Some great snippets from the EU Observer . . .

There’s this on “transparency”:

New rules on public access to EU documents have prompted one of the European Commission’s key departments to circulate a memo warning officials to be careful about what they write in emails and advising them on how to narrowly interpret requests for information. The 15-page handbook was circulated in January to officials working in the commission directorate for trade, one of the EU’s most important policy areas affecting millions of people both within and beyond the bloc. It reminds DG trade employees that all documents, including emails, are “in principle subject to disclosure” and asks them to think of the regulation when they are producing documents.
[snip] As a way of avoiding officials having to blank out parts of documents they release to the public, the transparency guide suggests writing two accounts of meetings, a “factual” or neutral one that can be released to the public and a more “personal/subjective” one with assessments and recommendations for follow up that need not be disclosed.

Then there’s this on the EU elections:

With European Parliament elections fast approaching, EU citizens are less interested in the poll than ever before in a situation that could see the abstention rate across the bloc hit a record 66 percent.

But don’t despair:

The sole silver lining from the survey is that the record abstinence appears to be no indication of growing euroscepticism, but rather a feeling that the vote will not make any difference. Just 20 percent of those surveyed cited rejection of the construction of a European community as their reason for not voting. However, some 64 percent said they were not intending to vote because they had little knowledge of the role of MEPs while 62 percent said it was because voting would not change anything.

Oh, so that’s okay then. In any event, the bureaucrats are on the case:

Meanwhile, the European Commission is hoping to convince young people to say “No” to abstinence.[A worthy sentiment, doubtless, but I suspect that something may have been lost in translation]: The EU executive has hooked up with MTV to launch an EU-wide campaign similar to the music channel’s celebrated “Rock the Vote” initiative in the US to urge youngsters to take part in the June poll.

The Daily Telegraph’s Bruno Waterfield does not appear to be very appreciative of this effort:

People, young or old, should not vote in the European elections unless they think they are being offered a manifesto that directly addresses politics – for the EU, to reform it or against it. It is better not to vote than to perpetuate a ghastly sham. If low turnout reflects a lack of political engagement with the EU project then so be it. It is certainly better to do nothing than to indulge the creepy, vampire-like proclivities of the political living dead in their restless search for youthful affirmation via stunts like this.

Read the whole thing (warning: contains a distasteful, if accurate, analogy).