European Union News - 17 March 2011

In what has already been qualified one of the biggest investigations of its kind against paedophilia, the police arrested on 16 March 184 suspected child sex offenders and has identified over 200 victims of child abuse. The operation, which counted upon the leading support of Europol, has identified 670 suspects across the world and has achieved to safeguard the highest number of victims in an operation of this kind, with more than 230 safeguarded only the day of the first arrests.

If society is to enjoy food security and environmental protection, a continuation of support to farmers is crucial. This support, however, can only be effective if subsidies are only paid to active farmers. This is one of the key aspects pointed out at the Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), where after hotly debating an opinion on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) was adopted.

According to the last data released by the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat), seasonally adjusted production output in the construction sector rose both in the euro area and the European Union as a whole in January 2011. Although the average rate was higher in the eurozone with 1.8% against 1% in the EU27, these are good results for a sector particularly touched by crisis.

The European Commission has adopted a proposal to reform the EU's Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), aimed to improve its efficiency, enhances its processes and ensure accountability, while preserving its independence as investigation body. The proposal includes measures to ensure that OLAF's investigations are conducted and followed-up more efficiently, to protect the rights of persons under investigation and to reinforce the cooperation between OLAF and its strategic partners in the fight against fraud.

recognising rape and other sexual violence against women as a crime throughout the EU, is a key issue which must be addressed by the European Union. This is one of the main aspects which has been pointed out by the member of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament, who also added that all perpetrators of such acts should be automatically prosecuted. These are some of the elements included in a resolution where MEPs call for an EU directive to combat gender-based violence.

An international team of scientists has identified a mutation associated with a major indicator of chronic kidney disease, namely high levels of albumin protein in the urine. The discovery could lead to new ways of treating kidney disease and slowing its progression. The study, which was partly funded by the EU, is published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).