European Parliament

General : Demand for food is set to rise by 70% due to the global population growing to 9.6 billion by 2050. Feeding them all will be a serious challenge. In reports adopted during last week's plenary, MEPs stressed the need to invest in agricultural technology, while still reducing agriculture's ecological impact. They also looked into how farmers in Africa could be helped.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

All but the smallest EU firms importing tin, tungsten, tantalum, gold and their ores will have to do "due diligence" checks on their suppliers, to stop this trade being used to help fund conflicts and human rights abuses, says a political understanding reached by MEPs, ministers and the EU Commission on Wednesday. Due diligence will also be mandatory for smelters and refiners. The EU Commission will press big manufacturers to disclose details of products that might contain conflict minerals.
Committee on International Trade

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Agriculture faces many challenges ranging from climate change to rising food demand due to population growth. On 7 June MEPs adopted an own-initiative report on how technological innovation could help to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable way. Report author Anthea McIntyre, a UK member of the ECR group, answered questions about it during a live broadcast on the Parliament's Facebook page.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plans for stricter monitoring and certification procedures to ensure full compliance and traceability of medical devices, such as breast or hip implants, were backed by Health Committee MEPs on Wednesday. MEPs also approved legislation to tighten up information and ethical requirements for diagnostic medical devices used for example in pregnancy or DNA testing. Both files were informally agreed with the Dutch Presidency of the Council.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Sugary drinks and energy drinks containing caffeine should not display claims that they help increase alertness or concentration, as this would encourage high consumption of sugar among adolescents, who are the largest group of energy drink consumers, said Health committee MEPs in a resolution voted on Wednesday.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Budgets Committee MEPs approved €1,824,041 in EU aid on Wednesday to support the reintegration in the labour market of 488 workers made redundant by several manufacturers of construction machinery in Wallonia. A further 300 young unemployed people should also benefit. The European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) aid still needs to be approved by Parliament as a whole and by the Council of Ministers.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : Local governance, stepping up intra-ACP trade and common management of ACP-EU migration were among the topics discussed by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) at its 31st session, which closed on Wednesday 15 June, in Windhoek, Namibia.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Making a living as a farmer is becoming increasingly difficult in Europe. As large retail chains are able to dictate the terms, farmers are often forced to sell their products for less than they cost to produce. On 7 June MEPs adopted a resolution, calling for an end to these unfair trading practices. They now want the European Commission to come up with proposals to improve farmers' bargaining position. Watch our video to find out more about how the market operates.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Two UK groups have been honoured today in the 2016 European Citizen’s Prize. Every year a panel of judges chooses laureates from across the member states who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of cooperation and a better mutual understanding between the citizens of the Member States.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

If Turkey goes on undermining rule of law principles and stripping Members of the Turkish Parliament of their immunities, then it should not expect to be granted an EU visa-free regime, said Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs on Tuesday in a debate with Selahattin Demirtaş, co-chair of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). They also voiced solidarity with Mr Demirtaş’ efforts to revive the Kurdish peace process talks.
Committee on Foreign Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Should energy and sugary drinks be allowed to claim on their labels that the caffeine in them boosts alertness and concentration? Parliament's public health and food safety committee fears this could affect children and teenagers, who are the main consumers of energy drinks. On Wednesday 15 June, committee members discuss whether to vote against a European Commission proposal allowing this. We talked to Christel Schaldemose, in charge of steering the plans through Parliament, why she opposes it.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Dutch finance minister and ECOFIN Chair Jeroen Dijsselbloem worries that the way in which the EU Commission applies Stability and Growth Pact rules may not be entirely objective, he told Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs on Tuesday. At a meeting reviewing the Dutch Presidency of the Council of Economy and Finance Ministers, he said he hoped that on Friday 17 June they would agree a road map for completing the Banking Union with a European Deposit Guarantee Scheme (EDIS).
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

A clear A to G scale for labelling the energy efficiency of household appliances should replace the proliferating pluses in today's top class (A+, A++, A+++) within 5 years, said Industry, Research and Energy Committee MEPs on Tuesday. The proposal for a new EU regulation aims to ensure that consumers are not misled into thinking that a A class appliance is one of the most efficient on the market, whereas under current rules it may in fact be one of the least efficient.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The EU coordinates and monitors member states' economic, budgetary and employment policies in a process known as the European Semester, resulting in these countries receiving guidelines on issues such as taxes, pensions and possible budget cuts. On Tuesday 14 June Parliament's economic and employment committees debate this year's recommendations. Watch our explanatory video above for more information.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : "The Cotonou Agreement remains unique in the world, and whatever form the next partnership takes, it will have to be tailored to today’s world, and include wider civil society participation and stronger parliamentary oversight and diplomacy », said Michèle RIVASI (Greens/EFA, FR), EU Co-President ad interim of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, for its 31st session.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Using energy more efficiently is one of the easier ways to cut your bills. Many household appliances, such as lamps, televisions and vacuum cleaners, carry a standardised label to help assess their energy efficiency, The European Commission is now proposing to simplify this labelling system to make it even easier for consumers to compare. Parliament's energy committee approved the plan on 14 June. Check out our infographic to find out how energy consumption is measured and how much it costs.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The public health committee votes this Wednesday on whether to veto plans by the European Commission to allow sugary and energy drinks to claim that caffeine helps to boost alertness and concentration on their labels. They will also vote on stricter monitoring and certification procedures for medical devices. MEPs meet MPs from African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) in order to discuss migration flows, while the foreign affairs committee looks at the situation of Palestinian refugees.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : "Germany won in 1980 and the coach was Jupp Dervall..." With the European Championship kicking off in France, we asked Parliament President Martin Schulz and other MEPs to share their best memories of the popular football tournament. They also reveal their plans for following the games, as well as their predictions for the winner.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs debated plans for investment in Africa to help migrants find work in their home country during June's plenary session in Strasbourg this week. They looked too at ways to integrate migrants into the EU's labour market without disadvantaging local workers. MEPs also approved the mandate for an inquiry committee into the Panama papers and reviewed the EU's €315 billion investment plan. In addition Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev pleaded for more EU integration in a speech to plenary.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP