Developing a global information society
by Ivan Brincat
The Euro-Mediterranean Information Society Malta Focal Point is calling for proposals for a number of projects which could be funded under the EUMEDIS initiative.
The EUMEDIS is the largest programme ever undertaken by the European Commission in the development of a global information society.
The Malta Focal Point has already drawn up an action plan to coordinate Malta's participation in the EUMEDIS initiative.
Transport and Communications Minister Censu Galea said yesterday the programme was a result of formal requests made by the Mediterranean countries' representatives to the European Commission during the
Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on the Construction of the Euro-Med Information Society held in Rome in 1996.
During the past three years, more than 1,500 experts from the whole region have participated to define an overall Action Plan for the development of the Euro-Mediterranean Information Society.
The Malta Committee of the EUMEDIS forum has been set up to coordinate Malta's participation in this programme. The Focal Point is Joe Vella. The project manager is Dr Stephen Calleja while the local representatives are Ray Vassallo, Robert Sultana and Simon Lee Barberi.
Anyone interested in submitting proposals for projects under this initiative should contact the committee for guidance on the drafting of proposals for projects and the actual implementation of the projects.
EUMEDIS will fund the creation of a network of Mediterranean Information Society Focal Points which will develop a harmonised governmental strategy for the development of an Information Society in the area.
Proposals should aim at launching pilot regional cooperation projects in the field of the Information Society. Projects must fall within one of the five application sectors of EUMEDIS. The length of the project should be not more than three years while the minimum grant is of 1m euro.
Anyone interested in the initiative can gather more details from www.eumedis.org.mt
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