Les enfants qui grandissent dans la pauvreté etl’exclusion sociale ont moins de chances que leurs pairs mieux lotis deréussir à l’école, d’être en bonne santé et d’éviter d’être confrontés à lajustice pénale. Ils sont également susceptibles de rencontrer davantage dedifficultés pour faire leur entrée sur le marché du travail et trouver leurplace au sein de la société.
La reprise économique récente et la baisse du taux dechômage ne se sont pas traduites par une réduction de la pauvreté desenfants. La théorie du ruissellement ne marche ... continua

Telle qu’elle s’organise, la lutte contre le changementclimatique peut offrir des opportunités de développement économique etsocial aux les pays en développement. En signant le Protocole de Kyoto, laplupart des pays industrialisés se sont en effet engagés à limiter leursémissions de CO2 par un système de quotas. Au besoin, un mécanisme leurpermet cependant d’acheter sur les marchés internationaux des droitsd’émission supplémentaires à des pays en développement ou émergents. Ceux-cine sont soumis à aucune restriction de leurs émissions. ... continua

La réduction de l'extrême pauvreté figure parmi le shuit objectifs du millénaire pour le développement. L'accès à l'énergie est essentiel au développement dans la réalisation de cet objectif mais lamenace du changement climatique vient compliquer l'équation. Toute augmentation de la production d'énergie va de pair avec une augmentation desémissions de CO2.
En tant que principaux émetteurs de CO2, les pays du Nord ont la responsabilité morale d'aider les pays en développement à promouvoir desénergies propres ou sobres en carbone.
À Madagascar, la ... continua

Le produit intérieur brut, qui mesure la valeur desbiens et des services produits ou fournis au cours d’une année donnée, estla mesure la mieux éprouvée des performances économiques dans le monde. Pourbeaucoup, une augmentation de la croissance économique - telle que mesuréepar le PIB - traduit une augmentation du niveau de vie et du bien-être.
Toutefois, ainsi que l’a réalisé l’un des fondateurs duconcept du PIB – le Prix Nobel et économiste Simon Kuznets –, le PIB a desérieuses limites en tant qu’indicateur du développement humain. ... continua

Today the European Union produces a sixth of its electricity using renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydro power.But that proportion will have to more than double over the coming decade if the EU is to keep its promise of tackling climate change by ensuring that 20 percent of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2020.This film, shot in Germany, Denmark and Spain looks at a number of projects supported by the EU's Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, which are designed to help the Union meet this ambitious target. Download subtitles:

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:

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

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

There are between ten and twelve million Roma living in the European Union today– roughly equal to the populationof a medium-sized EU Member State, like Belgium or Greece.
Yet despite the fact that the Roma have played an integral part in European history and culture for over seven centuries, most of us still know very little about them. And what we think we do know is more often than not based on ignorance, prejudice and stereotypes.
This has led to a situation where millions of Roma in the EU today face extreme levels of social deprivation. 
Unemployment in ... continua

The Mediterranean is Europe's biggest sea. There are 22 countries that border it, and millions of citizens from Europe, North Africa or the Middle East call it "our sea".  Their quality of life depends largely on the state of the Mediterraneanand its shores. But in certain areas, the sea is suffocating under industrial and domestic pollution, maritime traffic and galloping urbanization.
Therefore, countries bordering the Mediterranean set up partnerships in order to implement actions that would tackle the problem of pollution on Mediterranean shores.
The HORIZON ... continua