Visitors' Centre of the European Commission

Visitors' Centre of the European Commission

Contact
Juergen Wettig
Main Organisation
DG for Communication
Department/Sector/Unit
COMM.B.4.001

Description

The European Commission’s Visitors’ Centre is based in Brussels. It was created to provide the public with an understanding of how the European Commission works and to explain its policies and priorities. The overall objective of the Visitors' Centre is to bring Europe closer to the EU public.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-european-commission/visit-european-comm… 

Participation Spectrum
Inform

When and Where

Start Year
2015

Policy Context

Policy Stage
Not applicable
Context of activity
Other
External communication policy of the European Commission
Science or Policy Field
Agriculture
Climate Action
Culture
Development and Cooperation
Digital Economy
Education
Employment
Energy
Environment
EU Citizenship
Finance
Food Safety
Health
Land Use
Regional Policy
Research and Innovation
Society
Transport

Participants

Participants
50000
Who was involved
Citizens
Citizen Representatives (e.g. NGOs)
Specific Communities (e.g. patients, students)
Communities or representatives involved
Secondary students, undergraduate and postgraduate students, national, regional and local parliaments and governments, journalists, business associations, public and private-sector professionals, trade unions, academia and many more.
How were the Participants selected?
Other
Registration for a visit at their own initiative
Registration for a visit via the Commission Representations in the Member States
Through what means citizens knew about the call for participation?
https://ec.europa.eu/info/about-european-commission/visit-european-commission/visitors-centre_en

Methodologies

Events
1750
Methodologies used
Other
Methodology description
No particular methodology. Commission colleagues give general or thematic presentations to visiting groups during their visit.
Tools Used
Social Media
Spaces Used
Visitors' Centre

Impact

Output
Media product
Other
Articles in the press
Blogs
Vlogs
Main Outcomes and Lasting Achievement
A visit to the Commission always creates a lasting impression!
How were the outcome taken up within the process they were carried out?
Only to improve the services offered.
Feedback provided
We didn't go back to the community
Other
Other Feedback
Most visiting groups see their visit as a "one-off" and don't want to be contacted afterwards.
Were the methodologies used elsewhere?
N/A

Assessment

Main Challenges
Difficulties in channeling citizens' voice into the policy stage for which it was designed
Few human resources to carry out activity
Reason for such challenges and solutions
The work of the Visitors' Centre' remit is first and foremost informing visitors and not really designed to feed into the policy process.
Lessons Learn
N/A
Recommendation
The work of the Visitors' Centre is demand-driven - we engage with visitors because they have applied for a visit.