Unemployment rate” “

There are both encouraging and discouraging aspects of the situation of unemployment in the European Union. Eurostat – the EU statistics bureau – has published the figures relating to March 2005, according to which the unemployment rate in the Euro zone is equivalent to 8.9% of the workforce, a tenth of a percentage point higher […]

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Study on the over-50s” “

The European Commission recently published the results of a survey on the conditions of life and work of European citizens over the age of 50. The study – called Share, which analyses in 372 pages the data collected on a sample of 22,000 over-50-year-olds in 11 EU countries – is divided into three main chapters: […]

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Working hours in the EU: the position of Parliament ” “

The European Parliament meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg from 9 to 12 May voted its support for the report presented by Spanish MEP Alejandro Cercas on the draft Directive regarding the organization of work in the EU. The EP, adopting a position different from that hitherto taken by the Commission, asks EU member states […]

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Petitions to the European Ombudsman increase” “

“Citizens have greater confidence in the EU institutions; the tendency to defend one’s own rights is growing; petitions to the Ombudsman are increasing, a sign that citizens’ appreciation for this institution of the Union is being consolidated”, says Nikiforos Diamandouros, European Ombudsman, who presented his annual report on his office’s activity as “civil defence counsel” […]

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Warsaw welcomes the Council of Europe and the young” “

Warsaw is making its final preparations for the Council of Europe’s summit of heads of state and of government, planned for 16-17 May. The meeting, the third of this kind in the history of the Council of Europe, has various objectives. The first is to “verify that the activities of the Council of Europe respond […]

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bosnia - herzegovina" "

Catholics, the difficulties of returning” “

Catholic Action is making its debut in Bosnia, under the banner of Ivan Mertz. On 10 May, 77 years precisely after the death of the Blessed, the representatives of the 47 parishes of the diocese of Banja Luka held the assembly that led to the foundation of the Ivan Merz Association: it is the first […]

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Switzerland: bishops’ good wishes to frère Roger” “

“By dedicating himself to the peaceful co-existence of all mankind, frère Roger is the very image of the living practice of ecumenism and an inspiring example for us all”, declare the Swiss bishops in a message of good wishes to frère Roger, founder of the ecumenical community of Taizé, on his 90th birthday on 12 […]

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England: "may the Government listen to the voice of the people"” “

“The pledge made by Tony Blair to listen to the voice of the people with greater attention during his third term in office is an invitation to be taken seriously”, declared the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Birmingham, in a post-electoral message to the faithful issued on 10 May (after the electors had confirmed […]

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Spain: conscientious objection against gay marriages” “

Weddings between gay persons are “a legal falsification of marriage”, declare the Spanish bishops in a statement issued by the Executive Committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference. The communiqué, published in recent days, has the title, “Conscientious objection to a radically unjust law that corrupts the institution of marriage”. “It is our duty – say […]

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Germany: bishops’ doubts on "education in values"” “

The German Bishops’ Conference has issued a statement on the proposal of the Senate in Berlin to insert education in values as a compulsory subject for all students in the school curriculum. The bishops say they are following these developments “with apprehension”. In their view, they would have the effect of “spelling the end of […]

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