As Europe grows wealthier it creates more and more rubbish. Every man, woman and child in the EU generates over a kilo of waste every day. Multiply that figure by nearly half a billion EU citizens and it quickly becomes clear that managing our waste without harming the environment is a major headache.
European citizens are deeply concerned about the waste mountain building up around them and there is a growing realization that we cannot continue dumping vast quantities of rubbish without serious environmental consequences. But this has not stopped the amount of waste ... continua

Europe is a continent of breathtaking natural beauty and dramatic contrasts. The EU?s 27 Member States stretch from the frozen Arctic Circle in the north to the warm Mediterranean waters in the south. From the wave-lashed Atlantic coast in Ireland to the snow-capped Carpathian mountains in Romania, the EU includes a vast range of natural habitats and a great diversity of flora and fauna.
Our natural heritage includes several thousand types of habitat, 520 species of bird, 10 000 plant species and at least 100 000 species of invertebrate. Yet, in comparison with other ... continua

Clean air is essential to our own health and that of the environment. But since the industrial revolution, the quality of the air we breathe has deteriorated considerably - mainly as a result of human activities. Rising industrial and energy production, the burning of fossil fuels and the dramatic rise in traffic on our roads all contribute to air pollution in our towns and cities - and damage our natural environment.
Centuries of treating nature like a dustbin has had disastrous consequences on our environment. For example, around 20 % of forests and lakes in ... continua

Most of Europe does not suffer from droughts, floods or poor water quality. Water-borne diseases, such as dysentery, are rare and most tap water is so clean it can be drunk without the danger of falling ill. However, water resources in Europe are, in many areas, under threat from a range of human activities, affecting the quality of inland and marine waters.
Almost a third of Europe?s population lives in countries that experience high water stress. Nitrate and pesticide pollution of groundwater, often caused by farming, remains a significant problem. And water ... continua

Europe is the world's biggest importer and one of the top exporters. To maintain control over the diversity and quality of products within the member states, the european commission has developed laws, regulations and structures. Protecting the health of consumersis a priority in Europe.
The Food and Veterinary Office is located in grange, in Ireland. It is one of the branches of the European Comission charged with supervising the application of food safety laws in Europe. More than a hundred veterinary inspectors are based there.
Interviews:Graham Wood: Inspector, ... continua

In Europe, fishing is generally quite targeted. Fishermen know what they want to catch and use the appropiate methods and techniques. Despite this, when they bring their nets in, they often find other fish and marine organisms mixed up with the target species: thus is what is called the by-catch.
Everything in the net has to be sorted and only the fish that can be sold are kept. The rest are returned to the sea, ehre they stand little chance of surviving after the shock of being hauled to the surface. These are what are called discards.
Interviews:Dr. Andy Revill: ... continua

The European Union has been leading international efforts to fight climate change since global warming first moved onto the political agenda in the late 1980s. Europe has been instrumental in the development of both the United Nations convention to combat climate change and of its Kyoto Protocol. Interviews:Matthias Duwe: Climate Action Network. Jos Delbeke: Director of climate change policy - European Comision. Vincent Michel:Holcim. Visit the site: www.mostra.com Download subtitles:

We live in a unpredictable world where disaster can strike at any time. Catastrophes can be natural, like the South Asia Tsunami that left over 300,000 people dead in 2004.
Or they can be made, like the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah fighters, which caused huge suffering and damage particularly in Lebanon.
But wathever the cause, getting help to victims is always a race against time. The aid and assistance that arrives in a disaster zone in te first hours and days is vital. It can make the difference between a catastrophe being brought under control or ... continua

Fifty years ago when the Common Market was born, what people wanted most was peace and prosperity for Europe. Caring for the enviroment didn't feature in the founding Treaty of Rome. Yet enviromental problems were not far away. Europe's love affair with the car was Interviews:Gérard Deslandes: Asbestos Victim. Aleksandra Kordecka: Friends of the Earth Europe. Tony Musu: Chemicals Expert - Europe Trade Union Institute. Visit the site: www.mostra.com Download subtitles: