| Author (Person) | Hudson, Grace |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Chadwyck-Healey Ltd |
| Series Title | Developments in European Information Issues |
| Publication Date | April 2000 |
| ISSN | 0264-7362 |
| Content Type | News |
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IGC database launched on the Council website Following the formal opening of the Intergovernmental Conference 2000 on 14th February the Council of the European Union has set up a database of the relevant documents at http://db.consilium.eu.int/CIG/default.asp?lang=en/. It offers the options of showing all documents, showing the most recent, searching by date range or searching by theme - though at present the themes are listed only in French. From a list of references hyperlinks take you to the full text. It is a very basic database and at the moment it contains only a very small number of references. However the Conference is due to complete its discussions and agree Treaty amendments by December 2000. No doubt as the year progresses this will prove to be a helpful source to keep track of an area which is sure to generate considerable interest. Reform of the Commission A key site to monitor for further developments will be the new website on the reform of the Commission at http://europa.eu.int/comm/reform/index_en.htm/. As well as a brief background explanation, it currently provides access to the text of the White Paper Reforming the Commission adopted on 1st March 2000, together with the Action Plan and Calendar, which lay out the plans for a radical overhaul of the Commission. Also on the site are a range of references and other documents such as press releases, codes of conduct, rules of procedure and the consultation documents leading up to the White Paper in addition to information on financial management and human resources. This will be an important single access point to the developments which are planned to take place over the next two years. Eurostat launches its new web site On 8th February 2000 Eurostat launched its new website at http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/ in English, French and German. It offers access to a wider range of free information, online ordering facilities, interactive features such as an alert function and automatic emailing of new publications. A search engine provides both a basic search and advanced search option. The initial impression, in contrast to the previous version, is of a very busy screen but the aim is to provide access at a single click to the whole range of data and services - or as Eurostat puts it - a 'complete toolbox'. Database information gives detailed content data including description of variables in pdf files. Updates to the web site are made daily at noon. More than three hundred of the latest key statistical indicators covering a range of topics are available free of charge. Information is also posted on the release calendar for the data. News releases dating from 1998 (with a few selected ones from 1997) are all accessible. Unfortunately anyone who has made a link to a specific one in the backfile will find that instead of being taken directly to it, they are simply offered the home page rather than the document. The Eurostat news section includes articles, introduction to new methodologies, seminar information and calls for tender. To look for subject data users can browse by one of the nine Eurostat themes or by collection of publications, for example Statistics in Focus. Alternatively the search function can be used but it is important to be as specific as possible in constructing the search strategy as terms such as 'transport' will bring up a wide range of publications under the transport theme. Remember to use double inverted commas to search for phrases. Not all information, of course, is free. However for anyone who wants to request specific data on a one-off basis, it is now possible to do that online via the web site. The question can be formulated on screen then sent to the Data Shop of choice. An estimate of the cost will be supplied before the enquiry goes ahead. Details of Eurostat's various products, from print to electronic as well as the bespoke services, are offered via the web site, together with an ordering facility. An issue of Statistics in Focus could be ordered online and supplied as a pdf file to registered customers. However not all of the data comes with a price tag. One of the new features is the alert service where users can subscribe free of charge either to receive an e-mail alert drawing attention to the publication of the latest information or automatic downloading to the user's PC of the latest news releases and key indicators, or publications information. Up to five queries can be saved at any time. To receive this service simply register then select your preferences online via the Eurostat Alert button. These can be changed at any time. There are certain limitations on what can be specified via this route and to receive, for example, notification of all new products of a collection of publications for one theme, you will need to use the customised notification function which can be set up through the search engine screen. When you conduct a search you can add your query to your list by clicking on the 'Add to your search engine' button. If you wish to delete it, you can remove it via your 'Alert me' status page. As well as the increased range of data now available here, the site also offers links to other statistical sources and contacts, such as the home pages of national statistical institutions, central banks and international organisations. It will take some time to get used to navigating round this new site and become fully aware of all the new facilities. However it does appear to offer improved access to EU statistics both by allowing individual customisation and by making enhanced use of the Internet to disseminate the data. EMCDDA produces a CD-ROM of EU legal texts on drugs The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction produced its first CD-ROM at the end of January 2000. Containing more than 200 key legal texts, conclusions of European Council meetings on drug issues and the Commission Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2000-2004), it offers an overview of the EU's actions and policies on drug issues over the last decade. It is available in English at a cost of 70 EUR. Ordering details can be found on the publications pages of EMCDDA's web site at http://www.emcdda.org/publications/publications_cd.shtml/ Review of EIRO The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has announced that it has commissioned the Publishing Industry Research Association to carry out a study on the European Industrial Relations Observatory web site. Working with a research group from University College Cork, PIRA will examine the content, presentation, language, country balance and ease of use of the web site to assess user satisfaction and find out what additional features would be welcomed. EIRO can be visited at http://www.eiro.eurofound.ie/ Thematic index to the Commission pages on Europa The reorganisation of the Commission pages following the reforms set in train in September 1999 includes a welcome new feature to assist users to find their way around. A thematic index is being constructed at http://europa.eu.int/comm/atoz_en.htm/. Not all letters on the alphabetic list are live yet and some sections are currently rather thin on headings, but it is nonetheless a useful first step and one to be encouraged. Pre-Lex makes its debut A new web interface database called Pre-Lex is now available on the Internet at http://europa.eu.int/prelex/rech_simple.cfm?CL=en/. It will monitor the decision-making process and replaces the APC database which ceased when CAA access was closed at the end of 1999. The database does not include text or abstracts but does offer links to documents available elsewhere on the Internet, eg EP reports or EUR-Lex links. Like the European Parliament's OEIL database or - simpler to pronounce - Legislative Observatory, it is free of charge. Pre-Lex incorporates the data from APC but background information has yet to be published about its precise content coverage and currency. As the function of Pre-Lex and OEIL is very similar, only experience of detailed use over a period of time will allow meaningful comparisons to be drawn, but it is a matter which will be addressed again at a later date. Meantime any comments and suggestions should be passed on to Nicole.HUCKERT@cec.eu.int Online publications catalogue of the European Commission's DG environment The DG Environment of the European Commission has produced an online catalogue of its main publications from 1996 to date. It is organised under 15 themes with headings such as land, air, risks, and waste. Short abstracts describe the publication content and there are hyperlinks where publications are freely available in electronic format. Print copies of the free publications can be ordered through: |
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| Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research, Environment |
