intervention. >> how worried is brussels about the situation in spain it? but but the question to our foreign affairs correspondent, jeff meade. >> very worried and they have been for long time. this is one of the biggest economies. there's no question that europe could afford the scale of a bailout required. officially, today, all is calm on the surface. the commission is saying, yes, there has been a downgrade of spain but that has not triggered a market fall. the official line from brussels is that the commission is supporting the spanish economic reform austerity program. they will meet their target in 2013 reducing their deficit to no more than 3% of national wealth, which is the highest allowed commitment under a you stability lot. -- e.u. stability law. that will not happen, largely because of the scale of the spanish economy in the spanish prime minister telling the president of the commission that we will need to recapitalize banks and we will not meet our deficit targets on time. that is the official commission. spain is on course and we are supporting them in their austerity measur

in brussels drawing up directives. once they are agreed on, they have to be translated into law. we expect our citizens to follow the law, and we expect no less from the justice minister. >> dispute is part of wider jostling in the coalition. the fdp is playing down the threat from brussels and says the eu directive puts basic freedoms at risk. >> to brazil now where the laws protecting the world's largest rain forests may soon lose some of their teeth. >> congress has adopted controversial legislation that eases the rules on the amount of forest farmers have to preserve on their land. and the german president is expected to veto the bill, which could ignite a fight with congress. amities members are among the last. it is estimated only about 450 of the hunter-gatherer's remain in brazil's amazon rain forest. human rights campaigners say their home is being destroyed at an alarming rate to make way for farming. now the process looks set to decelerate after deputies in the lower house voted to ease land- use regulations. the new legislation would reduce the amount of forest that farm

its laws to come in line with european requirements. >> at issue are reforms that brussels says affect the independence of the country's judiciary. >> the european commission says it will refer hungry to the european court of justice because laws passed by parliament in budapest violate eu treaties. brussels says one law gives the government too much authority over the appointment of judges. the other concerns the independence of the country's data protection authority. >> it would be a lot easier for hungary as well as for the european union if these problems were eliminated. because these are not just minor violations. they are about fundamental european rights and the values on which our union is based. >> in brussels on tuesday, the prime minister did agree to your demands to improve the independence of his country's central bank, a condition set by the european commission in order for hungary to resume negotiations over financial aid that the country badly needs. hungary sees that as a success. >> only a very limited number of issues will continue in this legal procedure and go pr

premier wanted to present in brussels next week to show the country is on track to meet budget limits. the dutch had been one of germany's chief partners in the push to cut budget deficits in the eurozone. now, dutch papers are writing that chancellor merkel is losing an ally. lee told parliament that the netherlands was also losing an opportunity. >> a deadlock is not good for the netherlands. our economy wil improve only if we stop taking on new debt. he still needs opposition support for spending cuts, but he's not impressed. with fresh elections looming, he has found a way to praise -- placed the blame. the dutch should stop babbling to the dictators in brussels, he said on monday. >> the government is doing anything that can and deteriorating conditions for seniors. >> the eu commission rejected the portrayal of the situation. >> this is basically because it is good for the dutch citizens, and decisions, by the way, have not been taken by brussels. >> the dutch finance minister, for his part, attempted to calm markets ahead of tuesday's bond sale, saying holland could stil

deficit spending cuts ordered by brussels was too great. new elections will be held, possibly in june. >> it was shortly after 4:00 p.m. when prime minister mark rutte left the royal palace after handing the queen his cabinet's resignation. his government is set to continue its official duties. the premier drove away from the scene without a word to reporters. the cabinet met on monday to draw up its resignation. the minority government has been in crisis since it lost support for is badly-needed budget cuts. -- for its badly-needed budget cuts. >> and a few decades, the netherlands have showed fiscal, solid budgetary policy and this will not change. >> negotiations came to an abrupt halt this weekend after an attack by it are right mean populist leader. he accuses them of doing the bidding of brussels. >> this is basically for the dutch citizens and the decisions, but the way, have not been taken by brussels. >> to the middle east now. in the coming days pending the arrival of next week's it monitors for the truce brokered by kofi annan. >> it is said that dialogue is the only way ou

violence. >> syria was also topping the agenda at nato in brussels. they called on russia, one of syria's few remaining allies, to use its influence to end the bloodshed. >> the russian foreign minister cyndi lauper of -- sergei lavrov said the alliance was down to bring this agreements. be appealed to russia to bring more pressure to its -- they appealed to russia to bring more pressure to its ally, syria. >> we have to end the violence, to make sure the annan plan has every chance to succeed. the assad regime must know it cannot rely on russia. >> the un-brokered cease-fire has been in force for a week, but there is fresh shelling in homs on thursday. >> if the cease-fire does not work, i think it will be understandable who was responsible for that. the assad regime. it looks to russia to pressure the regime to comply. >> but russia says the other countries should give the peace plan a chance to work and not condemn it to failure. >> the syrian government should ensure the human-rights and security of its citizens. >> discussions will continue at the friends of syria conference, taking

also what i expect. >> brussels has been waiting for years for berlin to enforce the rules. when the government initially implemented, germany's court halted the process. its 2010 decision said the law needed stronger data protection. in this latest row, chancellor merkel made clear she expects the just a minute -- the justice minister to forge a compromise. >> if we cannot reach an agreement on political matters such as this, there is an option for discussions with the chancellor. i am not implying that will happen in this case. >> the eu commission has set another deadline for next week. if germany does not comply by then, legal action and possible fines may result. >> hang up your phones. we have more news coming up after the break. stay with us. >> welcome everyone. muammar gaddafi did not last long enough to face justice, but that is not the case for his son. on wednesday, the chief prosecutor at the international criminal court arrived in the libyan capital, partly to talk about the fate of men who already faces trial in libya. the chief prosecutor is already stopping by th

, jaochim gauck, wrapped up his first visit to brussels in his new capacity. >> to visit nato headquarters in brussels and met with eu leaders. he called for more european integration and said the union heads germany's full support. >> jaochim gauck's visit to brussels was the celebration of the european project at the headquarters of democratic europe. he received a warm welcome from the eu parliament's president. >> it is an honor and a joy for me personally. many thanks for this symbolic visit. >> jaochim gauck also met with the eu commission president who spoke about what europe means to people who grew up under non- democratic regimes. >> i was 18 years of age when democracy came to my country. i remember. i remember when it was not possible to read the books i wanted, to listen to radio, or to watch what i wanted. for my generation, europe is freedom. >> europe and freedom. for both of them, the concepts and hand-in-hand. >> it has been a long journey from eastern europe to europe. i am also deeply moved by president barack so's recollections of his youth in a different time -- presi

reactors with public funds. for that, they need the green light from brussels. sales of nuclear generated electricity would also be subsidized, just like wind and solar energy are today. the demands come from countries that want to expand their own nuclear industries. in france, nuclear energy accounts for 78% of total energy production. it is europe's nuclear power leader. the czech republic currently gets a third of its energy needs for nuclear reactors. in britain, that figure is 17%. pauling currently has no nuclear power plants. -- poland currently has no nuclear power plants. coal is their chief source of energy. poland is planning to build six new reactors. the british are looking at 40 nuclear plants. whether taxpayers will help pay for them as an issue eu leaders will have to decide that their next summit in june. >> the eurozone's sovereign debt woes coupled with disappointing first quarter for the chinese economy as traders on edge. >> new figures showed china's economic performance was worse than expected, starting worries about the health of the global economy. >> europe's on

, we're joined by our brussels correspondent jeff mead. they said this is not violate the fundamental right to the protection of family life. tell us more. >> they said that this was a guarantee to the right of private and family life. in europe, where the majority of countries do and, they said it was too early to change that moral code, and a german court said it plans to protect the family on the basis that and blurs family. the judgments themselves are blurred. the court saw no reason to change the overall position in europe and it allows those countries that do allow between consenting adults to go ahead and do that. for the vast majority, they will retain what has been a longstanding legal, as well as moral taboo against. >> you did mention the other countries. do you think this german decision will influence other countries? >> i doubt it very much. i think those that changed their laws -- the most recent is france -- i do not think they are going to change. there is still a moral feeling about, whatever the lot is, and in many of those european countries where they officially

. >> transportation workers in brussels or are in -- are on strike after the brutal death of a colleague. police have arrested a suspect. transport police have refused to call off the strike before measures are discussed concerning their safety. the nobel peace prize winning german author has been banned from travelling to israel. his poem published last week caused outrage in the jewish state. the poem also caused controversy here in germany. he said the country was "a threat to world peace." >> at first, few israelis seemed interested in the pelham, but the interior minister -- in the poem, but the interior minister's decision to declare him persona non grata has excited the controversy. >> he says things we cannot accept people in >> opposition leaders say that the government of prime minister benjamin netanyahu is trying to position itself as the protector of national interest. the former ambassador to germany described the travel ban as over the top and slightly hysterical. >> this is just domestic politics. it is wrong. i do not believe he is anti- semitic, not at all. >> since the