By Henrietta Billings - 1st September 2005
The European Parliament is to unveil a revamped new-look website in bid to grab the attention of apathetic EU citizens.
Low voter turnout in European elections and constitution rejections in stalwart EU founders France and Netherlands have alarmed the parliament.
MEPs, like other EU institutions, are concerned and seeking new methods to tackle popular disengagement from or opposition to Brussels.
The website will be officially launched by European Parliament President Josep Borrell at a special press conference in Brussels on September 13.
Billed as a "dynamic and modern information tool", the new parliament portal will have five sections in 20 languages, including "citizen friendly" news stories for different member states.
In an attempt to attract potential readers perplexed and fed up with EU jargon, the parliament's press service is hoping a light hearted approach to the site's launch will raise its profile.
Parliament officials define hope the new site will become an "easily digestible and attractive" source for EU internet surfers.
T-shirts with catchy logos such as "I am usually conciliatory after three readings" and "peace and law" - already sported by some parliamentary officials this week - will be given out ahead of the launch.
"The European Parliament is finally catching up with technology. It realises the need to communicate with its citizens more clearly," said one parliamentary official.
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