European Union News - September 2009

There are widespread problems with the way banks inform and advise their customers according to a European Commission report on retail financial service published today. Specific problems include information which in many cases is difficult to understand, opaque bank fees, problems with advice and low levels of switching. The report describes the price structures of current accounts as "very opaque making it almost impossible for consumers to know how much they are paying and to compare different offers".

The European Union is ready for its citizens to work in any country, but it is a largely untapped right. Only the newest states have some restrictions but despite this and the benefits of the open labor market, Europeans reject the mobility and tend to work only in their own country.

Yesterday morning was held at the headquarters of the European Commission Representation in Spain the presentation of the book "Building Europe for Citizens" which was attended by the chairman of the Representation Francisco J. Fonseca, the chairman of the Luis Vives Foundation Board Oscar Alzaga and Carlos Carnero, Special Ambassador for Project within the Framework of the European Union.

The European Commission will present the first EU Ecolabel Communication Award at a ceremony in Brussels. The award recognises outstanding achievement in increasing public awareness of the EU Ecolabel – the European Union's label for environmentally-friendly products and services. The fast-growing label can now be found on almost 20,000 products and tourist accommodation services throughout the European Union and beyond

On 23 and 23 September will be held an informal meeting of Ministers of Education of the EU to discuss what can be done to improve the work situation and improve the skills of teachers. The meeting will be chaired by Swedish Minister for Education Jan Björklund.

The European Court of Auditors assesses the effectiveness of the European Commission’s management of the grants paid to LIFE-Nature projects in terms of the sustainability of their results. LIFE-Nature, a component of LIFE, co-finances projects in the Member States, mainly in relation to Natura 2000 sites, in favour of the conservation of species and habitats.

At an informal meeting in Brussels on 17 September, 27 Heads of State and Government established the EU's position for the G–20 summit in Pittsburgh on 24 and 25 September.

New navigation and layout make it easier to find what you’re looking for on the EU site’s main pages – in any official EU language. The new organization aims to distinguish more clearly the legislative contents from the current news about the European Union.

The Commission celebrates this year's European Day of Languages, 26 September, for almost a week. The centrepiece will be a conference on Early Language Learning. There will also be the inauguration of the Business Platform on Multilingualism, the premiere of a video "Interpréter pour l'Europe" on the theme of "French, a rare language?", a conference on "How technology can help translators", a panel debate on Multilingualism. There will also be multilingual activities aimed specifically at children in Brussels.

The first ever Music against poverty contest, organised by the European Commission to mobilize youth in the fight against poverty, has been a real success: 250 songs from more than 20 countries have been submitted. "Let's join together" the winning song by the Rome based group Ensemble pour la Paix won the contest. Apart from recording the track in a professional studio, the song will take them on stage during the European Development Days in Stockholm this October.

The European Commission has published a call for proposals which allows 2.6 million euros to individual mobility of students within the Comenius programme, within the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

Throughout over 500 pages, the Statistical Office of the European Communities reels off a complete portrait of Europe, the candidate countries and in some cases, EFTA, U.S. and Japan. Topics as diverse as creativity, education, quality of life and agriculture have their space in this directory.