The creation of audio-visual material compliant with the EU Data Protection Regulation and the development of new strategies to reach out to EU audiences were some of the main topics of discussion during a workshop for press officers with experience in EU election observation missions (EOMs) organised by EODS on 22 and 23 June. The workshop was held on-line and gathered 12 press officers fielded on EU EOMs over the last seven years (2014 – 2020), as well as several high-profile representatives from the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) and the European External Action Service (EEAS). The event offered an opportunity to brainstorm about current practices and ways to implement the press officers' broader scope of work in the visibility and communications context. During the two-day event, the participants were introduced to the EU Data Protection Regulation and copyright policy and discussed how to create innovative audio-visual products compliant with those rules. FPI Communications and EEAS Division Strategic Communications also briefed the participants on what do the EU institutions expect from the EU EOM Press Officers' work. Practical approaches to an effective use of online communication channels, such as how to write a story for the web, were also addressed. The FPI and EEAS communications experts also provided an overview of the use of social media by EU Institutions and presented the EU EOM visibility strategy on the web. The third phase of the EODS (Election Observation and Democracy Support) project was launched last February and it has the communications of election observation missions as one of its main components for the next three years.
