"We would like to know whether Polish workers must still obtain a work permit and a residence permit in France. Can you help me?": with this question, Sandrine Jean, of the Odyssee social centre in the Gard region, France, became the 100,000th user of Europe Direct, the EU Commission’s information hotline. The call was made on November 13th at the toll-free number 00800 6 7 8 9 10 11. The EU Executive takes stock of the service for the citizens of the 27 member states, future member states and other countries.Tthe deputy president, Margot Wallström, states that "Europe Direct is at the citizens’ disposal" and intends "to put them in touch with the EU institutions, answer their questions and listen to their worries". The service, opened in 1998, is accessible to anyone, "and the range of telephone operators explains a note from the EU Commission covers all the official languages of the EU". The questions, which can also be sent by email, usually receive a reply within 3 workdays, but "for more complicated matters an expert’s advice can still be required" so it takes a bit longer. Subjects about which information is asked include the internal market (travelling, studying and working across the EU), roaming, the new EU Treaty.
