European Parliament

Plenary sessions : MEPs say that Belarus’ progress in upholding democratic values is “insufficient” in a resolution voted on Thursday. They note that Belarus is taking new political prisoners, harassing the opposition, using capital punishment, and failing to address safety concerns about its first nuclear power plant, being built in Ostrovets.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs want a temporary freeze on EU accession talks with Turkey. In a resolution voted on Thursday, they say Turkey should nonetheless remain “anchored” to the EU. They also pledge to review their position when the "disproportionate repressive measures" under the state of emergency in Turkey are lifted.

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Plenary sessions : The security in and around Europe is deteriorating, while there are concerns over the incoming USA administration's commitment to backing Europeans' security through Nato. This week MEPs approve several measures to facilitate cooperation on defence and security within the EU. They also reiterated calls for EU countries to devote 2% of their gross domestic product to spending on defence. Find out more by watching our video.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs advocate a full and immediate EU-wide ban on ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, and call for common sanctions at EU level against wildlife trafficking, in a resolution voted on Thursday. Wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated €20 billion annually. It has grown in recent years, becoming one of the biggest and most profitable forms of organised cross-border crime.

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Plenary sessions : All parties to the conflict in Syria should ensure humanitarian aid access throughout the country and cease bombing civilians, urge MEPs. Those responsible for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law should "sooner or later" face justice, they add in a resolution voted on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : Providers of workplace pension schemes wanting to move their operations across national borders will now have to get the approval of a majority of their members, as well as the backing of regulators in both the host and recipient country, under new rules approved by MEPs on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : The European Parliament strongly condemns the violence committed against the Guarani-Kaiowá people in the Mato Grosso do Sul region of Brazil, the disappearance of publisher Mr Minhai Gui in China and the detention and torture of Mr Ildar Dadin in Russia, in three resolutions voted on Thursday.

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The EU-US data protection framework, known as the “Umbrella Agreement” was backed by a large majority in the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday morning. The deal will ensure high, binding data protection standards for data exchanged by police and law enforcement authorities across the Atlantic.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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Diplomacy, development and defence should be the pillars of EU foreign policy, say Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. They call on member states to show more unity and trust, and to speak with one voice, so as to make the EU a global player. MEPs also advocate a more realistic strategy on Russia and a “less for less” policy towards countries that try to throw democracy into reverse.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Toni Erdmann won this year’s Lux Film Prize for its original way of depicting a father desperately trying to become closer to his daughter while at the same time portraying the cut-throat realities of major international corporations. “Films like Toni Erdmann only exist thanks to national and European subsidies because they give you a certain freedom,” said director Maren Ade after receiving the prize in Parliament today.

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Plenary sessions : Progress in deciding how the Paris climate agreement is to be applied by its 197 signatory countries and the “Marrakesh Action Proclamation”, approved last week at the UN climate change conference (COP22) in Morocco, was debated on Wednesday morning with EU climate action and energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete and with Slovak State Secretary Ivan Korčok, representing the Council Presidency.

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Plenary sessions : Fraud involving VAT on goods exported to other member states costs EU tax payers an estimated €50 billion a year. The European Commission has come up with an action plan to clamp down on VAT fraud and update current VAT rules that have been left unchanged since 1993. MEPs debate the action plan on Wednesday 23 November and vote on it the following day. Read on to find out more about Parliament's position and watch our video for an explanation of how VAT fraud works.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : The German-Austrian-Romanian co-production “Toni Erdmann” has won the 2016 European Parliament LUX Prize, President Martin Schulz announced at a ceremony in the Chamber in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The film explores a complex relationship between a father and daughter in contemporary corporate culture.

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Plenary sessions : The EU authorisation for Bentazone herbicide, which expires on 30 June 2017, should not be renewed as its safety has yet to be confirmed, says a non-binding resolution voted on Wednesday. MEPs point out that Bentazone can easily leak directly into groundwater and is suspected of interfering with human reproduction.

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Plenary sessions : Propaganda pressure on the EU from Russia and Islamist terrorist groups is growing, MEPs warn in a resolution voted on Wednesday. It seeks to distort the truth, incite fear, provoke doubt and divide the EU. To counteract anti-EU campaigns, MEPs suggest reinforcing the EU’s tiny “strategic communication” task force and investing more in awareness raising, education, online and local media, investigative journalism and information literacy.

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Plenary sessions : Terrorism, hybrid threats and cyber- and energy insecurity leave EU countries no choice but to step up their security and defence cooperation efforts, thus paving the way to a European Defence Union, say MEPs in a resolution passed on Tuesday. They suggest devoting 2% of GDP to defence, establishing multinational forces and EU headquarters to plan and command crisis management operations, and enabling the EU to act where NATO is unwilling to do so.

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Plenary sessions : Plans for more ambitious national caps on emissions of key pollutants by 2030, including NOx, particulates and sulphur dioxide, won the support of MEPs on Wednesday. They had already been informally agreed with the Dutch Presidency of the Council. Air pollution causes about 400,000 premature deaths in the EU per year.

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Plenary sessions : Parliament rejected a request by 89 MEPs to refer the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for an opinion on Wednesday.

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Plenary sessions : The calendar of European Parliament part-sessions for 2018, as tabled by its EP Conference of Presidents, was approved by MEPs on Wednesday.

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