The trilingual website of the EuroMed Info Centre - the EU-funded project promoting awareness of the EuroMed Partnership (Barcelona Process) and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) – which is also available in Arabic - has received thousands of hits from across the region in its first week of operation.
It is also the first such important source of information in Arabic - reflecting the EU’s efforts to come closer to the citizens of this region.
www.euromedinfo.eu, the first dedicated website with information and news on relations and cooperation between the EU and its 10 Mediterranean partners, was simultaneously launched in Arabic, French and English last week.
This is the only website that provides a vast amount of information on the EU’s partnership with Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Turkey. It contains useful links, is user-friendly and written in an easy-to-understand way, avoiding jargon and complicated terms.
The website is hosted and run by the EuroMed Info Centre, is a ‘one-stop shop’ for Euro-Mediterranean news, and also contains information ranging from why the EuroMed Partnership became the ENP, to EU-funded projects in each country, EU-backed projects in the region, bilateral relations, important reports and documents.
Commenting on the website and the work of the EuroMed Info Centre, External Relations and ENP Commissioner, Benita Fererro-Waldner, said:
“Like any policy, our Neighbourhood Policy can only truly succeed if it has the support of the people of the countries that comprise the partnership. Therefore ‘spreading the word’ to the media and the general public is crucial. Over the past 18 months the EuroMed Info Centre in Brussels has served this purpose well. With the launch of its newly-revamped website in three languages – including Arabic, which I consider to be of particular significance – I am confident that it will be in an even better position to fulfil its task of raising the visibility of the European Neighbourhood Policy. I sincerely hope that you, the Internet users in the region, will make good use of the new EuroMed Info Centre website. I believe that it will contribute to learning about the advantages that the European Union’s genuine partnership with the countries in our neighbourhood can bring to each of you.”
The website carries news from over 60 sources monitored by the EuroMed Info Centre, including the European Commission, the European Parliament, the EU Delegations, the European Investment Bank, funded bilateral and regional projects and think-tanks. Its news archive, from the official sources, begins as far back as January 2005.
It is a useful source for practical information, has an effective search engine, a photo gallery, videos and an events calendar.
Another feature is a poll with a question to be changed regularly in an effort to gauge the views of visitors on issues relating to this partnership. The first question is: How would you describe public awareness of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in the MEDA countries?
The new website is a valuable tool for anyone interested in information on the EuroMed Partnership.
It is, however, of particular importance to journalists who can register to have access to the ‘Press Section’, with information and sources of special relevance and use to the media.
