BE-EU: Communicating Europe Outside the Box

The EUROPE DIRECT Florence communication campaign is underway, combining artistic language with in-depth analysis of current European Union issues.

The European Union comes to life through real issues that affect people’s daily lives.

Explaining what the European Union does, what it works on, and, most importantly, how it impacts our daily lives: this is the goal of “BE-EU: Communicating Europe Outside the Box”, the new campaign created by EUROPE DIRECT Florence under the artistic direction of Nextudio.

Such goal is achieved through five artworks created by five nationally and internationally renowned artists, specifically designed to capture people’s attention in public spaces. The works will be displayed throughout the city starting from July 1 2026, appearing on billboards at various locations in the city centre.

Each artwork will be dedicated to a specific theme that’s relevant to the work of the European Union, and through the EUROPE DIRECT Florence website, visitors will be able to explore related EU policies, campaigns, and opportunities that impact the daily lives of all citizens.

With its straightforward, stimulating, and wide-reaching visual language, BE-EU brings the Union into the urban space, turning institutional communication into a cultural tool that can catch people’s eyes, spark questions, and forge connections. This campaign thus uses poster art not merely as a graphic tool, but as a form of public communication: approachable, recognisable, accessible, and present in the places people walk through every day.

Protect and restore ocean and waters

The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Prolonged droughts, floods, extreme weather events, and the decline of biodiversity are causing increasingly serious damage to local areas and communities. To address these challenges, the European Union launched a wide-ranging programme of economic and environmental transformation through the European Green Deal, a strategy that aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, whilst simultaneously promoting sustainable, competitive and inclusive development.

The protection of water resources, rivers, lakes, and seas is a key priority of this programme. The legal basis for European action is the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), which establishes an integrated system for the management of inland surface waters, coastal waters, transitional waters, and groundwater. The Directive also promotes the protection of aquatic ecosystems and the sustainable use of water resources, thus recognising the environmental, economic, and social value of water. Currently, the European regulatory framework is undergoing a process of updating so that it can respond even more effectively to the latest challenges posed by climate change and pollution.

In addition to legislative measures, the European Commission has recently reinforced its commitment through the European Water resilience strategy, which aims to improve the management of the entire water cycle, from source to sea. Its ultimate goal is to ensure that water resources can withstand the effects of the climate crisis more effectively through the protection of natural ecosystems, efficient water use, pollution reduction, and the restoration of the natural water cycle.

EU Missions also play a central role; initiated under the Horizon Europe programme, they bring together institutions, researchers, businesses, local authorities and citizens to develop practical solutions to major contemporary challenges. One such mission, "Restore Our Ocean and Waters", aims to protect and restore the health of oceans, seas, rivers and lakes by 2030 through research, innovation, sustainable investment and active citizen participation. The mission is structured around three main objectives:

Protecting and restoring marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity
Protecting oceans, seas and watercourses by eliminating pollution
Promoting a sustainable, circular, and carbon-neutral blue economy

The protection of water resources concerns not only natural ecosystems, but also people’s quality of life, public health, local economies and societal resilience. As such, European climate and environmental policies can have a real impact on local areas, helping to build more sustainable cities and communities.

The first artwork was created by Claudia Bessi, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Florence, who interpreted the theme of protecting oceans and waters by setting it within the landscape of the river Arno. With her soft, captivating lines, pastel colours, and a composition full of details, the artist brings to light an ecosystem that is often invisible to the eye: the pike, the European eel, the chub, the roach, the tench and other freshwater fish, all swimming through lush vegetation, convey the richness of the flora and, particularly, the fauna that inhabits the river, often hidden beneath the surface. The result is an artwork that reflects the urban environment, highlighting the importance of protecting marine and river ecosystems to combat climate change whilst also inspiring new imaginative perspectives on how cities can be experienced.