Europe Direct in Lecce: the third centre in Puglia. Fitto: "Fundamental instrument"
For Raffaele Fitto, Vice-President of the EU Commission, the centre in Salento 'has a clear and strategic mission: to strengthen the dialogue between Europe and local communities'
The desks of Europe Direct arrive in Salento. The network of European Commission offices in Italia expands and also lands in Lecce, the 46th city, allowing citizens to get information on EU policies, rights and opportunities and to strengthen the dialogue between institutions and territories.
Soft: "Fundamental Instrument"
The centres' task was reiterated by European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto. Europe Direct 'is a fundamental tool for our European democracy: a direct, solid, two-way bridge between the European institutions and our territories'.
The centre in Salento, in particular, 'has a clear and strategic mission: to strengthen the dialogue between Europe and local communities. Your task will be to translate the activities of Brussels into language that is clear, accessible and close to the needs of citizens. Only in this way can Europe be truly understood, participated in and felt as part of people's daily lives'.
The centre inside a library
Also speaking at the meeting was Luigi De Luca, Europe Direct Manager of ED Salento, who focused on the location of the centre in the city, in Piazzetta Carducci. "The fact that the centre is located in a library has a profound and far from casual significance for us. Libraries, in fact, are not just places for preserving knowledge, but living spaces in which critical awareness, participation and a sense of belonging to the community are formed'.
The other EU centres in Apulia
This is the third branch in Apulia. The other two are in Taranto and Trani, both of which are scheduled to open in 2021. In addition, there are two European documentation centres, in Bari and Brindisi, which are responsible for supporting education and research on European integration.
