Network Europe Direct

Since 2007, Punto Europa has been part of the European Commission’s Europe Direct network—initially as an EDIC (Europe Direct Information Centre, 2007–2017), and since 2018 as a European Documentation Centre (EDC).

The EUROPE DIRECT information network, launched by the European Commission in 2005, acts as an intermediary between the European Union and citizens at the local level. It is composed of Europe Direct Centres and European Documentation Centres.

Europe Direct Centres bring Europe closer to people and foster citizens’ engagement in the debate on the EU’s future. They answer questions about EU policies, programmes, and priorities. Their staff interact proactively and continuously with citizens and stakeholders, helping to strengthen a shared sense of ownership of the European project.

The main objectives of the European Documentation Centres (EDCs) are to support higher education and research institutions in promoting and developing teaching and research on European integration, to encourage participation in debates on integration, and to contribute to transparency by making EU policies more widely known to all European citizens.

Established in 1963 in both EU Member States and third countries, EDCs now number over 500, most of them based in universities and higher education institutions. In Italy alone, there are more than 50 centres, which provide access to a wide range of EU documentation—both in print and digital formats—for the academic community and the general public.

EDCs make information sources on the European Union available to students, professors, and researchers, while also serving the wider public. In close cooperation with other Commission networks, they provide information on EU policies and act as key reference points on EU institutions and policies within universities.