Bulgarian TV channel PROBG starts airing Monday a series of EP-related discussions

A series of four thematic TV programs, recorded at the European Parliament's TV-studio in Brussels, will be aired on the Bulgarian private TV channel PROBG starting Monday, 10 May 2010.

Each Monday of the month of May (namely, May 10, 17, 24 and 31) will be aired one discussion of this four-part series. The starting date has been selected with the idea to be as close as possible to Europe's day. The programs are moderated by PROBG's Victoria Angelova.

Members of the European Parliament and experts are participating in those mini-debates - Iliana Iotova MEP (S&D-BSP) and Prof. Vladko Panayotov (ALDE-DPS), as well as European Institute Foundation Director Lubov Panayotova and Tihomira Trifonova - editor of the book "Europe 2020 - Civic Vision" and expert at the Center for Policy Modernization.

The PROBG newscasts are produced in the EP's new TV-studio in Brussels in the framework of a series of events, organized by the team of the project "Interacting with the European Parliament" for the promotion of the book "Europe 2020 - Civic Vision". The project is implemented by the European Institute, Europe Gateway and the Center for Policy Modernization. PROBG journalists were part of our team and used the opportunity to produce a numer of reportages and interviews, including the recording of discussions on European Union topics, related to the citizens' everyday life, in the EP's new professional studio facilities.

The topics of the mini-debates are, as follows:

10 May - The industry and the environment in tomorrow's Europe - friends or adversaries?
17 May - The civic vision on Europe in 10 years.
24 May - The petitions and the Citizens' Initiative.
31 May - The work of the MEPS and its impact on our daily lives.

The guests in the studio will have to prove that they are good representatives of Bulgaria in the EP and that they are aware of the citizens' expectations of their work, as well as that they have a clear vision on the future. PROBG's website will give you more information about the airing starting hours. The newscasts are produced with the logistical support of the European Parliament's Press Service, the Audio-Visual Department in particular.

Europe Gateway will offer to its readers the videos after each part of the discussion is aired on PROBG.

This video reveals the preparations for the recording of the debates - the "Interacting with the European Parliament" project team having contributed to their implementation. The Brussels TV-studio of the EP disposes of modern technical equipment and permits the usage of various real or virtual settings.The studio equipment includes digital automatic cameras, autocue, a system for studio lightning with more than 50 sources of light, plasma screens, etc.

In April 2010 the "Interacting with the EP" project team organized a series of public events in Brussels and Paris for the promotion of the book "Europe 2020 - Civic Vision", which is a summary of this two year-long communication campaign. Europe.bg offers a number of publications, related to the events in Brussels and Paris - textual, video- and audiofiles, thematic radiobroadcasts, interviews, picture galleries...

PROBG already aired a couple of the special reportages, produced by Victoria Angelova and Georgi Lazarov.

Other reportages are to follow in succession in the coming days.

Among them - an interview-portrait of EP's Vice President Diana Wallis, focusing on the gender equality as a prerequisite for EU-accession, the Bulgarian MEPS Andrey Kovachev, Nadezhda Neinsky and Ivaylo Kalfin's visions on Europe in the next decade, a portrait of Bulgarian MEP Vladimir Uruchev, focusing on where the Bulgarian MEPS live and work and how they are contributing with their work in the EP for the development of Europe and Bulgaria in particular.

Europe Gateway - which, together with the European Institute and the Center for Policy Modernization - is implementing the "Interacting with the EP" campaing, wishes to warmly thank all its partners and friends for their support in the implementation of the events under the motto "Europe 2020 - Civic Vision", including their media promotion!