European Parliament

Plenary, committee and political group meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : EP President Martin Schulz, European Council President Donald Tusk and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte met Friday morning in Brussels at the invitation of EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. They discussed the outcome of the United Kingdom referendum and made the following joint statement:

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : European Parliament President Martin Schulz and EP political group leaders made statements to the press on 24 June following an extraordinary meeting of Parliament's Conference of Presidents (EP President and political group leaders) on the outcome of the UK's EU membership referendum on 23 June.

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General : To follow up the UK’s EU membership referendum, Parliament's Conference of Presidents (EP President and political group leaders) decided on Friday morning, to convene an extraordinary plenary session for 28 June at 10:00. During this session, MEPs will vote a resolution analysing the outcome and ways forward. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council representatives will take part.

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General : Extraordinary Plenary session live in Brussels

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A new standard European travel document to speed the return of non-EU nationals staying "irregularly" in EU member states without valid passports or identity cards was informally agreed by MEPs and EU ministers on Thursday evening. A key goal during the talks has been to increase third countries’ acceptance of the document through improved technical details. To enter into force, this informal deal needs to be formally endorsed by the full Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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Plenary sessions : The EU's renewable energy target - 20% of total consumption by 2020 - has already been hit by many EU member states. But others lag behind and must do more, MEPs urge in a resolution, voted on Thursday, on the EU Commission's “renewables progress report." To achieve the EU's energy efficiency target - a 20% gain by 2020 – member states need to implement EU legislation faster, and in full, says a second resolution, also voted on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : “It is time for our people to live in freedom, without walls and checkpoints”, urged President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas in his address to MEPs on Thursday. He conveyed his people’s gratitude to the European Parliament for recognising a State of Palestine and criticised Israel for pursuing its occupation of Palestinian territories.

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Plenary sessions : A proposal to grant Belgium €1,824,041 in EU aid to help find new jobs for 488 workers made redundant by construction machinery manufacturers in Wallonia was approved by MEPs on Thursday. A further 300 young unemployed people should also benefit from the aid, to come from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF).

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Plenary sessions : New rules for deciding which country’s courts should settle property disputes in divorce or death cases involving international couples or registered partnerships were approved by MEPs on Thursday. These rules should end parallel proceedings – costing around €1.1bn annually – in various member states whose courts have to settle such property disputes. They will apply in 18 EU countries which were willing to join this “enhanced cooperation” initiative.

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Plenary sessions : An EU deal with Monaco, which will make it harder for EU citizens to hide cash from the tax man in bank accounts there, was endorsed by Parliament in a vote on Thursday. Under the deal, the EU and Monaco will automatically exchange information on the bank accounts of each other's residents, starting in 2018 for information collected since 1 January 2017.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs urge all parties fighting in north-eastern Congo to put an “end to the violence, lay down their arms, release all children from their ranks and promote dialogue” towards a peaceful solution, in a resolution voted on Thursday, after a debate on Wednesday. "There can be no impunity for perpetrators", they add.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU multiannual plan for managing Baltic Sea cod, sprat and herring stocks was approved in plenary on Thursday. This is the first new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) regional plan that takes account of interactions between species. It aims to ensure the sustainability of fisheries and offer fishermen better economic conditions in the long run. Parliament and Council negotiators reached an informal agreement on it in March.

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Plenary sessions : The European Parliament named the 65 members of its “Panama Papers” Committee of Inquiry, into tax evasion and money laundering, on Thursday, after approving its remit on 8 June. The committee’s shorthand label will be “PANA”.

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Plenary sessions : More must be done to fight new forms of radicalisation, including the rise in radicalisation of “lone wolves” via the internet, and also to address the various forms of hatred and violence directed against different groups in society, argued MEPs in a debate with Council and Commission on Wednesday afternoon.

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Plenary sessions : “The elected Israeli leadership has been and is in support of two states for two peoples solution”, President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin, told MEPs on Wednesday. However “at this time, a permanent agreement for peace between us and Palestinians cannot be achieved”, he added, calling on EU to help build trust between the parties.

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Plenary sessions : President Schulz opened the session by calling a minute’s silence for UK MP Jo Cox, who was so seriously injured in a brutal street attack in Birstall (UK) on 16 June that she died the same day. He also dedicated the minute’s silence to victims of the LGBTI nightclub shooting in Orlando (USA) on 13 June, and to two police officers stabbed to death in Magnanville (France), also on 13 June.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Draft plans to tighten up official controls from farm to fork were informally agreed by food safety MEPs and the Dutch Presidency of the Council on Wednesday. It aims to guarantee that the food consumers buy and eat in Europe is safe and wholesome, hence improving consumer’s health and preventing food crises.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

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Whilst France is indeed grappling with a difficult security situation, it needs to find adequate long-term solutions, because the terrorist threat is likely to last, argued most MEPs in a Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee debate on Thursday with Ambassador and France’s Permanent representative to the EU Pierre Sellal.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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