The rise in unemployment is one of the worst effects of the current economic crisis. Some 23 million people are without a job in the EU, of whom 2.6 million live in the UK.

After a day in Brussels listening to European MEPs, it is clear that the Parliament vote next week on the Commission proposal to backload the auctioning timeline in Phase III of the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), is going to be very close.

The European Parliament is now working on making sure that the recycling of maritime vessels is done in a shipshape manner.

In the coming weeks, it will be the Commission's role to help the Council and the European parliament find an agreement for the 2014-2020 financial period. And Europe does need that agreement. We must ensure that future EU budgets will help Europe's businesses, scientists, students and NGOs.

After endless hours of discussions, litres of coffee and a copious amount of frustration, an agreement on the rescue of Cyprus's banks has finally been hammered out.

The gap between what member states are asking the EU to do and what they are willing to pay for is unsustainable. Either they dial down their demands or provide the institutions with realistic means.

Our bee population remains in crisis and, in recent months, bees have been in the headlines once again. This is largely in light of a growing body of evidence emerging on the impact that neonicotinoids - a type of systemic insecticide used in agriculture, as well as in the home - has on bee health and wellbeing.

George Osborne has been thwarted in his efforts to avert a controversial cap on bankers' bonuses. The Chancellor headed to Brussels on Tuesday morn...

It makes sense to look at migration from a European perspective. As Britain and Ireland are in the EU, they are affected by what other member states do to protect their borders and whether they allow migrants entry, since those migrants can travel to other parts of the EU.

This is about much more than Black Beauty ending up on a plate. If people have indeed been peddling horse meat as beef it is also conceivable they have been playing fast and loose with rules designed to protect consumer health

Countries trade with other member states and invest across borders, while Europeans live, study and work abroad. This means that what happens in one country will affect the others. The crisis over the last few years showed the impact a few financially troubled countries can have on the rest of the EU.

Noise is one of the scourges of modern life and one of the main causes is traffic noise. Research by the European Environmental Agency shows that half of the people living in urban areas suffer from unbearable traffic noise.

The abundance of data not only makes us more vulnerable to cybercrime, it also leaves the door open for companies to use the date in ways we never dreamed of. For instance, insurance companies might charge some customers more than others as they are perceived to be higher risk based on the data available.

Freedom of movement is one of the EU's fundamental rights; however professional mobility is being held back by the lack of simple and clear rules governing the recognition of qualifications.

So David Cameron is finally making his long-awaited speech on Europe. But who really cares? Well, some diplomats and EU officials that I have spoken to in Brussels and a few of my friends from other EU nations are interested, but the majority most definitely don't care as much as the Westminster bubble.

One of the more depressing aspects of the debate about the UK's membership of the EU is the fact that very people actually seem to know what the EU is.

The crisis of the last few years showed that although credit rating agencies can be useful, they are far from infallible.

The basic questions surrounding the privatisation of the postal service are the same as those surrounding the privatisation of any essential public service. Can a private enterprise whose primary goal is to draw profit be expected to offer the same level of service as a public service whose only goal is to provide that service even if it is a detriment to their bottom line?

Unionist peers have rounded on the Scottish Secretary for refusing to approach the European Union's governing body for advice on Scotland's future. ...