From next year, any commercial fishermen who break European Union rules will lose their licence. The fisheries ministers have agreed on a new system to deter overfishing. This is a new penalty points system, which can result in the withdrawal of fishing licences depending on a number of repeated offences. For example, with five points they risk losing their licences forever. Countries that do not want to enforce the new system could lose EU funding for modernising their industries and could have their quotas cut. However, overfishing will still be tolerated.

Press freedom in danger

A annual index released by NGO Reporters Without Borders showed that the Press freedom in several European countries has eroded dramatically in the past year. Especially in Slovakia, Italy and Bulgaria. Slovakia has the biggest fall in press frredom among EU member states, because the government meddles in media activities and because of a law imposing an automatic right of response in the press. This means, if the government doesn’t agree with what journalists have said or written, he can just modify it. The index ranks 175 countries in the world. The best ones are countries as Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Norway. Theses results includes violence against journalists, physical attacks, censorship, harassment… The worst press freedom in the world is in Eritrea.

Wine ‘bad for the teeth’

It is so nice drinking a glass of white wine on a terrasse after work or while eating. But, doing this frequently can damage your teeth. It is not the wine’s vintage, origin or alcohol that are causing damage, but its pH and duration of contact with the teeth. And what’s worse is eating cheese at the same time, because it is rich in calcium and it is the calcium in teeth that the wine attacks. If you’re going to have a glass of wine do so with your meal and leave a break of at least 30 minutes afterwards before you brush your teeth and go to bed. Why? Because drinking wine with food, rather than on its own, means the saliva you produce, as you chew, helps to neutralise its acidity and limits its erosive potential. And for your teeth, leaving time before brushing them gives the enamel a chance to recover from the acid attack.

Europe’s milk sector has been received 280 million euro from the EU. Some two thirds of the European Union countries had called additional aid after falling demand and price collapse for dairy products, which were linked to the financial crisis. Now, they can’t ask more money. The Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said: “There will be no possibilities for any delegations to come up and ask for more money now. That’s my only worry, because we see some tendencies in the agricultural landscape that might face some difficulties but there is no more money to be picked up.” So, that is clear. Finally, this aid will represent less than 1000 euros for each producer.

European development days

Some 4 000 participants are expected to attend an event, in Stockholm, about the EU efforts to boost development. The event will focus on the effects of global warming, especially on poorer countries. These countries are particularly hard hit by both the economic downturn and climate change. Rising sea levels, desertification and more frequent and severe natural disasters could push millions into poverty. With the crisis, there are not a lot of donations. Then, by bringing together politicians, NGOs, business leaders, academics, researchers and the media, the European Development Days will provide an opportunity for networking, sharing experiences and finding new partners for development projects. Moreover, several development-related prizes will be awarded. The event starts on 22 October and will last three days. More information on : http://www.eudevdays.eu/index_en.htm

French speedy entry system

France has become the first European country to introduce a new voluntary finger printing system, which should allow speedy travel within the EU. The new system allows participating travellers to enter a country by only touching a scan that can confirm their identity, with the passeport’s details. It is free and they can decide to do it or not. This technology will later be used in the Shengen area countries (25 European states). However, civil rights activists in France oppose the new system, saying it is the thin end of the wedge towards biometric iris scans, and as such it is an infringement of personal integrity.

Before telling the other news, I want to start with Tony Blair’s battle. Europe is still looking for a president of a post-Lisbon Treaty European Council, and Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, is the front-runner for the job. However, several countries are against him, such as France and Italy. Yes, a lot of European ministers don’t want  Blair as EU’s President, because of  his support to the war in Iraq, his absence from the Eurozone and Schengen agreement.  At the moment, ministers are looking to alternative candidates, but campaigning for this post cannot really start until the Czech president puts his name to the Lisbon Treaty.

EU’s digital bookshop

The EU has launched its online digital library of official documents issued in the last 50 years. The EU’s so-called digital bookshop puts more than 12 million scanned pages online. They can be downloaded for free by anyone interested. The oldest document is a 1952 speech by Jean Monnet which inaugurated the High Authority of the Coal and Steel Community, which later became the EU.

No happy hour in Catalonia

We know that the region of Catalonia, in the North of Spain (where there is Barcelona), is really famous for its parties and of course for drinking. Now, people will rethink their holidays because of a new crackdown on budget alcohol. Catalonia has banned alcohol promotions during happy hours to reduce excessive drinking among young people. So, offering two drinks for the price of one will be banned. That is not a good news for those who drink properly, but a good news for the excessive drinkers and of course for the police. Because, mainly arrests are due to “behaviour caused by excessive drinking.

Champagne for Serbian President

It is not only young people who get alcohol problems, but even Presidents! Actually, the Serbian President Boris Tadic is facing charges for drinking champagne at a football stadium, where he was celebrating Serbia’s qualification for the 2010 World Cup. The consumption or possession of alcohol is forbidden at Serbia’s sports venues in order to prevent violence. The President and his officials are going to pay each a fine of around 800 euros.

Barack Obama, the President of the US wants to send more  troops to  Afghanistan.  He said America’s mission in Afghanistan has not changed. His main goal is to root out AlQuaida and its extremists supporters that can launch attacks against the United States or its allies. Acutally, 40,000 more international troops is needed in Afghanistan. Two countries are already prepared to send more troops. Britain, where Gordon Brown is expected to announce that he will send an extra 500 soldiers to Afghanistan, and Spanish Prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will help the US with the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Europeans and HIV

A Swedish study has showed that more and more Europeans contract HIV and the number of people practising unsafe sex has increased as well. So, both could be linked. The Health Consumer Powerhouse has compiled the first Euro HIV Index of countries’ ability to deal with the virus in terms of prevention, care and rights for sufferers. Luxembourg is the top performer, followed by Malta and Switzerland. The UK is ninth, just ahead of Ireland while Italy, Greece and Romania have the most amount of work to do. Moreover, there are poor strategies to stop the spread of infection in prisons and there is little or no access to care for illegal migrants.

US giant ‘mapathon’

Atlanta will soon be the world’s most digitally mapped city, this is what  organisers of a massive “mapathon” have said. OpenStreetMap, or OSM, is trying to produce a map more accurate than anything else on the market. Moreover, the data gathered for OSM is free and open for users to edit and mash up anyway they like. The Atlanta mapathon will take place over this coming weekend with around 200 volunteers. They will be armed with global positioning devices mapping the city. We can say it , it is as a really big mapping party!

Let’s start with the LisbonTreaty. It seems that this one is not ready to run. The last remaining signature that would get the Lisbon Treaty up belongs to Czech Republic. The president Vaclav Klaus demands a derogation added to the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Then, hopefully, he will put pen to paper. What he wants is a guarantee that ethnic Germans, expelled from Czechoslovakia after World War Two, will not be able to make a legal claim to property, which was confiscated from them by the Czechs. But even if Klaus signs, the Treaty may face another obstacle. The one of the British Conservative opposition leader, David Cameron. He asked a referendum on the Treaty.

Sarkozy junior

The son of President Nicolas Sarkozy is angling for a key job overseeing billions of euros in commerce. Jean Sarkozy is only 23 years old. Some people said that he doesn’t deserve it. The boy is actually the main candidate for chairmanship EPAD, which is the quasi-governmental agency that manages La Defense. Even if this proposal is amusing some people, others are against it. 30 thousand people have signed an online petition against the proposal. Morevover, in France, elected officials often hold multiple jobs. So it is rare for a politician to be elected while still in school. However, Sarkozy’s conservative backers insist that he is qualified.

2 million of Erasmus

Today, two million European students have been able to study or take up a work placement abroad with the support of the Erasmus programme. The courses taken in another country are recognised by the student’s home university. So, a term or two abroad is definitely not time wasted. Apart from learning new academic things and a new language, the programme enforce intercultural skills and helps students become more independent. What is new is that more European students will receive scholarships for study abroad under the expanded Erasmus Mundus programme. This one promotes student exchanges not only in Europe, but also in non-EU countries.

Heckles for Zapatero

Yesterday was the National day here in Spain. Poor Prime Minister Zapatero, he has been heckled by the public. The crowd shouted “resign!.” Mister Zapatero is currently not having a lot of support. He has fallen popularity. Madrid officials of Zapatero said that this kind of things happened every year. However, an opinion poll published today in a Spanish newspaper shows the centre-right on 43 percent against 38 percent for the socialists.

Let’s start with the big news over Berlusconi! Italy’s Constitutional Court decided that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should not have immunity from prosecution while in office. Yes, he can’t be above the law anymore, but he will continue to govern. Berlusconi has often complained of being a victim of “left-wing” magistrates. Moreover, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) already said he should resign if he lost his immunity. In fact, this is not going to be easy because the PD has no majority in Parliament and Mr Berlusconi continues to score quite well in opinion polls, with around 50 percent support.

Dinosaur prints

French fossil hunters have discovered huge dinosaur footprints at Plagne, in Eastern France. They said that it is among the biggest in the world. The footprints were made about 150 million years ago by sauropods. They are long-necked herbivores. The prints are about 1.50 m wide, like an animal that measured more than 25 m long and weighed about 30 tonnes. So, it could be sauropods. Moreover, the region was near a shallow, warm sea at the time the sauropods lived there. Nice discovery!

French minister in ‘boy sex’ row

Frederic Mitterrand, the French ministre of culture,  is facing intense pressure over a book he wrote four years ago. This book described paying for “young boys” in Thailand. In the book “The Bad Life”, he wrote: “I got into the habit of paying for boys”. He also wrote that all these things of the market for youths, the slave market excited him a lot and that immediately available young boys put him in a state of desire. Whatever floats your boat!

The ten nominations for Sakharov prize for democracy and human rights took place at the European Parliament, last Wednesday. Among this year’s candidates, there is Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian gynaecologist who lives in the Gaza Strip. Let me remind you, he was the man who has campaigned for peace with Israel despite losing his three daughters in the bombardment of the strip, last January. Now, we have to wait the 22 October to know the winner. Last year’s winner was a Chinese political activist, called Hu Jia. He won 50,000 euros, because he called for an official enquiry into the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Good job!

EU in global governance of internet

“Icann”, in other words, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, such as the famous .com, .eu, .org, and so on, at the end of a web address, will the 30th of September no longer be reviewed by the US Department of Commerce. A thing that the EU has been asked for four years. Of course, the internet is a global resource and should not be tied to only one national government. By the end of the year, it’s expected that websurfers who use Greek, Arabic Chinese or whatever writing systems, will be able to type in a web address in the alphabet they feel most comfortable with, instead of having to use Latin script. However, the ‘http://’ prefix will stay in Latin.

The Biggest screen in the world

The Guinness Book of Records has a new entry :  The world’s largest High Definition video screen. The giant four-sided screen has a surface area of more than thousands square meters. If you wanna see it, you just have to go to the Dallas Cowboys’ football stadium in the United States. It’s a bit far away, yes. The huge video board includes four panels, which together weigh 600 tonnes. That’s probably the biggest thing from Mitsubishi Electric!

Pregnancy and smoking

Yes we know it, mothers who smoke during pregnancy put their children at great risk. Unfortunately 15% of them smoke. Poor baby, he can have psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. So, just an advice girls, please give up your ciggy!

The first-ever European literary prize award took place in Brussels, on Monday. Twelve books from different European countries have won this year. Rather than one single winner, like the other literary trophies, the EU Prize for Literature award different countries. 12 this year, another 11 next year, which are the countries that didn’t win this week, and another 11 in 2011. So, a total of 34 prizes over a three-year cycle. The winners receive 5,000 euros. Through this prize, the EU wants to highlight and promote culture and European literature diversity.

New Czech move against EU treaty

We are always talking about Ireland and the Lisbon Treaty, but it seems that Czech Republic could make a surprise as well, because Czech senators who are opposed to the EU’s Lisbon Treaty have filed a new complaint against it with the country’s constitutional court. This complain could delay the Treaty’s ratification. Even if Irish voters back the treaty in a referendum this Friday. Of course, I remind you that the treaty cannot take effect unless all 27 EU member states back it.

Mummy autopsy result ‘was wrong’

In 1825, the Italian Doctor Granville revealed that an ancient Egyptian mummy, called Irtyersenu died of ovarian cancer. However, a University College London study strongly suggests she died of tuberculosis. The experts believe the key to the woman’s death was the fact that her lungs were inflamed. Tuberculosis was widespread in ancient Egypt and can cause these symptoms. Morevover, the same team has found traces of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, yes it is the bacterium which causes TB.

‘Hitler skull’ revealed as female

Let’ s finish with another scientific mistake. The one about Hitler skull. US scientits have revealed that Adolf Hitler’s skull may be one of a woman. Scientists said the bone fragment was too thin to be from an adult male. The section of bone with the mark of a bullet hole supported the theory that Hitler shot himself. Russian scientists supported this and had even put it on display in Moscow. But now, US experts said DNA tests revealed that it actually belonged to a woman aged between 20 and 40. Creepy isn’t?!

“Eat it, Drink it, Move it”, that is the name of the new healthy eating campaign of the European Union. This campaign is aimed at children. The latest education programme will take place in seven European states offering children the chance to take part in activities and games. Listen to what the Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel kick said: “You could see that the number of obese and overweight young people is increasing dramatically. And normally we are ten years behind the US and here the figures are alarming. We simply need to do whatever possible.” (Video source : http://www.euronews.net/2009/09/28/eu-promotes-healthy-eating-for-the-young/). Even the Belgian tennis champion Justine Henin is going to help in the battle against child obesity. And don’t forget eating fruits everyday, it’s healthy and delicious. Hmmmmm!

Roma education policies under critics

Mayors and local school authorities in Central and Eastern European states still favour segregation of Roma children, despite national policies. Roma children need a better inclusion in the national schooling systems. In Romania, the country with the largest Roma population in the EU, 15 percent of Roma children have never been enrolled in a school programme. In Serbia, the situation is even worse, with 25 percent. Doctors were also systematically saying Roma children aren’t fit enough to go to regular education, then they can just “push them” into special schools. If parents say they don’t want their children to be in a same room with Roma, then mayors and school directors act accordingly, and the problem is even worse.

Turn down your volume

Do you like to pump up the volume on your IPod? Yes? It’s a pity, because you will soon no longer be able to do it. The European Commission has decided to impose volume limits, because music players damage our hearing. Mainly young people listen to music at high volumes, sometimes for hours each week. They have no idea they can be putting their hearing at risk. This concerns 10 million people in the EU. Moreover, it can take years for the hearing damage to show, and then it is just too late. So now, the new maximum will ensure that the default setting of a device keeps the volume at safe levels. However, consumers will be able to override the default settings if they wish.

Congratulations to the Portuguese Socialist Party, which won the country’s elections last Sunday. The victory is mainly due to blue-collar workers, civil servants and young people’s voices. Maybe, because they are especially concerned by the financial crisis. However, abstention climbed from around 37 percent in 2005 to 41 percent this year.

And in Germany, the same superwoman Angela Merkel has won a second term as chancellor, but the new government will be different. Because her victory allows her to form a centre-right government which she said this will be better to put Germany back to health after its worst post war recession.

English : the most studied language

“I am, I were, I have been, ….”. English is the most studied language in European schools. However, even if English is popular among children and young people, a lot of adults often lack language skills. So, it means that teaching foreign tongues in school is not a real guarantee for adults. Around 36 percent of Europeans aged between 25 and 64 don’t speak a foreign language at all. Especially in Hungary which scored badly, with 75 percent who speak only Hungarian, followed by Portugal, where half of the adult population cannot speak another language. Today, the European Union counts 23 official languages.

Refunds after Eurostar breakdowns

Last Friday, about 1,000 Eurostar passengers were stuck on two trains for several hours, because of a power cut to overhead lines. The two trains were the ones from London St Pancras to Paris and to Brussels. They stopped outside Lille, in north-east France. There was alternative transport, but many passengers arrived five hours late. It wasn’t easy for people. A girl said that she had to wait in the dark for about two hours, then walk the full length of the train to make her way to the buses. Fortunately, they will be refunded and Eurostar will offer return trips as well.