SECRETARIAT
Erik Nylén
Norrtullsgatan 5, 113 29 Stockholm- Sweden
Tel: +46 (0) 8 30 13 24
Mobile: +46 (0)739 86 52 72
E-mail: erik-n@telia.com
Web site: www.newsalliance.org

130225

PRESS RELEASE

THE PRESS ASSOCIATION WINS
EUROPEAN NEWS AGENCY AWARD

News agency the Press Association (PA) with headquarters in London has been awarded the European Alliance of News Agencies´ (EANA) 2013 Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. The Press Association receives the prize for its coverage of last year´s London Olympic Games and innovative services launched in connection with the Games.

The EANA board, that also serves as the Jury for the Award unanimously decided to give the award to the Press Association saying:

“Through a creative combination of editorial skills and advanced technology the agency took the opportunity of the London Olympic Games to promote its brand as a provider of multimedia content for national and international multiple platforms. The agency´s performance can serve as a benchmark for reporting from big news-generating events in a time when consumers of news expect speed, accuracy and multimedia experiences”.

“It is this combination of traditional editorial quality and innovation for the multimedia environment that the Jury wants to recognize by giving the 2013 Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality to the Press Association.“

Alongside its core national news agency operation, the Press Association supplies a wide range of content and editorial services ranging from international sports data, comprehensive entertainment guides and photo syndication to editorial training and weather forecasting. Founded in 1868, the Press Association is owned by PA Group Limited. Other PA Group companies include weather forecasting business MeteoGroup and the TV-ready network Globelynx.

The Award, a diploma, an engraved pen and Euro 1 000, will be handed over to the Press Association´s Managing Director, Mr Tony Watson, by the EANA President, Mr Peter Kropsch, CEO of Austrian news agency APA, in connection with an EANA conference on copyright and licensing of news content and the organisation´s Annual General Assembly in Geneva on September 25 – 27, 2013.

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For more information: EANA Secretary Erik Nylén, (erik-n@telia.com or +46 739 865272)

SECRETARIAT
Erik Nylén
Norrtullsgatan 5, 113 29 Stockholm- Sweden
Tel: +46 (0) 8 30 13 24
Mobile: +46 (0)739 86 52 72
E-mail: erik-n@telia.com
Web site: www.newsalliance.org

October 17, 2012

To the government of Greece

Sirs,

Independence is a fundamental precondition for the trustworthiness of a news agency in a democratic society. The Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has noted that the earlier discussion about discontinuing the operations of Athens News Agency (ANA) seems to be a phase passed. However, the Greek government has in a recent proposal included changes that could lead to misunderstandings concerning ANA´s independence as a news provider to traditional and new media in Greece and abroad.

ANA´s present statutes stipulate that he majority of Board members must be appointed by non-government bodies. This is an example respected and often referred to in international discussions about how to secure the independence and trustworthiness of a publicly owned news agency.

EANA comprises news agencies in 30 European countries and serves as a forum for cooperation and information for the news agency business. The news agency business constitutes the very basics of news gathering and distribution and has to be seen as a backbone of true and unbiased news reporting in a democracy. It is a business that needs a healthy environment abounding in freedom of the press, fair competition and simple and basic rules to operate.

News agencies working in accordance with the principles of press freedom and unbiased news are of major importance to the democratic society. To secure an economic and legal environment for news agencies operating in accordance with these rules is therefore one of EANA´s main concerns.

We understand the urgent situation under which Greece is working. However, an independent news agency plays an even more essential role for democracy in a critical situation as Greece is in today.

We therefore urge you to make sure that the changes proposed by the government do not in any aspect undermine the agency´s independence and thereby trustworthiness as a news provider to media in Greece and abroad.

Best regards,

Peter Kropsch, CEO of news agency APA, Vienna and President of EANA, Clive Marshall, CEO of news agency Press Association, London, Jiri Majstr, CEO of news agency CTK, Prague, George Penintaex, CEO of news agency CNA, Nicosia, Erik Nylen, Secretary General, EANA

For more information please contact Erik Nylen, Secretary General, EANA, email: erik-n@telia.com, mobile +46 739 865272

SECRETARIAT
Erik Nylén
Norrtullsgatan 5, 113 29 Stockholm- Sweden
Tel: +46 (0) 8 30 13 24
Mobile: +46 (0)739 86 52 72
E-mail: erik-n@telia.com
Web site: www.newsalliance.org

120531

PRESS RELEASE

TEAM AT GERMAN NEWS AGENCY dpa GETS
EUROPEAN NEWS AGENCY AWARD

Mr Wolfgang Büchner, Editor-in-Chief, and a team at German news agency dpa have been awarded the 2012 European Alliance of News Agencies´ (EANA) Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. Mr Büchner and his team get the award for an interactive customer news portal.

The Jury for the Award said that:

“Mr Büchner and his team have introduced an interactive customer news portal that enables the news agency to work in close cooperation with publishers regardless of if they publish print newspapers or are electronic publishers.

The fast development of the information technology has dramatically increased the flow of news and other types of information creating a challenging environment for all media and for consumers in need of reliable sources to stay informed. The dpa portal brings the news agency and the publishers into a close alliance enabling them to meet the challenges and to join forces in promoting high quality, reliable and trustworthy multimedia news reporting.”

The Award, a diploma, an engraved pen and Euro 1 000, will be handed over by the EANA President, Mr Mika Pettersson, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Finnish news agency STT- Lehtikuva, in connection with an EANA conference on content development for a variety of media and the organisation´s Annual General Assembly hosted by Portuguese news agency LUSA in Lisbon on September 26 – 28, 2012.

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For more information: EANA Secretary Erik Nylén, (erik-n@telia.com or +46 739 865272)

SECRETARIAT
Erik Nylen

Mr Karolos Papoulias
President of the Republic of Greece

April 25, 2012

Mr President,

Statements by Vice President of the Greek Government, Mr. Theodoros Pangalos, and Greek news reports clearly indicate that the Greek government, based on consultancy reports, could be in the process of closing down or changing the ownership structure of Athens News Agency (ANA), a respected member of the international news agency business and the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). As the Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies we urge you to secure ANA's basic function as a provider of unbiased and trustworthy news to both Greek and international traditional and new media. ANA is a member of the international news network and an uncontrolled closing or change of ownership structure of the agency could lead to a seriously negative impact on the Greek voice in the international media community.

For the news agency's trustworthiness it is vital that the ownership structure, whichever one chosen, is clear and transparent. We understand the urgent situation under which Greece is working to come to grips with the economic situation. However, unbiased news plays an even more essential role for democracy in a critical situation as Greece is in today.

EANA comprises news agencies in 30 European countries and serves as a forum for cooperation and information for the news agency business. The news agency business constitutes the very basics of news gathering and distribution and has to be seen as a backbone of true and unbiased news reporting in a democracy. It is a business that needs a healthy environment abounding in freedom of the press, fair competition and simple and basic rules to operate.

The EANA member agencies are primarily providers of news stories and also of pictures, graphics, radio and video reports and other information to both traditional media and new media environments created by the rapid development of modern information technology.

News agencies working in accordance with the principles of press freedom and unbiased news are of major importance to the democratic society. To secure an economic and legal environment for news agencies operating in accordance with these rules is therefore one of EANA's main concerns.

This is the background to the EANA Board urging you to use your authority as a defender of basic democratic values in your country to ensure that Athens News Agency also in the future will have an independent role as a provider of unbiased and trustworthy news services for both traditional and new media in Greece and abroad. Whatever ownership structure chosen, it should be clear and transparent.

Please note that the EANA Board is available for further discussions, if you need more information etc.

With our best regards,
Mika Pettersson, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of STT-Lehtikuva, Helsinki and President of EANA
Peter Kropsch, CEO of APA, Vienna and Board Member of EANA
Clive Marshall, CEO of Press Association, London and Board Member of EANA
Erik Nylén Secretary General of EANA, Stockholm

Contact person: Erik Nylen, Secretary General of EANA, email: erik-n@telia.com, mobile: +46 739 865272

Statement by the EANA Board

To the Government of Greece

The board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) appreciates the statement by minister and spokesman Elias Mossialos that the government will secure the independence of national news agency ANA. However, we can feel an uncertainty about how this harmonises with the decision to formally regard the agency´s journalists as civil servants.

As we have earlier said, the EANA board cannot serve as consultancy but we are after having studied the Greek situation happy to contribute some aspects on ANA in an international perspective.

True and unbiased news reporting is always crucial, especially for countries in difficult transition. National news agencies, like ANA, contribute to the quality of democratic processes. A precondition is a framework that allows the agency and its journalists to fulfil their mission to provide information on internationally agreed editorial standards.

News agencies work within an international network of news agencies. Mutual news exchange between these news agencies is based on delivery agreements and joint professional standards. A national news agency is first and foremost a hub for relevant information to the nation´s media but also to the global news community. Only following those international professional standards makes the news agency a reliable national source within the international news distribution network.

Structural and other changes, like the ones Greece is now is in the process of implementing, can be a momentum to emphasise the national agency´s role as an independent supplier of news to traditional and new media nationally and abroad.

A crucial precondition for an independent news agency is a transparent legal framework. Such a framework should ensure the independence of the news agency but also the independence of the individual journalists involved. The formal inclusion of ANA journalists in the category civil servants should be changed not to undermine the trustworthiness that the agency and its staffers have built up over decades. To work under the condition of formally being civil servants is an obstacle to secure that the journalists can fulfil the mission of an independent news agency providing information to national and international media.

November 17, 2011

Mika Pettersson, Editor-in-Chief, STT-Lehtikuva and President, EANA, Helsinki
Lola Alvarez, Chief Operating Officer, EFE, Madrid
Peter Kropsch, CEO, APA, Vienna
Clive Marshall, CEO, Press Association, London

via Erik Nylén
Secretary General, EANA
email: erik-n@telia.com
tel: +46 8 301324
mobile: +46 739 865272
website: www.newsalliance.org

A STATEMENT BY THE EANA BOARD

EN 110816

To the Government of Greece,

The Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has been made aware of an expected overhaul of Greek public service media and the Athens News Agency. Understanding the urgent situation under which the Greek government is working to come to grips with the economic situation etc, this is urging the Greek government to safeguard the editorial independence of Athens News Agency, a respected member of the European Alliance of News Agencies. Unbiased news play even more essential role for democracy in a critical situation as Greece is in today.

The European Alliance of News Agencies comprises news agencies in 30 European countries and serves as a forum for cooperation and information for the news agency business.The news agency business constitutes the very basics of news gathering and distribution and has to be seen as a backbone of true and unbiased news reporting in a democracy. It is a business that needs a healthy environment abounding in freedom of the press, fair competition and simple and basic rules to operate.

The EANA member agencies are primarily providers of news stories and also of pictures, graphics, radio and video reports and other information to both traditional media and new media environments created by the rapid development of modern information technology.

News agencies working in accordance with the principles of press freedom and unbiased news are of major importance to the democratic society. To secure an economic and legal environment for news agencies operating in accordance with these rules is therefore one of EANA´s main concerns.
The rapid development of information technology opens up more and more platforms where there is a direct or indirect need for reliable news coverage.

For more information please contact Erik Nylén, Secretary General, EANA +46 739 865272, erik-n@telia.com

A PRESS RELEASE FROM EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF NEWS AGENCIES

101223

To the Government of Hungary and the Parliament of Hungary,

The Board of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has since the summer 2010 followed the Hungarian government/s measures to change the country/s media laws. The EANA Board joins the large number of media and human rights organizations expressing deep concern about these developments that turn the country/s media legislation in a direction away from basic principles of media freedom. It is to be stressed that these new media laws, giving governmental bodies increased control over media and opening up for forcing journalists to identify sources etc, are implemented when the Hungarian government is due to take over the Presidency of the European Union.

Implementing media legislation that, if misused, can suppress media and violate basic rules of media freedom and un-biased news reporting concern not only Hungary but the European community as such, said EANA President, Mika Pettersson, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Finnish news agency STT-Lehtikuva.

The European Alliance of News Agencies comprises news agencies in 31 European countries and serves as a forum for cooperation and information for the news agency business. The EANA statutes stress that member news agencies support the principles of freedom of the press and unbiased news.

The organisation/s board urges the Hungarian government to safeguard the independence of the public and other media.

For more information please contact Erik Nylen, Secretary General, EANA +46 739 865272

AUSTRIAN APA AND PORTUGUESE LUSA TO SHARE EUROPEAN AWARD FOR NEWS AGENCY QUALITY

Austrian news agency APA and Portuguese news agency LUSA are sharing the 2010 European Alliance of News Agencies' Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. Austria Presse Agentur gets the prize for a strategy project called "Focus Media" performed by a project group within the agency. LUSA Agencia De Noticias De Portugal's Technical Director, Paulo Nogueira dos Santos, is awarded for a technical transformation of the news agency aiming towards multimedia and convergence.

The prize, Euro 1 000 to share, diploma etc, will be handed over to the winners by the President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA), M'ty's Vince, CEO of Hungarian news agency MTI, in connection with the organisation's Annual General Assembly and a conference in Geneva on September 22 - 24, 2010.

The Board/Bureau of EANA, that is also the Jury for the Award, said that the APA project "includes aspects on editorial, technological and commercial strategies for a news agency".

"Within a short time, all media, including news agencies, must change dramatically to come to terms with new technological, social and economic influences that include both opportunities and threats", the EANA Jury said. "The APA "Focus Media" project claims no more and no less than to rethink the concept of APA as a news agency considering the radically changing world of media".

"Mr dos Santos' technical project stresses the need for forward aiming developments of multimedia and convergence in a time of booming information technology and combines this with cutting IT costs by using an efficient mix of in-house IT and outsourcing", the EANA Jury said.

Mr dos Santos joined LUSA in 2005 as Technical Director. Earlier he has had managerial IT positions in companies of several industries like semiconductors and ceramics & crystal. He has also been an invited lecturer at several public and private universities in Lisbon and Porto. He is a graduate from the Faculty of Sciences, Porto University, APGEI - Porto and IEP/ESADE - Porto with degrees in Applied Mathematics, Industrial Management and Business Management.

The APA team for the "Focus Media" project comprises:

Peter Kropsch, CEO,
Konrad Tretter, Managing Director,
Michael Lang, Editor-in-Chief (Editorial Department),
Johannes Bruckenberger, Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Editorial Department),
Alexander Falchetto, Head of Planning & Operations (APA-IT),
Claudia Haider, Key Account Manager, Head of Sales Department "Media"(Marketing & Sales)
Marcus Hebein, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Head of APA-MultiMedia (Editorial Department) Jochen Hofer, Head of the Vorarlberg Bureau (Editorial Office)
Gerald Innerwinkler, Head of Multimedia Solutions (APA-IT)
Roman Oslansky, Project Manager, Multimedia Solutions (APA-IT)
Clemens Pig, Head of Marketing & Sales
Katharina Schell, Head of Editorial Department Domestic Affairs (Editorial Department)
Paul Schneidhofer, Sales Manager, Key Account Manager, Head of Sales Department "Business"(Marketing & Sales)
Robert Schweinzer, Head of Product Management for the APA Editorial Departments (Editorial Department)

For more information, please contact EANA secretary Erik Nylen +46 739 865272

CTK IT DIRECTOR JAN KODERA GETS EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF NEWS AGENCIES' QUALITY AWARD

Press release | 090326

The European Alliance of News Agencies has decided to give Mr Jan Kodera, IT Director at Czech news agency CTK, the 2009 EANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. He gets the prize for his leading role in the design, development and deployment of a new CTK multimedia editorial system called MRS.

The EANA Bureau (board), which is also the jury for the Award said that:

"Multimedia is a key word for news agencies developing new services for media markets offering citizens news and other editorial content via a variety of platforms based the fast development of the information technology.

For the adequate production of multimedia services, access to an efficient editorial system is essential. The editorial system must be flexible and robust for text, photo, infographics, audio, multimedia packages etc. And - it must be based on the way journalists work.

The CTK team headed by IT Director Jan Kodera has developed an editorial system called MRS that is not only to the benefit of the Czech news agency but that is transferable internationally as it works with any Latin alphabet based language. Jan Kodera and his team have thereby contributed an editorial technical solution that can be to the benefit of the international news agency community."

Jan Kodera joined CTK in 1984. His first responsibility was hardware support, programming and maintenance of microcomputers and embedded systems. 1990 - 1992 he worked with adaptation etc of a new technical system for the agency. 1991 - 1996 he served as Chief of the Software and Development Department at the agency.

Since 1996 Mr Kodera is CTK?s Technical Director.

He is a graduate from the Czech Technical University, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, in Prague.

The prize will be handed over to Mr Kodera by the EANA President, Mr M?ty?s Vince, President of Hungarian news agency MTI, in connection with an EANA conference and Annual General Assembly in Geneva on September 23 - 25, 2009.

For more information:
Please contact EANA's secretary general Erik Nylen, mobile +46 739 865272

DPA-NEWS FOR CHILDREN'S EDITOR PETRA KAMINSKY GETS EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF NEWS AGENCIES' QUALITY AWARD

The European Alliance of News Agencies has decided to give Petra Kaminsky, editor at German news agency dpa, the 2008 EANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. She gets the prize in her capacity as head of dpa-news for children and a newly formed team at the agency producing this specially tailored multimedia news products for young readers.

The EANA Bureau (board), which is also the jury for the prize said that:

"To attract future generations of readers is a huge challenge for the news industry.

With the service dpa-news for children, the news agency is in a constructive way helping publishers to attract the next generation of news readers. The dpa service offers a target group of children six to ten years old a specially tailored multimedia news service based on dpa's news service.

The service includes text, photos, graphics, animated items, material for websites and podcasts etc. With this high-quality news product for children, dpa is leading the way in forming alliances with publishers to attract future generations of news readers.

The prize is awarded Petra Kaminsky, in her capacity as head of the team producing the dpa-news for children, a service that already during its first year attracted an impressive number of clients in Germany."

The Jury honoured Albanian news agency ATA a Special Mention recognising the agency's ambition to develop new editorial products despite a most limited market situation and difficult developments in the past. The special mention referred to a new weekly online product called Milestone, offered to the agency's customers and created by General Manager Artur Kopani and Elda Pepa, Maela Marini, Arta Lleshi and Dritan Lleshi.

Petra Kaminsky is since January 2007 head of the dpa-news for children. She joined dpa as a trainee in 1989 and served at the agency?s bureaus in Cologne, D?sseldorf, Bonn, Frankfurt and at the headquarters in Hamburg. After a period as trainee, she worked as editor and reporter at the agency until 1995. She has also served as correspondent in Moscow and as fashion correspondent in Rome.

1997 - 1999 she was editor for a digital newspaper ICE-press/Der Tag, published by Spiegel -Verlag, Hamburg and 1999 - 2000 she was editor for a special interest business magazine.

In 2000 she returned to dpa where she served as editor and head of several departments, correspondent in London etc until she in 2007 took up the position as head of the dpa-news for children.

The prize will be handed over to Ms Kaminsky by the EANA President, Dr Wolfgang Vyslozil, CEO of Austrian news agency APA in Vienna, in connection with an EANA conference and Annual General Assembly in Nice on September 24 - 26, 2008.

For more information:
Please contact EANA's secretary general Erik Nylen, mobile +46 739 865272

PHIL LAKIN AND PAUL SPENCER, PA PHOTOS WINNERS OF EANA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NEWS AGENCY QUALITY

070530

The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has decided to give Mr Phil Lakin, IT Director and Mr Paul Spencer, Operations Manager, both of them at PA Photos, the 2007 EANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. They get the prize for their contributions in establishing the ShootLive digital photography workflow. PA Photos, based in London, is a company within the PA Group also comprising the news agency Press Association.

The EANA Bureau, which is also the jury for the award said that:

"ShootLive simplifies the digital photography workflow process to such an extent that only the creative input of the photographer and skill and judgement of the editor are required to capture and deliver images from any event to clients in a variety of digital formats. The ShootLive technology was developed by PA Photos but is also available for other media groups".

The patent-pending digital photography process has been used to cover the FIFA World Cup, the Oscars and many other key events over the last twelve months.

EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF NEWS AGENCIES CELEBRATES 50th ANNIVERSARY AND APPOINTS NEW PRESIDENT

Press release | Geneva September 22, 2006 | Download Anniversary Release

The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has celebrated its 50th anniversary as a forum for cooperation between European news agencies. The celebrations were held in Geneva in connection with a seminar on "Media Trends and News Agency Business" and the association?s annual General Assembly.

At the celebrations British telecom BT?s Chief Executive, Mr Ben Verwaayen, talked about the rapid development of the media environment. Dr Walter Richtberg, former Chief Executive of German news agency dpa and a veteran member of EANA, gave a brief review of EANA?s history.

The first EANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality was awarded to Mr Meinolf Ellers, Managing Director of dpa-infocom in Hamburg, a subsidiary of German news agency dpa. Mr Ellers got the prize in his capacity as coordinator of the MINDS project (Mobile Information and News Data Services), a European project on mobile media services developed by dpa-infocom, Dutch news agency ANP, Austrian news agency APA, Hungarian news agency MTI and Swiss news agency SDA/ATS.

At the assembly Dr Wolfgang Vyslozil, Chief Executive of Austrian news agency APA was elected President for two years succeeding Mr Paul Tesselaar, Managing Director of Dutch news agency ANP who was stepping down after his two year term.

Mr Pål Bjerketvedt, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Norwegian news agency NTB and Mr M?ty?s Vince, President of Hungarian news agency MTI were elected new Bureau (board) members for three years. The other two Bureau members are Mr Steven Brown, Managing Director of Press Association, London and Mr Erik Nyl?n, Stockholm, secretary and re-elected at the assembly.

EANA is registered in Switzerland as a non-profit membership association and has 30 member agencies. Its operations are financed via membership fees. Major objectives for EANA are:

• to secure a business environment where news agencies can fulfil the task of independent and unbiased news reporting. This includes recognition of copyright and related rights for news agencies and access to sources of information.
• to promote co-operation and information exchange between member agencies.
• to offer member agencies a Pan-European professional forum for discussions and exchange of experiences and know-how by organizing seminars, workshops etc.

The 30 member agencies are:

AA - Turkey
AFP - France
ANA - Greece
ATA - Albania
ANP - The Netherlands
ANSA - Italy
APA - Austria
ATS/SDA - Switzerland
BNS - Estonia
BTA - Bulgaria
BELGA - Belgium
CNA - Cyprus
CTK - Czech Republic
DPA - Germany
EFE - Spain
HINA - Croatia
ITAR-TASS - Russia
LUSA - Portugal
MTI - Hungary
NTB - Norway
PA - The UK
PAP - Poland
RITZAU - Denmark
ROMPRES - Romania
STA - Slovenia
STT/FNB - Finland
TANJUG - Serbia
TASR - Slovakia
TT - Sweden
UKRINFORM - Ukraine

For more information:
EANA secretary Erik Nylén, erik-n@telia.com, mobile +46 739 865272

EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF NEWS AGENCIES MEINOLF ELLERS, dpa-infocom WINNER OF EANA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NEWS AGENCY QUALITY

The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) has decided to give Mr Meinolf Ellers, Managing Director of dpa-infocom GmbH in Hamburg, the first EANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. Mr Ellers gets the prize as the co-ordinator of the MINDS project (Mobile Information and News Data Services), a European project on mobile media services developed by the German news agency dpa/s subsidiary dpa-infocom, Dutch news agency ANP, Austrian news agency APA, Hungarian news agency MTI and Swiss news agency SDA/ATS.

The EANA Bureau, which is also the jury for the award, said that:

"The MINDS project, co-ordinated by Mr Meinolf Ellers, combines the development of innovative mobile media services and business models that have proved to be attractive on the market as they represent highly integrated work-flows between news agencies and publishers. The project has also created a European network for market exploitation including trans-national deals".

The first national MINDS platform was launched in Germany by dpa-infocom in March 2005 with twelve newspaper publishers. The interest for the MINDS solution grew rapidly and in early 2006 almost 40 German newspapers operated their mobile services on the MINDS platform representing a daily circulation of more than six million copies.

Mr Ellers, 44, is since 2000 the Managing Director of dpa subsidiary dpa-infocom GmbH, Hamburg. Since 2005 he is also Managing Director of Globus Infografik GmbH (dpa subsidiary), Hamburg. 1998-1999 he started and was the chief of the central desk for entertainment, media, culture and science at dpa, In 1996 he was the team leader for the development of dpa-Online, Hamburg. 1994-1998 he was chief of the desk for culture and science and 1991-1993 the news agency/s bureau chief in Tokyo. 1987-1990 he served as special correspondent for German affaires to the English, Spanish and Arabic wire services of dpa.

Mr Ellers joined dpa in 1985 as correspondent and reporter for dpa in Essen.

The EANA Award will be presented to Mr Ellers by the EANA President, Mr Paul Tesselaar, Managing Director of Dutch news agency ANP, in Geneva on September 21, 2006 when EANA celebrates its 50th anniversary.

For more information:
- Erik Nylen, EANA, e-mail: erik-n@telia.com, mobile: +46 739 865272
- Meinolf Ellers, dpa-infocom, e-mail: meinolf.ellers@dpa-info.com, mobile: +49 170 2241802

PRESS RELEASE

050926

The European Alliance of News Agencies/ General Assembly has elected three new Bureau (Board) members. The three new members, all of them elected for three years, are:

Mr Steven Brown, Managing Director, PA, London,

Mr Raoul Grunthal, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, TT, Stockholm,

Mr Waldemar Siwinski, President and Editor-in-Chief, PAP, Warsaw.

The EANA was founded in 1956 and will in 2006 celebrate its 50th anniversary. EANA is registered as a non-profit membership association at the Trade Register in Berne, Switzerland and comprises 30 European news agencies. President of EANA is Mr Paul Tesselaar, Managing Director, ANP, The Hague.

For more information, please contact:
Erik Nylen
Secretary General
European Alliance of News Agencies
e-mail: erik-n@telia.com
tel/fax: +46 8 301324
mobile: +46 739 865272
postal address: Norrbackagatan 23, 113 41 Stockholm, Sweden
website: www.newsalliance.org

Paul Tesselaar elected EANA President

Press release | 050926

Mr Paul Tesselaar, Managing Director of ANP, was elected President of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) for two years at the General Assembly held in Moscow on September 23, 2004. He succeeds Mr Uffe Riis Sorensen, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Ritzaus Bureau, who has served for two years.

The General Assembly also elected Mr Bernard Reist, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of SDA/ATS, as Bureau member for three years.

The other Bureau members are Mr Gilbert Grellet, Director of External Relations and Partnerships, AFP, Mr Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy Director General, ITAR-TASS and Mr Erik Nylén, Secretary General, EANA.

The EANA 2005 General Assembly will be held in Geneva in connection with a seminar on September 22-23, 2005.

EANA comprises 30 European news agencies

Press release | 031016

Baltic News Service (BNS) in Tallinn, Estonia and Tanjug in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro are new members of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). EANA thereby comprises 30 European news agencies.

Applications for membership from the above mentioned news agencies were recently approved by EANA´s Annual General Assembly held in Geneva.

The assembly elected Mr Gilbert Grellet, Director of External Relations and Partnerships at AFP in Paris to be member of EANA´s Bureau for three years. Mr Grellet has been a co-opted Bureau member since the beginning of 2003.

Mr Erik Nylén, Stockholm, was re-elected Secretary General of EANA for another three years.

The EANA Bureau comprises the following members:
Mr Uffe Riis Sorensen (President), Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, Ritzaus Bureau, Copenhagen
Mr Paul Tesselaar, Managing Director, ANP, The Hague
Mr Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy Director General, ITAR-TASS, Moscow
Mr Gilbert Grellet, Director of External Relations and Partnerships, AFP, Paris
Mr Erik Nylén, Secretary General, EANA, Stockholm

Mr Gilbert Grellet co-opted as Bureau member

Press release

The Bureau of the European Alliance of News Agencies has decided to co-opt Mr Gilbert Grellet, AFP, as Bureau member until the General Assembly in Geneva on September 25-26, 2003. Mr Grellet is Director of External Relations and Partnerships at AFP.

The Bureau´s decision was taken in accordance with the EANA statutes in a situation when a position as Bureau member becomes vacant between two General Assemblies. Mr Giuseppe Cerbone had left the Bureau when he early 2003 left ANSA.

This means that the EANA Bureau has the following members:
Mr Uffe Riis Sorensen, Ritzaus Bureau, President of EANA
Mr Paul Tesselaar, ANP
Mr Mikhail Gusman, ITAR-TASS
Mr Gilbert Grellet, AFP
Mr Erik Nylén, Secretary General of EANA

New President for European Alliance of News Agencies

020930

Mr Uffe Riis Sorensen, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Danish news agency Ritzaus Bureau has been elected President for two years of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA). He succeeds Mr Andreas Christodoulides, General Director of the Greek news agency ANA who has been the President for two years and had decided not to stand for re-election.

New members of the EANA/s Bureau are Mr Giuseppe Cerbone, CEO and Managing Director of the Italian news agency ANSA and Mr Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy Director General of the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS who have been elected for three years. Together with earlier elected Mr Paul Tesselaar, Managing Director of the Dutch news agency ANP and EANA/s Secretary General Erik Nylen they will form the Bureau.

The European Alliance of News Agencies was founded in 1956 and comprises 30 European news agencies. EANA is a non-profit membership association and serves as a pan-European professional forum for contacts and co-operation as well as exchange of information, experiences and know-how among its members.

For more information please contact:
Erik Nylen
European Alliance of News Agencies
e-mail: erik-n@telia.com
tel/fax +46 8 301324
mobile: +46 739 865272

EANA as Professional Organization

June 14, 2002

The European Alliance of Press Agencies has decided to change its name to European Alliance of News Agencies. The new name including new statutes for the organization were approved at an Extra General Assembly in Cracow, Poland on June 11, 2002. The organization was founded in 1956 and comprises 28 European news agencies.

The assembly also decided that the organization shall be registered in Berne, Switzerland as a non-profit membership association.

The purpose of EANA is to safeguard and promote the common interests of its members in all areas. It serves as a Pan-European professional forum for the establishment of contacts and co-operation as well as exchange of information and experiences and know-how among its members.

"When the organization was founded almost 50 years ago, it was probably correct to call the members press agencies but today it is more correct to describe the members as news agencies serving a variety of media and non-media clients," says EANA/s president Andreas Christodoulides, general director of Athens News Agency adding that news agencies in many cases today are developing multimedia services.

"Changing the name and having the EANA registered as a non-profit membership association in Berne is one of many steps taken in our work to further develop EANA as a professional organization for European news agencies," Mr Christodoulides says.

The EANA/s annual general assembly is held in Geneva on September 27, 2002 with a seminar for its members on September 26.

For more information, please contact the EANA secretariat
e-mail: erik-n@telia.com
tel/fax: +46 8 301324
mobile: +46 739 865272
website: www.pressalliance.com

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF PRESS AGENCIES ATHENS NEWS AGENCY´s CHIEF EXECUTIVE RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT FOR EUROPEAN ALLIANCE OF PRESS AGENCIES

October 1, 2001

Andreas Christodoulides, director general of Athens News Agency (ANA), has been re-elected as president of the European Alliance of Press Agencies (EAPA) for one year.

Besides Mr. Christodoulides the following are members of EAPA´s board: Tadej Labernik, director general and chief editor of the Slovenian news agency STA, Uffe Riis Sorensen, managing director and chief editor of the Danish news agency Ritzaus Bureau, Paul Tesselaar, managing director of the Dutch news agency ANP and the EAPA secretary general Erik Nylén.

The European Alliance of Press Agencies was founded in 1956. 28 European news agencies are members. The annual meeting in Athens was held in connection with a management seminar on copyright. The first speakers at the seminar were Joerg Reinbothe, Head of the European Commission´s directorate for copyright and related rights and professor Thomas Dreier, University of Karlsruhe, both commenting on the new EU-directive on harmonisation of copyright laws in the Information Society. Among the other speakers at the seminar were Louise Cole, company lawyer at Press Association (PA), London, PA´s legal adviser Rachel Boothroyd and the Dutch news agency ANP´s legal adviser Joris van Manen.

For more information please contact:
Andreas Christodoulides, Athens News Agency, tel +30 1 6400560, e-mail christod@ana.gr or Erik Nylén, EAPA, tel +46 8 301324, mobile +46 8 739 865272, e-mail erik-n@telia.com