EP to host conference on parliamentary communication

How to develop a comprehensive communication strategy for a legislative assembly will be debated between MEPs and national MPs during an EP conference in Brussels on Tuesday 29 January.Invited guests are national parliamentarians from the Western Balkan countries, Georgia and Ukraine. The conference will seek to introduce the participants to how the European Parliament works with communication, in order to exchange best practices and models for reaching out to citizens. The discussions will not only focus on the EP communication policy and strategy ahead of the next European elections on 23-26 May 2019, but also on ways for legislative assemblies to monitor public opinion and how to fight disinformation and “fake news”.Speakers include MEPs and EP civil servants, and each intervention will also be wrapped up with a debate and a question and answer session. See detailed programme and list of participants.The conference is part of the European Parliament Support Programme for the parliaments of pre-accession countries. lt is organised by the EP Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG), presided over by the Chair of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and the Chair of the EP Committee on Development (DEVE).Mr Eduard Kukan (EPP, SK), Chair of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee Working Group on the Western Balkans and prominent DEG member for the pre-accession countries, will lead the conference.ConferenceWHERE: European Parliament’s Altiero Spinelli building in Brussels, room 3E2.WHEN: Tuesday 29 January, 09.00 – 17.45.Practical information for journalistsJournalists that already hold permanent media accreditation with the European Parliament will be able to access the event. For those not holding permanent media accreditation, requests to attend the meeting can be sent to media.accreditation@ep.europa.eu. Video and photo journalists should get special accreditation (“T-badge”) to be allowed to use their cameras during the meeting.