What is the EU doing to stop the destruction of Europe's manufacturing base? This was the question EFD Group co-President Francesco Speroni put as he met the Belgium Primeminister along with the Council of Presidents of the EU Parliamentary Groups recently.

Mr Speroni asked the Belgian Presidency: "What will you do to protect European industries against unfair competition from countries not respecting the same social, environmental and  job security norms  as the E.U. ?" He was meeting at le Palais d'Egmont on June 24th and reacting to the remarkable fall in the EU manufacturing base in the last two decades with many jobs going to developing countries.

Mr. Lorenzo Fontana MEP deplores the rampant intolerance.

"This episode is about racial discrimination and because of that it has to be pursued by the judicial authorities". This is the terse and unequivocal answer of Mr. Fontana MEP to the posters exposed outside by almost thirty shopkeepers saying: "After the last insults against Neapolitans, people belonging to Lega Nord are not welcome anymore. By the direction". This episode was widely covered by the press and continued being topical after the Home Secretary, Roberto Maroni, went to Naples to attend the concert of the national Police band at 'San Carlo' theatre.