Why 112?
As European citizens are increasingly travelling to other countries, for holidays, business or pleasure, there is a need for a single number, identical across the European Union (EU), to call in an emergency. Instead of having to remember several different numbers, citizens now need only one, wherever they go.
What happens when you call 112?
People calling 112 are connected to an operator. Depending on the national civil protection services, the operator will either deal with the request directly or transfer it to one of the emergency services(ambulance, ... continua

After the Second World War, Europe experienced an extraordinary baby boom that resulted in a substantial increase in the birth rate. The baby boomers are now reaching retirement age and European society is suddenly faced with the ageing of its population. People aged 65 and older will soon make up one third of the population. The European Commission therefore considers it essential to create the conditions enabling these baby boomers to stay in work longer and giving them the possibility to stay active members of society. Download subtitles:

As the summer holidays approach a new European regulation will guarantee more rights for both the disabled and people with reduced mobility when they travel by air. Nearly one in five Europeans can require assistance for travelling or communicating.
From 26 July 2008, these people will have the right to assistance and certain services in all European Union airports, as well as on board aircraft operating throughout European territory.
Under the new regulation the following changes must be made:
- Refusing reservation or boarding on the grounds of a disability or a ... continua

Food products will need to meet the requirements of nutrient profiles to bear nutrition and health claims. Nutrient profiles will be based on the content of nutrients such as fat, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids, salt and sugars, excessive intakes of which in the overall diet are not recommended. Nutrition claims can fail one criterion, i.e. if only one nutrient (salt, sugar or fat) exceeds the limit of the profile a claim can still be made. In such cases the high level of that particular nutrient must be clearly marked on the label, ... continua

The rules that govern nutrition labelling have already been in force for over a decade. In general nutrition labelling is included on a voluntary basis so the inclusion on most products depends on the goodwill of the agri-and-food industry. When nutrition labelling can be found, it may be difficult to find since it can be in small or very small print. Moreover, the type of labelling varies from one product to the next and from one country to the other. As a result, when filling their shopping carts, few European consumers take the time to ... continua

The European Commission and the pharmaceutical industry are entering into a pan-European strategic alliance to fund research in the health sector and accelerate the discovery and development of innovative medicines. This collaboration will bring together stakeholders on all levels to share knowledge and results. The benefits for patients will be significant, as it will further contribute to removing bottlenecks in the drug development process, thus providing patients with better medicines, faster. The boost in competitiveness could also be significant as resources for ... continua

Commonly referred to by its acronym of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is a long-standing international agreement adopted in Washington in 1973, under the aegis of the United Nations. It has been in force since 1975. The 171 States (including the Member States of the European Union) who subscribe to this convention are committed to regulating international trade in wild animals and plants so as to prevent the threat of trade to species in danger of extinction. The European Union is an active ... continua

Cars have long served as the chief means of transport in cities. Their use has risen from one year to the next: for every 100 trips, 82 are made by car, 12 in public transport and 6 by bicycle. Over the longer term, this creates two major problems: ever longer (and more stressful) traffic jams and increasingly dense air pollution in cities. The latter aspect is particularly alarming because it has a direct harmful impact on people’s health.In societies undergoing steady demographic changes, traffic has risen significantly in cities. Urban areas are sources of growth ... continua

The European Commission’s Directorate-General Environment presents a video report on the concrete measures proposed by the European Commission. It includes interviews with key voices.

With the active involvement of the EU, the Bali Conference, last December, demonstrated that a global agreement on climate change is feasible. Today, the European Commission's new energy and climate package aims to slash the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020, and by 30% if other industrialised countries agree to do the same.
... continua

Already effective in nine Member States, the liberalisation of gas and electricity markets comes into effect throughout the European Union from July 1, 2007. Consumers of electricity and gas across the whole EU now have the right to freely choose their supplier. Competitive prices, a quality service and consumers’ rights protection should be the benefits of this liberalisation, started more than 10 years ago by the European Commission. The liberalisation of the gas and electricity markets should also reinforce the interconnections between the Member States and ... continua