Europe and me

1.       Anna has just finished school and would like to improve her Italian. She enrolls on a two-month crash course at a language school in Italy.

What does she have to do before leaving?

• Nothing. She can start packing her suitcase and take off for Italy! As an EU citizen, Anna has the right to study in any EU country.

• Anna needs to apply for a temporary residence permit before going to Italy.

• Anna needs to apply for a visa to study in Italy.

2. In Italy, Anna meets Pavel, an Erasmus+ student from the Czech Republic.

Which of the following is true?

The Erasmus+ programme…

• …helps young people to study in their own country.

• …is only for university students and does not include other ways

  of learning.

• …provides opportunities for partnerships amongst schools and organisations from other EU countries.

Euro banknotes and coins were introduced in 2002 and are now used in 20 EU countries. The coins have a common side, showing a map of Europe, but each country has its own design on the other side. Anna tries to guess where this coin comes from. Can you help her?

• Lithuania

• Latvia

• Luxembourg

4. Anna needs to buy new headphones in Italy and hopes that they will be safe to use. She also does some shopping online. But what are her rights as a consumer?

Which of these statements is true?

• Products sold within the EU’s single market must fulfil EU-wide safety and environmental requirements.

   

   

• Under EU rules you have the right to a minimum one-year guarantee for consumer products such as electronic goods.

• If you buy goods or a service online or outside of a shop (by telephone, mail order, or from a door-to-door salesperson), you have the right to cancel and return your order within 10 days..

5.     Anna would like to visit her new Czech friend Pavel, in his hometown. She wonders how easy this will be.

Which of these statements is true?

• Since the EU broke up national monopolies and permitted competition in the aviation sector in Europe, flying has become more expensive.

   

• More cities and regions now have their own airports and there are more direct flights between them.

• Anna will have no right to compensation if her flight is delayed or overbooked.

6. Travelling has become more difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic, but freedom of movement remains one of the EU’s biggest achievements. Most EU countries have taken away their border controls thanks to the Schengen Agreement. Anna is travelling by bus from Italy to Czechia via Austria, and is excited about her trip. Does Anna need to bring her passport with her during the trip?

• No. Austria, Czechia and Italy are among the 23 EU and 4 non-EU countries that have removed internal border controls within the Schengen area. Anna can travel freely across the two internal borders.

• Yes. Chechia is not a Schengen country, so Anna cannot cross the border without going throught the border control.

• No. Within Europe, you have to show your passport or ID card at the border only if you are travelling to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

7. Anna has a fantastic time in Czechia, but during a visit to one of the many beautiful monuments, she falls and twists her ankle. Fortunately, she has remembered to bring her European Health Insurance Card with her.

Which of these statements is true?7.

• Anna has the right to private healthcare free of charge.

• Anna can receive public health care and pay the same fees as locals with her European Health Insurance Card.

• As she is not Czech, Anna health care will have to pay for all the received public health care there.

8.     While in Italy, Anna stays in touch with her friends and family at home on her smartphone. She calls and texts her friends and family and uses social media apps to share pictures and experiences with them. What about Anna’s roaming costs?

Which of these statements is true?

• Anna can "roam like at home' with her Swedish smartphone without any limitations even if she stays in Italy for a lot longer.

• As long as Anna travels periodically and spends more time in her home country than abroad, she will only pay what she would pay at home.

• Roam like at home does not apply automatically. Anna will need to contact her operator to activate it.

9.     Anna is not sure about the quality of bathing water in Italy and Czechia and wonders if she can safely swim in the lakes and in the sea.

Which of these statements is true?

• During the bathing season, EU countries do not have to inform

  the public about the quality of bathing water.

• Just over 50% of bathing sites in the EU meet the minimum

  standards for water quality.

• There are EU-wide minimum standards for bathing water, which

  all EU countries must respect.

10.     The EU invests in Europe’s cities and regions. The Italian city where Anna is staying is part of a

 project that is helping EU cities become more sustainable.

Which of these statements is true?

 

• EU funding is devoted to those countries that joined the EU from

  2004 onwards.

• One third of the EU budget is spent on projects benefiting all

  European cities and regions.

• Only the less-developed EU countries can benefit from EU

  funding.