The most popular banknote among counterfeiters: €50
The most sought-after denomination among counterfeiters in Europe in the first half of 2007 was the €50 note, according to a report from the European Central Bank. This orange banknote (with windows and gates on the front, symbolizing the spirit and openness of the EU, and bridges on the back, as a sign of unity among European states) accounted for half of the 265,000 counterfeit notes. 97% of them were found in Europe.
Also among the most popular counterfeits were the blue €20 note and the green €100 note. In total, there are seven banknotes of the new European currency, introduced on January 1, 2002, with denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50 , €100, €200, and €500.
Poland prepares to enter the Schengen Area
The law 'On the Participation of the Republic of Poland in the Schengen Information System and the Visa Information System,' developed by the Polish government, completes Poland's preparation for joining this zone.
As reported by the press service of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland, 'from January 1, 2008, Poland enters and enjoys all the privileges of the system.' Poland's entry into the Schengen Information System (SIS) will occur in two stages - from September 1 of this year, Poland will participate in electronic information exchange within the Schengen Area, said Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Janusz Kaczmarek. The second stage will cover the abolition of internal borders: 'controls at Poland's internal borders will be lifted on January 1, 2008, and controls in air travel - from March 1, 2008.'
The Schengen Agreement is an international treaty that abolishes controls at the internal borders of European Union countries. Freedom of movement applies to citizens of EU member states and all persons crossing internal borders within the territory where this treaty is in force. The current member states of the Schengen Agreement include Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Greece, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. Iceland and Norway also belong to the Schengen Area.
Number of foreign workers in the Czech Republic exceeds 200,000
In the first half of this year, more than 24,300 foreign nationals came to work in the Czech Republic. In total, nearly 210,000 foreigners found legal employment in the country. According to statistics published by the Ministry of Labor, among the newcomers, Slovaks, Ukrainians, and Poles predominate.
The growing interest in working in the Czech Republic is linked to two main reasons. First, the country is an EU member, and therefore, citizens of any EU country do not need any permits to work in the Czech Republic. Second, the Czech economy is currently on the rise, which contributes to the creation of new jobs. According to the Czech Ministry of Labor, many entrepreneurs complain about a shortage of qualified personnel.
Airlines must indicate ticket prices including all fees
The European Parliament approved a bill requiring airlines to indicate the full ticket price, including taxes and fees. Carriers will have to include all unavoidable charges in the advertised ticket price, including fuel, airport, and other fees.
Currently, most of them do not do this, as a result of which the actual ticket price can differ from the advertised one by tens and hundreds of euros, and on short routes, especially for low-cost airlines, by several times.
For the law to come into force, the governments of the 27 EU countries must approve it. It also provides for the carrier's obligation to break down what makes up the ticket price. It will be necessary to separately indicate the amount of airport charges, government fees (for security, environment, etc.), and charges that go to the airline itself (fuel, ticketing, and others).
Netherlands to make language exam harder for foreigners
The language exam for foreigners wishing to come to the Netherlands for a period exceeding three months will be made more difficult. Candidates who submit an exam application and pay for it before September 15, 2007, will be assessed according to the old exam criteria.
A conducted study showed that the assessment criteria were too lenient, and as a result, foreigners whose language level was much lower than the stated requirements were allowed entry into the Netherlands. Only 6% of all those who took the exam failed it. The criteria for the second part of the exam, testing general knowledge about the Netherlands, will remain unchanged.
In Russia, Ukrainians earn less than Uzbeks and Tajiks
Ukraine ranked third among CIS countries in terms of the volume of money transfers from Russia made in 2006 through various bank money transfer systems.
Last year, $927 million was transferred to Ukraine from Russia, or approximately 15.4% of the total amount of money transfers from Russia to CIS countries made through various bank money transfer systems. According to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, among CIS countries, the main recipients of money transfers from Russia in 2006 were Uzbekistan with a share of 16.7% ($1 billion), Tajikistan - 15.9% ($957 million), Ukraine - 15.4% ($927 million), Armenia - 10.1% ($604 million), and Moldova - 8.7% ($525 million).
Denmark has the most expensive food prices in the EU
Denmark ranked first among the most expensive EU countries for food prices in 2006, according to a published report by the European statistical office 'Eurostat'.
According to the bureau's data, in Denmark, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages are 142% higher than the average for the 27 EU member states. Danish bread is the most expensive in Europe (150% more expensive than the EU average). The most expensive products are also in Ireland, Finland, and Sweden, but there they are 17%, 22%, and 23% cheaper than in Denmark, although still more expensive than the EU average.
Far ahead in terms of alcohol prices in the EU is Ireland (alcoholic beverages here are 181% more expensive than the European average). Finland, the UK, and Sweden are also leaders in alcohol prices. In terms of tobacco prices, the UK leads - here they exceed the EU average by 205%.
In the new EU member states (Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia) food is almost twice as cheap as in the old ones. The cheapest bread and alcoholic beverages can be bought in Bulgaria, and tobacco products in Latvia.
By mid-century, Africa's population could double
By the end of 2006 - beginning of 2007, the population of the African continent was 924 million people (14.2% of the world's total population). According to the Egyptian news agency MENA, this is stated in the annual report of the African Union (AU) Committee on Population Affairs, timed to coincide with World Population Day.
According to the AU committee, if the current population growth rate in Africa, which is 2.3%, continues, then by 2050 the continent will have 2 billion people, provided that African countries step up efforts to combat child mortality and diseases.
Today, half of Africa's inhabitants are people under 20, making the black continent the youngest on the planet. Among Africans, 52% are women and only 3% are over 65. According to experts, the demographic situation in Africa will ensure sustained population growth in the near future and give a powerful impetus to the economic and social development of African countries.
According to the UN, today the world's population is 6.5 billion, and by 2050 it will reach 8-11 billion. The annual population increase is 80 million people. 95% of this occurs in developing countries. 11% of the world's inhabitants live in Europe, 61.3% in Asia. The Americas are home to 13% of the planet's inhabitants, Australia and Oceania 0.5%.
Iceland turned out to be the happiest country in Europe
Iceland is the happiest country in Europe. This conclusion was reached by analysts at the British research center New Economic Foundation (NEF), who, together with the environmental organization Friends of the Earth, compiled the 'The European Happy Planet Index'.
The analysts evaluated each European state according to three parameters: citizens' satisfaction with their standard of living, life expectancy, and 'ecological footprint' - the amount of land needed to provide the population with food and neutralize industrial waste. Based on these assessments, a ranking was compiled that included 30 European countries.
The study showed that the list of the happiest European states is topped by Scandinavian countries - following Iceland are Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, taking second, third, and sixth places respectively. In fourth place is Switzerland, which also has the highest life expectancy in Europe - 80.5 years.
Closing the ranking of the happiest European countries is Estonia, which besides the highest 'ecological footprint' is also second in crime rate. Just ahead of Estonia are Luxembourg, Bulgaria, and Greece. The country with the lowest life expectancy in Europe, according to the ranking, is Latvia - 70.7 years.
Recall that in July 2006, NEF published the 'Happy Planet Index' for all countries of the world. The list of the happiest countries in the world was topped by the island nation of Vanuatu, located in the Pacific Ocean. According to the ranking, things are worst in African states and industrially developed countries.