An Eurosceptic sentiment is spreading in several member states. Pawel Chmielinski, PhD at the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics - National Research Institute, illustrates how PERCEIVE might lead toward a more positive identification with the EU: there is the need to show the connection between the Union as an institution and the local context, where citizens’ everyday life is improved.

What’s your favorite part of the project?

This is a challenge to find out and think of how European policy contributes and can better contribute to a positive identification with the idea of the European Union as such, to the emergence of a valued, popular sense of European identity among its citizens. As rural economist I am also looking forward to get answers for the following questions: What is the rural dimension of the project? What is the influence of the social environment that rural population grows up and lives in, on Europeans’ identities and their sense of belonging?

Do you have any specific expectation on the project?

Yes, these are two: one is connected to research, to better understanding how EU policies work answering the needs of EU citizens and what in this field can be improved. And second is more practical, to find out how people feel about the EU and how it can be connected to implementing, promoting or communicating the policy by government, local municipality etc. I believe all this could enhance positive identification of people with European Union project.

Who do you think this project is useful for?

Of course policy makers, those who tailor and shape tools and have to precisely predict their potential impact – not only economic but also social and cultural.

But the project is also important for all of us, in the EU. Europe has worked many years to develop so called European identities, a set of values that citizens of many countries in this part of the world can share and appreciate. Currently in some EU states we observe a deficit of democracy, while democratic values constitute the foundation of the European shared identity. That means that there is a problem in communication between EU bodies and citizens and we need to find new, proper channels not only of vertical (EU – citizen) but also horizontal (media to public or among citizens) manner.

EU is not only a Brussels administration but lots of small projects led be people from our neighbourhood, who are using EU tools and resources to change the place where they and we live. And the policy is to stimulate their creativity but also to show priorities that are important from more global perspective, at the level of country or Europe. So we need better understanding of the relationship between European regional policies, local and regional identities and the perception of the added value of the EU by its citizens.

I hope, at the end of the project, we will be able to share research outputs, translated into a message to general public (citizens). Identification of those mechanisms can help in communication on EU and its policies not only in vertical (EU – citizen) but also horizontal (media to public or among citizens) manner.