European Parliament (News)

New draft rules to make more books available in formats designed for blind and visually impaired people were approved by the Legal Affairs Committee on Thursday. The draft legislation, which brings EU law into line with the Marrakesh Treaty, provides for copyright exceptions for formats such as audiobooks and Braille.
Committee on Legal Affairs

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The first “security dialogue” with Commissioner Sir Julian King on information sharing in the security field will be held by the Civil Liberties Committee on Thursday from 14.00 to 15.30.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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The new European Solidarity Corps deserves its own budget – it should not be funded at the expense of the Erasmus+ or Europe for Citizens programmes, urge Culture and Education Committee MEPs in a resolution voted on Wednesday. Offering young people an opportunity to take part in solidarity schemes all over Europe would help them to gain experience for future long-term jobs, they add.
Committee on Culture and Education

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General : “Unacceptable.” President Antonio Tajani was clear this week in his condemnation of Turkey accusing Germany and the Netherlands of Nazi methods for preventing Turkish ministers from campaigning in their countries in favour of a referendum to give the president additional powers. Although the EU and Turkey cooperate on anything from trade to migration, relations have become strained in recent year. Read on for an overview of the current state of affairs.

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A new, tougher, A to G scale showing the energy efficiency of household appliances should be introduced to keep pace with technological progress, agreed the Parliament’s and Council’s negotiators on Tuesday.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

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General : People from across Europe gathered in the European Parliament on Tuesday to share their views on the future of the European Union with MEPs. This event, called the Citizens’ Parliament, contributes to ongoing reflection on the EU as an asset for future, ahead of the EU heads of state or government meeting in Rome on 25 March.

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Plenary sessions : High-tech equipment such as smartphones, tablets and cars are able to run thanks to minerals and metals such as tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold. However, as their mining and illegal trade are often controlled by armed groups, they also help to feed a vicious circle of conflicts.On 16 March MEPs voted in favour of making EU companies take responsibility for the origin of the minerals they import. Watch our video for more details.

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All EU lobbyists looking to influence legislation, should be required to sign the transparency register before being allowed to enter the European Parliament, says a resolution approved by the Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
Committee on Constitutional Affairs

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New powers for national authorities to check whether e-commerce websites geo-block consumers, track down rogue traders or even, subject to safeguards inserted by MEPs, order that websites hosting scams be shut down, were approved by the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee on Tuesday.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

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Plenary sessions : Several EU countries have decided to raise money for organisations offering sexual health and family planning services after US President Donald Trump decided to reintroduce a rule banning US financing for NGOs providing or promoting abortion to women in developing countries. This policy is often referred to as the global gag rule. Most MEPs criticised the US decision during a debate on 14 March, asking for action from the EU while some insisted on respecting the rights of unborn children.

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Plenary sessions : Political group speakers reacted to President Donald Trump’s reinstatement of the “global gag” rule in a debate with EU humanitarian aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides on Tuesday. The executive order, signed on 23 January, obliges US-funded foreign NGOs to certify that they will not perform or actively promote abortion.

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Plenary sessions : Consumers are entitled to know that the food they buy and eat is safe, however food fraud cases such as the 2013 horsemeat scandal show that is not always the case. On Wednesday 15 March MEPs vote on new rules to tighten up official inspections throughout the food chain. We talked to Austrian S&D member Karin Kadenbach, the MEP responsible for steering the proposal through Parliament, about the benefits of the new legislation.

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Plenary sessions : On Wednesday from 9.00, MEPs will take stock of the outcome of the 9-10 March European Council and discuss the “Rome declaration” on the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome with Council President Donald Tusk, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Malta’s Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech and Italy’s Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

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Plenary sessions : The share of waste to be recycled would rise to 70% by 2030, from 44% today, under draft legislation adopted on Tuesday. MEPs also want the “waste package” plans to limit the share of landfilling, which has a big environmental impact, to 5% and to deliver a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030. Parliament will now negotiate with Council of Ministers.

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Plenary sessions : New legislation restricting the use of mercury, a persistent pollutant that has adverse effects on the environment and human health, was adopted by Parliament on Tuesday. The bill, already informally agreed with the Council of Ministers, aims to close the gap between existing EU legislation and the United Nations Minamata Convention against mercury pollution.

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Plenary sessions : The EU and its member states should step up their efforts to achieve equality between women and men. Despite progress on some issues, much remains to be done to reduce pay gaps, remove “glass ceilings” blocking women’s careers, remedy their lack of economic independence and improve their work/life balance, say MEPs in a non-legislative resolution voted on Tuesday.

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Plenary sessions : Sanctions of unprecedented severity were announced by EP President Antonio Tajani on Tuesday, against Polish MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke for his unacceptable remarks against women during a plenary debate on the "Gender pay gap" on 1 March.

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Plenary sessions : Tighter controls on blank-firing and inadequately deactivated weapons, like those used in the Paris terror attacks, and an obligation for EU member states to have an appropriate monitoring system in place for the issuance or renewal of licences and to exchange information, are among the updates approved by MEPs to the 1991 firearms directive on Tuesday.

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Plenary sessions : New tools to sharpen big EU firms’ focus on their long-run performance, by fostering their shareholders’ commitment to it, were approved by Parliament on Tuesday. They will include giving shareholders a say on directors’ pay and making it easier for firms to identify their shareholders.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs will debate US President Donald Trump’s reinstatement of the “global gag” rule, which obliges US-funded foreign NGOs to certify that they will not perform or actively promote abortion, with Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides on Tuesday at 15.00.

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