Anyone with Internet access will be able to watch a regularly changing set of programmes based around the life of the European Parliament, as well as live streaming of the EP plenary sessions in Brussels or Strasbourg, starting from tomorrow.

On 17 Sepember 2008, the European Parliament will launch on the Internet its own television channel: EuroparlTV. Broadcast 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.

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 in no less than 20 different languages, including Maltese. Some programmes will be voiced-over and others will be made with subtitles. EuroparlTV is not a single channel but is split into four channels, each directed to a different audience:

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.

Dr Vassallo explained that the new web TV channel follows the direction at which modern technology is pointing, and which is bringing closer television and computer technology. This, coupled with the rapid spread of broadband Internet in households, makes web TV more accessible.

The European Parliament’s decision to choose the Internet also follows the social trend that people, especially the younger generation, is resorting to the Internet more than any other medium for news and current affairs.

“Programmes are conceived in a way to explain laws enacted by the European Parliament. Issues which seem complicated and citizens often feel detached from are explained in a clear and simple fashion, and in a way which reveals a very practical side to legislation,” Dr Vassallo said.

A web TV channel is also an effective means to reach people living outside the European Union.

Since EuroparlTV is web-based, European citizens will be able to contribute to the content of the programmes, for example by looking into a web cam and speaking through a microphone about issues which interest them. Such user-generated content would then be used in the productions.

EuroparlTV will be launched tomorrow by EP President Hans Gert Pöttering during a ceremony to be held at the European Parliament in Brussels. The annual budget allocation for EuroparlTV is of €9 million, a great share of which goes for programme production and translation.

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