The president of the European Commission has declared that unemployment in the region remains "much too high".

Speaking as he delivered his first "state of the union" address, Jose Manuel Barroso claimed that it has now "stopped increasing" and economic expansion is likely to be higher than anticipated for 2010.

Noted that joblessness has "stopped increasing", he called for more to be done to generate opportunities for work and boost skills.

He told MEPs in Strasbourg that the European Union (EU) needs to return to growth, with the recovery "gathering pace, albeit unevenly" across the 27-member bloc.

Mr Barosso also highlighted the importance of the region's internal market and called on states to use it more, while he also praised the strength of the EU's "world-class" manufacturing industry.

In line with his calls for greater training and skills opportunities, an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report recently called on countries to invest more in higher education.

Posted by Sarah Dixon