Europe Direct

Europe Direct, the one stop shop for EU citizens' questions, has recently revised its website at http://europa.eu.int/europedirect/index_en.htm. A feature of the new page is the inclusion of a web assistance service to help people navigate Europa to find answers on anything to do with the EU, from the general to the specific, for example a request for a document or just some background information. The web assistance service aims to offer practical advice. It enables enquirers to complete their request online via a form and submit it to an operator who will respond directly. Queuing may occur at some times. The service is available Monday-Friday 9.00-18.30 CET.

Europe Direct sits slightly uneasily alongside the information relay networks. It offers a single telephone contact number which works for all member states, but in practice help may be much closer to hand. It seems particularly inappropriate, for example, for the official information networks to be asked to distribute advertising material about Europe Direct when they are in a position to deal with enquiries themselves