Episode 18

Aig toiseach na bliadhna dh’fhoillsich Riaghaltas Bhreatainn gu robh planaichean airson rèile-àrd-astar air ais air slighe dhìreach, agus iad a’ feuchainn ri Lunnainn agus Birmingham a cheangal le loidhne ùr. Mar iomadh pròiseact de leithid air feadh na Roinn Eòrpa, dh’adhbhraich sin tòrr chonnspaid. An t-seachdain-sa air Eòrpa bidh Iain Macaonghais ag aithris mu leithid a’ loidhne a bhios a’ ceangal Lyon agus Turin, tro bheanntan na h-Alps, agus mar a tha an loidhne a’ sgaradh na coimhearsnachd an sin.

At the beginning of the year the UK Government announced that the high-speed rail link was back on track, aimed at linking London and Birmingham. As with many other projects of this sort, there was much controversy surrounding the line. This week on Eòrpa Iain Macinnes will report on a similar line, which will link Lyon and Turin through the Alps, and on how the project is splitting community opinion there.

Tha lagh ùr a thòisich aig toiseach na bliadhna seo a-nis a’ ciallachadh gum bu chòir dha tuathanaich san Aonadh Eòrpach a tha a’ cumail chearcan ann an cèidsichean airson an cuid uighean a bhith air na cèidsichean aca a leasachadh. Feumaidh cèidsichean a-nis a bhith nas motha, feumaidh àite a bhith aig na cearcan far an neadaich iad, agus feumaidh spiris a bhith aca, am-measg rudan eile. Chaidh an lagh seo a stèidheachadh ann an 1999, ach dusan bliadhna an dèidh sin tha fhathast 13 dùthchannan nach eil air gabhail gu tur ris an lagh. Tha Eòrpa gu bhith a’ tadhal air tuathanas ann an Alba, a tha air tòrr airgead a chosg air na cèidsichean aca a leasachadh. Bidh sinn cuideachd anns a’ Phòlainn, tè de na dùthchannan a tha ag adhbhrachadh connspaid leis nach eil gach tuathanas ag obair a-rèir an lagh ùr.

A new law which came into effect at the beginning of this year means that EU egg producers have to enrich cages in which hens are kept. The cages have to be bigger, and there has to be space for hens to nest and to perch among other requirements. The law was agreed in 1999, and came into force on 1st January 2012. However, 12 years later, there are still thirteen countries which have not yet complied fully. Eorpa visits a farm in Scotland which has spend a large amount of money to improve cages. The Eorpa team also visits Poland, one of the countries causing controversy because its farms are not completely compliant with the new law.