Discussion on communication with EU institutions held in Sofia

One of the main objectives of the European Commission is to revive direct contact between citizens and the institutions of the European Union, Ognyan Zlatev, the head of the Europeaan Commission's Prepresentation in Bulgaria, said on 19^th of June at a discussion of the Dialogue with Citizens initiative, which brings together members of the European Commission with the people in all member states. The discussion today focused on communication between institutions and citizens.

Robert Soltic, a journalist, now an adviser to the Commission, said the most difficult topic to explain today is migration. Ralitza Kovacheva, a lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Sofia University, stressed that the understanding of European policies depends not only on Brussels but also on our national representatives.

The members of the public participating in the discussion raised a number of questions - from the parameters of the future budget of the community to the freedom of speech in the European media. The Civic Dialogue initiative is organized particularly intensively during the Bulgarian Presidency in Sofia and in various cities across the country. The discussions between the European Commissioners and the people about the future of Europe continues after Austria takes over the presidency from Bulgaria.