Debating optimal ways to organise auctions in Brussels last week (6 May), business and government experts attacked the EU executive's draft rules on organising the auctioning of emissions allowances in the EU's emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) for the third trading period, which starts in 2013.

The highest job losses were reported in the new member states, where employment fell by an average of 31.3% etween 2000 and 2009. The 'old' member states of the EU-1f fared somewhat better, recording an average decrease in labour input of 16.7%.

Portugal and Poland are the exceptions to this rule, recording decreases of 31.6% and 11.3% respectively.

Despite the steep falls recorded in the new member states, agricultural labour input in these countries still accounts for just over half (51.7%) of the EU-27 total.

Die Umfrage kontaktierte Stadtbewohner in allen EU-Mitgliedsstaaten sowie den Beitrittskandidaten Kroatien und Türkei und deckte die Hauptstädte aller dieser Staaten und eine bis sechs weitere Städte in den größeren Ländern.

Das Eurobarometer gab einige vorhersehbare Resultate aber auch einige Überraschungen. Der wichtigste Vergleich, so eine EU-Quelle, sei der mit der 2006 Umfrage gleichen Namens. Aufgrund des Angriffs der globalen Rezession seit Ende 2008 könnte der wirtschaftliche Hintergrund der beiden Umfragen kaum unterschiedlicher sein.

As had happened in past weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was pressured by other eurozone leaders into agreeing to bail out collapsing members of the bloc.

Most leaders wanted clear indications in favour of a permanent rescue mechanism designed to prevent a new Greek crisis from happening. Germany opposed this, as regional elections are looming and voters are expected to be against such a move.