New online tools from the European Parliament

The European Parliament has launched two new online tools: the first mobile version of its website and a new feature on its Facebook page, which provides a complete set of links to MEPs' social media and online activities.

Europarl mobile

The first mobile version of the European Parliament website is specifically designed for users of smartphones and similar devices.  It gives access to the essentials of the EP website in a clear, easy-to-navigate format, and is particularly aimed at people with a professional interest in parliamentary business.  It will be a useful tool for journalists needing to check the latest press releases or quickly find the agenda of a meeting.

The site can be found at: http://m.europarl.europa.eu

Your MEPs are on Facebook too

The European Parliament's Facebook page now includes a tab allowing users quickly to locate MEPs' own Facebook profiles and their presence on other online platforms, including Twitter, blogs and the EP's official website.

Almost 70 per cent of MEPs have a presence of Facebook (up from around 60 per cent last year) and use it regularly to communicate with their electors.  Altogether, MEPs have some 1.5 million "friends" and "fans" on Facebook, as well as more than 340 000  followers on Twitter (up from 215 000 last year). 

This new tool will make it simpler for Facebook users to connect with their elected representatives online.