• Safe food for Europe Serious food shortages in Europe after World War II led to the subsidising of basic foodstuffs through the common agricultural policy (CAP). Since then, European food policy has addressed new priorities and challenges, with the emphasis now on the safety of what goes on to our plates.
  • Breaking new ground in medical research The EU has created a novel programme to increase the chances of discovering new medical treatments. The €2-billion ‘innovative medicines initiative’ (IMI) brings together industry and academia to speed up the transition from new science to new medicines.
  • EU action on HIV and AIDS Over 50 000 people a year are diagnosed with HIV in the EU and neighbouring countries, which is why prevention and support for people living with the virus has become a priority in the Union.
  • EU leading the way in mobile technology While mobile phones have consistently become cheaper to use, roaming charges – the cost of using your mobile phone abroad – has remained excessively high. This is why new laws on roaming charges were recently introduced in the EU. The end result is that consumers no longer have to worry about accidentally running up horrendous bills if they surf the internet using a mobile network in another EU country.
  • Help! – for a life without tobacco Tobacco is the single largest cause of avoidable death in the European Union. The European Commission is taking action on several levels to reduce smoking-related deaths – including through its anti-smoking campaign, Help 2.0, which aims to encourage young people to say ‘No’ to smoking.
  • The internet of cars An internet of cars promises a road system designed around co-operative technology enabling each element of the traffic system to co-operate proactively for a safer, more efficient driving experience.
  • Technological safety net catches elderly Falls are the main cause of injuries among elderly people, but until now doctors have found few ways of effectively monitoring and counteracting mobility problems among patients. European researchers are set to change that.
  • Meeting up with families and friends, virtually A fireside chat, sharing photos with granddad, a family get-together to play Monopoly on a Sunday afternoon… Although digital media for the individual has hastened the demise of collective social events, it could also enable their revival.
  • It’s an emergency – call 112! Imagine you’re on holiday in an EU country and you witness an accident. You are the only person around and you need to call an ambulance or the police. Would you know what number to call? Thanks to the single European Emergency number, now you do.
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