European consumers aren?t full aware of the advantages to be gained by new and efficient electric appliances. In view of the up-coming Season shopping, when buying new appliances, it is essential for the consumer to be able to make a well-informed choice. The industry, pushed by the European Commission, has invested in products able to provide a high performance while reducing the environmental impact. Efforts should come from the industry, the consumers, but also from the public administration. The European Commission will propose in January 2007 the Strategic EU ... continua

Several measures to prevent, detect or contain the H5N1 virus in the EU have managed to stop the virus from spreading up to now. The future evolution of the situation is difficult to foresee because the H5N1 virus is still present in many countries, for example in Asia. The European Commission and the Member States constantly review the state of the disease outbreaks in the world and adapt the surveillance and the control measures accordingly.We have visited a Hungarian farm which was the departure point for an outbreak of avian flu that spread to 28 other Hungarian ... continua

Ce 1er décembre 2006, verra la XIX ième édition de la Journée Mondiale contre le Sida. Des données alarmantes montrent que dans certains pays, le taux des infections, autrefois stable ou en déclin, est en hausse. Selon les sources de UNAIDS, en 2006, plus de 4 millions de nouvelles personnes ont été infectées. Rien qu'en Europe centrale et orientale, plus de 740 000 individus vivent avec la maladie. La recherche sur le terrible virus s'intensifie. En Europe aussi, et, notamment, avec le soutien des institutions européennes, de nombreux laboratoires ... continua

Today, 1st December 2006, is the nineteenth World Aids Day. Some alarming data shows that in certain countries the rate of infections, which in the past were stable or in decline, are now increasing. According to sources at UNAIDS, in 2006 more than 4 million new people have been infected. In Central and Eastern Europe alone more than 740,000 individuals live with the disease. Research on this terrible virus intensifies. In Europe, and notably with the support of the European institutions, numerous laboratories test new treatments and vaccines. Carmen, 25 years ... continua

Several measures to prevent, detect or contain the H5N1 virus in the EU have managed to stop the virus from spreading up to now. The future evolution of the situation is difficult to foresee because the H5N1 virus is stillpresent in many countries, for example in Asia. The European Commission and the Member States constantly review the state of the disease outbreaks inthe world and adapt the surveillance and the control measures accordingly.We have visited a Hungarian farm which was the departure point for an outbreak of avian flu that spread to 28 other Hungarian ... continua

There are 53.000 birds on this Limburg chicken farm in north-west Belgium Here,there are no cages, the chickens are free to come and go as they wish to lay their 50,000 eggs a day in the best possible conditions. Running the chicken farm are Hilde Hendricks Verbeek and her husband. Three years ago the poultry on the farm, located in an area affected by bird flu was totally destroyed.
Interviews:
Hilde Hendrikx-Verbeek, chicken farmerBernard Van Goethem, European Commission Animal HealthBernard Gauthier, vetBernard Hennebert, breederSophie Loos , chicken ... continua

Software makers in Europe rise to the challenge of more sophisticated computer programmes.Software ERRORS have been implicated in several plane accidents in the last twenty years. There have also been a number of high-tech space projects lost due to malfunctioning programmes.
Interviews:
Lion Benjamins, Promise project, HelsinkiAndreas Hedler, InMedias, P. HennigsdorfGerd Grosse, Cognidata, Bad VibelVeronique Pevtschin, Nessi Project, BrusselsDario Avallone, Engineering, RomeBruno Nouzille, Thales Group, ParisMaddy Janse, Philips, EindhovenJohn Stark, Promise ... continua

This is the River Dniestr. It marks part of the North-Eastern border between Moldova and Ukraine. Moldovan frontier guards are out on patrol. A few kilometers to the North of here, their Ukrainian counterparts are also on the alert.Here, within binocular range, is a region known as Transnistria. A territory not recognized by the international community. And a territory which will be on Europe's doorstep once Romania joins the EU.
Transnistria is a self-proclaimed republic which broke away from Moldova at the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. This strip of ... continua

We're in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Contrary to appearances, these men are not soldiers... They are forest rangers from the ICCN, the Congolese Institute of Nature Conservation. Their job? To fight against poaching and protect the biodiversity of the Virunga National Park.
Interviews:
Samy Mankoto, President, Central Africa Protected Areas NetworkNorbert Mushenzi, Conservationist, Virunga National ParkCarlo De Filippi, Head of European Commission Delegation - Democratic Republic of CongoNorbert Mushenzi, Conservationist, Virunga National ... continua

Ouagadougou. It's 7 am. 30° Celsius. For several hours now, motor bikes have been buzzing along the main roads into the capital of Burkina Faso. This is a place you need to be mobile and show that you're able to get around. Something the European Union well understood when it chose to finance the NGO Medecins du Monde or Doctors of the World. The funding is part of a vast programme of AIDS prevention which includes European AIDS-INNOVATION projects. Here in Burkina Faso, Medecins du Monde has made mobility the central theme of its AIDS prevention ... continua