European Parliament (News)

Plenary sessions : German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier made a passionate plea in favour of the EU during a speech in the plenary chamber on Tuesday 4 April. "We should not give up on this valuable heritage and leave it up to the opponents of Europe. We need to safeguard it, look after it and improve it - that is our historic duty!" he said. "It's up to us to ensure the European dream is passed on to the next generation."

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Plenary sessions : The fact that diesel cars’ nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are much higher in real driving conditions than in laboratory tests was known to the EU member states and Commission over a decade ago. They should now act swiftly to improve tests and checks on new cars on EU roads, say MEPs in recommendations voted on Tuesday. In a separate vote, MEPs also amended EU “type approval” rules to make environmental and safety testing more independent, with stricter oversight of cars already on the road.

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Plenary sessions : To counter the impact of unsustainable palm oil production, such as deforestation and habitat degradation, particularly in South-East Asia, the EU should introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market and phase out the use of vegetable oils that drive deforestation by 2020, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Tuesday.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs will again debate the state of play on the second review of the economic adjustment programme for Greece, for the second time this year, on Tuesday at 15.00.

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Plenary sessions : Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s repeated rejection of invitations to speak to Parliament and offensive remarks in the press were severely criticized by all political groups at Monday’s opening. President Tajani announced that he would send Mr Dijsselbloem a formal letter of protest. Mr Tajani also conveyed Parliament’s condolences to victims of mudslides in Colombia and the terrorist bomb attack on the St Petersburg metro in Russia.

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Plenary sessions : Some 244 million people were living abroad in 2015, including more than 20 million refugees forced to leave their country due to conflicts or human rights violations. On 5 April MEPs vote on a report regarding migration movements. According to report authors Agustín Díaz de Mera and Elena Valenciano, migration flows are a global responsibility requiring a global response. Read on for an overview of the current situation and how Díaz de Mera and Valenciano believe it should be tackled.

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General : MEPs are pushing for a flexible long-term budget for the EU to enable it to successfully meet unforeseen challenges. This is reflected in new agreement between the Parliament and EU countries, which is paving the way for the EU to respond better to crises related to for example security, migration or natural disasters.

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Plenary sessions : Palm oil is extensively used in food, cosmetics and biofuels, however the unsustainable production of the cheap vegetable oil leads to deforestation, loss of nature habitats and greenhouse gas emissions. MEPS vote on 4 April on a report by Czech GUE member Kateřina Konečná calling on the European Commission to take measures to ensure among others the phasing out of palm oil in biofuels by 2020 and a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market.

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General : What does it mean to be European? It’s not just the great leaders: all people are a part of Europe's history and they have a valuable role to play in preserving this common heritage and identity of ours. Over the course of the last two months, hundreds of people have contributed to a new initiative to highlight the stories that make up our history. You can discover the result on the My House of European History website.

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General : “Even though we may leave the European Union, we are not leaving Europe,” said London Mayor Sadiq Khan visiting the Parliament on 28 March. “For issues from security and defence to finance and culture, we are still going to be a part of the European family.” Khan met Parliament President Antonio Tajani to discuss issues such as security and Brexit. “It’s in nobody’s interest for London or the UK to be punished,” said Khan. “Not in London’s interest, not the UK’s interest, nor the EU’s interest.”

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General : Only days after the terrorist attack in London the civil liberties committee discussed the EU's security situation with German Interior Minister Interior Thomas de Maizière and his French counterpart Matthias Fekl debated on 27 March. Both ministers spoke about the need to secure the EU's external borders, to better share information between EU countries and to address the new challenges of radicalisation and terrorism.

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Plans to make it easier to move money around within the EU’s long-run budget, to help tackle urgent challenges such as the migration crisis, strengthening security, boosting growth and creating jobs, were backed by the Budgets Committee on Monday. Parliament has long fought for greater flexibility within the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), which would apply for the remainder of the 2014-2020 MFF.
Committee on Budgets

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Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs have voted to close loopholes which allow some of the world’s largest corporations to avoid paying tax on profits by exploiting differences in the tax systems of EU and third countries.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

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General : “The dream of a united Europe has offered a way of putting the nightmare of war behind us forever,” said Parliament President Antonio Tajani on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome, which paved the way for the EU. He and several other MEPs visited Rome on 24-26 March to mark the anniversary. “We should be proud of the legacy passed onto to our children: the freedom to travel, study, work, set up a business, innovate,” he said.

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German federal Minister of the Interior Thomas de Maizière and French Minister of the Interior Matthias Fekl will debate EU measures to improve the security situation in Europe and future challenges in the field with the Civil Liberties Committee on Monday from 17.00 to 19.00.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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General : A debate on security issues with the German and French interior ministers and visits by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and London Mayor Sadiq Khan are on the agenda of this week. In addition the UK is expected to formally start the process to withdraw from the EU by triggering article 50, while committees vote on measures to stop tax evasion by multinationals as well as on a mid-term revision of the EU's long-term budget.

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General : Sixty years ago the leaders of the six founding member states gathered in Rome to put their signatures under the agreements that would create a European common market, but also pave the way for a union of peace and prosperity that has come to encompass most of our continent. Leading MEPs will join the anniversary celebrations in Rome this weekend, while heads of state and government will use the opportunity to deliberate on the next steps for the EU.

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General : Parliament’s President Antonio Tajani, political group leaders and other leading MEPs will meet with Italy’s highest public officials, starting with President Sergio Mattarella on Friday, and take part in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome on Saturday.

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General : Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa stressed the importance of a united EU during a visit to the Parliament on 22 March.It was part of an official visit to Brussels on the first anniversary of last year's terrorist attacks. In addition to meeting Parliament President Antonio Tajani, he also met several Portuguese MEPs and made a brief visit to the reading room Lucas Pires,named in honour of the Portuguese MEP who died in 1998.

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General : More than 1,100 workers were killed and 2,500 injured when a building housing several clothes workshops collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, nearly four year ago. The tragedy drew attention to working conditions in the sector. Parliament's development committee has adopted a report calling for new legislation to ensure that the clothes and textiles we buy are not produced at the expense of the workers. Watch our video to find out more.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP