Developments in European information issues: Networks and relays – Services – Products, February 2000

Europe by Satellite on the Internet

The EU's broadcasting service Europe by Satellite can now be viewed on the Internet. At present the service is restricted to live programmes or transmissions of the last 72 hours, available either in the original language or in English. The plan however is to enable access shortly to all transmissions of the last 7 days in all 11 official languages. For more information about the service, the schedule of programmes and conditions of use, see the Europe by Satellite web site currently at http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg10/ebs/index.html/. Browsers Netscape Communicator 4.51 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, or higher, are essential. A plug-in, RealPlayer G2, is also needed but can be downloaded from the site.

Ellis acquired by the Thomson Corporation

Ellis Publications of the Netherlands which produces OJ CD and Euroref as well as a range of more subject focussed CD ROMs was acquired by The Thomson Corporation in November 1999. As Thomson currently owns Westlaw, this move opens up interesting opportunities to integrate EU legal information with national data. Meantime the web version of OJ CD, OJ Online, is due to be launched in January 2000. Using the same software and interface as the CD ROM, the web product will be updated bi-weekly and will also offer pdf files of Official Journal records dating from 1998. The new current awareness service EU Aware is expected to follow shortly.

For more information see Ellis Publications' web site at http://www.epms.nl/ellis/