Back to school for Barroso II, the new Commissioners all met together officially for the first time. Consumers' rights in crossborder issues is back in the news with the German BahnCard being the offending object this time.  Plus, the devastating Belgian

The News: Commission's first meeting - Consumers' rights - Round up

Back to school for Barroso II: first   meeting for the new commissioners.

Consumer protection: Europeans   are not all in the same boat.

A Franco-German border example   just before a revision of EU legislation.

Not saved by the bell: it’s back to school   for European Commissioners.

Eight days after MEPs   officially approved them,

the Commissioners are holding   their first work meeting.

It marks the end of the   long period of slo-mo action.

Work is not hard to come by   for Barroso’s new team,

The transatlantic relationship   interests me.

Our economic relationship   with the US is the strongest.

In my area I want to make sure   that these Commissioners go out there

and win the game for us with the US   and that means a constant relationship.

It wasn't always there before,   but it must be from now on.

Economic revival, managing   budget deficits, climate change,

are but some of the problems that   the new Commission will have to face.

I really hope that the Barroso II   Commission will be very active

in making capitalism more ethical,   also in financial reorganisation.

We cannot reorganise employment   and social issues without it.

as they must prepare   a new EU economic agenda up to 2020.

A huge challenge in these   testing economic times.

This train links Strasbourg, France,   with German border-town Kehl.

Here many French commuters   buy the BahnCard,

a discount card   for German rail networks.

Are all consumers protected   in the same way in Europe?

In 2009 lawyer Elphège Tignel   received many complaints

from French and Austrian commuters.   The offending object: the BahnCard.

If you want to register for the BahnCard   you receive a little leaflet like this,

where you have all the information,   all the general conditions that apply.

It is renewed automatically after   12 months unless the consumer cancels.

In France and Austria renewals   must be done in writing

Bianca Schulz's experience   is quite typical.

We hoped German railways would inform   foreigners about this automatic renewal,

to avoid consumers receiving bills one   year later that they don't understand.

How to give consumers the same rights   regardless of their home country?

The EU is working towards better   consumer protection in Europe.

The BahnCard case   was the reason for us

to point out that   there are different rules in Europe,

maybe better ones in some countries   which we should keep an eye on.

Back to Kehl train station:   after Elphège Tignel's complaints

Deutsche Bahn should inform you orally   of the automatic renewal.

Have they got their message across?   We tried our luck.

Hello.   -I'm Belgian and live in Belgium.

How much does it cost   and how long does it last?

There's a 25% reduction for 57 euros,   and one for 50% costing 230 euros.

By the end of the shoot after my third   attempt I finally got the right information.

Beware: your first BahnCard   may not be your last.

Who’s in charge? Debate after   the train crash Monday in Belgium.

The Belgian rail company   blames the Commission

for the slow harmonisation   of European rules on automatic breaking.

It seems that the train which   jumped a red light last Monday

was not equipped with   the automatic breaking system.

The accident left 18 dead,   and dozens wounded.

Almost 10 billion euros is the value   of the fake medicine market in Europe

according to an American   pharmaceutical lab.

Millions of Europeans buy   prescription medicines online,

though they turn out to be fake   in 50-90% of the cases.

These findings come just weeks   after last week’s announcement that

34 million fake tablets were seized   within Europe’s borders in 2 months.

Europe’s door is open to the whole   region once the conditions are fulfilled,

claimed the head EU diplomat,   Catherine Ashton.

On location for 2 days, she wants   to hold discussions with Serbia.

Belgrade applied for entry   to the EU last December.