However, both try to address EU policy areas, which is of course also a big challenge in itself but not the point I wanted to make.

As far as I can see none of the 135 videos on EUtube looks at decision making processes or aims at explaining the institutions in a understandable way.

In times where citizens blame “Brussels” for everything but, at the same time, have little understanding of the different institutions I think it is important to explain political processes (in a neutral way!).

For example, I doubt that lots of people can make the difference between the Council and the Council of Europe. Moreover it seems that it is not a known fact that the Council is made up of national ministers… Nobody actually can tell you some details about the
role of the European Parliament or the Commission… Usually you hear “Brussels bureaucrats decide/impose/want” mixed with a few EU myths.

I think as long as people don’t have a basic understanding about the institutional functioning of the EU as they (hopefully) have about their national political system the EU will remain a mystery to most of its population!

Of course this is a complex problem and online videos are surely not the answer to everything, but since it is an easy and cheap way to communicate at the moment, they should give it a try!

I certainly concur that the EU should take notice of the very idea of simplifying complicated processes – but I disagree with your take on EUtube – the ‘let’s all come together’ video was probably one of the best political communications I’ve ever seen!

Let’s just hope that if the EU takes up the challenge, they pick someone with a slightly less annoying voice than the commoncraft guy…