EU-Funded Project Unveils New Public Services Interpreting Platform

As the eu-webpsi project comes to an end, several stakeholders presented a progress report during a closing symposium on June 19, 2025. The project involved work conducted over three years to improve several aspects of public services interpreting and create a web portal with multiple resources for all kinds of stakeholders. 

The initiative was funded by the European Union (EU) Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and identified several challenges in public service interpreting, such as lack of harmonized standards for the profession in the EU and insufficient trained interpreters for languages of lesser diffusion.

These challenges lead to unequal access to basic services, according to the project’s posted research results, and to address them from various angles eu-webpsi brought together a consortium of experts. 

Among project participants are universities, such as the University of Gent and the University of Surrey, institutions that work regularly with public service interpreters, such as ISM CORUM and METAdrasi, professional associations like The European Network for Public Service Interpreting and Translation (ENPSIT), as well as interpreting services providers.

A major goal of eu-webpsi was to create foundational training for newcomers to gradually develop interpreting skills, including training for video-mediated interpreting. In turn, the web portal is also set to facilitate the availability of newly trained and certified remote interpreters across the EU.

Special Interpreting Standards and Training

The group developed a comprehensive quality framework with essential public services interpreting skills and technical requirements, prioritizing linguistic proficiency as a foundational element that is assessed before training begins.

Essential interpreting techniques and delivery methods are taught on and off-line, or a combination of both, alongside diverse interpreting contexts, ethics and professionalism, and strong interpersonal skills. 

In parallel to professional skills, the project established minimum requirements for video-mediated interpreting to address factors such as clear visual and acoustic quality, appropriate equipment and working environments, video platforms, effective communication management, and essential technical literacy.

Given that languages of limited diffusion present unique challenges, the training for interpreters handling these languages include adapting note-taking techniques to accommodate different alphabets and scripts, and ensuring acute awareness of socio-cultural sensitivities.

Based on these priorities, the project’s goals were presented as completed during the symposium. “These priorities have now been translated into the outcomes of the project,” said Katrijn Maryns referring to the resources now available on the portal, which also include train-the-trainer modules, registers of certified EU-WebPSI interpreters, an interpreter booking tool, and a video platform.