THE provision in the Lisbon Treaty to have commissioners from just two-thirds of member states could affect the democratic legitimacy of the European Union, according to commission vice-president Margot Wallstrom.

INTERNATIONAL business and investment will lose confidence in Ireland if voters reject the Lisbon Treaty, according to Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

IRISH government hopes of fighting off EU attempts to introduce a harmonised method for companies to calculate their tax was dealt a severe blow yesterday when France said it intends to push it during their presidency of the union.

SCIENTISTS have discovered the gene that turns tobacco smokers into addicts, and makes giving up the weed very difficult.

URGENT action is needed by governments to improve working conditions for one million short-term contract workers working in another EU member state, the European Commission has said.

CHEMICALS used in everything from plastic bottles to cosmetics are contributing to the huge increase in breast cancer in women, according to a scientific report discussed in the European Parliament.

SERBIA made a case for a fast-track membership of the EU when its foreign minister met EU ministers for the first time since Kosovo declared its independence in February.

THE mention of tax havens conjures up pictures of mixing with royalty in Monaco, living under blue skies on creamy beaches in the Caribbean or interminable ski holidays on the romantic slopes of Switzerland.

THE Irish Government will not boycott the Olympic Games in China in protest against events in Tibet but may, like many other EU countries, stay away from the opening ceremony, Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said yesterday.

NON-IRISH drivers are more likely to be involved in road traffic accidents or breaking the speed limit here than locals, but they frequently disappear after the incident.