The EU drugs agency (EMCDDA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) will open their doors to the public this Thursday 20 June on the occasion of the inauguration of Praça Europa, the square on which the agencies are located in Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré area.
The square will be inaugurated by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and Mayor of Lisbon António Costa, following a ceremony at the Lisbon Town Hall at which Mr Schulz will receive the keys to the city. The plaques of the newly-designated square will be unveiled at 12.45 by President Schulz and Mayor Costa as well as by EMCDDA Director Wolfgang Götz and EMSA Director Markku Mylly.
Interested members of the public are invited to drop in to the two agencies on that day and gain an insight into their work through presentations, videos, publications, quizzes and conversations with staff.
- Date: Thursday 20 June
- Opening hours: 10.30 to 16.30
- Venue: EMCDDA and EMSA, Praça Europa, Cais do Sodré, 1249-289
The EMCDDA was set up in 1993 and inaugurated in Lisbon in 1995. It provides the EU and its Member States with ‘factual, objective, reliable and comparable information concerning drugs, drug addiction and their consequences’. With around 100 employees, it offers national and European policymakers the data they need for drawing up informed drug laws and strategies. It also helps professionals and practitioners working in the field pinpoint best practice and new areas of research.
EMSA provides technical assistance and support to the European Commission and Member States in the development and implementation of EU legislation on maritime safety, pollution by ships and maritime security. It has also been given operational tasks in the field of oil pollution response, vessel monitoring and in long range identification and tracking of vessels. Set up in 2002, EMSA has been established in Lisbon since 2006 and has over 200 employees.
