Pure Glycerine in the European House

The fact that you shouldn’t  play with glycerine is crystal-clear to anyone who mixed it with nitric and sulphuric acid. Because that’s the way to create the highly explosive nitroglycerine. About such a pre-stage to explosive situations, the European Parliament now has to decide. It is concerned with the proposal of the European Commission, to hold Agenda-Initiatives, open for the citizens. In this way, the citizens can make themselves heard by the commission, also if there are no elections.     Read more...

Credit rating agencies under pressure: regulation in Europe

Thomas Müller is a student. From time to time, like every other student, he requires advice from his professors. Thomas Müller does not have to pay them for their consultation. His professors are not competing for his assignments term papers, neither do they compete for his money. They are paid by an independent body – the university. Apart from that Thomas Müller is a successful start-up entrepreneur. His company recently emitted bonds. To get the best ratings for his bonds, he hired a creditrating- agency (CRA) for their counseling. This very CRA later rated his bonds. Thomas Müllers company received the highest rating.    Read more...

Traffic lights to red for consumers?

„We live in a world that boosts overweight. There is energy-rich food in abundance, which is often poor in nutrients. Overweight and obesity drive the health costs in Europe higher and higher.“ This writes the General Directorate for Health and Consumer of former Commissioner Meglena Kuneva in on its website. Therefore, pediatricians, consumer organizations and nutrition experts have been calling for years, the introduction of the labeling of food in the form of a traffic light, which can reach with their simple symbols, almost all consumers.    Read more...

There are 500 Million people living in Europe, every sixth of them is hit by poverty. In Latvia, Romania and Bulgaria the situation is even worse. Every fifth to fourth has to fight for financial survival. Germany is no exceptional case here. Fifteen percent of the population have to make their living with less than 60 percent of the average income. Especially endangered are children and seniors. Basic right of adequate benefits? Because the fight against poverty and social exclusion was one of the central concerns of the EU, the European Parliament and the Council proclamated the year 2010 as the “year to fight poverty and social exclusion”. But social policy is mainly in responsibility of the member states. The margin of the EU is confined to recommendations and the so called open method of coordination, which is supposed to enable its member states to coordinate (social) political measures.     Read more...