The EU has some of the world's highest environmental standards, but its environment policy had not always been a matter of high political importance. The developments on climate change and the challenges on energy issues, especially during the last decade, require access to and sustainable use of resources without causing environmental problems. The EU’s environmental policy has thus emerged as a vital area of EU governance.

Although road transport is a lot safer compared to the past, it is still considerably more dangerous than other means of travel. This underlines the fact that future initiatives need to be undertaken at EU level in order to prevent road accidents and minimize road traffic deaths and injuries. To this end, Member States need to build the political commitment necessary for adopting an EU road safety strategy.

Greece’s fifth Presidency is bringing Greek art, music, literature, cinema, and gastronomy across the world. Many events are already underway in several European cities and will soon wrap up, still others will open in the coming weeks. Below is an updated list of events.

Across Europe, public health systems are facing shrinking budgets and increased demand. Health and social care systems are strained by demographic change, an ageing population, increasing incidence of chronic diseases and financial pressures.  With health being one of the highest resource-consuming sectors of the economy, EU member states are under pressure to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their healthcare systems and processes.