The bill stipulates that "those who publicly, orally or through the press or the internet or any other means cause or instigate violence against a group or a person based on race, religion, heritage and sexual orientation" can be imprisoned for up to six years and fined up to €20,000.

The government coalition comprises, the centre-right New Democracy (ND) party of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, the Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and Roupakiotis' Democratic Left (DIMAR) party.

“An EU-China investment agreement will help deepen our ties and sends the signal that we are firmly committed to building a strong partnership,” EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said yesterday (23 May), asking member states to be given a mandate to negotiate the accord.

The agreement would secure access to investment markets for both sides and improve the treatment of investors and their assets – including key technologies and intellectual property rights.

Plans for a bank union in the 17-nation eurozone have moved painstakingly slowly, prolonging the existence of so-called bad banks saddled with non-performing assets left over from the financial crisis.

"We understand that the process may be frustrating for the market, but for European standards we are moving very fast," said Benoît Cœuré of the European Central Bank (ECB).

Eighty-nine leading public health scientists from around the world have signed the 2013 Berlaymont Declaration on endocrine disruptors.

The declaration, named after the European Commission's flagship Berlaymont building in Brussels, explains that the Europe-wide rate of increase in endocrine-related diseases cannot be explained by genetics or lifestyle choices alone.

In a debate yesterday (23 May), members of the European Parliament agreed that the former Yugoslav republic had not gone far enough in fighting corruption, implementing European rights law or carrying out constitutional reforms.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina is unfortunately still lagging behind other countries in the region," said German MEP Doris Pack (EPP) who is one of the most prominent legislators on enlargement issues.

More than half of the EU's adult population (52%) is overweight or obese, according to statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with Hungary and the United Kingdom having the highest rates.

At a higher age, obesity is one of the main risk factors causing non-communicable diseases, including type-2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular- and respiratory diseases.

So with more people expected to become obese in Europe, is there anything the EU do to reverse the trend?