currybetdotnet Europe archive

The Daily Mail's flip-flops over EU driving standards
Yesterday's anti-EU rant disguised as news in the Daily Mail was aimed at the proposal for common standards across the community for driving licences, which might require drivers to be periodically re-evaluated for medical conditions that might affect their driving, and renew their licence every ten years. The thing that perplexed me was that three years ago, when the Mail was reporting EU activity in this area, the tone was almost on the verge of positive, well, as positive as...

Read the full post - Published December 5, 2006 in Daily Mail, Europe, Media

Cypriot flag dispute at Arsenal
The relationship between Greece and the rest of the EU on one side, and Turkey on the other side, has been getting a lot of attention this week due to their inability to reach an agreement over Cyprus. Since the turmoil caused in 1974 by first the Greek backed coup on the island, followed by the Turkish invasion, relations have still not been normalised over thirty years later. Only Turkey recognises the northern part of the island as a nation...

Read the full post - Published December 1, 2006 in Cyprus, Europe, Football, Greece, Turkey

"Booze Cruise" ruling exposes Europhobe ignorance in the UK
There are some stories that are virtually guaranteed to bring out the worst of Europhobia in the British, and depriving them of their divine right to cheap booze'n'fags is one of them. However, the reaction in the forums on the BBC and the Daily Mail to the news that the European Court had not ruled in favour of Brits being able to buy cheap mail order ciggies from elsewhere in the EU was as ignorant as it was savage. Typical...

Read the full post - Published November 24, 2006 in Europe, Media

Why I, and thousands like me, can't make up the European Year of Workers Mobility Citizen's Panel
A little while ago I wrote about the European Workers' Mobility questionnaire and hotline from ECAS, dealing with the question of how easy it was to move between EU members states for work. Having done work in 3 members states so far this year I was interested in taking part. Last week I got a follow up email, asking me whether I might be willing to participate in the European Year of Workers Mobility Citizen's Panel. It is a...

Read the full post - Published October 17, 2006 in Europe, Politics

Eurodesk workshop in Budapest
Last week I ran a seminar for the Eurodesk AISBL General Assembly and Eurodesk Network Meeting, which was being held in Budapest. The event took place in Budapest's European Youth Centre. My contribution was billed with my own description, that I would be: talking to them and running exercises to help them develop their understanding of reaching out to a youthful internet audience, on building an international web presence, and in utilising user-centred design principles to improve their online...

Read the full post - Published October 16, 2006 in Europe, Web

European Workers' Mobility questionnaire and hotline from ECAS
With my work over the next few weeks taking me to Scotland, Austria and Hungary, I'm naturally very interested about the free movement of workers within the EU. In fact, 2006 is European Year of Workers' Mobility. The European Citizen Action Service has been running a hotline to help people find out more information about moving for work within EU states, and also has a survey consulting organisations and citizens about how they have found the practicalities of free movement...

Read the full post - Published September 20, 2006 in Europe, Media, Politics

Eurodesk seminar in Budapest
I'm very pleased to be able to say that I will be running a session as part of the Eurodesk Network Seminar on October 13th in Budapest, Hungary. Eurodesk are a group supporting the European Union's YOUTH programme, providing information and advice to young people in Europe and organisations that work with young people. They also manage the European Commission's Youth Portal. I will be talking to them and running exercises to help them develop their understanding of reaching out...

Read the full post - Published September 15, 2006 in Europe, Web

Migrationwatch UK demonstrate that 4 out of 5 native British adult workers 'take more from economy than they put back'
I've written a piece on 'A lemon tree of our own' - "Flying the flag" - about some of the changes I noticed when I went back to the UK. One of the principle ones was the way in which the debate surrounding immigration to the UK from EU citizens from Eastern Europe has reached a hysterical crescendo in the tabloid press. It seems that everything from hospital waiting lists, low wages, rising employment, rising unemployment, the pensions crisis, England's...

Read the full post - Published August 30, 2006 in Europe, Media, Politics

Never over-estimate the understanding of your audience
This made me laugh today. In covering the story of the EU map which missed out Wales, the Daily Mail decided it didn't trust readers to recognise the correct outline of the British Isles, and helpfully pointed out where Wales should have been....

Read the full post - Published October 6, 2004 in Daily Mail, Europe

Today is European Safer Internet Day
February 6th is the European Commission sponsored Safer Internet Day "The aim of this very important day is the celebration of children's rights to a Safer Internet by highlighting to everyone that it is the responsibility of all sectors of society to become involved and promote this worthwhile cause."...

Read the full post - Published February 6, 2004 in Children and Teenagers, Europe, Web

ER vs EU

Published October 17, 2003 in Europe, The Sun