Brussels, 07/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - On the initiative of the Region of Tuscany, and with the backing of the Basque Government and the Balears Regions, as well as Murcia, Rheinland-Pfalz, Vastra Gotalands (Sweden), Vejle Amt (Denmark), and Finland, Norway and Lithuania, the first European network of regional and local authorities for lifelong learning was launched in Brussels on 1 June. This network, which aims to assure to all the European citizens equal opportunity of access to the educational and training services all along their lifetime, links together - via the Internet and new technologies - regional, local and national governments to exchange the experiences between the different traditions in the field of education and training. The network, which Gloucestershire and Wales should also be joining, should give rise to European-wide partnership projects and contribute to the Commission's Memorandum on lifelong learning that is to be approved by the end of the year. The project was presented to the European Commission in November last by Paolo Benesperi, for the Region of Tuscany.