25/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's EPP-ED group has opened a new external office in Budapest (in addition to its external offices in Berlin, Rome, Paris, London and Madrid). The EPP-ED group President, Hans-Gert Pöttering, said the objective of "the "EPP-ED centre for political-parliamentary further education and training" would be "the transfer of information about the European Union within the framework of the accession process as well as the preparation of candidate countries for their entry into the European Parliament, whether as Members, parliamentary assistants or staff". He said Budapest was chosen because of its central geographical location and the fact that Hungary "will definitely be in the first round of countries to join the European Union in its extension to the East".