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Looking back to 2011 the increasing rate of unemployment is one of the worst consequences of the economic crisis. Especially among young people. On Wednesday, the MEPs will debate in plenary about the Annual Growth and employment Survey in order to prepare the European Council meeting on the 1-2 March 2012.

Youth unemployment has rapidly risen and has reached an unprecedented high level, in particular in the countries of the Eastern and South of Europe, as you can observe in the infographic.

Read more @ www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20120203...

© European Union 2012 EP

Egypt is slowly working on becoming a fully-fledged democracy after the Arab spring caused Hosni Mubarak's 30-year regime to crumble last year. The EU has been keen to help the process in any way possible. We spoke to James Moran, the new EU head of delegation to Egypt, about the challenges facing Egypt and the role the EU should play.

Q&A: www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20120203...

© European Union 2012 EP/Pietro Naj-Oleari

European consumers could soon take up their place at the heart of the Single Market. The Commission is proposing a reinforcement of their rights, an online dispute resolution system, better education tools and more funding for European Consumer Centres. On Monday it presented its consumer agenda for 2014-2020 to the EP's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. We spoke to French MEP Robert Rochefort (ALDE), who is responsible for steering the legislation through Parliament.

What are the challenges facing consumer policy in 2014-2020?

Q&A: www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20120203...

© European Union 2012 EP/Pietro Naj-Oleari

Q&A: www.facebook.com/europeanparliament#!/photo.php?fbid=1015...

"The end is approaching" - this the phrase he's using often recently. He believes that 2012 will be the year of reckoning of the European Project. He's certainly not a fan of euro or federal Europe. He holds that national democracy and EU membership are incompatible. He wants the peoples of Europe to have their say and he doesn't like the way the EU is handling the crisis.

In the same time he underlines that what he represents is not anti-Europeanism. "We believe in nation state democracy, we want a Europe of trade, we want a Europe of co-operation, we want a Europe that is responsible" - he said during his recent speech in the Parliament.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Europe of Freedom and Democracy will chat with you on Wednesday, February 8 at 16.00. Use this opportunity to discuss with him the future of the EU and his vision for Europe. Don't miss it and join the conversation!

© European Union 2012 EP/Pietro Naj-Oleari

Q&A: www.facebook.com/europeanparliament#!/photo.php?fbid=1015...

"The end is approaching" - this the phrase he's using often recently. He believes that 2012 will be the year of reckoning of the European Project. He's certainly not a fan of euro or federal Europe. He holds that national democracy and EU membership are incompatible. He wants the peoples of Europe to have their say and he doesn't like the way the EU is handling the crisis.

In the same time he underlines that what he represents is not anti-Europeanism. "We believe in nation state democracy, we want a Europe of trade, we want a Europe of co-operation, we want a Europe that is responsible" - he said during his recent speech in the Parliament.

Nigel Farage, the leader of Europe of Freedom and Democracy will chat with you on Wednesday, February 8 at 16.00. Use this opportunity to discuss with him the future of the EU and his vision for Europe. Don't miss it and join the conversation!

© European Union 2012 EP/Pietro Naj-Oleari