A study visit to Brussels was carried out in April 2008.The purpose of the visit was to study how different players in Brussels are organised and how they work, primarily with information and communication strategies, but also with issues suchas transparency, e-governance and neighbourhood policy.

A number of visits at EU institutions, as well as meetings at different interest organisations that try to influence these institutions, were held. The delegation made a large number of contacts and they also had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with Brussels.

The main theme was thus communication strategies and activities.

Issues such as dialogue, openness and transparency were discussed intensively. Another topic was how Ukrainian officials can communicate and negotiate with the EU institutions about adapting to EU-norms and concerning EUs neighbourhood policy.

An entire day was spent at the Commission, another full day at the

EU Parliament, during the remaining days meetings were held with journalists, lobbyists and public relations and human rights specialists.

Participants from Ukraine were:

Nataliia Dniprenko, Acting Head of Communication at the

Secretariat of Cabinet of Ministers

Nataliia Oksha, Head of the Unit for Government Relations to Civil

Society at the Secretariat of Cabinet of Ministers

Andriy Masalskyy, Head of Strategic Information at the Secretariat of the President

Iuliia Torgovets, Press service at the Secretariat of the President

Viktor Skriabin, Head of the Information at the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Economy

Roksolana Stadnyk, Head of the Information at the Ministry of Economy

Olga Shumylo, advisor on EU- integration to the Vice Prime Minister

Iaroslava Kot, Communication specialist at the Department of EU-integration at the Secretariat of Cabinet of Ministers