Today the European Union released the latest unemployment figures. They show that youth unemployment rates are still unacceptably high. Working in the field of entrepreneurship, employability and financial literacy, Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise Europe believes that developing the right skills at an early age is the best long-term solution to youth unemployment.

Statement from Caroline Jenner, CEO Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise Europe:

EuropaBio has announced today the launch of its 3rd annual Most Innovative European Biotech SME Award and invites applications for the 2012 competition.  The award aims to reward SMEs which are operating in all applications of biotechnology, from agriculture to industrial and healthcare, and which are making a significant contribution to providing innovative solutions to the grand challenges of our time as outlined in EU Commission President Barroso’s Europe 2020 Strategy.

Brussels, 29 February 2012: On the eve of major changes to Google’s privacy policies, data privacy experts told an event in Brussels that a lack of awareness of privacy policies is putting consumers’ personal information at risk of exploitation.

GUE/NGL President Lothar Bisky threw his support behind today's European Day of Action saying "the GUE/NGL group supports trade unions from all over Europe who are mobilising workers in different countries to protest against the austerity measures being forced on the people."

The European Parliament economic affairs committee (ECON) today voted on proposed EU legislation on energy taxation, which sets out minimum European rates, notably with a view to introducing EU-level carbon taxation. The Greens welcomed the outcome of the vote, which gives a clear political signal for closing some of the key loopholes in the current legislation, as well as for improving the proposals on carbon taxation (1). After the vote Green economic affairs spokesperson Philippe Lamberts said: