European Union

Plenary sessions : Antonio Tajani was elected as the president for the second half of the parliamentary term during this week's plenary session while MEPs also chose 14 new vice-presidents. In addition they called for emergency aid to help refugees cope with freezing temperatures and told the European Commission to redraw its lists of countries at risk of money laundering as it was too limited. Read about this and more in our article.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Antonio Tajani was elected as the president for the second half of the parliamentary term during this week's plenary session while MEPs also chose 14 new vice-presidents. In addition they called for emergency aid to help refugees cope with freezing temperatures and told the European Commission to redraw its lists of countries at risk of money laundering as it was too limited. Read about this and more in our article.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Written by Krisztina Binder (3rd edition),

© boldg / Fotolia`

Since 2011, Jordan’s economy has suffered from the negative spill-overs of the on-going regional conflicts and the Syrian refugee crisis, weakening the country’s fiscal and external financing position. In line with the EU’s objective to support the stability and development of Jordan’s economy, the European Commission has presented a proposal to grant the country a second package of macro-financial assistance (MFA). Amounting to a maximum of €200 million, the assistance would help the country cover a part of its external financing needs. The first MFA package, worth €180 million, was approved in 2013 and fully disbursed in 2015. In addition to the significant resources mobilised by the multilateral and bilateral donors, this second MFA, adopted in December 2016, will, by strengthening the economy, contribute to Jordan’s overall stability, which is a high priority for the EU. The Commission will, if appropriate, put forward a new proposal in 2017 to extend and increase this MFA to Jordan. EU aid will complement the International Monetary Fund’s new programme of about US$723 million, focusing on the country’s economic and financial reform programme.

See also our at a glance note
‘Parliamentary elections in Jordan‘

Versions

• January 2017: ‘EU pledges further aid to Jordan‘ (3rd edition)
• November 2016: ‘EU pledges further aid to Jordan‘ (2nd edition)
• September 2016: ‘EU pledges further aid to Jordan‘ (1st edition)

Proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council providing further macro-financial assistance to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Committee responsible:

Rapporteur:

Shadow rapporteurs:

 

 

 

 

  International Trade (INTA)

Emmanuel Maurel (S&D, France)

Salvatore Cicu (EPP, Italy)

Sander Loones (ECR, Belgium)
Marielle de Sarnez (ALDE, France)

Lola Sánchez Caldentey (GUE/NGL, Spain)

Klaus Buchner (Greens/EFA, Germany)

David Borrelli (EFDD, Italy) COM(2016)431 of 29.6.2016, 2016/0197(COD)

Ordinary legislative procedure (COD) (Parliament and Council on equal footing – formerly ‘co-decision’) Procedure completed Decision (EU) No 2016/2371

OJ L 352, 23.12.2016, p. 18

Filed under: International Relations, PUBLICATIONS Tagged: briefings, EU Legislation in Progress, European neighbourhood policy, Jordan, Krisztina Binder, Mediterranean and Middle East

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Now for the main event. Donald Trump finally takes office today after a noisy transition that served only to amplify many of the most unsettling questions that surround his incoming administration.

Read more

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Written by Mihalis Kritikos and Nera Kuljanic,

Sergey Nivens / Fotolia

Scientists have new technological answers to the twin challenges of limiting emissions and feeding a growing population which is simultaneously shrinking the space left for cultivation. However, these answers in turn pose their own ethical and risk management questions. Societal actors and a wide range of stakeholders have long sought to broaden the scope of authorisation and regulation of agricultural biotechnologies to take into account the relevant socio-economic impacts. Assessing the socio-economic sustainability, societal benefits and ethical acceptability of agricultural biotechnologies in the frame of the established risk assessment procedures has, for a long time, been debated at both EU and international levels. However, the increasingly rapid developments in the field of genetic engineering and synthetic biology trigger a need to re-examine the traditional risk assessment model and explore the deployment of methodologies that may further reinforce the responsiveness and inclusiveness of the current framework.

On 25 January 2017, STOA is organising a workshop to discuss these issues, continuing STOA’s practice of discussing the socio-ethical dimensions of techno-scientific developments. The workshop will be chaired by Marijana Petir, MEP and STOA Panel member. Former President (2010-2016) of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE), Julian Kinderlerer, will give the opening presentation on innovation and bioethics, and will moderate the event.

What to expect from the event?

The workshop will provide space for a debate on this challenging aspect of public policy and will offer the opportunity to analyse the feasibility and necessity for inclusion of socio-economic considerations into the current framework.

The various methodological options for assessment, the role of participatory involvement in risk governance and the practical steps and indicators that could be introduced in risk assessment and decision-making related to synthetic biology and genetic modification in agriculture will be discussed by Helge Torgersen, of the Institute of Technology Assessment, Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Anne Ingeborg Myhr, of the Genøk-Centre for Biosafety, Tromsø, Norway. For example, in Norway, sustainability, benefit to society and ethics are important criteria in GMO assessment prior to cultivation, import, and use as food or feed. The workshop will look at how this has evolved.

Put simply, if a measure, an action or a policy could harm the public or the environment, and there is no scientific consensus that it is not harmful, then one willing to act must prove the absence of danger. This is known as the precautionary principle, which belongs to the domain of risk management. However, there are differences in the way this is defined and applied across the world. Amir Muzur, from the School of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia, will speak on the comparison between application in the EU and the USA.

How could policy-makers in the EU deal with socio-ethical considerations, as well as the regulatory challenges raised by scientific uncertainty, the speed of technological advance, technological complexity and issues related to public perception? How is this shaping decision-making in the field of agricultural biotechnologies? Register for the workshop before 20 January 2017 and take part in the discussion.

Filed under: BLOG, Events Tagged: agriculture, events, Mihalis Kritikos, Nera Kuljanic, STOA

The EU is responding to the rising demand for wireless connectivity by opening a key frequency band for mobile broadband. At the same time, the new rules take account of the continuing need for adequate bandwidth for television broadcasting. On 20 January 2017 member states' ambassadors endorsed the deal concluded with the European Parliament on 14 December 2016.

Dr Emmanuel Mallia, the Maltese Minister for Competitiveness and Digital, Maritime and Services Economy, said: "Today's decision means faster and better internet access, which is good for businesses and individuals right across Europe. We are also paving the way for the introduction of 5G technology, which will allow for greater connectivity and innovation."

Under the agreement, EU countries will reassign the high-quality 700 MHz frequency band (694-790 MHz) to wireless broadband services by 30 June 2020. This coordinated use of airwaves will promote the take-up of 4G and help offer higher speeds and better coverage even in rural areas. It will also make it easier to roll out 5G (expected from around 2020), allowing for the large-scale introduction of innovative digital services such as telemedicine, connected cars and smart cities.

If member states are unable to meet the 2020 deadline, they may delay the reallocation by up to two years in duly justified cases. The agreed text sets out the possible reasons for such a delay. These include for example financial reasons and harmful interferences resulting from unresolved cross-border coordination issues.

The 470-790 MHz range is currently widely used for digital television broadcasting and wireless microphones, for instance in theatres, concerts and sporting events.

To give the audio-visual sector long-term regulatory predictability, broadcasting services will maintain priority in the sub-700 MHz band (470-694 MHz) at least until 2030, based on national needs. Member states will have the flexibility to use this range for other purposes, including mobile internet services, but this use must be compatible with broadcasting needs.

All EU countries must adopt a national roadmap by the end of June 2018, setting out how they will implement the decision. These roadmaps will be public.

How will it become law?

Once the agreed text has undergone legal-linguistic finalisation, it must be formally approved first by the Parliament and then by the Council (agreement at first reading). The procedure is expected to be completed in spring 2017.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Workers' rights are increasingly coming under pressure due to developments such as global competition and the digital revolution. The European Commission is working on plans to improve the situation. On 19 January MEPs adopted a report stating that workers in new type of jobs should be covered by labour laws. We talked to report author Maria João Rodrigues, a Portuguese member of the S&D group, on how to create fair and functioning labour markets and welfare systems.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Workers' rights are increasingly coming under pressure due to developments such as global competition and the digital revolution. The European Commission is working on plans to improve the situation. On 19 January MEPs adopted a report stating that workers in new type of jobs should be covered by labour laws. We talked to report author Maria João Rodrigues, a Portuguese member of the S&D group, on how to create fair and functioning labour markets and welfare systems.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : The newly elected President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani expressed Parliament's solidarity with the victims and their families of a number of recent earthquakes in Italy and the avalanche which engulfed a hotel on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : The newly elected President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani expressed Parliament's solidarity with the victims and their families of a number of recent earthquakes in Italy and the avalanche which engulfed a hotel on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Written by Angelos Delivorias,

© blende11.photo / Fotolia

Crowdfunding is a relatively ‘young’ form of financing – especially for SMEs and start-ups, but also for not-for-profit projects – that is developing fast in Europe. While researchers point out its benefits, among them the fact that project owners have greater control, and financial risk is spread among a larger number of people, they also note its drawbacks. The latter include a high cost of capital, occasional displays of a ‘herd mentality’, capable of depriving potentially worthier projects of adequate funding, and risks for investors from incompetence or fraud on the part of the project owners, and unclear regulations.

The European Commission (through a communication and two reports) and the European Parliament (through three resolutions) have taken an active interest in this form of financing. As a result, the Commission recently conducted a study on the state of the European crowdfunding market. It found that, while crowdfunding is developing fast, it is still concentrated in a few countries (the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands), which have introduced tailored domestic regimes, and that it remains, for the time being, a national phenomenon with limited cross-border activity. The study therefore concluded that for the moment there is no strong case for EU-level policy intervention. Nonetheless, given the encouraging trends and the potential of crowdfunding to become a key source of financing for SMEs over the long term, the Commission noted that it will maintain regular dialogue with European supervisory authorities, Member States and the crowdfunding sector to monitor and review its development.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Crowdfunding in Europe: Introduction and state of play‘.

Filed under: Economic and Social Policies, PUBLICATIONS Tagged: Angelos Delivorias, briefings, credit, crowdfunding, EPRS briefings, financing, investment, small and medium-sized enterprises

Plenary sessions : All workers should have their basic rights guaranteed, whatever their form of employment and contract, said MEPs approving their recommendations on Thursday for the forthcoming proposal on the “European Pillar of Social Rights”.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : All workers should have their basic rights guaranteed, whatever their form of employment and contract, said MEPs approving their recommendations on Thursday for the forthcoming proposal on the “European Pillar of Social Rights”.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs have voted to return to the EU Commission its blacklist of countries deemed to be at risk of money laundering and terrorist financing. The list is too limited, and should be expanded, e.g. to include territories that facilitate tax crimes, they said before voting the resolution on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs have voted to return to the EU Commission its blacklist of countries deemed to be at risk of money laundering and terrorist financing. The list is too limited, and should be expanded, e.g. to include territories that facilitate tax crimes, they said before voting the resolution on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Following the election of the President, Vice-Presidents and Quaestors, the plenary approved the appointment of members to Parliament’s 22 standing committees on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Following the election of the President, Vice-Presidents and Quaestors, the plenary approved the appointment of members to Parliament’s 22 standing committees on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Parliament condemns growing intolerance towards ethnic, religious and sexual minorities in Indonesia, attacks against peacekeepers in Central African Republic and breaches of human rights in Burundi, in three resolutions voted on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP