From Ms M. Francica

I refer to the article entitled “Europe Direct – A vital link between citizens and EU” (TMIS, 26 June) in which the author explained the centralised telephone and e-mail service the DG Press of the European Commission maintains in its offices in Brussels. What the author left out (maybe because this is a really new service) is that as from 1 May this year, this same Directorate General created a network of 393 Europe Direct Info Relays throughout all the 25 EU member States, including Malta, where one of these centres is being set up.

This Information Relay aims to be a link between all the European Institutions (Commission, Parliament and Council) and Maltese and Gozitan citizens.

Our role is to offer independent information directly from the institutions themselves, which will help the general public understand what is happening in Brussels. We aim to offer a local service that not only distributes publications, but also listens to what the public is saying and reports back to the European institutions. We want to complement, not replace or replicate, all the other information points and relays on the European Union in Malta.

Our single most distinguishing feature is that our focus is the citizen – from the children to the elderly, from unemployed to the professionals. We are neither part of the government, nor of any political party. We have been given the remit to focus especially on the southern part of Malta in the first few years of operation.

We are in the last phases of preparing a drop-in centre in Hamrun, where people can just walk in, enjoy some good coffee, have a chat with us and browse through some books and information on the European Union. This centre will be officially open in September, although it is already possible to visit us by calling on 21224900 to make an appointment or by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

We will have access to Europe by satellite (the dedicated news agency of the European Commission), a lending library of books, materials for teachers and students for their projects, an Internet point to access the Europa website and of course our courteous staff that is ready to serve you.

We will also be sending out a newsletter and a quarterly publication to 10,000 individuals, and are looking forward to fruitful collaboration agreements with local councils all over the islands, especially those in the south.

I hope I have managed to explain our services, but feel free to visit our website on www.europedirect malta.com where there is also a calendar of events and some interesting links.

We be more than happy to talk to any of your journalists / correspondents and explain in more detail our new service and its mission, which is part of the new communication strategy that Commissioner Margot Wallstrom wholeheartedly believes in.

Maryrose Francica

Manager

Europe Direct Information Relay – Malta & Gozo