European Parliament (News)

Plenary sessions : The European Commission and the European Supervisory Authorities should conduct an in-depth assessment of the effect of increasing capital requirements in current and future legislation on credit supply, especially to small and medium sized companies, Parliament says in a resolution on the state of the Banking Union which was adopted on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : To fight the growing resistance of bacteria to today’s antibiotics, the use of existing antimicrobial drugs should be restricted, and new ones should be developed, said the European Parliament on Thursday. In a vote on draft plans to update an EU law on veterinary medicines, MEPs advocate banning collective and preventive antibiotic treatment of animals, and back measures to stimulate research into new medicines.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : If the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia can break its current political stalemate, hold free and fair elections soon and put its reforms back on track, then there should be no further obstacles to starting EU accession talks with it, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. In a separate resolution, they welcome Montenegro’s steady progress towards EU accession.

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Plenary sessions : Parliament condemns the deteriorating climate for the media and free speech in Kazakhstan, the torture and assassination under suspicious circumstances of EU citizen Giulio Regeni in Egypt, and the worsening security and human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in three resolutions voted on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs voted emergency measures into law on Thursday to help Tunisia’s economy by importing 70,000 tonnes of its virgin olive oil duty free in 2016/17, after adding safeguards for EU olive oil producers. These include a mid-term assessment of the effects of the measures, updating them if they turn out to be harmful, and ensuring that the imports are tracked from start to finish.

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Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos welcomes the European Parliament’s stronger involvement in monitoring the financial assistance programme for Greece, he told Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs in an economic dialogue meeting on Wednesday. "We need an honest broker, representing different views from different political perspectives, to examine the economic and social impact of the programme", he said, referring to the new EP working group on macro-economic adjustment programmes.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

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The EP-Verkhovna Rada high-level conference opened a new era of cooperation between the two parliaments, said lead MEP on capacity-building for the Ukrainian Parliament, Andrej Plenković (EPP, HR) at the close of the event on Wednesday. "We agreed to jointly implement the recommendations of the report of the Needs Assessment Mission and allocate adequate funds for the organisation of the follow up with our Ukrainian partners", he added.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

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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.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

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.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

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.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

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.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP