Press Release: Commission to guarantee funding for urban info points and rural information centres in 2004

The Commission adopted a decision on 26 November 2003 that will secure next grants for 2004 to two information outlets, the urban Info-Points Europe (IPE) and rural promotion Carrefours. Together, these 266 outlets provide the public throughout the EU with facts and advice on all aspects of the Union's legislation, programmes and funding. Hitherto, the structures which host them have received an annual operating subsidy, in most cases €20,000, supplemented by a contribution (usually larger) from domestic sources. The decision of 26 November 2003 extends this funding by a year pending the establishment of a definitive basis for co-operating with the Commission's 'second generation' relays and networks from 2005 onwards. This decision is accompanied by specific monitoring and control systems.