1. INFORMATION FORAGING "...the information gap is the new dividing line between the haves and the have nots, those forging new paths to development and those increasingly left behind." Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN Global Knowledge 97 Conference, Canada, June 22, 1997

2. Outline 1.What is information foraging 2.Why forage for information 3.How to forage for information 4.Challenges of information foraging 5.Getting the message out

3. What is information foraging Information foraging (in.fuhr.may.shuhn for.uh.jing). Searching for information, especially by using strategies analogous to the food foraging techniques employed by animals. Informavore n.

4. Why forage for information INFORM INFLUENCE FACILITATE LEARNING

5. EU Fact Finding EU E-Fact Finding: 1.Europa Server 2.Non-EU online databases & information digests (Euforic, Eupolitix, EV, Euractiv etc.) EU FTF-Fact Finding: 1.Members of the European Parliament & assistants 2.Commission officials 3.EU Permanent Representatives 4.National civil servants 5.Brussels-based networks & NGOs

6. Challenges ACCESS CLASSIFIED CREDIBILITY

7. Access 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels 6,500 Commission officials involved in policy- making Only 40% (appr. 5,000) are accredited lobbyists to the European Parliament New Member States combined have only 60 accredited lobbyists to the European Parliament 7 lobbyists per Member of the European Parliament

8. Getting the Message Out Timing Moving from data to decisions Information packaging Effective strategies Communicating intelligibly