Fw: EU-extension countdown WIIW

Tue, 9 Jun 1998 12:52:26 +0200
Austrian Embassy (austria@it.com.pl)

----------
> From: Sandor Richter <richter@wsr.ac.at>
> To: richter@wsr.ac.at
> Subject: countdown is on line
> Date: Montag, 08. Juni 1998 11:38
>
> Dear Colleague,
>
> It is my pleasure to let you know that after more than two years hard
> work
> Countdown is on line!!!
>
> On June 1, 1998 the Vienna Institute of International Economic Studies
> (WIIW) installed the first (documentation) part of an on line
> information,
> documentation and communication centre on the European Union's eastern
> enlargement. The new facility is available under the Internet address
>
> http://wiiwsv.wsr.ac.at/Countdown/
>
> IMPORTANT: This is the last mail you receive upon your earlier
> registration
> to Countdown news. Now you have the opportunity to visit the new site
> and
> decide whether you wish to receive further regular information on the
> Countdown project. If yes, you should subscribe, what you can do
> comfortably from the address
>
> http://wiiwsv.wsr.ac.at/Countdown/f_newsl.html
>
> *********************************************************
> Countdown is run by the WIIW and the first operational block is based
> on
> an international network of co-operating institutions in eight
> associated
> countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania,
> Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) and Austria. The new facility will have
> two
> parts, Documentation (partially operational already) and Communication
> (under construction).
>
> DOCUMENTATION
>
> In the framework of Countdown, a systematic collection and
> classification
> of available "EU eastern enlargement" - relevant information takes
> place.
> Subject to this process is literature published on the topic, as well as
>
> lists of experts and institutions engaged in research on or dealing with
>
> practical problems of their respective country´s accession to the EU. We
>
> also try to facilitate non-virtual meetings, in as much as we
> redistribute
> information on conferences recently held or planned to be held on the
> topic.
> For easy search seventeen areas were identified to broadly cover the
> most
> important aspects of the EU's eastern enlargement. The search engine of
> Countdown enables users to "look around" in their specific topic either
> in
> the literature, or the list of experts or list of conferences. The
> documentation is continuously updated by cooperating institutes. In the
> present, first stage of the project, the facility covers eight of the
> ten
> associated countries and Austria. An extension of coverage to all
> associated countries and all EU member states is planned and will be
> implemented. Certainly we could not include all the literature, experts,
>
> etc.; the system will continuously enlarged and up dated. Remarks,
> suggestions are welcome.
>
> COMMUNICATION
>
> An on-line communication forum that will be an integrated part of
> Countdown
> is under construction. As a first step all-round inquiries are planned.
> Questions of outstanding importance will be raised to members of the
> expert
> community. The responses and comments to responses in the framework of a
>
> moderated discussion list will hopefully contribute to solving the
> problems
> emerging in the difficult terrain of the EU´s eastern enlargement. Later
>
> on, the establishment of an electronic journal is planned. In this
> journal
> enlargement-relevant articles, comments on the articles and comments
> on
> comments or the authors' response to comments will be made available.
> In a
> third segment of the communication forum, called "Nest", niches will be
> opened for discussions, mutual help and all kinds of communication for
> professional and non-professional groups whose members are involved or
> interested in a specific aspect of the EU's eastern enlargement.
>
> COUNTDOWN TEAMS
>
> Countdown is operated by the WIIW Countdown team. The WIIW has
> co-operation agreements with eight Central and East European Research
> sites, where national Countdown teams are contributing to the project.
> Through links from the Countdown homepage you may contact national
> Countdown teams in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary,
> Lithuania,
> Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The WIIW has letters of intent from 13
> additional research sites both from the EU and Central and Eastern
> Europe
> to co-operate in the project. For comments on the whole facility and the
>
> Austrian part, please contact the responsible member in the WIIW
> Countdown
> team: Sándor Richter (richter@wsr.ac.at) project coordinator, Barbara
> Apian-Benewitz (Apian@wsr.ac.at) in charge of Documentation part of the
> project and Peter Fóti (foti@wsr.ac.at) responsible for the technical
> operation.
>
> In the name of the WIIW Countdown team,
>
> Sandor Richter
>
> **************************************************************
>
> Dr. Sándor Richter
>
> Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)
> http://www.wiiw.ac.at/
>
> Oppolzergasse 6.
> 1010 Wien
> Austria
>
> E-mail: richter@wsr.ac.at
> Tel: (00-431)-533-6610-25
> Fax: (00-431)-533-6610-50
>
> **************************************************************