Teleconference between European parliaments
Within the framework of the European Parliaments Research Initiative (EPRI) project, the first successful teleconference was implemented between a number of national parliaments in the EU on 2 September 1998. The EPRI project is funded within the EU's research programme in the field of Advanced Communications Technologies and Services (ACTS) and aims to promote the use of advanced communications services by the political community in Europe, both at a national and European level. One of the main objectives of the project is to stimulate information exchange between those involved in policy debates and decision-making on Information Society issues in the European, national and regional parliaments. The interconnection was executed through ISDN lines and linked the national parliaments of Austria, Germany, Greece and Finland. The teleconference was organised by the European Parliament's Committee for Employment and Social Affairs and was warmly welcomed by the President of the European Parliament, Mr Jose Maria Gil-Robles. This type of interconnection based on teleconferencing capabilities is likely to prove especially useful in promoting cooperation between the standing committees of each national parliament in affairs concerning the European Union.