European Parliament (News)

The Committee of inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) elected its chair and four vice-chairs at a constituent meeting on Wednesday morning, thus officially starting its one-year mandate.
Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector

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Plenary sessions : Just over two years after the Euromaidan mass protests resulted in removing President Viktor Yanukovych from power, Ukraine is still at a crossroads between war and peace, between corruption and reform. The entry into force of the EU-Ukraine free trade area on 1 January 2016 was a milestone in relations between the two entities. Our timeline tracks the main events of the past two years, from the annexation of Crimea to the Minsk II peace agreement and more.

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It is of crucial importance to continue backing the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's progress towards EU membership, said Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs on Monday. But only if the July 2015 "Przhino Agreement" to pave the way out of the country’s political crisis via elections is implemented in full and if substantial progress is also made on delivering urgent reform priorities, including media freedom, parliamentary control of interception of communications and fighting corruption.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

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"Cooperation with Ukraine is essential and our solidarity should not be questioned", said European Parliament President Martin Schulz at the opening of "Ukraine week" on Monday evening. This 3-day high-level conference is bringing together MEPs, national and Ukrainian MPs to share experience on good parliamentary practice, law-making and representation.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

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Plans to turn the EU’s Frontex border agency into a common border and coast guard, which in emergencies could be deployed even without the approval of the country concerned, were presented by the Commission and the Dutch Presidency and debated by Civil Liberties Committee MEPs on Monday. MEPs also debated legislative proposals on systematic checks at external borders and a European travel document.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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Ukrainian MPs will join MEPs in Brussels for a 3-day “Ukraine week” high-level conference on good parliamentary practice, law-making and representation on 29 February – 2 March. The 40-strong delegation from Ukraine’s Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, will include its leadership.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

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Plenary sessions : To help strengthen Tunisia’s economy, hit not least by 2015 terrorist attacks, MEPs backed emergency plans to allow an additional 70,000 tonnes of its virgin olive oil to be imported duty free in the EU, in 2016/17. However, MEPs also inserted requirements for the EU Commission to do a mid-term assessment of the effects of the measures, update them if it turns out that they harm EU olive oil producers, and ensure that the imports are tracked from start to finish.

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Plenary sessions : Parliament gave its green light on Thursday to grant €1,095,544 in EU aid to Belgium to help 412 workers made redundant by two glass manufacturers to find new jobs. A further 100 young unemployed people should also benefit from the plan. The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aid still needs to be endorsed by the EU Council of Ministers.

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Plenary sessions : A ceasefire that halts attacks against civilians, medical and aid workers, ground fighting and shelling in Yemen is urgently needed to allow life-saving aid to reach the Yemeni people, said MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. They also called on all parties in Yemen’s civil war and their foreign backers to engage in a new round of peace negotiations and seek a political settlement.

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Plenary sessions : An EU deal with San Marino, which will make it harder for EU citizens to hide cash from the tax man in bank accounts there, was endorsed by Parliament in a vote on Thursday. Under the deal, the EU and San Marino will automatically exchange information on the bank accounts of each other's residents, starting in 2017.

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Plenary sessions : The European Parliament made the case on Thursday for EU-wide data sharing on the registration of cats and dogs to tackle the illegal trade in pets that are often badly bred and at risk of spreading diseases. Trafficking of pets, including wild and exotic animals, is increasingly linked to organised crime and poses a public health risk, say MEPs.

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Plenary sessions : Parliament's economic, social and single market priorities for 2016 were adopted on Thursday in three separate resolutions. MEPs gave their input to the upcoming March economic summit, focusing on the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact, its social aspects and how to further exploit the economic potential of the single market.

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Plenary sessions : A law to revamp the European Employment Services (EURES) network with an EU-wide database of job seekers and vacancies was approved by Parliament on Thursday. The aim is to help fight unemployment by better matching labour market supply and demand. Updated rules, already agreed with the Council, will also pay more attention to cross-border regions and young people.

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Plenary sessions : Leaders of the main political groups in Parliament welcomed a fair EU-UK deal as an offer to the British people to remain in the EU. But it's an "in or out" vote some said, not another phase in the negotiations. During the plenary debate on the outcome of the recent EU summit with European Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, many UK MEPs voiced arguments for and against EU membership.

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Plenary sessions : Welcoming the President of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz pointed out that Lebanon, with its four million inhabitants, is hosting one million Syrian refugees. This deserves the “greatest recognition and greatest thanks”, particularly in light of the debate on refugees in the EU, Schulz said at the opening of the February II plenary session, adding that the European Parliament will assist the country in any way.

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Despite high unemployment in many parts of Europe, few Europeans look for work in another EU country. This is partly because of the difficulty of finding a job abroad. The European network of Employment Services (Eures) was launched in 1993 to help with this. On 25 February MEPs approved a proposal to strengthen the Eures network. Watch the video to find out what services Eures can offer.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

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EU and NATO coordination has started to tackle the refugee crisis and will be further deepened, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told MEPs and national MPs in the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Security and Defence

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Concerns about the impact that a revised EU firearms directive could have on legal owners of guns in the EU, such as sport shooters, hunters, collectors and museums, were voiced by most MEPs in Internal Market Committee’s kick-off debate on the proposal on Tuesday. The draft revision was proposed by the EU Commission after the 13 November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

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Parliament's women's rights committee adopted a report on Thursday calling on the European Commission to encourage EU countries to take initiatives to protect the rights of domestic workers and care staff in the EU. "If we regulate this profession, we will be able to reduce trafficking and the abuse of women," said report author Kostadinka Kuneva, a Greek member of the GUE group. MEPs will vote on the report during the April plenary. Read our interview with her to find out more.
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality

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General : The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership. The EP President said: “In the globalised 21st century we need the UK more than ever and we are convinced that the UK will be better off as part of the European Union.”

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP