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

EMCDDA launches redesigned web site

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction launched its redesigned web site at Online Information '99. Established in 1993 this is one of the EU's newer agencies, monitoring drug use and related issues in Europe. The web site has a distinctive brand image with style and colours matching the agency's print publications and provides a wealth of drug-related information from a social and health perspective. It includes information on its activities; details of its publications with downloadable electronic versions of key titles; links to drug information centres and organisations in Europe and elsewhere; press releases; in-depth information on drug use in Europe; free access to a range of specialised databases, eg drug demand-reduction programmes and bibliographic information on drug abuse; plus links to a number of external databases. Still under development are features such as interactive tools to enable users to create their own graphs of statistics on drug issues in Europe and new databases covering training in drug prevention and treatment, and the legal position on drug use in the EU member states.

Already a valuable resource, as it develops further this clearly laid out and easy to navigate site looks set to become an essential port of call for social scientists and health professionals involved in drug issues. Visit the web site at http://www.emcdda.eu.int/ for more information.

IGC on institutional reform

A new web site has been launched at http://europa.eu.int/igc2000/index_en.htm/ to cover the Intergovernmental Conference to resolve the institutional reform issues outstanding after the Treaty of Amsterdam in preparation for EU enlargement. Topics such as the size and composition of the Commission, extension of qualified majority voting and the weighting of votes need to be addressed. The texts of a number of key documents and speeches are already available together with a link to the Retrospective database on the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference. As discussions proceed, this will no doubt become a “must visit” site.