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Added on the 18/08/2022 17:24:24 - Copyright : Euronews EN
A winter drought in southern Europe has led to water use restrictions in France and Italy, while some Spanish ecologists warn the country's cereal crops may become unsustainable in the future.
Avalanche warnings and travel disruption hit parts of Europe as heavy snow falls in Mallorca and parts of Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Austria.
It's one emergency the EU didn’t need. Already dealing with a war on its doorstep, an energy crisis and rising inflation, the handling of the Ocean Viking – a ship carrying migrants rescued in the Mediterranean – starkly showed the limits of European solidarity. The EU Commission has put forward a plan of action, as well as proposing a new Pact on Migration and Asylum. The latter involves a solidarity mechanism that could be legally binding on EU member states in certain situations. But would more European solidarity simply encourage more migrants to come to Europe? That's a key bone of contention in our debate between two MEPs.
Today, November 15th, the world's population is projected to reach 8 billion people, according to the United Nations. It is (of course) a huge milestone for the human race but there are growing concerns about overpopulation - particularly as we face the climate emergency. Spain has long been known for its large families, but nowadays has one of the lowest fertility rates in Europe. FRANCE 24's Sarah Morris in Madrid reports.
Months of scorching sun and a lack of rainfall have contributed to making grapes ripen early this year.