ivory business to get access to the eu market for gmo's. the mandate illustrates the real agenda behind these negotiations. it is one shaped by the interest of big this mess rather than working with people on other side of the atlantic. i am opposed to a possible agreement for a free trade area. you see an attempt to get access to justice for big business. what happened in canada shows what will happen there. at the moment, $2.5 billion worth of claims taken against canada, including regulations against frakking. a joint struggle by working people. this attempt needs to be stopped, a race to the bottom against the atlantic. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you, madam president. this agreement is a very great economic and political situation for us. there are many advantages to began by joining europe and american. thether, we can cope with changes. we can ride out the changes and set industrial standards that will apply in other parts of the world. it will strengthen us in the global and economic order. torefore, we must try achieve this an

now we're having this discussion in the eu and uk. how is that going down? >> i'm actually struggling to hear you because they're getting ready for the meeting next week. obviously, it's going to be a lot 06 focus behind the scenes. there's a lot about tax reform and tax evasion. that hasn't stopped us from trying to ask some of the others what they think of the referendum shenanigans going on in the uk and whether it offers a distraction. when i spoke with some of the finance minister these morning, i asked them if there is a credible threat leading the eu. this is what they had to say. >> well, i'm very, very strong fan of the eu 2/7, soon to be '28. i do hope all member countries will stay in. we understand some of the frustrations the uk might have with the european union. >> well, we have our own. it's not necessary trying to yo other people's. what we need is for the economy to get better. >> i think each country can decide whether it wants to participate or not in the -- such as the european union, i hope that the uk see participating in a single marke

that's top of the agenda at an eu leaders summit. ident of the european parliament, martin schulz, told cnbc the current system does need to be fixed. >> there's debate about morality and ethics. let's reform the system to bring back more solidarity, and via more solidarity, more coherence to the society. >>> and fed chairman ben bernanke's off to the hill today with his latest assessment of the u.s. economy. investors will look for any clues of a shift in fed policy. >>> right now we turn our attention to the uk as we get the release of the bank of england minutes from the last meeting. and here we go. ah! 6.3. we kept it at 6.3 for further asset purchase. king fisher miles repeated calls for 5 billion more qe. the minority thought more qe would lift growth and reduce unemployment. the minority thought more qe would speed the normalization of the policy. the minority thought the weakness of rebalancing would push up sterling. they say that the gdp level at the end of the second quarter likely to be 0.7% higher than the february forec

now the eu is reacting with plans to impose tariffs of around 47%. beijing says that's a mistake. >> handling trade friction we hope both sides can uphold the constructive and cooperative spirit and properly resolve differences and disputes through constructive dialogue and negotiations. we also hope the eu is cautious in its use of trade protectionism measures. >> the tariffs are due to come into effect in june and are initially set to last until december. by then the european commission hopes to have completed a probe into allegation that is china s providing illegal subzizz. many europeans have given up hope of finding a job. the youth unemployment rate continues to climb especially in southern europe. a growing number of young people have been out of work for more than a year. >> many young people are migrating looking for opportunities in other countries. those that stay and cannot get a job there are lessons, for them getting a job inside or outside the country decreases. >> the international labor organization warns that the crisis could create

. >> here is what is coming up in the next half-hour -- tax fraud takes center stage at an eu mini summit in brussels. leaders search for the missing trillion. >> has a lot and syrian forces are reported to of taking control of a strategic reddens -- rebel stronghold that leaks damascus with syrian ports. >> and the anniversary of richard wagner's birth. how germany is celebrating the controversial composer. >> in a period of record recession and unemployment, the eu has decided to aggressively go after a reported one trillion euros in tax loopholes lost in loopholes. >> leaders backed by the european parliament have agreed to halve the edge -- the figure by 2020. they have also set a deadline to end banking secrecy. >> luxembourg's prime minister smiled for the cameras but had to make major concessions. after initially resisting, he agreed to share other information. now his focus is on negotiating a similar agreement with switzerland. >> what we are planning to do with the automatic exchange of information is again unprecedented. unprecedented. we could not speak in those terms on those

. >> here is what is coming up in the next half-hour -- tax fraud takes center stage at an eu mini summit in brussels. leaders search for the missing trillion. >> has a lot and syrian forces are reported to of taking control of a strategic reddens -- rebel stronghold that leaks damascus with syrian ports. >> and the anniversary of richard wagner's birth. how germany is celebrating the controversial composer. >> in a period of record recession and unemployment, the eu has decided to aggressively go after a reported one trillion euros in tax loopholes lost in loopholes. >> leaders backed by the european parliament have agreed to halve the edge -- the figure by 2020. they have also set a deadline to end banking secrecy. >> luxembourg's prime minister smiled for the cameras but had to make major concessions. after initially resisting, he agreed to share other information. now his focus is on negotiating a similar agreement with switzerland. >> what we are planning to do with the automatic exchange of information is again unprecedented. unprecedented. we could not speak in those terms on those

. >> the german parliament has ratified the eu accession treaty. officials say the balkan country's membership is an essential element in unifying the entire continent, but at what cost? >> experts forecast losses of 500 million euros for the croats. we explained. >> he is unhappy whenever he looks at this new border post. the croatian mandarin orange grower knows that wherever there is a border, there will be customs tariffs, and that will make his mandarins too expensive for neighboring bosnians. this will be the eu's new border, dividing what has now been a shared economy. >> i believe that it will make everything more expensive. that exporting will cost more. >> it is the central free-trade agreement between non-european countries. and was promoted by brussels as a transitional stage towards eu membership, but once croatia joins the eu, a to will have to leave, which will then levy a 20% import tariff on croatian mandarins. that will cost him and his wholesalers half their export income. >> one alternative for us would be the key u.s. and wester

given the, commission's mandate to launch the eu-u.s. trade and investment ofotiations, the potential these bilateral trade relations remain somewhat untapped. this is mainly due to the numerous trade and investment barriers, as well as to the challenges in the area, financial services, and ip. all of these are major impediments to an integrated transatlantic market. eu-u.s.ore believe in comprehensive trade investment agreement would greatly benefit the economy is of both parties as worldly these -- leaders. the approval of negotiations mandate if that -- without first excluding cultural services is risky. then services relate to one of the united europe's fundamental principles, mainly, -- so far, the u.s. has successfully upheld and interrogation during the liberalization process. both bilaterally and in the wto. at the same time, we have supported the it option on the protection and promotion of diversity of cultural it's russians. both garriott, a country i know provincial to promote the odds. it is necessary for the eu to secure the

the eu has threatened punitive measures if factory bosses fail to implement measures to improve worker safety. >> in the u.s., the man accused of imprisoning three women in his home for a decade has been formally charged. 52-year-old ariel castro did not enter a plea when he entered court in the city of cleveland. he's charged with at your accounts of kidnapping and three counts of rape. the court said a bond of $8 million. he is reportedly being placed on suicide watch and will be kept in isolation. >> ok, quiz question now -- what do winston churchill and pope john paul ii have in common? well, they are previous winners of the charlemagne prize. >> the prize is awarded each year to a leader who has made a contribution to european unity. this year's winner is the president of lithuania. >> sheet is a former eu commissioner who has led her country through a tough austerity program, and today, at the prize giving, she had a lot to say about europe's current crisis. >> the charlemagne medal was bestowed in recognition of her efforts to advance european integration. as the eu's finance co

the eu trade commission has made that quite clear. ely the possibility that they won't go ahead, but if they didn't, it would be really interesting, because the european commission at this stage, for provisional tariffs, is not obliged to listen to member states' views. it only has to consult them. so, we'll wait and see what happens, but it looks likely that provisional tariffs will go ahead. >> the german position has been interesting, because we've seen in the press throughout the course of the year that german leaders and chinese leaders have been spending quite a bit of time together and relations are fairly strong. but ultimately it feels as though the germans have gotten the best outcome here. they've sent a message through the european channels to the chinese that these duties are not well received at home. yet, it takes a position of being very, very friendly. >> yeah, i mean, i think it's clear that germany is certainly now the pre-eminent power in the european union, certainly in the eurozone. france has faded somewhat. it's

rising support -- why a political party wants britain to leave the eu. dirty business -- making money with stray dogs in romania. and salty air -- ukraine's underground sanatorium. let's first take a look at how populist parties are shaking up the traditional political landscape across europe. in times of economic crisis, a growing number of voters tend to identify with populist slogans. in italy, that a grid of -- beppe grillo's 5-our movement calls for an end to austerity. in britain, the u.k. independence party blames the eu for britain's current problems. skepticism towards the european project does have a long tradition in the u.k., but it is growing, especially in rural areas. in the upcoming local elections, the party could be a force to be reckoned with. >> for many residents of the small market town in central england, home is where the heart is. but not everyone would go as far as this town councilor. every day, the man turns up at the public toilets to clean them himself. before the party got on to the ramsey town council, the climate's would c

he hoped the eu would consider trade relations as a whole and uphold the principle of free trade.ocus of talkse in berlin, but neither chinese -- china nor germany are likely to kick off a trade war that would hurt both countries. >> let's take a brief look at other news making headlines around the world. in sweden, police say urban .ioting as spread to cities it handles set fire to several cars, the school and smashed windows, after six days of violence mainly in stockholm, triggered by the killing of a 69-year-old man by police early this month. the president of ecuador has third terminto his in office, reelected in february. in his inaugural speech, he promised to fight poverty and reform the energy sector. >> the afghan government has forsed is security forces beating back an assault on kabul overnight. they attacked a united nations building, triggering a gun battle with police. officials say eight people were killed, including five insurgents. a number of un staff members were injured. french magistrates have decided not to place imf chief christine lagarde under a formal in

>> the syrian arms race, the eu has ended and on arming the rebels. hello and welcome to al jazeera live from doha. seeking forgiveness, honduras two biggest and most dangerous gangs colley truce. but why? a remarkable rescue in china. a newborn baby is cut free from a sewage pipe. and breaking down the barriers. europe's new plans to help workers travel to where the jobs are. the syrian arms race is accelerating. rushes to ship antiaircraft missiles to the government and a lifting onalled armed rebels. >> these are the weapons that are causing so much controversy. a shipment of best 300 russian surface-to-air missiles designed to defend against aircraft and cruise missile of tax. -- cruise missile attacks. russia says it is merely fulfilling treaty agreements. but we believe such steps very much restrain some hotheads to transform this conflict into an international conflict with outside forces taking part. , perhaps likeces israel, in the event it launches more strikes inside syria, like this one which started military facilities outside of damascus

nobody thinks the european union can take care of all our needs, but the eu should at least give its citizens hope and protection. >> the measures include helping small and medium-sized businesses get moans to expand operations and create new jobs for young people. another idea is for more countries to adopt germany's dual education system was on the job training. and young people are being encouraged to move for the jobs are. >> young people in europe are waiting for answers. they need to develop their skills and get job experience, and they can do that wherever they get job openings. >> specifically, that can mean more people mean -- moving to france or germany were currently 30,000 training positions remain unfilled. >> staying with the topic of jobs, germany would like to attract more foreign skilled workers to make up for shortages here in the job market. that is one of the issues that was on the table at the german government's integration conference in berlin. >> delegates also discussed ways of increasing employment opportunities for individuals of foreign descent who are alre

nobody thinks the european union can take care of all our needs, but the eu should at least give its citizens hope and protection. >> the measures include helping small and medium-sized businesses get moans to expand operations and create new jobs for young people. another idea is for more countries to adopt germany's dual education system was on the job training. and young people are being encouraged to move for the jobs are. >> young people in europe are waiting for answers. they need to develop their skills and get job experience, and they can do that wherever they get job openings. >> specifically, that can mean more people mean -- moving to france or germany were currently 30,000 training positions remain unfilled. >> staying with the topic of jobs, germany would like to attract more foreign skilled workers to make up for shortages here in the job market. that is one of the issues that was on the table at the german government's integration conference in berlin. >> delegates also discussed ways of increasing employment opportunities for individuals of foreign descent who are alre

uk and france, the eu possum bar go on sending weapons to syria will end. individual countries will be able to deliver arms to rebels as long as they are approved by the european union and used to protect civilians. andrew symonds is live for us with more on this. no doubt you're going through the complications this could all cause, but first i must refer our viewers to the fact that you came from inside syria. a massively changing situation is what you witnessed. , david, it hasly changed. the whole powershift towards those who have the most money, the most guns. that is where we get into a difficult area because this eu lifting of the embargo in certain cases where, for instance, the uk may ask to do it, and france, another country that push this through him a lobbied very hard, which groups will they back? how will they make safeguards? how will they ensure that they fit the restrictions of the eu that the guns are only used to protect civilians? these are all questions. the bigger question -- the fact that eu leaders that represent the opposition forces

leaders of the eurozone's two biggest economies do not see eye to eye on several major issues in the eu, so a visit of the exhibition of german paintings at the louvre was perhaps a chance for them to get to know each other better. at the talks held later, the two leaders put on a show of unity. they said their countries would weather the financial crisis together and would present a united front at next month's eu summit on growth and employment. >> much of our discussion was about mobilizing the european funds from 2014 through 2020. and including them in our future planning. >> they also pledged to press ahead with plans for a so- called common economic government in the eurozone. >> we need more coordination of our economic policies. that should be based on harmonizing our institutions to promote closer cooperation with n the europe group and other countries that would like to be included. >> as people all over europe are being asked to tighten their belts, the french presidency has set an example, announcing it is to auction off more than 1000 bottles from its well-stock wine cella

leaders of the eurozone's two biggest economies do not see eye to eye on several major issues in the eu, so a visit of the exhibition of german paintings at the louvre was perhaps a chance for them to get to know each other better. at the talks held later, the two leaders put on a show of unity. they said their countries would weather the financial crisis together and would present a united front at next month's eu summit on growth and employment. >> much of our discussion was about mobilizing the european funds from 2014 through 2020. and including them in our future planning. >> they also pledged to press ahead with plans for a so- called common economic government in the eurozone. >> we need more coordination of our economic policies. that should be based on harmonizing our institutions to promote closer cooperation with n the europe group and other countries that would like to be included. >> as people all over europe are being asked to tighten their belts, the french presidency has set an example, announcing it is to auction off more than 1000 bottles from its well-stock wine cella

. >> the eu has been tightening the net and allowing more automatic exchange of information. >> the days of secrecy could soon be numbered. today, the eu moved a step closer to making life harder for tax debaters hiding money in foreign accounts. if that the government agree, the eu commission could soon start negotiating a deal to swap bank account details with european non-eu members such as switzerland. this comes after austria and luxembourg agreed to drop their opposition. >> as luxembourg's finance minister has already said, we expect the automatic exchange of data to become the international standard. >> for now, the deal would be limited to private accounts and not include trust and other banking tricks that allow investors to hide their identity. >> i still do not know what would be the legal base of this. >> austria and luxembourg had vetoed a deal over fears that an end to banking secrecy would scare off investors. the german finance minister is happy that members are now on the same page. >> everyone should understand what the changes imply it and we should not create stumbli

i look forward to negotiations with the eu in the coming months. i believe we have a real opportunity to cut tariffs, open jobs, and make all of our economies more competitive. with regard to global security, we reviewed our progress in afghanistan were our troops continue to serve with extraordinary courage alongside each other. i want to commend david for his efforts to encourage greater dialogue between afghanistan and pakistan which is critical to regional security. as planned, afghan forces will as planned, afghan forces will take the lead across the country soon. u.s., british, and coalition forces will move into a support role. our troops will continue to come home and the war will and by the end of next year. we work with our partners to make sure that afghanistan is never a haven for terrorists. given our commitment to the middle east peace, i updated david on our efforts and the importance of moving towards negotiations. we reaffirm our support for democratic transitions in the middle east and north africa, including the economic reforms

i want to see britain's relationship with the eu change. and i don't think that is the choice the british public want or british public deserve. everything i do in this area is guided by a very simple principle, which is what is in the national interests of britain. is it in the national interests of britain to have a transatlantic trade deal that will get people to work, help our businesses? yes, it is. and so we will push for this tra transatlantic trade deal. is it in our interest to reform the european union? to make it more open, competitive, flexible, and to improve britain's place within the union? yes, it is in our national interest. not only in our national interest, it is achievable because europe has to change because the single currency is driving change for that part of the european union that is in the single currency. and just as they want changes, so i believe britain is quite entitled to ask for and to get changes in response. and then finally, is it in britain's national interest once we have achieved those changes but befo

the eu predicts greece will make further progress in coming weeks. meanwhile, china and the you could be heading towards another trade dispute. and he has announced it is beginning a one-year review of steel tubing imports from the e you. >> the review could result in new tariffs. the move comes days after the european commission approved new tariffs on chinese solar panels following rampant complaints of chinese price dumping in europe. the eu import tariffs, which go into effect in early june, will range from 37% to as much as 68%. the list price on the chinese products. >> still to come, the world of sailing is morning olympic medal winner and 2 cents in. >> first, a look at other news from around the world. family man accused of imprisoning three women in the u.s. city of cleveland could face the death penalty. the ohio state prosecutor says ariel castro raped and abused the women for years and used violence to cause several miscarriages. the court will decide if it constitutes murder. >> there has been a standoff at a holy site in jerusalem. hund

we discussed the importance of moving ahead with the eu on discussions with the transatlantic trade and investment partnership. our extensive trade with the uk is central to our broader transatlantic economic order shipped which supports more than 13 million jobs. i would like to thank david for his support in building on those ties. i believe we have a real opportunity to cut tariffs, open markets, create jobs and make all of our economies even more competitive. with regard to global security, we reviewed progress in afghanistan where troops continue to serve with extraordinary courage alongside each other. i want to commend david for his efforts to encourage dialogue between afghanistan and pakistan, which is critical to regional security. afghan forces will take lead in the the security forces this spring. coalition forces will move into a support role and our troops will continue to come home and the war will and by the end of next year as we work with our afghan partners to make sure afghanistan is never again a haven for terrorists who would attack our nation. i am dated david on

we have news just crossing from the syrian opposition saying that the eu's arms embargo is too little the fact that the embargo has now been lifted and that is just the latest coming through from syria. the uk and french government's portion for the rights to supply arms for the rebels, but based on these oppositions from other governments led by austria and sweden. it doesn't mean weapons will be sent to those fight assad immediately. >> we would only take the steps of sending arms in company with other nations in carefully controlled circumstances and in compliance with international law. but this decision today gives us the flexibility in the future to respond to a worsening situation or to a refusal of the assad regime to negotiate. >>> meanwhile, france says it is testing samples of suspected chemical elements used in syria and promise toes deliver the results within the innocence few days. >>> one company involved in the syrian spillover with the conflict in syria is jordan. their political railroad forms are now in jeopardy as the country struggles to care for over 500,000 refu

>> hello and welcome to "the journal" on dw. , our headlines this hour -- >> eu foreign ministers meeting in brussels remain divided over whether syrian rebels should be given weapons. >> the chinese prime minister has ended his first visit to germany, expressing his hope that the two nations can become a trade team as trade partners. >> the french film about a lesbian love affair wins the coveted palme d'or at cannes. there is still no agreement in brussels, where eu foreign ministers continue to debate syria. they are negotiating over whether or european arms embargo for both sides should be extended thomas or whether europe should arm some rebels. >> written and france -- extended, or whether europe should arm some rebels. >> britain and france -- if no deal is reached -- >> more than one million refugees have fled the civil war. millions more remain trapped, unable to escape the violence. the death toll mounts by the day. the conflict spreads -- threatens to spread to nearby countries. richard and france want to drop arts of the embargo -- written and france -- britain and france want

and i think the uk's participation in the eu is an expression of its influence. and its role in the world as well as obviously a very important economic partnership. now, ultimately the people of the uk have to make decisions for themselves. i will say this, that david's basic point that you probably want to see if you can fix what's broken in a very important relationship before you break it off makes some sense to me. and i know that david's been very active in seeking some reforms internal to the eu. those are tough negotiations. you got a lot of countries involved. i recognize that. but so long as we haven't yet evaluated how successful those reforms will be. i at least would be interested in seeing whether or not those are successful before rendering a final judgment. again, i want to emphasize these are issues for the people of the united kingdom to make a decision about, not ours. with respect to syria, i think david said it very well. if you look objectively, the entire world's community has an interest in seeing a syria that is not engaged in sectarian wa

member state, it must carry out the new policies to the letter -- it must carry out eu policies to the letter. she wants her country to be the star pupil. >> the author of two biographies of the president believes her leadership something to be desired. and you have got to take a look at her personal history. she started out as a bureaucrat. a government administrator. her primary concern is to follow the rules to the letter. but good politicians need imagination. they should also be iependent d able to think strategically. >> in 2009, as the effects of the european financial crisis were being felt across the continent, she returned to lithuania to run for president. it was a nasty campaign. for example, she was accused of being a kgb agent. the yellow press claimed that she was a lesbian. the candidate denied the allegations. despite all this, she went on to win the election in a landslide and bame lithuania's first female president. >> her campaign platform, although it was short on specifics, was based on a clear political vision -- the fight against corruption, the

member state, it must carry out the new policies to the letter -- it must carry out eu policies to the letter. she wants her country to be the star pupil. >> the author of two biographies of the president believes her leadership abilities leave something to be desired. and you have got to take a look at her personal history. she started out as a bureaucrat. a government administrator. her primary concern is to follow the rules to the letter. but good politicians need imagination. they should also be independent and able to think strategically. >> in 2009, as the effects of the european financial crisis were being felt across the continent, she returned to lithuania to run for president. it was a nasty campaign. for example, she was accused of being a kgb agent. the yellow press claimed that she was a lesbian. the candidate denied the allegations. despite all this, she went ono e and became lithuania's first female president. >> her campaign platform, although it was short on specifics, was based on a clear political vision -- the fight against corruption, the oligarchs,

the eu says it will push china to ease regulations. this includes a rule that make it mandatory to launch joint businesses for local firms in china. the commission says it helps to start talks this fall. more business head lilines next hour. here is a check on markets. >>> first it was hollywood then came india's baliwood a recent festival in folk owe feature ed films made there. >> reporter: this is a nigerian thriller about two men whose lives are transformed when they find a statue with hidden powers. the film won five awards at africa's version of the oscars. it was a box office smash across africa and has screened in the u.s. and europe. the film's director visited tokyo to show his two films. >> i believe to be able to show the world that we're one and we speak the same language, you know, because entertainment is one thing that brings the world together. >> reporter: nigeria's film industry, nollywood releases more than 1,000 titles a year, peaking it the world's send largest producer of films outside of bollywood. they're outsel

will they move closer to the eu and may be becoming a member? our real they look east? russia is offering the possibility of a eurasian economic union. they cannot have it both ways. there are some eu states like the baltic states and hundred not want them as a member. amongst those countries the mayor more willing to turn a blind eye on what is happening in the case of tymoshenko. >> nina, thank you so much. >> the new italian prime minister has held talks with german chancellor angela merkel here in berlin. as the first of in european tour aiming to shift the focus from austerity to job creation. >> he wants to restore confidence in the italian political system. he is looking for help from berlin to do that. >> his first foreign visit taking him to berlin. his mission, to convince german chancellor angela merkel met with struggling economies is a flourishing economy. >> what we need to be doing is devoting this to achieving growth. they should not associate the european union with canny pension, but right now that is the message. >> letta's message is that it was up to

and i think the uk's participation in the eu is an expression of its influence. and its role in the world as well as obviously a very important economic partnership. now, ultimately, the people of the uk have to make decisions for themselves. i will say this, that the david's basic point, that you probably want to see if you can fix what's broken in a very important relationship before you break it off. makes some sense to me. and i know that david's been very active in seeking some reforms internal to the eu. those are tough negotiations, you got a lot of countries involved. i recognize that. but so long as we haven't yet evaluated how successful those reforms will be. you know, i at least would be interested in seeing whether or not those are successful. before rendering a final judgment. again, i want to emphasize these are issues for the people of the united kingdom to make a decision about. not ours. with respect to syria, i think david said it very well -- if you look objectively, the entire world community has an interest in seeing a syria that is not engag

. >>> the eu is investigating app apple for accusations it is unfairly paying less taxes. >> announcer: you're watching "worldwide exchange," business news from around the globe. >>> on today's show, a completely new concept allowing companies to raise income from their own savings. that's where entrepreneur mark hudson claims oxygen finance can do. >>> google's eric schmidt continues to defend google's paying taxes. >>> leaders from middle east and north africa have been gathering in jordan for the world economic for ym. we hear from the ceo about the challenges of security issues. >>> also coming up, we will visit bangkok. its capital is taking the top spot to london. that's right. we will be joined for more at 11:40 cet. >>> minutes from the bank of japan's april meeting think the central bank should consider measures to prevent a drop in liquidity from the japanese drop in bond markets. the bank's targets as hardly reached by march 2016. here is a look at how the japanese market down another 2% to 3%. this is compounding some of the volatile trade seen as of the close. 469 points l

here's a story that might leave a bad taste in your mouth -- the european commission says eu consumers may have paid more than they had to for sugar for years. >> that's because some sugar producers could have bnfixi. the commission has been trying to get to the bottom of all of this. they had just admitted that they raided a number of key you sugar producers about a month ago. >> a one-kilo package of sugar cost up to one europe. the european commission believes that without price-fixing, the sugar would be cheaper. large producers in europe are accused of artificially inflating prices. the difference could be just a few since, but it would add up to millions of extra revenue. european sugar producers already control most of the eu market. according to eu quotas, 85% must come from european production. that leaves only 15% to other regions where sugar cane is harvested like africa, latin america, and asia. the confectionery industry claims that it has to pay inflated prices for sugar, which is a key ingredient in its products. world market prices for sugar are considerably lower than

here's a story that might leave a bad taste in your mouth -- the european commission says eu consumers may have paid more than they had to for sugar for years. >> that's because some sugar producers could have been engaging in price fixing. the commission has been trying to get to the bottom of all of this. they had just admitted that they raided a number of key you sugar producers about a month ago. >> a one-kilo package of sugar cost up to one europe. the european commission believes that without price-fixing, the sugar would be cheaper. large producers in europe are accused of artificially inflating prices. the difference could be just a few since, but it would add up to millions of extra revenue. european sugar producers already control most of the eu market. according to eu quotas, 85% must come from european production. that leaves only 15% to other regions where sugar cane is harvested like africa, latin america, and asia. the confectionery industry claims that it has to pay inflated prices for sugar, which is a key ingredient in its products. world market prices for sugar are c

it is report card time in the eu. the european commission has issued a new list of recommendations for -- of who are the stragglers in the eurozone and who are the achievers. after years of being fixated on austerity, the focus now shifting to growth. >> it is giving some member states a little more slack to deal with the sovereign debt crisis, while telling germany to remove obstacles to strong internal demand. >> the commission also had some stern words for the common currency area's #two economy, france. >> the eu commission handed down recommendations to the member states, indicating the progress has been made against spending. but many countries have been given the extra homework of implementing strengthen -- sweeping structural reforms. >> because of the good progress made, we now have the space to slow down the pace, depending on the situation in each country. >> six countries including spain and france, will get more time to reduce debt, but it is a reprieve with strings attached. the commission also said paris

it is report card time in the eu. the european commission has issued a new list of recommendations for -- of who are the stragglers in the eurozone and who are the achievers. after years of being fixated on austerity, the focus now shifting to growth. >> it is giving some member states a little more slack to deal with the sovereign debt crisis, while telling germany to remove obstacles to strong internal demand. >> the commission also had some stern words for the common currency area's #two economy, france. >> the eu commission handed down recommendations to the member states, indicating the progress has been made against spending. but many countries have been given the extra homework of implementing strengthen -- sweeping structural reforms. >> because of the good progress made, we now have the space to slow down the pace, depending on the situation in each country. >> six countries including spain and france, will get more time to reduce debt, but it is a reprieve with strings attached. the commission also said paris

i look forward to launching with the eu in the coming months.elieve we have a good opportunity to cut tarriffs, open markets, create jobs and make all of our economys even more competitive. with regard to global security, we reviewed progress in afghanistan where our troops continue to serve with extraordinary courage, alongside each other and i want to commend david for his efforts to encourage greater dialogue between afghanistan and pakistan, which is critical to regional security. as planned, afghan forces will take the lead across the country soon this spring. u.s., british and coalition forces will move into a support role. our troops will continue to come home t. war will end by the end of next year, even as we work with our afghan partners to make sure it is never again a haven for our terrorists who attack our nations. gip our commitment to middle east peace, you updated david on the efforts with the palestinians and the importance of moving forward to negotiation and we re-affirmed our support for democrat transitions in the middle eas

because the eu conducts an operation in bosnia within the berlin framework as it is called. i will not go into the technical details. the bottom line is that this is the only issue that we are allowed to discuss in formal meetings. and those meetings take place , that is without secure participation. and for the same reason, the eu is reluctant to have two many of those meetings with only 26 out of 27 members. if we suggest to discuss other issues of relevance, kosovo, for instance, then we can only do it in an -- in informal meetings. that is where we are. that leads me to the conclusion that, unless we find a solution to the cyprus problem, we will absurde to have this situation. so here is really an issue or we should move forward. i have previously tabled some pregnant proposals as to how we can move forward. but i have to realize that to find the lyrical solution, we need the partners in cyprus to find each other. they have economic challenges. they have renewed -- they have resources they could exploit once they reunify the island. here, i think, the european union cou