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The European Commission's report on accession has messages for all of the candidate countries in Central Europe. Slovenia was assessed as the best prepared but the commission said inflation remains a concern. Hungary was told wage growth is exceeding productivity gains. Slovakia hasn't capped steel production in line with EU demands and the Commission says the Czech Republic must improve its food safety system. Katinka Barish, is chief economist at the Centre for European Reform in London.

For many West European tourists the countries of Central and Eastern Europe seem relatively cheap - especially when it comes to eating out. What many don't know is that it's even cheaper for the locals. Katerina Richterova reports.

In Slovakia women sacrifice much if they want a highflying job. And the wage difference between men and women in the same position can be as much as 23% in favour of men. Some of the worst discrimination is in the banking sector

According to a Budapest based Institute, former Secret police and nomenclature from communist days have gained high positions in governments across Central and Eastern Europe. The Institute for Transitional Democracy and International Security say they're concerned about the influence these people are having on politics and policies. Radio Budapest's Agi Varga talks to the Director and founder of the institute Sebestyén Gorka

The next in our series 'Bridging Europe' travels to the Austrian capital, Vienna. The 'Reichsbrücke' - or 'Imperial Bridge' - is arguably the capital's most important bridge and a major part of Vienna's landscape and history. Katy Duke takes a look at the way this bridge unites two very different Vienna's.

In the Czech Republic Dagmar Damkova recently became the second woman in Europe to referee a men's first division football match. Her rise to the top has not been easy but - as she tells Radio Prague's Ian Willoughby - now she's had some success, the sky is the limit.

In Poland women's reproductive rights are never far from the headlines. Now deputies of the ruling SLD party of social democrats are proposing to liberalize the strict anti-abortion law. They want a return to abortions on demand up to the 12th week of pregnancy if a woman can prove she is in a difficult family or financial situation. Existing legislation allows abortion only in cases of irreparable damage to the unborn child, when the life or health of the mother is in danger or when pregnancy results from rape. But Polish women are sceptical about

Slovenian Radio and Television are celebrating 75 years of radio and 40 years of television. During these years the broadcaster became an integral part of Slovenia's media landscape. But now public broadcasting in Slovenia faces challenges.

With the enlargement of the European Union, the continent's political, economic and cultural borders are once again shifting. Temporarily divided after World War II, the 're-unification' of east and Western Europe is now almost complete. But are ethnic identities of Central Europe finding a new voice in the new Europe? Kerry Skyring put the question to Johannes Pollack, European specialist from the Austrian Academy of Science

The second in our series 'Bridging Central Europe' takes us to one of the most prominent symbols of modern Budapest - the Elisabeth Bridge or 'Erzsébet híd'. The bridge was named after the wife of the Austro- Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, who declared it open just 100 years ago in 1903. But 41 years later the bridge lay in ruins - blown up by retreating German troops. It's re-opening in 1964 symbolised for many Hungarians the overcoming of the destructions of the war.