DN Opinion. The media's disinterest democratic problems facing the EU elections

Despite the fact that Sweden has been a full member of the EU since 1995, the EUROPEAN union-issues in near enough the compact medieskugga.

Sometimes it pops up myths about the crazy decisions, which the EU claimed to have taken. Many may recall the news cucumbers-which were not sold as cucumbers if they are not sufficiently straight, to churches perhaps would not serve the buns with your coffee and a possible ban on lakritspipor.

Some believe certainly still on these urban legends. But why then is the media still so interested in bringing out serious information on EU matters? In today's cyber-society, one can not blame the fact that Brussels is far away.

as a project for peace, but in our globalised host, we also need rules that prevent the spread of toxins, chemicals and other environmentally harmful substances.

Recently adopted EU member states, a decision that will save hundreds of thousands of people from dying because of antibiotic resistance. This must be termed as a historic decision. Why do not then the media that this is something to report on? A very short feature was shown in the tv, but almost not anything at all was written in the newspapers.

Antibiotic resistance is estimated to lead to 33,000 deaths per year in the EU and the 700,000 deaths per year globally. In Sweden we have eleven times lower use of antibiotics than the average in Europe. It is important, therefore, to the rest of the EU and the world in general to catch up.

in the shop, we have no idea if it received prophylactic antibiotics or maybe just to grow faster. Therefore, it is important that we have the same rules.

IN the EUROPEAN union agreed to take action against the spread of antibiotic resistance. By the decision, it will be prohibited to write out antibiotics before a clinical assessment of the animal made.

the Whole 70 percent of the antibiotics used in the united states, for example, goes to grazing and not to the people. Therefore, it was also important that the meat imported into the EU shall be subjected to the same stringent requirements as in the EU. This means that third countries must prohibit the use of antibiotics, prevention, growth-enhancing or group treatment of animals.

during a trilogue between the EUROPEAN parliament, the EUROPEAN commission and the council of ministers and has now also been formally approved by the parliament and the member states.

mep Fredrick Federley (C) which has long been involved in the issue was with the Swedish decision. He characterizes it as a historic decision. But why is it so quiet in the mass media about what the EU discusses and decides?

On 26 may, we shall choose the members of the EUROPEAN parliament. It has been five years since the last EUROPEAN elections, and I'm probably not alone in not knowing so much about what has happened and been decided in the last period and what the English members had done and how they voted in the important decisions.

Many people have the perception that EU decision-making is bureaucratic, inconvenient, and make excessively detailed. This is very unfortunate and dangerous, because it gives nationalist and populist groups argument when they want to isolate the Sweden.

of Course, the EU must not unnecessarily regulate our lives, but in our globalised world, it is necessary in many areas, international cooperation and common rules. Information about this is important and the media has a very big task to really monitor and to bring out information about the issues.

I probably would not have known anything about the decision concerning the use of antibiotics, if not I coincidentally happened to read a press release from this past summer sent out by Fredrick Federley.