action
1st half
measures will be compiled in response to plan by the Director DG.01
of 2019
the 2018 staff opinion survey General
Gender-balanced management in DG
Percentage of female
COMM: 44 %
representation in
- Gender-balanced pre-selection panels;
middle management
- Gender-balanced reports in pre-selection
DG.01
procedures for middle management;
First time female
- Senior management awareness (through 7
appointments in
regular updates).
middle management67
67
New indicator introduced Commission wide by Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security in the
course of 2018. The Directorate-General for Communication specific target was to recruit 7 by the end of
2019.
33
B. Financial management: Internal control and Risk management
In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will continue to closely monitor

budget implementation ensuring compliance with the Financial Regulation and sound
financial management principles. In the context of the Internal Control Framework 68, the
Directorate-General for Communication will also ensure an effective implementation of
the internal control principles. The aim of internal control is to provide reasonable
assurance of the effectiveness, economy and efficiency of the operations, the reliability of
reporting, safeguarding of assets and information, fraud prevention and detection, and
the legality and regularity of underlying transactions.
Objective 1: Effective and reliable internal control system giving the

necessary guarantees concerning the legality and the regularity of the
underlying transactions
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Satisfaction rate of DG COMM
Managerial assessment of
management with the More than
effectiveness of the internal D3
effectiveness of internal control 80 %
control system
systems (ICAT) survey
Ex-ante control of needs
analysis performed and Percentage of formalised needs
analysis presented for high 100
documented for all high value % D3
procedures (over the value procedures
Directive threshold)69
Percentage of recommendations
Implementation of
implemented within the set time More than
recommendations given by ex D3
frame by units and 60 %
post control70
representations71
68
The Commission adopted on 19 April 2017 a revised framework for internal control which represents a shift
from a compliance-based to a principle-based system, in line with international best practices and in
particular with the 2013 COSO Internal Control-Integrated Framework (Communication to the Commission
from Commissioner Oettinger. Revision of the Internal Control Framework, C(2017)2373).
69
Recommendation number 1 of the Audit on Procurement Process in the Directorate-General for
Communication specifies that 'The Directorate-General for Communication should document the needs
analysis for every high value procurement procedure.'
70
Recommendation number 3 of the audit mentioned in the previous footnote specifies that ''The Directorate-
General for Communication should develop and document a systematic risk-based approach to support the
planning of ex post control'.
71
Based on declarations of controlled entities.
34
Objective 2: Effective and reliable internal control system in line with sound
financial management.
Lead
Service
Percentage of operational Budget
execution by commitments with respect Close to 100 % D1
to the annual forecast72
Percentage of operational Budget
Timely budget
execution by payments with respect to More than 95 % D1
execution
the annual forecast73
Percentage of payments executed More than 96 %
within contractual payment deadlines within D3
('Time to pay') contractual delay
Yes
Cost of controls Revision of the cost calculation method D3
(by February 2019)
Conclusion reached on cost Positive
Cost of controls D3
effectiveness of controls conclusion
Objective 3: Minimisation of the risk of fraud through application of effective

anti-fraud measures, integrated in all activities of the Directorate-General,
based on the Directorate-General's anti-fraud strategy aimed at the
prevention, detection and reparation of fraud.
Lead
Service
Implementation of the Pro rata implementation of 33% of the 3-years
D3
Anti-fraud strategy the Strategy 2017-2019 target
C. Infrastructure
In 2019, Headquarters of the Directorate-General for Communication will continue to

provide a full range of infrastructure support to the all Representations and as well as the
Regional Offices / Antennae in the Member States, from identifying adequate premises
and defining negotiating terms, to providing architectural, logistic and procedural support
for the procurement of supplies, services and renovation works 74.
The Directorate-General for Communication, in 2019, will also continue to closely
monitor, assist and follow-up on security and health and safety matters related to the
Representations' personnel and buildings, in close collaboration with the competent
services of the European Parliament and with the Security Directorate of the Directorate-
72
2015 budget implementation for commitments of the Directorate-General for Communication: 99,93 %.
73
2015 budget implementation for payments of the Directorate-General for Communication: 99,95 %.
74
In the context of Synergies and Efficiencies, the Directorate-General for Communication is currently exploring
with the Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Brussels the transfer of certain infrastructure tasks to the
Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Brussels during 2019.
35
General for Human Resources. The contribution to the Health and Safety report is
essential, as well as the user satisfaction with the quality of services provided.
The Technologies Unit develops Information Systems for both Headquarters and the
Representations and fully manages the Information Technologies infrastructure and
services of the Representations.
Objective 1: Ensure effective management of the Directorate-General's

infrastructure for Representations (buildings, security, health and safety) and
IT for Headquarters and Representations.
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Overview of health and Status of Health and Safety as September
safety measures in the annex to the annual Health and 2019 for D2
Representations Safety report sent to DG HR 2018 report
Development of Satisfaction with the quality of
Information Technologies services (source: user satisfaction 75 % D4
(IT) applications survey)
Provision of IT Satisfaction with the quality of

infrastructure and services provided ( source: 75 % D2
helpdesk function for user satisfaction survey)
Representations
D. Information management
The Directorate-General for Communication has always kept and will continue to keep to
a strict minimum (below 1 %) the number of registered documents that are not filed. To
achieve this, monthly reports are produced by the Document Management Centre and
sent to the Document Management Officer correspondents in the Units and in the
Representations. In addition, this indicator is brought to the attention of the Senior
Management at least once per year. An Ares Statistical Report is sent quarterly to the
Heads of Unit and the Heads of Representations for appropriate follow-up.
At present, 22 % of HAN75 files are readable for the Commission. In 2019, the
Directorate-General for Communication will continue to assess the feasibility to open
access to other Directorates-General and will try to increase the transparency to 25% of
the HAN files, continuing to open files which have limited visibility outside the
Directorate-General for Communication.
Following the Commission’s Data Protection Action Plan76, the Directorate-General for
Communication will support and structure the implementation of the new Data Protection
Regulation for European institutions and bodies77, with particular emphasis on enhancing
the Commission’s administrative capacity for data protection.
75
Hermes-Ares-Nomcom - Set of tools designed to implement the e-Domec policy rules.
76
Info (2018) 64 OJ 2271 – 31.10.2018.
77
Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39–98) entered into force on 11.12. 2018.
36
Objective 1: Information and knowledge in your Directorate-General is shared
and reusable by other Directorates-General. Important documents are
registered, filed and retrievable
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Registered documents that are Percentage of registered
0.6 % D2
not filed78 documents that are not filed
HAN files readable/accessible Percentage of HAN files readable
98 % D2
by all units in the DG /accessible by all units in the DG
HAN files readable by the Percentage of HAN files visible by
25 % D2
whole Commission the whole Commission
Objective 2: Data Protection Rules are correctly implemented for

communication related content
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Records covering DG COMM Percentage of Records which are
Headquarters and validated by the Data Protection
Representations’ processing are Officer (DPO) and published in 100 % D2
in the Data Protection records the Data Protection records
Management System (DPMS) Management System (DPMS)
Percentage of Guidelines
Guidelines for Commission DIR B
drafted, circulated and 100 %
external communication domain /D2
implemented
E. External communication activities
Core business of Directorate-General for Communication is external communication for

which it plays the role of domain leader, aligning line Directorates-General external
communication to the political priorities of the Commission.
For overall budget expenditure of the Directorate-General for Communication see title 16
of 2019 budget79, for the figures of funds pooled for the Corporate communication
actions 2019-2020, see respective College Decision80.
78
Each registered document must be filed in at least one official file of the Chef de file, as required by the e-
Domec policy rules (and Principle 13 requirements). The indicator is to be measured via ARES reporting
tools.
79
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/DB/2019/en/SEC03.pdf.
80
C(2018) 4063 final– 4.7.2018.
37
F. Other communication activities of the Directorate-General for Communication
As part of its executive services, the Directorate-General for Communication provides

daily media monitoring services to the College and the Commission’s senior
management.
Objective 1: MEDIA MONITORING: Media Monitoring and analysis of media are

used by the College, Cabinets and Services as an element of informed
decision-making
Lead Unit/
Service
Service ensured during Satisfaction rate concerning A2
70 %
365 days as requested media monitoring products (ex-A3)
To ensure capacity building and knowledge exchange between staff posted in the
Representations and Brussels Headquarters, regular exchanges including updates on
latest policy developments, notably on the ten political priorities, and management issues
are organised for the Representations.
'MAKING THE NETWORKS WORK' (1)

Objective 2: MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION OF THE REPRESENTATIONS:
The Commission’s network of Representations and regional offices is
managed and supervised in a way that enables Representations to provide
political and economic intelligence, media coverage and outreach activities
focussing on the Colleges political priorities and working in partnership with
the European Parliament Information Offices and the Member States81
Lead
Target
2019
Service
Meetings attended by Head of Representation,
Deputy Head of Representation, Political Reporter, Number of C1/C2
10
Press Officer, Communication Officer, Digital leaders meetings (ex-B)
and European Semester Officer
The Europe Direct Network comprises of Europe Direct Information Centres, European
Documentation Centres and Team Europe. They all benefit from coordination and support
services offered by the Directorate-General for Communication to develop synergies with
other Commission information networks. To increase the network members' knowledge of
European Union policies and to keep the networks up to date on latest developments, in
particular on the Commission's political priorities, the 2019 European elections, the
development of a European public sphere, and the debate on the future of Europe.
Furthermore, the Directorate-General for Communication provides training seminars,
promotional activities, information services and information material.
81
Commission Work Programme, Management Plan, Mid-term Management Report and Annual Activity Report.
38
'MAKING THE NETWORKS WORK' (2)
Objective 3: MANAGEMENT OF THE EUROPE DIRECT SERVICES: The
Commission’s Europe Direct services (Contact Centre and Europe Direct
network) are managed and supervised in a way that enables the Contact
Centre and the Europe Direct network to provide reliable question and answer
service to citizens and the Europe Direct Information Centres provide
outreach activities focussing notably on the College's political priorities82
Lead
Service
Europe Direct Contact
Cost per EDCC enquiry Below EUR 30 C3
Centre (EDCC)
Number of training days x 7 days of training/
C3
number of participants 900 participants
Europe Direct Network Percentage of EDICs
managers satisfied with DG 90 %83 C3
COMM support
F. Examples of initiatives to improve economy and efficiency of financial and

non-financial activities of the Directorate-General for Communication
In 2019, examples of efficiencies will mainly come from initiatives linked to the Synergies
and Efficiencies Decisions, notably:
Efficiency gains - the Europa site
Less content, less custom Information Technologies development and more shared
Information Technologies infrastructure are the factors contributing to more efficiency in
the work on the web. Based on the decision of the Corporate Communication Steering
Committee in January 2017, the Directorates-General were invited to cut 40 % of
content. The Directorate-General for Communication has created the overall new user-
centred thematic structure of the web presence with the publication of the first three
levels of the content of fifteen themes. In 2019 it will continue to maintain the corporate
information and political web presence and assist Directorates-General to improve their
websites by adopting the corporate design and components, thus limiting the need for
custom development. In this context, the Europa Component Library, will be further
enriched with new reusable web components in full synergy with the Directorate-General
for Informatics' own solution, extending the concept of reusable web components beyond
the websites to external facing information systems, thus ensuring coherent look and feel
of the Commission online. Web governance will remain in the focus, in particular as
regards compliance with the corporate rules and standards. The corporate web publishing
platform will be upgraded and the Directorate-General owned websites will migrate to the
82
Commission Work Programme, Management Plan, Mid-term and Annual Activity Report.
83
Average of the survey results of all the trainings carried out during a year.
39
new technology. This will be done based on a convergence strategy to ensure the
efficiency factors.
Efficiency gains in the context of creating a Corporate Communication Contracts

Team (i.e. a one stop shop) for centralised Framework contracts
In July 2016, the Corporate Communication Steering Committee endorsed a timeline for
centralising most of communication framework contracts within Directorate-General for
Communication. The objective of the process is to reach a maximum of 20 - 22
communication framework contracts managed by the Commission, most of them
concentrated in services of the Directorate-General for Communication. These contracts
were consolidated into 8 main areas, 6 84 of which are to be managed by the domain
leader85.
The Directorate-General for Communication has achieved significant progress in the area
of centralisation of framework contracts: by October 2018, the number was reduced to
34 (from an original number of 58 at the end of 2016). A further peak of contracts to be
phased out is expected in 2019 according to the procurement timeline (see below).
Corporate contracts offered by COMM
Contracts managed by DGs
84
Audiovisual, Digital and Web, Integrated Campaigns, Public Relations and Outreach, Media monitoring,
Evaluation and market research.
85
A one stop shop for corporate Framework Contracts, is providing indicatively services like: Assessing
systematically and regularly needs in close and personal cooperation with Directorates-General to define
solutions and fine-tune new contracts and build up a trusted relationship; Identifying of the appropriate
corporate contracts managed by Directorate-General for Communication (but not only) and support
Directorates-General in their use including the possible trouble shooting; Assisting Directorates-General in
drafting Terms of References for specific contracts and provision of visual and graphic elements in line with
the political priorities / corporate campaigns; Helping Directorates-General in using the price list in single
Framework Contracts in line with stricter requirements of the Financial Regulation; Liaising with the
Directorates-General, contractors, the financial team and all other parties involved throughout the
Framework Contract lifecycle; Providing guidance on financial and legal matters; Monitoring ceiling
consumption to prevent any disruption; Helping with the monitoring and evaluation of contracts at all
stages.
40
Centralisation of the framework contracts86 has already started bringing efficiency gains
in three main areas:
 Human resources: It allows to free resources in Directorates-General and dedicate
them to other priority areas. It also allows communication units to concentrate on
their core activity, rather than deal with procurement procedures;
 Corporate communication: It allows to align communication spending to major

Commission priorities;
 Better procurement practice: It allows gradually implementing measures to mitigate

some of the supply-side distortions in the communication market around the
Commission.
Efficiency gains – the new Audiovisual Services framework contract
In the Communication on 'Synergies and Efficiencies in the Commission – New Ways of

Working', audiovisual production and services have been identified as areas where
Commission services could streamline their interventions. The Directorate-General for
Communication, as the corporate domain leader in the audiovisual area, has been
mandated to centralise relevant audiovisual framework contracts and organise them
under one heading.
The Directorate-General for Communication will in 2019, conclude a mixed multiple

framework contract for the ad hoc provision of professional external expertise and
support in the audiovisual field. This has the aim of diversifying the audiovisual and
multimedia productions of the ordering services, notably for the general public, as well as
of improving the distribution of these productions through a wide range of different
channels.
Also, 2019 will be the final full year in which the 'Provision of Audiovisual Production
Services, including Graphics, Animation, Media Applications and Distribution via Multiple
Channels' Framework Contract - with the participation of some 30 Directorates-General
and 24 agencies is operational.
86
As planned since 2016, whenever confronted with very specific needs where the existing corporate
framework contracts are unable to deliver, there will be an immediate search for solutions in cooperation
with the Directorate-General concerned including the possibility to grant an exception to the centralisation
rule. If such an exception is granted, a framework contract managed by another Directorate-General would
haveon
Electronically signed to18/12/2018
be opened to (UTC+01)
18:11 all Directorates-General and 4.2
in accordance with article be (Validity
considered a corporate
of electronic asset.
documents) of Commission Decision 2004/563
41

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Management Plan 2019

Since 2017, the Directorate-General for Communication has been implementing

As domain leader for external communication, the Directorate-General for

DG COMM MISSION STATEMENT:

The Directorate-General for Communication provides state of the art

With its corporate services, the Directorate-General for Communication ensures

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION AS EXECUTIVE SERVICE

The Directorate-General for Communication, working as executive service, aims to

Representations of the European Commission in the Member States

Headquarters provide further analysis, taking different forms. These include:

 The analysis of trends in public opinion via Eurobarometer surveys carried

 Quantitative and qualitative media monitoring and analysis regarding the

Specific objective 1 - Executive Service: College, cabinets and services use

Production of media monitoring Number of days when the A2

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR COMMUNICATION AS CORPORATE SERVICE

With its corporate services, the Directorate-General for Communication ensures

In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication will further optimise the

 leading the preparations and implementing relevant changes on Europa linked to

 standardising the Information Technology solutions, in particular by upgrading of

Specific objective 2.1 - Corporate Service 1: Building a coherent web

Since 2012, the Directorate-General for Communication

 EU protects (#EUprotects) was launched in October 2018. During 2019, new

At the same time, the Directorate-General for Communication is stepping up its

The Directorate-General for Communication in collaboration with other Directorates-

Commission's communication networks

In 2019, the Directorate-General for Communication as domain leader for external

The Graphic Design Network of the European Commission, managed by the

In addition, a new network38 for communication procurement experts, launched in 2018,

Rationalising of communication framework contracts currently spread amongst

 Tackling supply-side market anomalies – An in-depth analysis by the

Targeted media coverage

In 2019, the main activities of the Spokesperson's Service will

 Europe by Satellite, the European Union's TV information service which provides

 Journalists information visits to the TV studios at the Berlaymont and other

 Intensifying in the distribution of corporate audiovisual material ahead of

o screening thematic videos (climate, energy, roaming, Schengen, Euro, plastic

o screening the videos in venues / buildings of the Commission and European

o intensifying the distribution towards local/regional media (focus on

o make use of the historical audiovisual archives on social media an in video

o continue to produce thematic playlists on EU tube (e.g. climate, energy,

 Audiovisual resources (photos, videos, films and audio recordings) continuously

o consolidating the central repository of the Commission's audiovisual

o organising the Audiovisual Portal as the main point of distribution;

o extending ways of distribution (Europeana, Social Media);

The Commission’s presence on social media is an opportunity to inform and engage in a

The Europe Direct Contact Centre, managed by the Directorate-General for

3. Team Europe in general supports the Directorate-General for Communication in

Representations and European Parliament’s Liaison Offices will continue their

Specific objective 3.2. - Communication Service 2: Citizens are better informed

Direct communication with citizens

THE ONLINE CONSULTATION

Greece 844 Non-EU countries 726

Slovakia 844 Not specified 2,572

As such, Citizens' Dialogues:

Whenever possible these various communication actions are organised in partnership

A. Human resource management

In the Directorate-General for Communication, the Human Resources Business

Regarding staff well-being and staff engagement, the Directorate-General for

 Organisational development and Staff engagement: Follow-up of the January 2019

 Learning and Development initiatives for the Directorate-General for

 Professionalisation initiatives for the External Communication Community across