News about the EU

There is some to be found but most of it's well tucked away. The Times has a story about the proverbial Polish plumbers because "A two-year ban on Eastern workers imposed by 12 of the 15 old member .. is coming up for review. .... Most member states ... are insisting that the restrictions must stay. ... [but] In Britain the arrival of Eastern European workers has been widely seen as a success ..... Countries with strong economies such as Britain and Ireland have been not been disturbed by the new workers but many EU countries have high unemployment, making the issue far more controversial."

In the Independent's European section they report that "Dock workers fought police and smashed windows at the European Parliament and paralysed several ports around the continent as protests against plans to liberalise port services ended in violence." They were protesting against "The draft legislation on ports [which] proposes opening cargo handling to competition, ending monopolies for the loading and unloading of goods. Unions fear the measures will cost jobs, depress wages and erode safety at 400 European ports." The Guardian also reports this story but in their International section - hey it's only 30 years since the UK joined - noting that "The European parliament looks set to reject the plans to liberalise cargo handling at EU sea ports on Wednesday, two years after voting down the previous draft legislation on port services." Bit unfair to break their windows then eh?

The Telegraph also uses confines the EU to their International section reporting that heckling is to be banned in European Parliament. Apparently it "will this week approve a strict new disciplinary code to stamp out banner-waving, heckling and other protests."

Good, so now we know all about what's going on in the EU.......