Europe Direct

Europe Direct Leeds is part of a network of 30 Europe Direct information centres in the UK, 475 across Europe which aim to act as an interface between the EU and its citizens at local level. We distribute information and advice about the European Union's policies, actively promote local and regional debate about the European Union, allow the European institutions to disseminate local and regional information and give the public the opportunity to send feedback to the European Union institutions

EUROPE DIRECT helps you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Your queries are answered by the Contact Centre's multi-lingual staff who are based in Brussels.

History of the EUROPE DIRECT Contact Centre
1996:The Commission opens an e-mail service to answer information requests concerning its activities. A small team of operators inside the Commission handles these requests and provides advice on how to find the required information. Also in 1996, as part of the 'Citizens First' initiative promoting citizens' rights inside the Internal Market, a first call centre is launched to send guides and fact sheets to the enquirers.
1998: The European Council meeting in Cardiff calls for the creation of a permanent Call Centre under the name EUROPE DIRECT in order to give a user-friendly direct access to information and advice about the Union.
2000: Following an open call for tenders in 1999, the EUROPE DIRECT service starts operating in May 2000 with different free-phone numbers for each Member State.
2002: The various free-phone numbers are replaced by a single free-phone number accessible from all fixed telephones in every member state and from mobile phones in most countries: 00 800 67891011.
2004: The service becomes accessible from 25 Member States and operational in 20 official languages
2005: Comparing to 2003, the service doubles the number of citizens whose questions it answers and reaches 100 000 users in November 2005.
2007: The service is extended to two new Member States, Bulgaria and Romania, and becomes operational in 3 additional official languages: Bulgarian, Irish and Romanian.
What is the EUROPE DIRECT Contact Centre?
The EUROPE DIRECT Contact Centre is a service which helps you find answers to your questions about the European Union. It offers information on all sorts of subjects related to the EU including youg rights and opportunities as an EU citizen and how to take advantage of them. It can provide direct responses to general enquiries and, if you have more detailed questions, signpost you to the best source of information and advice at EU, national, regional and local levels.
Who can use the EUROPE DIRECT Contact Centre?
Citizens, businesses, students, etc. In other words, anybody and everybody who has a question on the EU.