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EU's new £2.5m propaganda drive in US

Thursday, 9th October 2008

Among the millions of pounds that the EU wastes each year, one item of expenditure that seems to have received little publicity is the £2.5 million Brussels will give to American universities over the next three years.

Never keen to hide their light under a bushel, the Eurocrats are promoting their cause through was are called European Centers of Excellence in the US. The purpose of such excellence is to "promote the study of the EU, its institutions and policies".

It seems the EU is concerned that Americans do not know enough about the EU. More likely, Brussels thinks they know too many of the things that reflect badly on it and throwing money at American academics will help to ensure that the "right" stories are told. After all, who is going to criticise the EU with Brussels money in his pocket?

The latest exercise in self-promotion follows the creation two years ago of an EU Press and Public Diplomacy Section at its so-called "Outreach" office in Washington. Its task is to "communicate the Union's policies, goals and values to policymakers, media representatives and the American public".

This organisation pumps out newsletters, briefing papers, videos and masses of other material designed to convince Americans that the EU is a good thing. "Publishers, " it says, "may contact our Audiovisual Office for slides, CDs, prints and a camera-ready EU logo."

In other words, it's a massive propaganda exercise, financed by European taxpayers' money, designed to show the EU in the best possible light.

And there we were thinking Britain was the place that had the special relationship with the US.

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