Open Society Foundations
EU Advocacy and Communications Workshop September, 2015 Iskra Kirova, Eleanor Kelly, Antonia Zafeiri
EU Advocacy and media channels for Ukraine
Session objectives Good grasp of: • EU interlocutors/media, how to access them, how to build relationships
• Policy opportunities by interlocutor • Best tools and tactics by interlocutor/media
European Commission and EEAS Power analysis What/who will convince them? What do they care about? Can you develop advocacy assets? At what level? • What tools can you use? • • • •
Identifying targets in the EC/EEAS • DGs with external remit: NEAR, DEVCO, ECHO, Trade, Energy • Other relevant DGs and services: Justice, Home, FPI, OLAF, EPSC • Advisory groups, taskforces and similar: Ukraine Support Group • CSDP mission headquarters • Commissioner Cabinets • Presence in Ukraine Level: low/mid-level advocacy (desk officer, head of unit, director, advisor)
Identifying targets in EC/EEAS • Commissioners, including HR/VP • EUSRs Level: high-level advocacy
Channels of influence at the EC/EEAS • Meetings with officials • Input to regularly planned consultations: Progress Reports, VLAP reports, policy reviews (ENP), programming cycle reviews (multiannual, mid-term, annual), mission reviews (EUAM) • Contribute to bilateral meetings with government: human rights dialogues, association councils, committees and subcommittees, summits
• Input to ad hoc consultations: countering Russian propaganda, review of EU external action
Council (of the EU) and European Council Power analysis What/who will convince them? What do they care about? Can you develop advocacy assets? At what level? • What tools can you use? • • • •
Identifying targets at Council and EUCO • Council working groups (COEST and COSCE) target entry point • Secretariat of the Council
• Cabinet of EUCO president Level: low/mid-level advocacy
Identifying targets at Council and EUCO • COREPER • FAC • EUCO Level: high-level advocacy
Channels of influence at Council/EUCO • Input before sessions (weekly) • Meetings with individual delegates • Briefings at session or in informal setting hosted by a friendly member state • Permanent chair of working group
Member states (capital level) Be strategic and selective: • 1-2 key players around a specific timebound policy opportunity • Through a network of local partners or within an international campaign/coalition Have you exhausted the potential of Ukraine/Brussels representation? • Heads of mission and policy officer meetings
European Parliament Power analysis What/who will convince them? What do they care about? Can you develop advocacy assets? At what level? • What tools can you use? • • • •
Identifying targets at the EP • MEPs and their advisors • Committees with foreign policy responsibility: AFET, DROI, SEDE • Political group policy advisors • Cabinet of President • Resolution drafters • Rapporteurs/shadow rapporteurs • Inter-parliamentary delegations, EURONEST • Secretariat (Directorate-General for External Policies) Level: low/mid-level advocacy
Channels of influence at EP • Meetings with MEPs – choreography and preparation • Parliamentary reports, resolutions, questions, hearings • Events, exhibitions, screenings, other creative tactics/tools
Civil Society Networks • Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum • Human Rights and Democracy Network (HRDN) • European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO)
EU Media
What Do EU Decision Makers Read? • • • • • • •
POLITICO (54,6K) EU Observer (31,7K) EurActiv (43,9) New Europe (24K) The Parliament Magazine (18,4K) Euronews (134K) National Correspondents
What makes a news story • Something new (but this may not be as important as you think) • Timeliness e.g. an anniversary or special occasion. A ‘hook’ or a deadline. • Relevance to the audience • Something surprising or unexpected (challenging accepted wisdom, changing position) • Someone interesting saying it (or a combination of interesting people) • Something controversial • Numbers / a clear top line fact You can both create news and respond to it
External Opportunities (Responding) • Keep an eye on the EU agenda • Keep an eye on Commission’s midday press briefings • Political developments • Developments linked to the conflict and peace process • Anniversaries – Elections – Summits - High Level visits
Internal Opportunities (Creating) • Create a media asset (infographics, multimedia) • Identify the most newsworthy aspect of your report • Give access to new spokespeople and human stories • Become a reliable source
Way in: Opinion Articles Letter to the Editor Appear in English-speaking Ukrainian media Be ready to respond/comment on developments: think in soundbites • Invite international correspondents to press briefings • Organize a press visit in Ukraine • Try TV and radio interviews – start small • • • •