>> hello, and a very warm welcome to european journal coming to you from dw studios in brussels. there is what is coming up in this edition. why you need a passport to go shopping in bosnia-herzegovina. germany, paintings once confiscated by nazis. and watch out, brother hitching a ride. bringing different countries

together and overcoming borders is the main idea behind the european union, but in some cases the exact opposite happens when a country joins the eu, at least in the eyes of that country's neighbors. take croatia for example. since it joined the summer, it has moved further away for -- from its neighbor, bosnia- herzegovina than ever. there are massive bureaucratic hurdles for both bosnians and croats living there. >> since july, they have been walking on a legal ground. an innocent step like this takes them over the external eu border from bosnia into croatia. by crossing the border, they are breaking the law. but they have no choice. like everyone on this side of the street, this house is in bosnian territory. >> as soon as i stepped out onto the street, i ought to be checked out by the border

control, and as soon as i go back into the house the same. because the border is right here in front of my house. the streets on the other side -- the houses on the decided the street are all croatian. the border is right here. watch now. i am crossing the border illegally. just to chat with the neighbors. hey, guys, we're going to take any legal trip over to see you. on this strip we live in absurd to stand. -- absurdistan. >> the border always renter your, but because the countries operated on movement of free goods and people it was never a problem. until croatia join the eu and strict external border controls were put in place. the border is along the 1.5

kilometers street and is the only village access. the mayor wrote to all responsible authorities two years ago. >> we alerted them to the problems croatia's entry into the eu would create for us and ask them to find a solution, but we have not had an answer yet. >> once croatia had become a block member, the border threat was downgraded to a provincial one through which goods could not be transported. consequently, the supermarket was forced to close in early august. and the owner of the sports shop next-door is in the middle of a clearance sale. he is still in a state of shock. >> until the first of july, we all thought the border crossing would remain an international one. and that goods could still pass through it. it is the only road to my shop, so i have no idea what i'm going to do now. >> he's not alone. the hardware store a couple hundred meters down the road can only sell off stock that was

delivered before july. the butcher has so far managed to dodge the delivery van. >> i carried a meet around the back way over the bosnian fields past my house and into the shop, which is on the bosnian side of the street. doing it that way, means i don't take a single step inside croatia and the european union. >> but he has to be careful not to leave the parking not, as the street behind it along to croatia. in his method is not the perfect solution either. the gas station on has come up with the best, but most extensive solution. he spent 30,000 euros to buy the plot of land behind his pumps. [no audio] >> i built myself and access way for the tankard that is not allowed to cross the border.

in now travels along country roads to the border along my street to the gas station. it means we don't come into contact with the external eu border, which runs along the official road at the other side of the gas station. >> but it is not just the residence of mara which street that are affected by these kafkaesque border restrictions. people here are among the worst hit. one of them has a big family to feed. this summer, he had to destroy his entire cucumber harvests, and it is highly likely that his 30,000 heads of lettuce will go the same way. >> because i live in croatia, my company is considered croatian, although my green houses are in bosnia. and because croatia is an eu country, bosnian vegetables cannot be sold there.

but as a croatian company, i'm not allowed to take the tables into bosnia. the lettuce will be ready in january, and i'm desperate. i feel so betrayed and humiliated. >> his only hope is that the bosnian and croatian authorities, with a bilateral regulation that puts swift end to the absurdity. >> germany's way of dealing with its national socialist past always attracts attention worldwide. and that is also true for the current case of something discovered in a flat in munich. it is an amazing case of what was confiscated by the 90s during the second world war. in theory, germany has the right to confiscate the art, but many collectors have been waiting in vain for decades. now many are hoping that the debate about how to deal with the consequences of not see injustices will be invigorated.

click anita has been fighting for her inheritance for more than two decades. it comprises valuable works of art and has led to numerous meanings with her lawyer. anita's grandmother was an art collector. in 1927 when not see is him was beginning to take -- when nazi- ism was beginning to take over, she left her things in hanover on loan. but the nazi's seized it. she wants her looted grandmothers art back. >> first and foremost, this is about justice. but it's also about not letting someone simply say, oh, well, the pictures are gone. because my grandmother had to fight her entire life, and did fight, and would still be

fighting hard for her pictures. i just want to see justice restored and see everything returned to its rightful place. >> some of the pictures could be in the collection owned by cornelius verdict. for decades, he stashed some 100,000 works of arts in his munich apartment. nobody knew about the treasures, which xperts say could be worth as much as 30 million euros. he inherited the pictures from his father, who was a nazi appointed art dealer. the public prosecutor sees the collection, but kept the find a secret for more than a year. the international community has responded with outrage to the revelation about the board of suspected nazi looted art. and rightly so, says in her gensler lawyer gail costello. >> over the decades, moore has been done to cover up, deny, and lately lie than has been done to

settle the issue of looted art. and i'm talking about all levels of involvement. art dealers, museums, and private collections as well. >> he represents the heirs of max lieberman. numerous pieces by the jewish artist that were long considered lost ended up in this apartment. it is unlikely they will get their works back from private collectors and foundations because there's a 30 year statute of limitations in germany on stolen art. what that -- >> what that means is that theoretically, the current owner can say the original owners no longer have any claim to the work. >> for state museums, there is a moral duty to do the right thing. germany signed a declaration under which works of art stolen by the notches should be returned to their owners. -- stolen by the nazi should be

returned to their owners. [no audio] monica is looking for 4000 pieces of looted art in museums worldwide. in germany, many doors remain close to her. >> strangely and interestingly, my research experience in european countries is very different. in switzerland, for example, i have not yet met with any restrictions. in zürich i am granted all the documents i want to see. the same goes for the netherlands, where there are no research limitations. >> anita and her lawyer hope the girl at find will change things and encourage collectors, both state and private, to reach agreements with the heirs. many have been fighting for+ decades for their families works of arts.

>> i think many have already given up. but i'm sure there are also others that don't even know there are works of art that once belonged to their families. >> even if there seems to be some progress in the realm of looted art, the girl egg case understand -- underscores the fact that there is a long way to go. -- the gerlich case underscores the fact that there's a long way to go. >> there is a major discrepancy between the law and the right thing. in my view, the german government has to try to come up with a ruling that solves it. >> every week, pictures from the gerlich find our published on a database. many have made contact, but gerlicxh is not volunteering to

give up his treasures. >> i very much hope that the federal republic of germany, the state of bavaria, whoever is responsible, reaches a sensible understanding with mr. gerlich. in playing stubborn, an old man does further damage and we have failed to find a reasonable solution. >> anita has received information to suggest one of her family's paintings could be in the gerlich collection. she plans to continue fighting for its return. she owes it, she says, to her grandmother. >> it will be 12 years ago soon that millions of europeans first paid with euros instead of their own national currency. until recently, it was far from clear whether the euro would survive the current crisis.

some countries were piling up huge mountains of debt. but policymakers in europe decided not to let those countries drag down the rest of the currency zone and they introduced rescue mechanisms for the ailing states. ireland is now the first country to make what it calls a clean exit from those programs. three years ago, ireland followed greece's example and departed from its partners to avoid bankruptcy. now the eurozone is confident that the celtic tiger is rising again. the irish themselves are torn between having lost all of their face and wanting to believe in a new beginning. >> to the north, brian mccann and is building, building for a new ireland. >> i feel that the green shoots have started and that the country is on a good run. >> elsewhere in the city, matthew is packing for

australia. >> if i had the choice, i would say here. it is unfortunate for us. >> ireland is an ireland of mixed feelings. the grass is greener elsewhere, some say. others are counting on a better future. property developed brian mckeon is constructing apartments and business is booming again, somewhat ironic considering the building sector is emblematic of ireland's financial collapse. the banks recklessly loaned huge sums to developers and almost went under. >> good cruise over the years, we had to let them go -- goodcrews over the years, we had to let them go because we had no work for them. >> now more work is on the way. >> we have turned a corner. we are very optimistic. >> on the way to one of the other developments, we passed a ghost estates, a sign of

economic meltdown. is mckeon part of a new properly double in the make ash property bubble in the making? -- is mckeon part of a new property bubble in the making? >> people have been much more cautious and realistic. >> bryans concept seems economically viable. he sold 20 houses here within a fortnight. in the show house he greets to potential buyers. if kelly and her sister, emma. the asking price is 320,000 euros. both of the sisters have jobs and are able to save. >> property is at a low, so we might as well buy some while we can, while we have the money there. >> every month, we save money and to buy a house is an investment for the future. >> the prospects for others are less rosy. 4.5 million people live in the

republic. unemployment is running at 13%. matthew basten cannot afford to buy his own home. the 25-year-old is still living with his parents and although he is qualified as a physical education teacher, he cannot find any work. he has decided to emigrate to australia. >> there is no work for me here. you can get jobs in retail or something like that, but i did not spend on college to work in a shop. >> matthew's passport and visa are ready. his flight is booked. for his mother, maria, it means saying goodbye to another child. her older -- oldest daughter is already in australia. >> if my second -- my second child is leaving for australia, so i'm not very happy, but i cannot stop him. he has to have a life. but not happy, no. my children's generation, they are all leaving us. we will be a country of old

people. >> statistics show that someone leaves ireland every six minutes. a group representing the giant ash the younger generation has gathered -- a group representing the younger generation has gathered outside parliament. >> we are seen as an easy target, along with other groups, such as the elderly. we have seen this with the introduction of social welfare, where young people only have 100 euro a week to live on, which is entirely unacceptable. that is why people are leaving. >> the corporate tax rate has been left relatively untouched. it is attracting multinationals like facebook or google. investors like the combination of austerity and tax incentives. >> this here is the irish 10 year bond price, which has been improving steadily, as you can see. it shows that markets view ireland as back in good financial help again. >> she says ireland no longer needs the eurozone rescue fund. >> we do believe ireland can

stand on its own again. the economy is growing again and tax revenue will pick up and social welfare spending will gradually decrease. the irish government is on track. >> but if the church-runs soup kitchens, the queues are getting longer. the homeless have been coming for years, but they are seeing more and more people. >> the numbers are really big and i'm afraid they will get bigger. i just cannot understand when i hear people saying that ireland is getting better. to me, it is not. >> brian mckeon -- brian mckeon believes the sole sign is -- the sold sign is a sign of recovery. he says the way out of the crisis is one step at a time for his firm, and for ireland.

>> the fact that the bailout is coming to an end in the middle of december, i think it is good for everybody. >> for matthew, it is too late. the evenings in his favorite pub are numbered. his friend, sinead, is also saying goodbye to her homeland. the teacher feels that ireland has let them both down. >> that is why so many of us have left. i do feel it is ireland's lost -- loss. i have a very good education and i have my degree. and now there is no benefit. >> soon matthew and sinead will be in australia. matthew says he will miss the guinness, and of course, his family. >> we will have a full family christmas. god knows how long we will see that again.

>> we had dreams, as the old irish ballad about immigration goes, and for a new generation of irish, those dreams will be found abroad. >> thank you very much. [no audio] >> one or two mouse clicks and secret services have access to mobile phone data or e-mails. and they are always striving for even greater control. and not just of criminals. in italy, many car drivers are giving their data away voluntarily to save money. car insurance companies are offering special deals to those who have the mini version of big brother beside them on the passenger seat. >> what a mess, and expression italians often use when talking about traffic. in italy, drivers have a reputation for ignoring the

rules of the road and doing whatever they want. per capita, italy has more vehicles and more car accident, causing more injuries and fatalities than even a car crazy company -- country like germany. no wonder insurance premiums are skyhigh. but as she has to work, laura is laughing all the way to the bank. she is paying 350 euros less for car insurance than she did last year. she paid by the kilometer. her mileage is tallied by a little black ox that uses gps found under the dashboard. the transmit data to the insurer. click the box guarantees that i will find my car again should it be stolen. -- >> the box guarantees that i will find my car again, should it be stolen. >> each day, she drive to the train station 74 kilometers away. there she leaves the car and takes the train into rome. her insurer rewards her for driving less.

her first two thousand kilometers are free. after that, she paid $.25 per kilometer. >> i think that is fair. at a restaurant, you only pay for what you order. with water and electricity, you pay for what you use. why shouldn't it be that way with the car? it seems like a wise choice. click the economic crisis has hit italy hard and italians are looking for ways to save money. garages are doing a booming business in selling the black boxes, which are only slightly larger than a pack of cigarettes. the device is quite easy to install. >> there are just two cables, one for power and one for the odometer. you have to bolted onto a loadbearing part of the chassis and that is it. >> insurance companies offer better deals for comprehensive coverage and very few plans with unlimited mileage. and it profits from the black box in other ways, too.

it helps reconstruct the events leading to an accident and provides precise data that can be used to event insurance fraud. >> in an accident, our clients true responsibility can be determined more precisely. on the other hand, we can prevent costs from being exaggerated in damage claims. we can use the data to determine the force of impact and assess the real damage. >> insurance companies also entice drivers with electronic aids, and a nap let's -- and cap --an app lets them see the drivers history. >> and you know were your husband drove to yesterday. >> let's just say, i know where the car was, not the driver. the data is stored in the black box and at a data processing center for up to 10 years. what happens is the information falls into the wrong hands?

the nsa espionage scandal has shown that such data is much sought after. but this data retention angers privacy officials, who are demanding clear limits. >> just 60 seconds could be stolen -- should be stored, the 30 seconds before and 30 seconds after accident. >> he says at most, the device should send mileage data, not constant info about the car's location. >> privacy is a real issue, not just for the policyholder, but for others who use the car, employers, employees, car renters and mentees, husbands, wives, fathers, children, etc. >> but italy still has no regulations in place to deal with this problem. drivers must assume this response themselves. >> i would have to give it some

serious thought. it is not a simple yes or no. it is a very serious matter as it concerns our privacy. >> if you've got a clean conscience, why not check him -- why not? >> i would never have a black box installed. it doesn't save you that much and my private life should stay private. >> we all have gps and wireless on our cell phones and use satellite navigation systems in our cars. so now we are being spied on through this, too. that is one way of looking at things. but others don't want big brother watching them from the passenger seat, even if he promises to save them lots of money.

>> that report brings us to the end of this edition of european journal. for him all of us -- for all of us here in brussels, thanks for watching. until next time, goodbye for now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

12/19/13 12/19/13 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] >> from pacifica, this is democracy now! nsa and the intelligence community in general is focused on getting intelligence wherever it can, by any means possible. >> and what has been called a rebuke to the national security agency and vindication for edward snowden, a white house- appointed panel urges sweeping changes at the nsa