European Union information

Europe Direct North East is a European information centre for anyone living, working or studying in North East England. We seek to raise awareness and understanding about Europe in our region.

Requests for information

This includes responding to queries and requests for information. Maybe you have a project idea and would like to know if it would qualify for European grant funding? Perhaps you have heard or read that the European Union is going to introduce some new legislation and you would like to clarify whether it is true?

Publications and resources

As well as providing information, we stock European Commission and European Parliament publications and resources. These range from language and story booklets aimed at young people, to maps of the EU and information booklets to raise awareness about the work of the European Union and how it affects UK citizens. Please visit the EU Bookshop website to see what sort of resources we can provide.

Many people request the booklet "A Beginner's Guide to EU Funding", which can be downloaded at:

Europa: Bookshop - a beginner’s guide to EU funding

Support for local schools

We provide support to schools in our region, helping them to increase their pupils understanding of international matters, and encouraging them to celebrate significant European dates such as Europe Day on 9 May, and the European Day of Languages on 26 September. We also arrange and attend other events as deemed appropriate to raise awareness about the EU.

Durham employment and skills

Our employment and skills team deliver a range of externally funded contracts and work in partnership to provide support to residents and employers across County Durham. They are externally funded via the European Social Fund (ESF), Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), whose aims are to provide financial support to organisations that deliver a range of training and employment opportunities.

Contact us

If you have any questions or need information about the European Union, please contact us, drop in to see us during office hours (9.00am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday) at County Hall, Durham, or visit the Europe Direct North East England website.

(Europe Direct North East is part funded by the European Commission.)