Wednesday, 17th September 2008 - 10:12CET
Updated: European Parliament launches webtv service
The European Parliament today launches an internet-based television service aimed at different audiences ranging from those with a direct interest in politics to children. It will also stream EP plenary sittings.
EuroparlTV will be carried on www.europarltv.europa.eu
"The channel will take the European Parliament inside people's homes with the aim of bringing the life of the institution closer to the citizen in a modern and creative format," the European Parliament office in Malta said.
Besides being more cost-effective when compared to a traditional broadcast channel, the European Parliament decided to go for a web television channel due to the enormous technical advantages it offers. EuroparlTV viewers, for example, will be able to watch proceedings 20 different languages, including Maltese. Some programmes will be voiced-over and others will have subtitles.
EuroparlTV is split into four channels, each directed to a different audience: They are:
Your Parliament - aimed at those with an interest in politics at an EU level;
Your Voice - conceived for the general public;
Young Europe - aimed at school-aged children;
Parliament LIVE - providing continious coverage of live events in the European Parliament.
"A main aim of this channel is to ensure that the legislative work of the European Parliament and the work of the Members of the European Parliament are better understood by citizens," Julian Vassallo, Head of the European Parliament Office in Valletta, said.
"As a web TV channel, EuroparlTV is not only revolutionary and innovative - given the increasing importance of the Internet as a communication tool - but also offers a whole range of audiovisual material which people may watch when and where they wish," he said.
EuroparlTV is being launched by EP President Hans Gert Pöttering during a ceremony at the European Parliament in Brussels. The annual budget allocation for EuroparlTV is of €9 million.
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EU in race with Russia for Nigerian gas
Today @ 10:12 CET
The EU has offered Nigeria financial and political backing for a €15bn trans-Saharan pipeline to pump its gas directly to Europe, with mounting fears that Gazprom hopes to win access to Nigeria’s vast gas reserves and thus tighten its grip on energy supplies to the EU, the FT reports.
This is what the eu is interested in, not helping us with our illegal immigrants problems.
Have a look at http://euobserver.com/9/26765
You have now seen the light.
Well of course I believe that the EU was going to help us! Otherwise I would never have voted IVA in the referendum if I had the foresight to see that our shores would be invaded by illegals.
But hindsight is 20-20...
In other words, this service is a means of furthering and improving the democracy within the European Union, something that we do not even have access here, on a national level.
We do not, easily, enter Parliament daily or at will, to listen in to the proceedings going on in the House of Representatives - our Representatives! We rarely get to know as to who does not attend, who does not participate, etc...
On the contrary, at the European Parliament, every citizen within the EU, you and I, can VERY EASILY web into the EP's and other committees' proceedings.
Not only that: but we can also listen to, and read about, the proceedings in our mother language, thanks to interpreters and translators!
I think this is a marvellous step in the right direction.
Did you ever believe that the eu was going to help us?
You must be living in cuckoo land.
In the second feature, there is a small snippet at the end regarding Malta. The whole beginning of the video is the same brainwashing regarding the loosening of border controls, then when it came to the Maltese snippet, they got a Jesuit volunteer who spoke about the illegals being treated inhumanely, not being granted any food, being closed for public, and so on. Only at the very end of the video is there a fisherman of all people explaining intelligently that it is not a question of race. That these people can be white, black or ginger but Malta can NOT withstand an invasion on this grand scale.
I've seriously given up all hope on the EU trying to help us with this situation.