nigeria war

Thousands flee Nigeria Delta fighting

By Andrew Walker BBC News, Warri

Thousands of refugees from a remote area of a Nigerian oil-producing state have fled fighting between the military and oil rebels; sleeping in the swamps and too afraid to go home.

When military helicopters buzzed over the small town of Oporoza, in Nigeria's Niger Delta, it was just two days after 19-year-old Happiness Michael had given birth.

The helicopter gunships hovered low over a crowded street, where people had gathered to celebrate an annual festival, and opened fire with machine guns and rockets, according to several accounts.

Happiness Michael and her baby fled into the bush

"I saw bombs and fire and shooting, we fled," the teenager told the BBC.

The assault last Friday was the beginning of a six-day campaign by the Nigerian military's Joint Task Force (JTF), which is in charge of security in the Niger Delta, fighting oil militants.

Nigeria is one of the world's major oil exporters but in recent years, militant attacks have cut production by about 20%.

Now the military says it is determined to stop the sabotage of oil installations and kidnapping of oil workers though local civilians say they are paying the price.

'Terrified of the military'

But the military action in the region, home to much of Nigeria's oil industry, will continue, commanding officers have said.

Happiness took her baby and ran into the swampy forest along with thousands of other villagers.

They slept in the bush for five nights before they could make their way to the outskirts of the Delta State city of Warri.

Actually, I was on the toilet when I heard this boom, and all the lights went and the wall started falling down Chief Alfred Bubor

When the BBC found them, they were in a group of around 150 other women and children pressing against the bars of a shop, trying to get a hand-out of food.

Their elderly parents, husbands, brothers and eldest sons are still in the bush, terrified of the military.

Hundreds more, possibly thousands of refugees in total, are scattered in forests and swamps across the area.

A lucky few have made it to the relative safety of family homes in Warri.

Some have also been killed, the women say, by the military as they sweep the area on what the military calls a cordon and search mission.

"Many are dead, they die. Finish!" said Alice Christopher.

"When the bombs come we scatter, I cry-cry, I tire-tire," she added.

Different versions

There are two versions of events leading up to Friday's assault on Oporoza in the Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta State.

Mend leader Government Tompolo is now on the run

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) says the military launched an unprovoked attack on a militant camp in the riverine area, west of warri.

The JTF says one of its patrols was ambushed.

The military has been making sweeps through the area looking for militants and 15 hostages taken from a petrol tanker hijacked by Mend on Thursday.

They are also searching for 12 soldiers missing in action during the fighting.

People who have fled to Warri say the military is systematically torching villages as they go, but the commander of the JTF denies this.

It is impossible to verify what is happening in the area, as the military have stopped all boats - the only way to get to the Gbaramatu kingdom - from leaving Warri.

It is also impossible to know how many have died - the military are not giving any figures.

'Thousands of bullets'

Chief Alfred Bubor, a traditional leader and spokesman for the kingdom of Gbaramatu, was wounded in the helicopter attack.

How can an innocent person be in [militant leader Government] Tompolo's house, among the militants Gen Sarkin Yakin Bello

Preparations were being made in the village for 600 dancers to come and perform in front of the king's palace when the assault happened, but Mr Bubor had excused himself from the gathering.

"Actually, I was on the toilet when I heard this boom, and all the lights went and the wall started falling down," he told the BBC in his house in Warri.

The 76-year-old was shot in the hand, injured on the head by falling blocks and scarred by shrapnel on his chest.

He emerged from the wrecked house and saw the helicopter fly past.

"I could see the pilot flying the helicopter, there were thousands of bullets flying into the building," he said.

JTF commander Gen Sarkin Yakin Bello told journalists that the military was targeting oil militants loyal to the commander of Mend, the amazingly named Government Tompolo.

He said the helicopters were firing at a guest house belonging to Mr Tompolo.

"How can an innocent person be in Mr Tompolo's house, among the militants?" said Gen Bello.

Mr Tompolo is now on the run and the military say they will not stop until they have found him, and the soldiers missing in action.

The military showed reporters what they seized from a guest house

They say they seized weapons from the guest house, and showed journalists a stock of rusty rifles, heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft ammunition, and buckets of bullets.

"It is worth it, because if we remove one criminal, then the whole level of criminality in the region will be reduced," said JTF spokesman Lt Col Rabe Abubakar

nigerian police

Nigeria police 'killed civilians'

Hundreds of shops were burnt down during the violence

Nigerian security forces killed dozens of people after they were called in to deal with sectarian riots sparked by an election last year, a lobby group says.

Human Rights Watch wants the officers involved in the violence, in the central city of Jos, to be prosecuted.

The group said officers opened fire at random and killed about 130 people, mostly young Muslim men.

Police chiefs deny the claims and some witnesses have suggested the gunmen were impersonating security officers.

Decades of resentment

The violence was ignited by rumours that a Muslim-backed party's candidate for council leader had lost a local election.

Christians burned mosques and Muslims burned churches before security forces were sent in and imposed a curfew.

Ethnic fires still smoulder in Nigeria

"In responding to the inter-communal violence, the Nigerian police and military were implicated in more than 130 arbitrary killings, mostly of young Muslim men," said Eric Guttschuss of Human Rights Watch.

"[We] call on government authorities to promptly arrest and prosecute those responsible."

In their report, the rights group says about 700 people died in the violence - many more than has been officially acknowledged.

Mohammed Lerama, spokesman for the Plateau State police, denied the accusations.

"The police who were sent to restore peace cannot turn around again to kill the harmless civilians they were supposed to protect," he said.

Thousands have died in religious and ethnic violence in northern and central Nigeria in recent years.

However poverty and access to resources such as land often lies at the root of the violence.

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carbon values in order

Shipping emissions plan 'stalls'

By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst The shipping industry is under fire over greenhouse gas emissions Plans to reduce rising emissions from global shipping have faltered at a key international meeting. The International Maritime Organization delayed a decision to raise the cost of ships' fuel and use the money to help poor nations tackle climate change. Delegates from developing countries complained that rich nations had reneged on other promises. Environmental groups criticised the lack of progress, saying that the world could not afford to wait any longer. When the Kyoto Protocol was agreed, the shipping and aviation sectors were left out because no-one could agree on how the emissions should be allocated. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) was given the task of finding a way around the problem, but there has been little progress to date. This week, the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee did agree draft technical measures to improve the efficiency of ships' designs. It also agreed on ways to improve the efficiency of shipping operations. However, the meeting did not make any progress on the idea of raising the cost of ships' fuel in order to help poorer nations deal with the consequences of climate change. Environmental groups are frustrated over what they see as a lack of meaningful progress. "The global shipping industry emits a billion tonnes of CO2 [per year], and that number is on course to double or even triple by 2050," said Peter Lockley, head of transport policy at WWF. "So far, there is not a single policy in place in the world to limit those emissions," he told BBC News. "This week, we have been trying to discuss ways in which we can. "They have made some progress on technical measures but there is still going to be nothing that is compulsory for shipping owners." Rich nations say they do want a deal that puts up the price of fuel, but some key developing countries are angry that the wealthy states have not delivered on their side of the bargain. The issue of a fuel levy is likely to be discussed again in the autumn during the full meeting of the IMO

big sister

Alcohol banned in Aborigine areas

Alcohol and poverty have blighted Aboriginal communities

Australia is to ban alcohol and pornography in Aboriginal areas in the Northern Territory in a bid to curb child sex abuse.

All Aboriginal children in the territory will be medically examined.

The new proposals follow a report last week which found evidence of abuse in each of the territory's 45 communities.

The report blamed high levels of alcohol and poverty for the situation, which Prime Minister John Howard has described as a national emergency.

"We're dealing with a group of young Australians for whom the concept of childhood innocence has never been present," John Howard told parliament.

CHILD ABUSE REPORT Abuse is serious, widespread and often unreported Aboriginal people not the only victims or perpetrators of sexual abuse Contributing factors include poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, gambling, pornography Health and social services desperately need improving Full report [6500k] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here

"That is a sad and tragic event. Exceptional measures are required to deal with an exceptionally tragic situation."

Mr Howard said the federal government would take over the administration of Aboriginal communities for the next five years so that the new laws would be strictly enforced.

For the last decade, Aboriginal communities have by and large been allowed to govern themselves.

Aboriginal leaders have expressed outrage at the new measures.

"It's another knee-jerk reaction from our government to a very serious issue," the director of the Crossroads Aboriginal Ministries in Sydney, Ray Minniecon, told the BBC.

"To ban alcohol on Aboriginal communities, where that ban has already been in place for the last 20 or 30 years by the Aboriginal people themselves, is a bit silly. [Mr Howard] would have to ban that in the cities and towns where white people live with Aboriginal people in order to make it effective."

Computer search

Under the new measures, the sale, possession, transportation and consumption of alcohol will be banned in indigenous communities for six months.

Hardcore pornography will also be made illegal and all publicly-funded computers will be searched for pornographic images.

There will be restrictions on the payment of government welfare benefits so that alcohol cannot be bought with them.

Welfare payments would be contingent on children attending school and new rules would dictate how they are spent to ensure that young people are properly fed and clothed.

Last week's landmark report identified a wide range of social issues that contribute to child sexual abuse.

They included unemployment, poor health and nutrition, overcrowded housing, substance abuse and pornography.

social services .co .

Anguish of the Stolen Generations

By Nick Bryant BBC News, Alice Springs

Frank Byrne says his removal broke his mother's heart

With torment still in his voice, Frank Byrne recalls the day six decades ago when he was taken from his mother and their community in Christmas Creek, Western Australia.

He was just five at the time, and his mother, Maudie Yooringun, had long feared the day that the government would come to seize him - and he would be "stolen".

"The government came to Christmas Creek where we had a mud house and told me I was been taken away," he said.

"My mum was completely ignored. She was not a human. That's what they thought in those days. The government fella said: 'I am your total guardian'."

"You could see the sorrow in my mother's eye. I could see the tears rolling down as she was driven away. I was held there by a couple of blokes as the truck went away."

A week later Frank saw his mother again. But that was to be the last time he ever saw her alive.

Traumatised by having her son essentially kidnapped by the government, she suffered a nervous breakdown and was committed to a mental asylum in Perth. She died when he was 12.

"They broke my mother's heart and her spirit," he said. "She lost her mind. They put here in a madhouse in Perth. But she wasn't mad. She was pining for me."

'Shameful act'

Now 70 years old, Frank Byrne is a member of the Stolen Generations, a victim of a policy stretching from the late-19th Century to the end of 1960s, under which Aboriginal children were taken from their parents and placed in institutions, orphanages, missions or white foster families.

Under the policy, young children were taken from their families

Most commonly, it was children of mixed race - "half-castes'" in the parlance of the day - that the government agencies chose to snatch.

They would descend on Aboriginal communities, separate the light-skinned children from those with a darker complexion, and then take them away.

Histories of the period recall how wire cages were sometimes used with spring doors. Children would be tempted in by a trail of sweets.

Under the twisted logic of the time, the idea was to "civilise" these young Aboriginal children, to inculcate them with European values. Another early aim, which stemmed from the doctrine of eugenics, was to "breed out their colour".

Sorry is a word, it's just a hollow word Frank Byrne

No wonder the policy has been labelled by the historian Robert Manne as "the most shameful act of 20th Century Australia".

Up until the late 1990s, when the findings of the landmark Bringing Them Home inquiry were published, the full scale of the policy was not apparent, and many white Australians were oblivious to it.

In the late 1960s, as the discredited policy was finally jettisoned, one anthropologist described it as "the Great Australian silence".

But according to the Bringing Them Home report, at least 100,000 children were removed from their parents.

'Hurt very deeply'

Formal apologies soon followed from the state parliaments in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland, along with the territory parliament in the Northern Territory.

Meanwhile, the federal government, under the leadership of Prime Minister John Howard, decided to pass a motion of "deep and sincere regret", but refused repeatedly to apologise.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd promised he would apologise to Aborigines

Mr Howard argued that a formal apology would reinforce a sense of victimhood in Aboriginal communities, and that modern-day Australians were not the authors of the policy, so therefore had nothing for which to apologise.

His successor, Kevin Rudd, is now making good his campaign promise to deliver an apology, making it the first order of business in the first post-election session of parliament.

But what meaning will this apology carry for Frank Byrne?

"I've been hurt. I've been hurt very deeply. Since they took me away from my mother I have lived only in sorry and anger," he said.

"Sorry is a word. It's just a hollow word."

The Rudd government has decided on a cut-price apology - it is unaccompanied by any form of compensation.

"Compensation wouldn't change it for me," said Frank. "It's not going to bring back my mother. I've been hurt, my mother has been hurt."

Aborigines have a far shorter life expectancy than other Australians

Other members of the Stolen Generations feel differently. Many consider a formal apology much-needed and long overdue - a symbolic gesture of immense importance.

Still, there has been widespread anger and resentment that they will get no reparations from the federal government.

This is country founded on the principles of equity and a fair go for all - but for too long those ideals were never extended to indigenous Australians, the first occupants of this vast land.

The statistics make for disheartening reading.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians born between 1996 and 2001 have a life expectancy of 59 for males and 65 for females.

That is about 17 years lower than the average life expectancies for all male and female Australians born between 1998 and 2000.

Between 1999 and 2003, what is called the age-standardised death rate for the indigenous population was 2.8 times greater than that of the non-indigenous population.

The unemployment rate for Aborigines is three times higher. Their chances of being incarcerated are 13 times higher.

Once the symbolism of the apology is out of the way, the Rudd government needs to find a raft of practical measures to grant indigenous Australians a more abundant and equitable life

take the kids into care

No payout for 'stolen' Aborigines

Aborigine communities have comparatively low life expectancies

Thousands of Aborigines who were removed from their families as children will receive no compensation, the Australian government has said.

Campaigners for the so-called Stolen Generations had asked for a reparation fund of almost A$1bn ($870m; £443m) as part of a promised official apology.

But indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin says money will instead be put into health and education schemes.

Many Aboriginal children were handed to white families from 1915 to 1969.

They were brought up by white people in an attempt by the government to assimilate the white and Aboriginal populations.

Even though they've changed the saddle blankets we're still dealing with the same horse Sam Watson Aborigine activist

The country's new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has promised to apologise formally to the victims of the assimilation policy.

And campaigners felt that the Stolen Generations should have received damages as part of the apology.

"People get paid crimes compensation for victims of crime," Lyn Austin, head of Stolen Generations in the state of Victoria, told local radio.

"You are looking at the gross violation and the act of genocide and all the inhumane things that have happened to our people."

Protests promised

But Ms Macklin instead pledged to invest in initiatives which she said would improve life expectancy for today's Aborigines.

"What we will be doing is putting the funding in to health and education services, and providing additional support for services needed for counselling, to enable people to find their relatives," she said.

"We think the best way to give force to the apology is to provide funding to close the gap in life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

"So we won't be creating a compensation fund."

Aboriginal campaigners have promised to protest against the decision.

Brisbane-based activist Sam Watson said the new Labor government was following the same policies as their predecessors.

"Even though they've changed the saddle blankets we're still dealing with the same horse," he told Australian broadcaster ABC.

social care

Australia apology to Aborigines

Kevin Rudd's apology represents a break from previous policies Parliament statement

The Australian government has made a formal apology for the past wrongs caused by successive governments on the indigenous Aboriginal population.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised in parliament to all Aborigines for laws and policies that "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss".

He singled out the "Stolen Generations" of thousands of children forcibly removed from their families.

The apology, beamed live around the country on TV, was met with cheers.

But some Aborigines say it should have been accompanied with compensation for their suffering.

'Indignity and degradation'

In a motion passed unanimously by Australian MPs on Wednesday morning, Mr Rudd acknowledged the "past mistreatment" of all of his country's Aboriginal population.

For the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry Text of parliamentary motion Full text of apology Ceremony in pictures Apology accepted?

"We apologise for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians," the motion said.

Mr Rudd said he apologised "especially" to the Stolen Generations of young Aboriginal children who were taken from their parents in a policy of assimilation which lasted from the 19th Century to the late 1960s.

"For the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry."

Aborigines are the most disadvantaged sector of society

Australia has no Aboriginal members in parliament, but 100 leaders of the community and members of the Stolen Generations were present for the historic apology.

The leader of the Liberal opposition, Brendan Nelson, said he "strongly" welcomed the apology.

He decided to take a different position on the issue than his predecessor, former Prime Minister John Howard, who refused for over a decade to apologise to the Stolen Generations - a stance supported, polls suggest, by about 30% of Australians.

Mixed response

The government hopes the apology will repair the breach between white and black Australia and usher in a new era of recognition and reconciliation.

The parliamentary session was shown live on television as well as on public screens erected in cities across the country.

Mr Rudd received a standing ovation from MPs and onlookers in parliament, and cheers from the thousands of Australians watching outside.

Blackfellas will get the words, the whitefellas keep the money Noel Pearson Aboriginal leader

Michael Mansell, a spokesman for the rights group the National Aboriginal Alliance, said the word "sorry" was one that "Stolen Generation members will be very relieved is finally being used", reported Associated Press news agency.

But the refusal to accompany the apology with any compensation has angered many Aboriginal leaders, who have called it a "cut-price sorry".

"Blackfellas will get the words, the whitefellas keep the money," summed up Noel Pearson, a respected Aboriginal leader, in The Australian newspaper.

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I think the apology is the right thing to do, but personally don't understand why it was debated for so long

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Mr Rudd has also outlined a new agenda on Aboriginal issues, including a commitment to close the 17-year life expectancy gap between Aborigines and other Australians within a generation, was well as halving Aboriginal infant mortality rates within a decade.

Australia's 460,000 Aborigines make up 2% of the population and are the most disadvantaged group.

They have higher rates of infant mortality, drug abuse, alcoholism and unemployment than the rest of the population.

social care australia

Gap dividing Aborigines growing

By Nick Bryant BBC News, Sydney

Some indigenous Australians say the National Day is actually 'Invasion Day'

A national report on Aboriginal social and economic trends in Australia has shown their condition has deteriorated.

In particular it showed that the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous citizens has grown wider in areas like child abuse and domestic violence.

It revealed that Aboriginal children are six times as likely to be abused as non-indigenous children.

The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said it was a devastating report on an unacceptable situation.

The new government report contains a grim inventory of statistics, which indicate that the longstanding gap in living standards between black and white Australians is, if anything, getting wider.

One finding, that Aboriginal children are six times more likely than non-indigenous children to be abused, represents a significant increase.

The report also revealed that the indigenous homicide rate was seven times higher than the non-indigenous rate; and that Aboriginal people were 13 times more likely to end up in jail.

The report measured 50 key indicators of disadvantage, and found that there has been no improvement in 80% of them.

There have been no gains, for instance, in literacy or numeracy rates.

In an otherwise bleak assessment, one of the few areas of improvement was employment.

Mr Rudd started his term in office with an apology to Aborigines for past injustices and pledged that his government would aim to close the gap.

Speaking in the country's Northern Territory, the home to many Aborigines, Mr Rudd called this a devastating report which was unacceptable and required decisive action.

Blairs 'legacy

Britain faces a "ticking time bomb" of mental illness and suicide as troops return from fierce combat in Afghanistan, the Tories warned on Wednesday.

Published: 2:56PM BST 15 Jul 2009

Research suggests that veterans aged 18 to 23 are up to three times more likely to commit suicide than civilians Photo: REUTERS

A lack of mental health support and the intensity of the battle against the Taliban will leave record numbers suffering from post-traumatic stress, according to the party.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, and Liam Fox, the shadow defence secretary, are highlighting the dangers at a summit after one of the bloodiest periods for British forces for decades.

Related Articles

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• Afghanistan: Gordon Brown criticised after the death of eight soldiers

• Parents of soldiers killed in Afghanistan lash out at Government

• Nick Clegg urges government to rethink Afghanistan mission

The bodies of eight soldiers killed in Afghanistan - three of them teenagers - were repatriated on Tuesday.

Research suggests that veterans aged 18 to 23 are up to three times more likely to commit suicide than civilians.

More veterans of the Falklands campaign and first Gulf War are believed to have killed themselves after quitting the forces than died in action.

Some 255 were killed during the Falklands conflict, but an estimated 264 of troops who survived have since committed suicide.

The Gulf War claimed the lives of 24 British soldiers, but a Government study last year suggested that 169 veterans had died of "intentional self harm" or in circumstances that led to open verdicts at inquests.

Dr Fox said: "The suicide figures for past conflicts are deeply concerning. I worry that with the intensity of the current operations in Afghanistan we are building up a timebomb of mental health problems."

Mr Cameron and Dr Fox will set out plans for improving mental welfare support for troops at a "combat stress" summit at parliament yesterday.

Veterans' groups, and mental health and military experts will also attend, including Andy McNab, the former SAS soldier.

eu law

At-a-glance: Key EU laws

The European Parliament elected in 2004 has left its stamp on some far-reaching EU laws.

EU laws usually go through a lengthy co-decision procedure

The drafting of these laws is the domain of the European Commission - it is not the European Parliament's job.

But MEPs have the power to shape, or to reject, a steadily increasing proportion of EU legislation, by a process known as co-decision.

This means that the legislation needs the backing of both the parliament and the Council of the European Union (made up of ministers from the governments of member states) before it becomes law.

Here is a selection of the directives and regulations that MEPs standing for re-election in June have voted on.

Reach - chemicals authorisation

Reach stands for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals. The regulation took effect in June 2007, replacing 40 other pieces of legislation. About 30,000 substances will have to be registered with the new Chemical Agency in Helsinki by 2018.

The new law puts the onus on the chemical industry to prove that its products, including those that have been on sale for years, are safe. Previously it was up to the national authorities to prove that a given substance was hazardous. A safety report now has to be drawn up for chemicals produced or imported in quantities of more than one tonne per year.

Q&A: Reach chemicals legislation

Services Directive

The European Parliament substantially rewrote the Commission's original Services Directive, and the agreed version is set to take effect from the end of 2009. It is designed to create a free market in services - the fourth "basic freedom" of the EU, after free movement of persons, goods and capital.

The Commission wanted service providers to have the right to operate under their home country's rules, even when working in another member state, but MEPs rejected this idea (known as the "country of origin" principle). They argued that this could undermine standards, leading to "social dumping" and a "race to the bottom".

The revised text says the new directive will not affect local labour law or collective agreements in member states. The directive does not include healthcare, social services, public transport, financial services and some other areas.

Q&A: Services Directive

Climate change package

The EU package on climate change is set to become law in 2009 - the result of complex negotiations and intensive lobbying by industry and environmentalists.

It sets the following targets, to be achieved by 2020: a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, compared with 1990 levels; a 20% share for renewable energies in EU energy consumption; savings of 20% in energy consumption through energy efficiency.

A key element in the plan for a greener future is the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which will gradually be expanded. But in December 2008 EU leaders eased the conditions for industry, because firms were complaining about the extra cost of green adaptation in a recession.

Climate package explained

Mobile phone tariffs

In 2007 the EU set a "eurotariff" price cap on mobile phone roaming charges - the cost of making and receiving phone calls while abroad.

From July 2009 the maximum that home operators may charge customers will be 43 euro cents (£0.40) per minute for outgoing roaming calls and 19 euro cents for incoming calls (both excluding VAT). It is the second such EU-wide drop in the cost of voice calls.

MEPs also voted in April 2009 to cut the cost of texting and using the internet on mobiles abroad. The cap for a "roaming" text will fall to 11 euro cents (10p; 14 US cents), from about 29 cents on average. These EU-wide caps, excluding VAT, will also take effect in July.

EU forces big mobile price cuts

Working Time Directive

This longstanding directive stipulates that no employee in the EU should have to work more than an average of 48 hours a week. It also establishes how many breaks they can have and how much holiday they are entitled to - all aimed at preventing exploitation of workers.

The UK government, along with 14 other member states, negotiated an opt-out from the directive. The European Parliament voted in December 2008 to cancel the opt-out, but MEPs' conciliation talks with EU ministers later failed to produce a new deal on the directive. A key sticking point was how to define on-call time - whether it should count as working time.

So the current directive and opt-out remain in force. It is up to the European Commission to decide whether to draft a revised directive. Many argue that a revision is overdue, because several European Court of Justice rulings affect how the directive is implemented.

The UK government, which wants to keep the opt-out, is at odds with a majority of Labour MEPs, who want to scrap it.

UK 'stands firm' on directive

Controlling pesticides

In January 2009 the European Parliament voted in favour of proposals from the Commission to tighten rules on pesticide use and ban at least 22 chemicals deemed harmful to humans. EU governments have not yet approved the rules.

The draft law would ban substances that can cause cancer or that can harm human reproduction or hormones. In addition, any use of pesticides near schools, parks or hospitals would be either banned or severely restricted. Large-scale aerial crop-spraying would also be banned.

Many UK farmers and some British MEPs question the science behind the legislation and say it would unfairly hurt UK agriculture.

Euro MPs back pesticide controls

Food labelling

MEPs approved legislation in 2006 to standardise food product labels to prevent misleading claims. The new rules target the use of health or nutritional claims, such as "low fat", "high fibre" and "helps lower cholesterol".

The legislation bans vague claims for foods, such as "preserves youth", along with slimming or weight control claims and health claims on beverages with more than 1.2% alcohol content.

Tight controls on food labelling

All-inclusive air fares

In July 2008 MEPs voted to make airlines display the taxes and charges that passengers have to pay, to stop the misleading offers of bargain basement flights.

Airlines are now obliged to give comprehensive information on air fares, including on the internet. Parliament widened the pricing transparency to include all flights departing from airports in the EU, regardless of destination.

Euro MPs get tough on airline ads

Immigration rules

Rules establishing an EU-wide procedure for handling illegal immigrants were approved by MEPs in June 2008 and are expected to become law in 2010.

The rules say illegal immigrants can be detained for up to 18 months and face a five-year re-entry ban.

However, they will not automatically apply in Denmark, Ireland and the UK because these countries have negotiated opt-outs

EU who

Guide to the European Parliament Introduction Powers Locations Party groups Enlargement Salaries Apathy

Mark Mardell's guide to the European Parliament The European Parliament is the only directly elected EU body. It represents the people of the EU in contrast to the Council of Ministers, which represents the governments. Elections have been held every five years since 1979 - before that members were drawn from national parliaments. The European Parliament's powers have steadily increased with each change of the EU treaties. Most new laws in member states now stem from the need to implement European legislation - and most of that is amended and adopted by the European Parliament. Guide to EU institutions Click on the tabs at the top to find out more