Special Report archive

The case of Gibraltar at the European Court of Justice
A controversial ruling by a Spanish judge at the European Court of Justice has triggered anger in Gibraltar and raised questions of impartiality. Justin Stares questions whether the Luxembourg court can ever be truly independent of the interests of EU member states

Releasing millions of GM mosquitoes - into the unknown
Millions of GM mosquitoes are being released into countries including Brazil in an attempt to tackle dengue fever, but Dr Helen Wallace questions whether the experiments are driven by public health concerns or profit

Investigating the assassination of Julien Lahaut
Belgium is unearthing its deep, dark past with the re-opening of an investigation into the assassination of a Communist leader. Justin Stares asks why half a million euros is to be spent tracking down the murderer of an anti-monarchist, who many feared would bring down the state more than two generations ago

EU freedom of movement is 'a myth'
As nationalism is on the rise across the European Union, the right of people to free movement across borders has been exposed for what it is – a complete myth – reports Justin Stares

Britain dreams of a Swiss-style relationship with the EU
The bilateral agreement between Switzerland and the EU is just what British Eurosceptics have been asking for. But would Brussels offer such favourable terms if the UK wanted to renegotiate its membership? Justin Stares has his doubts

The youngest MEP and Pirate Party member - in interview
Amelia Andersdotter, the European Parliament's youngest politician, thinks Nigel Farage and his Eurosceptic colleagues should do less shouting and channel their energies into more proactive work. She gives Justin Stares her unique perspective on the Brussels bubble

Heightened tensions on the rock of Gibraltar
As the temperature rises between Gibraltar and Spain, Brussels may no longer be able to afford the luxury of brushing the rock's problems under the carpet. Justin Stares talks to Gibraltar's MEP Sir Graham Watson about the thorny sovereignty issues

Do MEPs really want to axe Strasbourg second seat?
There are many reasons why MEPs battle with poor transport connections in order to attend the plenary sessions in Strasbourg but the primary reason is money, reports Justin Stares

Europe silent on fraud and corruption in Mexico
Following widespread allegations of fraud in Mexico's elections, Justin Stares interviews the volunteers in charge of overseeing individual polling stations - their eyewitness reports paint a bleak picture of democracy in Latin America's economic powerhouse

Are anarchists targeting the European Union?
Brussels police are hunting down the group who hurled insults at European Union employees on the Metro earlier this year. Justin Stares examines the fragile relationship between the institutions and the Belgian capital and asks if the incident has wider meaning

Can humans remain in control of computers?
Silicon-based life forms are soon set to outnumber the number of people on the planet, it is up to us to put measures into place now to ensure that things do not spiral out of control - Jeff Hudson

EU meddling in member state elections dates back to 2004
Do unelected Brussels bureaucrats have the right to interfere in the democracies of European Union member states? Justin Stares looks back over nearly a decade of meddling

We are witnessing the 'collapse of money itself' - says gold bug
Why did a successful bond trader give up his career in order to warn the world about the forthcoming financial Armageddon? Justin Stares talks to Detlev Schlichter, a hero among gold bugs

Has Europe 'lost all hope' of recovery?
This year's Brussels Economic Forum enjoyed a record attendance, though the mood was bleak. Justin Stares listened to the speeches and the anecdotes exchanged over coffee and lunch – his verdict does not make for happy reading

The United States of Europe - pipe dream or inevitability?
Those who agitate for a United States of Europe see the current crisis as the fulfillment of a dream going back to the Second World War - Justin Stares asks if their hopes are realistic