The European Union and Its Public Relations : Context, Actions, and Challenges of a Supranational Polity

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is the most advanced regional political and economic entity in the world. Since the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the EU has gained increasing power in enacting new legislation in Europe, and has become a key player in international and trade relations. The EU as a supranational polity comprises different types of organizations that daily employ communication as a strategic means to establish relationships with different publics. This chapter presents and discusses the context, the actions, and the challenges faced by the EU in communicating to and with its diverse publics. Particularly, it shows how public relations and communication activities have played a key role in fostering mutual and beneficial relationships between the EU institutions and nation-states, their citizens, and other key publics, as well as international relations between the EU and non-EU countries. It offers insights and reflections on the EU and its global public relations efforts by showing the complexity of conceptualizing, developing, and implementing strategic communications in a multicultural environment.