Europeans have the highest per-capita consumption of alcohol, and drinking causes nearly 1-in-10 cases of ill health and premature death. The European Commission’s informal alcohol strategy, launched in 2006, is set for a detailed evaluation in 2013, with the policy objective of reducing the health and social harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

The United States is often ahead of Europe when it comes to the newest technology but also unhealthy lifestyles. Therefore, the EU could look to the US for solutions on how to deal with obesity, says James O. Hill.

Despite deploying lobbyists and spending several hundred thousands of euros to derail Europe's energy and climate policy ahead of this week's Summit, BusinessEurope – the employers' umbrella organisation - did not succeed in integrating their campaign into the Summit's conclusions, writes Claude Turmes.