ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the official European Union (EU) strategy of communication with the general public and its role in the emerging electronic European public sphere (EPS). From a theoretical perspective, it is of particular interest that the internet's role in these policy documents is linked with the EPS and the enhancement of democratic procedures such as citizen's participation in the decision-making process, transparency and openness. Part of the vertical Europeanisation of the public dialogue is the top-down process of the EU's official communication strategy with the general public. Public communication alone cannot resolve the issue of the democratic deficit of the EU institutions. This is more a matter of political will and consensus on behalf of the member states than a technical or communication issue. This inevitably impacts not only on the implementation of the EU's public communication strategy but also on the conceptual framework that shapes the Commission's political outlook on the future of the Union.
