The EU in everyday life: Website informs citizens about projects
What does the EU do for me? An interactive website shows which projects and measures the EU uses to influence the everyday lives of its citizens.
"What the EU does for me" is the name of a new website published by the European Parliament's Research Service in February 2024. The interactive and multilingual website is intended to show "EU measures from the perspective of individuals" and locate where the EU specifically meets the citizens of the member states in their everyday lives.
On the homepage, users can choose between the categories "In my region" (which projects has the EU funded in my area?), "In my life" (in which areas of life do EU regulations have an impact?) and "In focus" (more detailed texts, what exactly is the EU doing and planning?).
Explore funded projects via map
The "In my region" category contains a map of Europe and tiles with the individual regions or projects. On the map, users click closer and closer to certain places, such as their home town. From a certain zoom level, markers for projects funded by the EU appear.
(Image:Â Screenshot / heise online)
Clicking on a project opens an information box: a short paragraph explains the project in question - what was done when, how much money did the EU provide and through which institution? - Further information is provided underneath in bullet points. The headings are written in English, the other information in the respective national language; however, the short texts are no problem for online translators.
Some examples from Germany: The EU supported a flood protection project in Görlitz with over 800,000 euros and funded the energy-efficient renovation of two school sports halls in Flensburg with around 700,000 euros. The European Regional Development Fund supported a brewery in Trier-Olewig with around 98,000 euros for the construction of its new production facility, the renovation of the Lindau City Museum with a good 2 million euros and the modernization of city lighting in Gotha with a good 4 million euros.
Around 2000 text snippets, over 1600 regions
In the "In my life" section of the website, there is a menu of 16 bubbles with topics such as "My health", "My family" and "My shopping". Each area includes lots of information about where people encounter the EU in their everyday lives. For example, when buying a smartphone, when traveling or when opening a new bank account.
Videos by heise
According to a press release from the EU Parliament, the website contains around 2000 summarizing texts. Over 1600 regions are listed under "In my region"; there are around 600 summaries under "In my life". Overall, however, the website only takes into account the (many) positive examples; there is no mention of bureaucracy or misdirected EU funds.
The website has existed in a similar form since 2018, when the then President of the European Parliament, Antonia Tajani, presented it. The site was last updated, expanded and republished in a slightly different layout in February 2024, a press officer at the European Parliament told heise online. The European Parliament Research Service (EPRS) is responsible for the content, while the Directorate-General for Translation is responsible for the translations.
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