The European Commission goes EUTube!

The European Commission has launched EUTube

The new video platform, hosted on YouTube, provides access to a range of citizen-related information films and recordings of interviews and discussions.

Is this EbS 2.0 ?

Not yet, I would say. EUTube should more be seen as in the range of tools that the European Commission has lauched around Plan D. EUTube's content is designed to meet the interest of young Europeans interested in EU policy debates. EbS on the other hand is made for TV broadcasters, journalists and EU affairs professionals.

Launched on 29 June 2007, the material currently online seems more a collection of re-worked videos that where already existing within the European Commission's Audiovisual Service.

Nevertheless, EUTube could become a very hot point for discussion about EU policies, as the new web site allows people to directly add comments on the front page, an unprecedented move by the European institutions.

As Peter Seyer already noted:

The European Commission is turning to video-sharing Web site YouTube.com to disseminate official EU information.

We should not forget, that all videos are official "video news releases", edited by DG Communication's in-house audiovisual news agency EbS.

The development goes in line with extending the services offered by EbS, a move that has drawn much critical feedback from media when Margot Wallström presented her communication strategy for the EU institutions. Opponents of a plan to develop EbS into a EU news agency said that news reporting should be left to independent journalists.

According to Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, spokesman for Commissioner Wallström, the EUTube implementation has cost the Commission nothing. It's interesting that the EU opts for Google's free-for-all services and doesn't try to re-develop within the Europa framework.

Well done, Mrs. Wallström! :-)

Nevertheless, ...

... some recommendations

• Develop EUTube: In the future, it will require money and resources
• Open Up: Provide RSS feed for comments, allow MEP's to contribute videos?
  
• Go deep: show press conferences, extracts of mid-day briefing
• Languages: add new languages as soon as possible

The new online channel eux.tv already left a somehow critical comment on EuTube - EUX.TV has it's own YouTube channel - but I'd say that EUX.TV will be rather among those who benefit of more EU online debate and EU related video materials.