2009 EUROPE ON THE MOVE
Every Monday, ‘Europe on the Move’ takes you into European lives with reports that show how EU legislation affects people: their environment, their health, their work and family life… A programme made with the support of the European Parliament. Mondays at 2:10 pm
debt - UK
Debt-laden UK households struggle to make ends meet
According to recent figures, the average British household is now 65,000 euros in debt, while a quarter of low income families spend more than 25 percent of their income every month simply repaying debt.
alcoholism - Portugal - Youth
Crackdown on binge drinking in Portugal
Portuguese authorities are trying to crack down on binge drinking, which is becoming a problem for a growing number of young people who consume large quantities of alcohol when going out over the weekend.
auto industry - Germany
Between East and West, the imbalance persists
FRANCE 24 visits the city of Leipzig, in the former East Germany, where the carmaker BMW employs 4,000 people in its factory. But, two decades after reunification, most factories have disappeared, with consequences for the wider economy.
discrimination - Hungary - unemployment
Hungary's Roma, still second-class citizens?
Around 800,000 Roma live in Hungary, accounting for nearly 9% of the population. Twenty years after the end of communism and half way through a plan to help them integrate, the country's Roma are still largely ostracised and discriminated against.
Austria - European Union - immigration
Eastern Europeans flock to Austria
Twenty years after the end of the iron curtain, Austria is still a promise land for the countries of Eastern Europe. It is viewed as a gateway into Western Europe and, for students, a prestigious place to study.
EU Parliament considering extending lorry drivers’ hours to 86 per week
The European Parliament has discussed a draft resolution for longer working hours for lorry drivers. The limit is currently 56 hours, but the parliament is looking at extending this to 86 per week.
SERBIA
Belgrade's EU application faces obstacles
Serbia's bid to join the EU still faces hurdles. Belgrade, which could formally apply for membership before the end of the year, still has to track down, arrest and send to The Hague those accused of war crimes.
ICELAND
Europe's western outpost mulls membership of the club
One year after its economy was swept away by the crisis, Iceland is still debating whether to seek the protection of EU membership. The prime minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, wants to join the club, but others fear they will lose their sovereignty.
FINLAND
Cleaning up the Baltic Sea
The ecosystem of the Baltic Sea is highly vulnerable due to shallow water and heavily pollution. But the EU, and particularly Finland, one of the nine countries in the Baltic Sea region, are together giving new momentum to environmental regeneration.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Final days in office for Hans-Gert Pöttering
FRANCE 24 met the outgoing president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, who is being kept busy until his last days in office. As his term comes to an end, he shares some thoughts with us on his role.
EUROPE ON THE MOVE
Sweden to call for a Europe-wide carbon tax
Sweden introduced a carbon tax in 1991. As the country takes over the rotating European Union presidency in July, it plans to urge its counterparts to impose a carbon tax to reduce CO2 emissions across the continent.
EUROPE ON THE MOVE
Unity the goal as Cypriots vote in European poll
This week, some half a million Cypriots are eligible to vote for six seats in the European Parliament. One major question looms over the election: how could Brussels put pressure on the feuding parties to speed up reunification?
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EUROPE ON THE MOVE
Aquaculture: alimentary solution or environmental problem?
Aquaculture can produce tonnes of fish without endangering natural resources. Yet vast farming sites tend to impact heavily on the surrounding environment.
GERMANY
Schools wonder how to handle learning for disabled children
A school in the German town of Waldorf is treating disabled students just like any other, claiming their learning curve is almost the same as that of able-bodied children. Not everybody agrees, but the European Union defends the method.
SWEDEN
Swedes fear exposure to electromagnetic fields
Some 300,000 Swedes suffer from electrohypersensitivity due to the electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones and Wifi terminal. A European Parliament report has recommended that more be done to limit exposure.
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