The President of the European Commission was about to close his press conference to launch the Commission's White Paper on Governance yesterday when a Spanish journalist said he had a problem. His newspaper had applied to the Royal Academy in Madrid to ask if it could use the word governance.
What, he wanted to know, did it actually mean?
Mr Romani Prodi adopted his most patient, professorial tone and explained that in Italian, the word was translated as the way in which we govern ourselves.
"If you can't find a single word, you have to use a circumlocution. I think it does convey some meaning," he said.
The exchange highlighted the challenge the Commission faces as it attempts to bring the EU closer to European citizens. In a system so complex it has almost created a language of its own, each attempt at reform appears to add a new layer of jargon. The White Paper has a lot of good ideas, many of which are long overdue. They include a proposal to simplify EU rules, which now run to 80,000 pages, and to take more account of local conditions in implementing them.
From now on, the Commission will propose to act at a European level only if it is certain such action is necessary and that the public will be persuaded of its necessity.
If the EU uses expert advice, the Commission will say where the advice is coming from and what alternative views are available.
These moves could help to restore public confidence in European institutions. But although Mr Prodi is confident he can change the way the EU is perceived before Ireland holds a second referendum on the Nice Treaty next year, Commission officials believe the White Paper is just the first step in a long process.
"We've agreed to take stock at the end of next year. Nobody imagines that this is a magic bullet that will make everyone love us overnight," one senior official said last night.
One problem is that, for many of the proposed reforms to bear fruit, the Commission needs the co-operation of the 15 member-states.
Although the Commission proposes EU rules, they can be effective only if national authorities ensure they are transposed and enforced fully and on time.
Among the steps which aim to open the EU consultation process is a proposal to involve regional and local authorities more closely in policy-making. Any such move requires the approval of national governments. Member-states with a delicately balanced federal structure, such as Spain, will view the proposal with deep suspicion.
Similarly, the White Paper calls for changes in the Council of Ministers, where ministers from the member-states meet to approve, amend or reject EU laws proposed by the Commission. All the proposed changes are desirable, particularly a call for foreign ministers to fulfil their responsibility to co-ordinate policies throughout different sectors.
But the Commission can do no more than make suggestions where the Council is concerned; only the member-states can take action. Perhaps the most formidable hurdle facing the Commission in its struggle to appear less remote from the people is that, for most citizens, European issues are mediated through national governments. As Mr Prodi said in this newspaper yesterday, national governments are quick to blame Brussels for unpopular decisions, even if they have approved the controversial measures.
Reflecting on the G8 summit in Genoa, Mr Prodi condemned the violent protests but said that the hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators had an important message for political leaders.
"The gap in Genoa was so enormous. We were enclosed in the palazzo. The town outside was deserted. Further out, you had these demonstrations. There was certainly physical isolation from the citizens." The Commission appears to understand that the isolation is more than physical and yesterday's White Paper is a laudable attempt to bridge the gap with Europe's citizens.