European Parliament - EPRS Podcasts, What Europe does for you

If you are one of the many among us who have already tried all sorts of diets while trying to lose weight, you don't need anyone telling you 'just eat less and exercise more'. As everyone knows, it's much more complicated than that.

Whether you are travelling for leisure or business within the European Union, you should be able to make deposits in or withdrawals from a payment account, make payment transactions, or send money home in an easy and secure way. To achieve this goal, the EU has set up the necessary legal framework (the Payment Services Directive, first referred to as (2007/64/EC) now replaced by (EU) 2015/2366), and on charges for cross-border payments), and contributed to the establishment of the (SEPA).

If you care about human rights and you want the EU to support human rights activists around the world you might be interested to know about the ways the European Union upholds and safeguards human rights standards as part of its external action.

People living in (e.g. parts of Scandinavia, Spain, Italy, Greece or Croatia) face , including a limited range of job opportunities, high poverty levels and the dilapidation of public services, such as transport, education and healthcare. These regions often feature specific geographic characteristics: they might be , mountainous areas or border regions. Usually, sparsely populated areas are a long way from major urban centres and lack transport connections to them. Transport for goods and people may be expensive and take a long time.

Falling in love is never predictable, and when a couple decides to marry, nationality is usually the last thing on their minds. A growing proportion of EU marriages are between persons of different nationalities, however cross-border marriages do come with additional formalities and legal complexities.

EU citizens are sometimes imprisoned without due process or sentenced after a politically motivated trial in non-EU countries that do not uphold the rule of law or human rights standards. These include journalists reporting from difficult situations, human rights defenders, and people visiting for personal reasons.

If you live in one of the European islands and territories far from the continent, the EU provides special assistance to your region. Nine regions are classified as EU outermost regions owing to their remoteness from the European continent: five French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Réunion), one French overseas community (Saint-Martin), two Portuguese autonomous regions (Madeira and the Azores) and one Spanish autonomous community (the Canary Islands).

Are you one of the 71 % of people in the EU that use the internet every day or almost every day? The rapid development of digital technologies means we increasingly use the internet in our daily activities. As citizens and consumers, you probably use public institutions' or companies' services online: from filing a tax declaration to shopping online or using social media. When you access these services, personal data about you are collected and transferred. While more than 70 % of Europeans feel they have to provide personal data to obtain products or services, they are also concerned about not having complete control over what their data are used for.

Did you know that 30 % of Europeans will be over 65 in 2060? Our population is ageing and the number of people with age-related impairments is expected to reach 84 million already in 2020. To address the challenges posed by an ageing society, the EU promotes E-health solutions based on communication technologies to improve prevention, diagnosis, and patients' treatment.

Unfortunately, children are still victims of abuse and violence across Europe. Although it is difficult to assess the extent of violence against children and much of it remains hidden, existing estimates give cause for great concern. Violence against children can take various forms (physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or neglect) and can happen in numerous situations (at home or in the family, at school, within institutions responsible for childcare, or within the community).