On Friday, 6th October, Europe Direct Gozo participated in the 6th Form Freshers’ Day.
The event was significant, as it provided an opportunity to connect with both staff and students, informing them about the roles of Europe Direct Gozo, such as providing information, offering assistance, and addressing queries related to the EU, among other responsibilities.
Several publications covering various European Union topics were distributed to the students.
On 15th September, Jesmond Buttigieg Manager EUROPE DIRECT Gozo together with an official from the European Commission Representation in Malta and other managers from the Europe Direct centres in Malta and the European Documentation Centre, visited Luxembourg, the second-smallest country in the EU, which also hosts some of the key European institutions.
During the first day the delegation visited the Europe Direct offices in Schengen, a quaint little town in which the Schengen Agreement was signed in 1985. During the afternoon a meeting was held with the Head of the EC’s Representation in Luxembourg which included a visit to the European Parliament’s offices in Kirchberg. The delegation visited the European Court of Justice, during the second day to learn about its functions. They also met colleagues from ED Éislek and ED University of Luxembourg. The last visit was at the EU Publications Office. An interesting discussion took place regarding various methods, to reach different age groups, more effectively and in a timely manner, through EU publications.
Mandy thanks goes to Anne Calteux and the team at the Representation and to the colleagues at the Office of Publications, EDs Schengen, Éislek, University of Luxembourg and the Court of Justice for a very informative and fruitful trip.
Jesmond Buttigieg, Manager EUROPE DIRECT Gozo and Daniel Borg, CEO of The Gozo Business Chamber attended the event organised by the US Embassy in Malta. intended to celebrate the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, and the successes of GLOBE Malta.
Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Malta, Mr. Ken Toko congratulated the students and all participants for this initiative, alongside all the teachers for their achievements over the years.
Prof. Paul Pace from the Centre for Environmental Education University of Malta and coordinator of the GLOBE program in Malta, together with Ms. Ramona Mercieca, Deputy GLOBE coordinator, shared insights on the program’s achievements over the past few years.
More than 50 schools across Malta and Gozo participate in this program, promoting local and international collaboration. Various events are organized to educate students and the general public on STEM education 
and sustainable practices through educational campaigns and workshops.
Ms. Ramona Mercieca also thanked the Gozo Business Chamber and EUROPE DIRECT Gozo for their continuous collaboration and support.
On 10 May, EUROPE DIRECT GOZO in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy for Malta and Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo and Planning, inaugurated an exhibition made up of several maps of the European continent at the Xewkija Windmill, which will go on till the 2 June. This exhibition is a voyage through maps, each a cartographic treasure.
His Excellency Mr. José María Muriel, Ambassador and Mr Pedro Santamaria Cultural Section, Embassy of Spain in Malta, Mr Joseph Theuma, officer Cultural Heritage Directorate, Mr Daniel Borg CEO the Gozo Business Chamber and Mr Jesmond Buttigieg Manager EUROPE DIRECT Gozo were present for the inauguration.
Europe: 12 Maps and a Project. Questions such as, What is Europe, a continent, a geographical reality, a political community, must be answered. Europe is all that and much more. Europe is the result of a historical process that reaches ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Christianity, the Enlightenment, the expansion of the West, the world wars and a thousand other events. The maps, eyes of history, show scenes and figures of what their battles, their pacts, their populations, their cities have been. Maps are like portraits of countries, their territories and their inhabitants. There is no definitive map, just as there is no definitive portrait. Each describes a series of phenomena or relates a succession of events, but none exhausts them. Maps express what their authors were looking for in space and how they represented it. They tell us about what we were or what we thought we were.
On Thursday 7 March, Daniel Borg and Jesmond Buttigieg participated in the Network of Networks meeting organised by Europe Direct Valletta.
During the meeting, they presented the Europe Day activity to be held in Gozo on the 11th May.
As in the previous year the event will be held at the Villa Rundle Gardens, in Victoria, Gozo, between 10:00hrs and 18:00hrs.
Various information points will be present, together with other entities such as, Nature Trust Malta and GLOBE (Malta)
During the 30th and 31st January, Jesmond Buttigieg, Manager EUROPE DIRECT Gozo, together with other representatives from Europe Direct centers in Malta, took part in the EUROPE DIRECT centers’ regional training, which was held in Bucharest, with colleagues from other seven EUROPE DIRECT centres in Europe.
Various topics were discussed, with the main theme being the European Parliamentary elections which will take place between the 6th and the 9th June.
During the first day, five interactive workshops took place discussing important topics, such as promoting the participation in the upcoming European elections, and citizen engagement. Issues such as misinformation and disinformation were also discussed. On the second day other workshops and discussions between representatives from all the EUROPE DIRECT centers took place.
On Friday 6 October, Europe Direct Gozo took part in the 6th Form Freshers’ Day.
It was an important day, as numerous contacts were made with, staff and students, informing them about the roles of EUROPE DIRECT Gozo, that is to provide information, assistance, and answer any queries about the EU, amongst others.
Various publications regarding different topics about the European Union were distributed to the students.
Jesmond Buttigieg from EUROPE DIRECT Gozo, together with a delegation from the Gozo Regional Development Authority, and the Gozo Business Chamber visited the island of Bornholm. The first meeting was held with Destination Bornholm CEO Ms Pernille Kofod Lydolph. Destination Bornholm is a non-profit organisation that promotes tourism in Bornholm. The discussions revolved around best practices in the marketing and destination management of the island. It was interesting to note Bornholm’s bright and green island strategy which focused at a very early stage on positioning Bornholm as a green and sustainable destination.
On the second day the first meeting was held with Baltic Energy Island acting CEO Mr Soren Moller-Christensen and CEO for the Centre for Regional and Tourism Research Ms Anne Thomas. Baltic Energy is a a partnership of companies, system operators and research institutions which are leading the green transition on the island of Bornholm, as it is preparing to become the green hub of the Baltic Sea. The #2 meeting was with Bornholms Energi & Forsyning CEO Mr Claus Andersen, and Mr Klaus Veslov responsible for public affairs and communication. This entity is responsible for the energy supply on the island. Discussions centered on their efforts towards carbon neutrality. The #3 meeting was with Bornholm Agriculture and Food CEO Mr Thomas Bay Jensen. The delegation also had the opportunity to meet the management of Ronne Aquapark, where it was explained how this facility is being managed.
During the third day of the visit the delegation had the opportunity to visit and discuss how the Business Incubation Centre in Bornholm, operates. The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the premises of the Local Action Group of Bornholm LAG-Bornholm. Mr Klaus H. Petersen gave an overview of how the local action group operates and some of the initiatives undertaken.
A special thanks goes to Mr Niels Chresten Andersen (manager of EUROPE DIRECT Bornholm) who accompanied the delegation throughout the visit. It was also an important opportunity for EUROPE DIRECT Gozo and the Gozo Business Chamber as the host structure to see how this office operates in Bornholm and to also examine potential areas of collaboration.
On Monday 24 April, Daniel Borg and Jesmond Buttigieg participated in the activity ‘Building Europe with Local Councillors’ organised by the European Commission Representation in Malta. The aim of this project is to build a network of locally elected politicians, creating an alliance to better communicate the European Union. Local councilors from both Malta and Gozo were present for the event. Honorable Alison Zerafa Civelli, Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, also addressed those present. The main speaker was Bruno Giordiani, Head of Unit, COMM C4. His intervention was followed by presentations from the European Documentation Centre (University of Malta), and from each of the three EUROPE DIRECT centres.
Daniel Borg delivered a presentation on EUROPE DIRECT Gozo and its role within the Gozitan Community. He explained how the primary aim of the centre should be to communicate the European Union through concrete actions and initiatives within the community.
On Wednesday 22 February 2023, EUROPE DIRECT Gozo welcomed a delegation of EUROPE DIRECT Ireland.
Our EUROPE DIRECT Manager organised a cultural tour at the Citadel Visiting Centre and at the Fortress of the Citadel.
We would like to thank Stephen Cini, Assistant Director Cultural Heritage Directorate, for his extensive guide through the Citadel.
