THERE must be more competition between retailers to ensure the country’s economy recovers as speedily as possible, the EU has warned.

THE utter calm with which the blood-spattered young man got on his bicycle and rode away from the Fairytale Nursery in Dendermonde shocked witnesses.

THE European Union had indicated it would back an Irish request for a financial package to help soon-to-be redundant Dell workers, but stressed the need for the Government to draw up a comprehensive programme for getting those affected back to work.

THE Czech prime minister got a tongue-lashing from members of the European Parliament yesterday when he told them the Lisbon treaty was worse than the Nice treaty and would not pass in his country.

CONTROVERSIAL state mortgages for people already rejected by the banks are being investigated by the European Commission.

IRELAND has been portrayed as a furry brown set of bagpipes, Bulgaria as a Turkish squat toilet, Belgium as a box of chocolates and Luxembourg as a gold bar.

THE EU is to introduce safety standards for all baby walkers made in, or imported, into Europe.

PESTICIDES with highly toxic chemicals that can cause cancer and other ailments are to be banned in the EU over the next few years in response to fears they damage human health and the environment.

There was cautious optimism last night that Russian gas will begin flowing into Europe again next week following agreement on monitors in both Russia and Ukraine.

Avril Doyle reflects on her political career with our Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill.