All EU-related News in English in a list. Read News from the European Union in French, German & Hungarian too.

You are here

European Union

Transport decarbonisation targets will be revised if needed, EU official says

Euractiv.com - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 14:34
Although the new renewable energy directive (REDII) set compromise minimum targets helping to decarbonise the transport sector, the EU executive reserves the right to take action on the matter again if necessary, a Commission official has said.
Categories: European Union

Verifying the credentials of new Members of the European Parliament

The European Parliament regularly receives enquiries from citizens as to how it ensures that elected Members do not hold any office that is incompatible with the office of Member of the European Parliament.

Incompatibilities

© Bluedesign / Fotolia

As laid down in the Act concerning their direct election, the office of Member of the European Parliament is incompatible with certain mandates. These include being a member of the government of an EU country or a member of the European Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the European Ombudsman, or sitting on the European Central Bank’s Board of Directors.

Since the 2004 European elections, the office is also incompatible with that of member of a national parliament.

Procedure

After each European election, the competent authorities in EU countries notify the European Parliament of the names of newly elected Members, so that they may take their seats at the opening of the first sitting. The elected Members must declare in writing that they do not hold any incompatible office.

Based on the official notification of the full results of the election received from each EU country, the European Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs prepares a report on the verification of credentials. The European Parliament subsequently rules on the validity of the mandate of each Member. It also decides on any disputes on incompatible offices, other than those that fall under EU countries’ national provisions. Where it is determined that a Member cannot take their seat in Parliament because they hold – and wish to retain – an office that is incompatible, the European Parliament establishes that there is a vacancy for that seat.

Throughout the legislature, the European Parliament also verifies the credentials of individual Members who replace outgoing MEPs.

Continue to put your questions to the Citizens’ Enquiries Unit (Ask EP)! We reply in the EU language that you use to write to us.

Further information
Categories: European Union

Is Madrid really about to kill Europe’s most successful clean air zone?

Euractiv.com - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 14:00
Madrid’s clean air zone could be axed by the city’s new mayor, despite the reported benefits. Jens Müller urges the new leadership to take a look at the hard facts.
Categories: European Union

74/2019 : 17 June 2019 - Information

European Court of Justice (News) - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 12:28
Resignation of Judge Egils Levits

Categories: European Union

74/2019 : 17 June 2019 - Information

European Court of Justice (News) - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 12:28
Resignation of Judge Egils Levits

Categories: European Union

Debate: The Eurozone gets its own budget

Eurotopics.net - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 12:23
The Eurozone finance ministers have agreed on the key points of a future Eurozone budget, but the compromise hardly differs from the general decisions that the Eurogroup had already reached at the end of last year. The details of the financing of the budget and its total amount have yet to be decided. Can this reform stabilise the monetary union?
Categories: European Union

Debate: Far-right alliance: is this what Salvini wanted?

Eurotopics.net - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 12:23
The new parliamentary group Identity and Democracy (ID) was founded in the European Parliament last week. Under the leadership of the Italian Lega politician Marco Zanni the group occupies 73 of the parliament's 751 seats. But commentators say that the new alliance has little in common with the big alliance of anti-European parties Lega boss Matteo Salvini had envisaged in the election campaign.
Categories: European Union

Debate: Has Hong Kong scored a victory?

Eurotopics.net - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 12:23
Hundreds of thousands of people once again demonstrated in Hong Kong on the weekend. Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Saturday suspended the planned extradition law and apologised to the people. But the demonstrators are still calling for her to step down and for the controversial bill, which would allow alleged criminals to be extradited to mainland China, to be scrapped.
Categories: European Union

Debate: Row over BBC's TV licence fees

Eurotopics.net - Mon, 06/17/2019 - 12:23
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) wants to abolish the TV licence fees exemption of over-75s to compensate for financial losses. It says the only alternative would be cutbacks in its programme. Should public broadcasters receive support to help them hold their own against pay TV broadcasters, or are they just a relic of the past?
Categories: European Union

Pages

THIS IS THE NEW BETA VERSION OF EUROPA VARIETAS NEWS CENTER - under construction
the old site is here

Copy & Drop - Can`t find your favourite site? Send us the RSS or URL to the following address: info(@)europavarietas(dot)org.