health – EU360

Do you know who won the Olympics in London in terms of the medal count? If you think it was the United States then think again. In fact, the winner by medal count at the last Olympics in London (as well as earlier) was the European Union! Invincible athletes of the Member States of the European Union jointly achieved 305 medals (92 gold, 104 silver and 109 bronze), while their American counterparts collected a total of 104 medals (46 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze) (more information here and here). Even when translated into number of medals per capita, Europe remains in the lead with one medal for each 1.7 million citizens, where the Americans won one medal for every 3 million citizens.

So, you know that the European Union is an Olympic superpower. Now read what makes Europeans so very successful in sports and in what ways we work together to create a healthier and more sporty continent.

340201_2 — Sir Chris Hoy, British athlete, celebrated his victory in London with the EU flag. Source: express.co.uk

Preberi več “European muscles. Literally.”

The European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety will vote today on the new rules regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Read more on what the new legislation has to offer, how long can a legislative procedure last if it drags into a second reading and when can a final decision be expected.

There are only two GMOs currently allowed for cultivation in the European Union and only one of them is actually grown. The MON 810 maize, to which the genetic modification provides protection against parasites, has been confirmed for cultivation as early as 1998. Currently, it is grown in five Member States (Spain, Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia) and represents 1.56% of all maize grown in the EU and 0 26% of all GM maize in the world. In 2010 cultivation and processing was also approved for a genetically modified potato called “Amflora”, but since 2011, it is no longer cultivated.

Preberi več “Europe’s position on GMOs and what’s in store”