As part of the partnership between the Robert Schuman Foundation and the Audiovisuel extérieur de la France (AEF), the Foundation is broadcasting its most recent programme on its site "Talking Europe", whose guest this week is Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy. He is interviewed by the Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani. In July, Croatia is expected to be the newest member of the European Union. But as Europe faces its biggest existential crisis yet, can it afford to grow even bigger?

On 29th January 2013 the Polish Central Statistics Office (GUS) published figures on the economy in 2012. Domestic demand increased by 0.1% with a GDP rise of 2% in 2012. This represents a net slowing of the economy in comparison with 2011 - a year during which domestic demand rose by 3.4% with GDP growth of 4.3%. This study also stresses that the Polish economy has progressively slowed over 2012 with a net decline of private consumption during the fourth quarter 2012.

On 4th February 2013 the European Council published its activity report 2012. It lays out details in six chapters of achievements made in terms of the economy or employment on an international level. It includes all of the Council's decisions taken in 2012, as well as the entire text of the budgetary treaty.

On 29th January 2013 the European Commission adopted the "fourth railway package" comprising a series of legislative proposals designed to diversify the supply and improve the quality of railway services. The Commission is suggesting that the European Railways Agency (ERA) become a one-stop-shop for the delivery of authorisations for the marketing of railway vehicles, in a bid to reduce costs and deadlines linked to an entry onto the market of a new operator. In order to guarantee a true European network the Commission wants to strengthen the independence of the network's managers so that they can control all of the daily maintenance operations, plan investments and establish timetables themselves.

On 28th January 2013 the EU's 27 Agriculture Ministers debated the project to reform the Common Fisheries Policy. They spoke in support of the landing obligation and the discard ban. Ministers called for the administrative simplification of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and some called for a reform of the financing criteria. They also discussed the harmonisation of technical measures and the checking of active fishing boats in the seas around Norway. Regarding the Common Agriculture Policy ministers adopted the reform agenda put forward by the Presidency and stressed that the progress made would be conditioned by the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) at the next European Council.

On 31st January 2013 the EU's 27 Foreign Ministers welcomed the progress made by the Malian and French troops in Mali and called for continued international commitment in the field. The EU said it was satisfied after the Donors Conference and are encouraging the ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) to step up the deployment of the International Support Mission to Mali (MISMA) under African command. Regarding Libya the Ministers approved the operational planning of a European support mission for the management of the Libyan borders, in order to help the country's government manage migratory flows. Finally, they noted the situation in Egypt and Syria in view of the European Council on 7th and 8th February.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided on 31st January 2013 that it supported the compensation of airline passengers that were prevented from travelling due to the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjoll in April 2010. This catastrophe caused the biggest interruption of air traffic since the Second World War. Hence the Court warned Ryanair, and all airlines that they had to compensate passengers whose flight was cancelled due to "extraordinary circumstances".

Just as 7.5 million young Europeans are without work Germany is struggling to recruit qualified labour. For the time being European youth mobility mainly faces a linguistic hurdle. To remedy this the German government is introducing targeted language lessons for young Europeans who are looking for work. Moreover a budget of 140 million € is anticipated for this purpose in 2013. A new information site was launched on 28th January 2013 by the German Labour Minister, Ursula von der Leyen. 40 businesses have joined the government initiative.

In an inquiry published on 31st January 2013 the Spanish newspaper "El Pais", revealed, with supporting evidence, that several leaders of the Spanish People's Party (in office) have received sums of money from private companies. According to this investigation Mariano Rajoy, the leader of the government, is said to have received these payments for the last eleven years. On 2nd February 2013 Mariano Rajoy firmly denied having received undeclared money. For transparency's sake he will publish all of his revenues next week. In a country, which is hard hit by unemployment and austerity measures, this corruption scandal has rapidly turned into a political crisis. The opposition party leader, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, is demanding the resignation of the head of government whilst Spanish journalists are demanding explanations.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty the Franco-German Office for Youth (OFAJ) launched a new cross-border training programme. French Youth Minister Valérie Fourneyron and the Ambassador for Germany in France, Susanne Wasum-Rainer launched "Praxes" on 31st January 2013 thereby opening the way to a Franco-German trainee status - which is an all time first.

After having met with the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy in the morning of 31st January 2013, the head of the Italian government Mario Monti travelled to Berlin later in the day to discuss the multi-annual financial framework 2014-2020 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The latter - whilst declaring that she was optimistic - insisted on the difficulty of these negotiations, with the Italian head notably requesting "a reform of the rebate system" which some Member States benefit from. On 3rd February the French President hosted the Italian government head just days before the European Council on 7th and 8th February 2013. After this François Holland said that "the conditions for an agreement had still not been achieved".

On 31st January 2013 the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) approved on final reading the draft bill prepared by the Finance Minister which focuses on the introduction of the euro in Latvia as of January 2014. This bill was supported by 52 MPs, 40 voted against and there were 2 abstentions. The Commission and the European Central Bank must now give their opinion. It is expected mid-2013.

On 1st February the Dutch state nationalised the bank and insurance groups SNS Reaal for a total of 3.7 billion euros. The deadline set by the Dutch Central Bank to find a solution for the SNS Reaal was reached in the night of 31st January 2013, and so Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem deemed that nationalisation was inevitable.

On 30th January 2013 several British politicians launched a pro-European group called "British Influence", just days after the announcement by British Prime Minister David Cameron that he would organise a referendum on the maintenance or not of the UK in the EU. This non-partisan group notably brings together two government members, Conservative Kenneth Clarke and Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander as well as former Labour Minister and former European Commissioner, Peter Mandelson. The group intends to "counter europhobia and to promote a reform and growth programme that will serve British national interest."

On 31st January 2013 Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATOs Secretary General, called on the Alliance's member States to maintain military budgets in spite of the economic crisis and public finance pressure in order to retain a high level of security. In NATO's annual report, Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that excessive cuts in arms spending might have a threefold consequence: a reduction in NATO countries' influence; a slowing in economic activity and an impediment to innovation. Of the 28 NATO members, which is still the world's leading economic power only three of them - USA, UK and Greece - devoted more than 2% of their GDP to defence last year - the minimum threshold set by the organisation.

In December 2012 in comparison with November 2012 the industrial production price index recorded a decrease of 0.2% both in the euro zone and in the EU according to estimates published by Eurostat, the EU's statistics office on 4th February 2013. In November prices also dropped by 0.2% in the two areas. In December 2012 compared with December 2011 industrial production prices rose by 2.1% in the euro zone and by 1.9% in the EU. In comparison with 2011 the average industrial production price increased in 2012 by 2.6% in the euro zone and by 2.7% in the EU.

On 31st January 2013 the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) published a report on drug trafficking in Europe. This report reveals several trends in the drugs market: a polymorphous, dynamic, fluid market, the diversification of the transit in and supply of drugs, the rise of the EU as a major area of production and as a source of expertise in this domain. The Commissioner for Internal Affairs, Cecilia Malmström, stressed the specific place of cannabis in Europe and called on Member States to coordinate their action in view of effectively fighting this problem.

For the 35th year running the Short Film Festival of Clermont-Ferrand (1st to 9th February 2013) will be devoting a retrospective to India. During this event 180 films from the world over will compete against one another. Some 3000 professionals are expected to attend. Last year there were 145,000 cinema-goers. As every year there will be three competitions: a French one including 66 films, an international one comprising 74 films and a "Labo" competition which brings together "different" scientific films.