07/10/2010

EC Offers 'Shop Front' Belfast Location

Public accessibility was to the fore this week as the European Commission (EC) officially opened its new 'street level' Belfast offices.

The EC in Northern Ireland now aims to be more open and available for the people of NI in its new base at 74-76 Dublin Road.

It is open to the public from 9.30am - 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, and has been designed to attract a wide cross-section of the public into the EC Information Centre.

Stormont Junior Ministers Robin Newton and Gerry Kelly attended the official opening and were welcomed by Maurice Maxwell, EC Representative in Northern Ireland.

He said: "The Commission representation in Northern Ireland exists primarily to maximise the benefit which our citizens, businesses and society in general derive from membership of the European Union (EU).

"The new offices have been designed to attract a wide cross-section of the public into the Information Centre where our information officers are available to address the needs of the public for information on EU matters," he said, noting that the expanded space will also improve the ability to host conferences, seminars and other events of relevance to the EU and its programmes and policies.

The European Commission has representations in all the member states of the EU and they act as an important first point of contact between the host country and the European Commission in Brussels.

(BMcC)

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