Benefits for families, pensions and healthcare all rose by about 10% in 2010. At the same time expenditure on unemployment increased by 33%.

In 2010 and 2011, the average unemployment rate in the 27 EU member states was 9.7%. Since then the unemployment rate has risen to 10.6%, according to Eurostat.

The two main sources of funding were social contributions (56%) and general government contributions from taxes (40%). The economic slump is entering its fifth year.

Tamás Berecz is a senior analyst of the Athena Institute, a Budapest-based independent research organisation.

"After the 9/11 attacks, international terrorism became the bogeyman of the West, something that lurks in the dark and only waits for the right time to strike. This fear was not unfounded.

The first decade of the 21^st century was dominated by Jihadi terrorism: Kuta, New York, Madrid, London. Islamist terror groups became the first priority to secret services and other authorities.

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Stanishev interview

Stanishev interview

Thu, 2012-11-22 20:43

• general
• socialeurope

Sergei Stanishev is the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Party of European Socialists. A former Bulgarian prime minister, he spoke to EurActiv Senior Editor Georgi Gotev at the end of the PES summit meeting attended by French President François Hollande and several prime ministers, including Elio Di Rupo of Belgium, Werner Faymann of Austria, Robert Fico of Slovakia, Zoran Milanovic of Croatia and Victor Ponta of Romania.

Malcolm Colling, the president of the Association of Independent Officials in the European Commission, circulated an open letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron during the demonstration, which took place in front of the European Commission's headquarters in Brussels.

Cameron has lashed out at the EU civil servants, according to press reports on Tuesday (20 November). According to the Financial Times, Cameron reportedly said:

Dr Gabriele Suder is professor of European and International Business and Jean Monnet Chair at Skema Business School.

"The proposal for a directive on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges is partial and incomplete.

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Pennel

Pennel

Mon, 2012-11-19 17:55

• socialeurope

Dennis Pennel is managing director of the Brussels-based European Confederation of Private Employment Agencies. He spoke to EurActiv’s Jeremy Fleming

The current climate buzzwords have been jobs and growth, is there any evidence of growth in your sector?