The College of Europe provided an expertise input in the framework of this project aimed at enhancing the capacity of Albanian institutions to process, store and efficiently diffuse EU related information. The project was carried out in two different steps, the first executed in 2002 by EEI/SOGES, and the second in 2004 by B&S Europe

Objective

The overall objective of the Project was to create an integrated and multi-functional European Information and Documentation Centre and Website to support and maximise the effectiveness of the Ministry for European Integration’s activities, and to provide access to EU information to interested parties beyond the Ministry. 

The tasks of the Information Centre include not only the provision of information support to the Approximation of Laws and legal processes, but a wider mission to provide specialised legal and other EU-related information to a wider ‘public’ – lawyers, academics and students, businesses, other organisations and the general public, and to promote study and research in the field of European Integration, as well as other specialised activities.

Activities

The contribution of the College of Europe to the project consisted in the organisation and management of the following activities: 

• Creating a training programme for the designated documentalists who will work in the EIDC in Tirana. The programme was held at the College of Europe in Bruges September 1st – 30th 2004
• Demonstrating a wide range of EU information resources and providing hands-on experience
• Undertaking training visits to relevant EDCs and libraries / information centres in EU institutions in Brussels and Luxembourg, and to KUL in Leuven 
• Liaising with DG Press to explore the possibility of EU official recognition of the EIDC 
• Providing logistical and web development consultancy and assistance 
• Advising on the creation of a website for the EIDC