European Parliament (News)

EU member states will make the 700 MHz band available for wireless broadband by 2020, enabling a shift to 5G mobile internet, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed informally on Wednesday evening.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

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Plenary sessions : The EU Commission should comply with EU law by temporarily reintroducing visa requirements for US citizens, so as to encourage Washington to grant citizens of all EU countries visa-free access to the US, said a majority of MEPs in a debate in plenary on Wednesday.

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General : Ever wondered what the Parliament looks like from inside? It's now possible to visit our building from the comfort of your own home using your smartphone thanks to virtual reality technology. In our first ever VR video you will be greeted by Parliament’s Facebook followers and President Martin Schulz and be shown around the plenary chamber.

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Plenary sessions : Persistent concerns about the rule of law and democracy in Poland were debated in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The debate followed a statement by European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans on the situation there.

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General : On behalf of Parliament’s political group leaders, EP President Martin Schulz expressed in a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk his disappointment at the way the draft conclusions of the 27 Heads of State or Government relegate Parliament “to a secondary position in the Brexit negotiation process”.

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Plenary sessions : The situation in Aleppo following the breakdown of a deal to evacuate rebels and civilians from the long-besieged Syrian city was the focus of a debate in Parliament this morning. Ahead of tomorrow’s EU summit, MEPs described the situation variously as “hell on earth”, a “death factory” and the “meltdown of humanity”. They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities as well as access for humanitarian aid. A number of speakers were highly critical of Russia’s role in the conflict.

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Plenary sessions : Diplomacy, development and defence should be the pillars of EU foreign policy, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Wednesday. They advocate a more realistic strategy on Russia and a “less for less” policy towards countries that try to throw democracy into reverse. MEPs also 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.

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Plenary sessions : The fees and funding that EU ports get from shipping lines and governments should become clearer thanks to new rules backed by MEPs on Wednesday.

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Plenary sessions : Public contracts to supply domestic passenger rail services in EU countries will normally have to be put out to tender under new rules backed by Parliament on Wednesday. These rules also aim to boost investment and the development of new commercial services.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : The appointment of former Estonian Prime Minister Juhan Parts as a member of the European Court of Auditors was endorsed by the European Parliament on Wednesday. Mr Parts, who has a degree in Law from the University of Tartu, was Auditor General of Estonia from 1998 to 2002 and Prime Minister from 2003-2005. He has also been Minister of Economy and Communications.

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Plenary sessions : A proposal to grant Spain €856,800 in EU aid to help find new jobs for 250 former car workers made redundant by 29 firms manufacturing motor vehicle parts in the Valencia region was approved by Parliament on Wednesday. The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aid had already been approved by the Council of Ministers on 12 December.

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Plenary sessions : Martin Schulz summed up his five years as European Parliament President in a statement to the House on Wednesday.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs backed a textiles trade deal with Uzbekistan on Wednesday, acknowledging its efforts to eradicate child labour. But they also urged it to take further steps to end all other forms of forced labour, e.g. by students and civil servants, in its cotton harvest.

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Plenary sessions : The European Parliament gave its consent for Ecuador to join the EU trade agreement with Colombia and Peru in a vote on Wednesday. The deal retains Ecuador’s preferential access to the EU market.

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Plenary sessions : Political group leaders discussed how to relieve the humanitarian tragedy in Aleppo, sanctions against Russia and ways to boost European defence capacities ahead of the European Summit.

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Plenary sessions : The outgoing Slovak Council Presidency was praised by many political group speakers on Tuesday for delivering tangible results in very difficult times. Launching the European Border and Coast Guard, adopting a jobs-and-growth focused EU budget for 2017, signing the EU-Canada trade deal and taking a step forward in modernising trade defence instruments were among those highlighted in the debate with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

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Georgian citizens will have the right to travel to the Schengen area without a visa under an informal deal struck by Parliament and Council negotiators on Tuesday.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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Plenary sessions : The first-ever joint declaration to fast-track a set of EU priority proposals was signed by the presidents of the EU Parliament, Council and Commission on Tuesday. They pledge, on behalf of their institutions, to make “substantial progress” in key policy areas next year.

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Plenary sessions : Iraqi Yazidi Islamic State survivors and activists Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar receive Parliament’s 2016 Sakharov Prize during a ceremony in Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 December. After escaping sexual enslavement by Islamic State they both became spokespeople for women affected by the terrorist group's campaign of sexual violence and for the persecuted Yazidi minority. Find out more about their fight by watching our video and follow the ceremony live online.

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New rules empowering shareholders to vote on directors’ pay, so as to tie it more closely to their performance, were informally agreed on Thursday. These rules also aim to foster shareholder commitment to companies’ long-run success.
Committee on Legal Affairs

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