There is no quick fix to the problems of France's suburban ghettos, but minister Amara says the government is finally on the right track. Faced with criticism for the lack of funding for her policies, she says every ministry now directs part of its funds at policies in the ghettos, totalling 4.3 billion euros in the proposed 2009 budget. She plans to build new transport links, improve schools and help unemployed youth find jobs.

The Macedonian Law on Free Access to Public Information is being implemented despite its shortcomings. But officials of the Justice Ministry, members of the Commission for Protection of Free Access to Information and NGOs will work on improving and supplementing it. This was concluded at a press conference of the OSCE mission to Skopje and the Foundation Open Society Institute Macedonia.

The population of the EU is avoiding decline mainly thanks to immigration from other parts of the world, according to fresh figures from Eurostat. The EU's total population was up 0.48% last year, reaching 497.5 million inhabitants. But some 80% of this growth comes from immigration, as fertility rates amongst native-born Europeans are steadily declining.

Far right protesters clashed with Hungarian police in Budapest on Saturday evening after a thousand supporters of the radical right marched to the Inner City to confront demonstrators at two opposing manifestations. An anti-violence demonstration by the Hungarian Democratic Charter was attended by some 4,500 people, including PM Gyurcsany, while Roma organisations demonstrated against racism and segregation.

Many attendees of the EU's first Roma summit voiced their frustration with Italy's mandatory fingerprinting of Roma. They wore T-shirts saying "No Ethnic Profiling," and walked out when junior minister Roccella claimed fingerprinting is necessary for "effective integration measures". EU commissioner Barrot promised the summit he would be vigilant: "I will not tolerate any practice that is incompatible with European rights."

In a new media stunt, the nationalist Ataka party said it will publish a list of the top 100 most corrupt Bulgarian politicians. It already compiled a list of the top 10 most corrupt, which featured only names from the ruling parties. Ironically, Ataka's leader Volen Siderov himself is under investigation for forcing a fellow MP to give false testimonies, and his supporters have blocked courtrooms and staged protests to stop his trial.

Scotland Yard's race war erupted again after the head of the National Black Police Association was suspended over allegations that he perverted the course of justice and wasted police time. Commander Ali Dizaei is a key adviser to the Met's assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, who is suing the force for discrimination and was suspended last week. His supporters accused the Met of a "witch hunt".

Europe's right-wing populists want to build a united front to battle the continent's creeping "Islamization" at a conference in Cologne this weekend. The meeting is organised by Pro Cologne, a group which waged a vociferous campaign against the construction of a major mosque in the city. Powerless to stop the event, local officials are anticipating the arrival of thousands of counterprotesters.

The European Parliament (EP) is beaming itself live across the net via a new web-based TV channel, aimed at raising the EP's profile and allowing citizens instant internet "oversight". Journalists' organisations have given EuroparlTV a guarded welcome, however. They see it as a promising research tool for journalists, but worry about lack of editorial independence and "pre-cooked" content.

Human rights groups have called on the European Commission to refrain from preaching empty words and come up with concrete strategies to tackle the problems of Europe's Roma during the first EU 'Roma Summit' in Brussels today. The Summit' will bring together more than 400 representatives of EU institutions, national governments, parliaments and civil society, including Roma organisations.