European Parliament

Plenary sessions : The EU needs to use natural resources more efficiently - a 30% increase in resource productivity by 2030 could boost its GDP by nearly 1% and create an extra 2 million sustainable jobs, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Thursday. But to achieve this growth, it needs binding waste-reduction targets, revamped ecodesign laws and measures to uncouple growth from resource use, they add, calling on the European Commission to table legislation by the end of 2015.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU Capital Markets Union (CMU) should provide a new, more efficient way to channel savings into small business ventures and protect cross-border investors in the EU, says a non-binding resolution voted on Thursday. MEPs want CMU building blocks, such as a wider range of investment choices, risk mitigation tools and clear information on investment opportunities across the EU to be in place by 2018, so as to complement bank financing. The CMU project was launched earlier this year.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Copyright rules haven't caught up with today's technological world. For example, consumers are sometimes denied access to online content because of the country they live in. German Greens/EFA member Julia Reda wrote an own initiative report on copyright to feed into upcoming proposals by the European Commission to update current legislation. MEPs debate the report on Thursday 9 July and vote on it afterwards. Check out our infographic and follow the debate.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : A reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), informally agreed with the Latvian Presidency of the Council, was endorsed by Parliament on Wednesday. The reform is intended to reduce the surplus of carbon credits available for trading in order to support the price of the emission rights. The scheme will start operating in 2019.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU and its member states should make multinationals report their financial performance, tax details, assets and employee numbers country by country, so as to help fight tax evasion and illicit money flows in developing countries, says Parliament in a non-binding resolution voted on Wednesday. MEPs also call on EU financial institutions to ensure that companies receiving EU support do not “participate” in tax evasion.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : 500 workers made redundant by electrical manufacturer Broadcom Communications Finland and two suppliers will get EU aid worth €1.36 million to help them find new jobs, following Parliament's approval of a European Commission proposal on Wednesday.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : An EU-US trade deal must open up US market access for EU firms, but must not undermine EU standards, say MEPs in recommendations, voted Wednesday, to EU trade negotiators. To settle trade-related investor-state disputes, a new justice system, run by publicly-appointed judges and subject to scrutiny and transparency rules, should replace private arbitration under the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system, they add.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Large firms and listed companies should have to disclose information, country by country, on profits made, tax paid on profits and public subsidies received, said MEPs on Wednesday in amendments to draft rules intended to boost transparency and foster shareholders’ long-run commitment to companies. They also want to empower shareholders to vote at least every three years on directors' pay policy.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Greece and the best way to resolve the ongoing crisis were hotly debated in plenary on 8 July in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. While some MEPs criticised him for his lack of concrete proposals, others praised him while some urged him to take his country out of the eurozone. The debate also took into account the conclusions of the recent European Council on 25-26 June and the euro summit on 7 July.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Political group speakers debated the priorities for the next six months under the incoming Luxembourg presidency of the Council with Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday morning.

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General : From 1 July the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the EU has been in the hands of one of the smallest, yet most experience member states. On 8 July MEPs hold a plenary debate on the challenges it will have to tackle, including the Greek debt crisis, an increase in irregular migration and the preparation for the climate change conference in Paris in December. Just before the start of the presidency, we asked all of the country's six MEPs for their views.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : The EU must do more to help farmers to earn a fair return from the food supply chain, introduce better tools for dealing with market disturbances and help farmers to find new outlets for produce shut out of the Russian market, MEPs say in two non-binding resolutions voted on Tuesday. Member states should help them join forces in producer organisations to boost their bargaining power, they add.

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Plenary sessions : Integrated ticketing for travel across EU borders using more than one mode of transport would increase the use of public transport, said MEPs on Tuesday. They call on EU countries to improve and connect timetables and on providers to develop multimodal cross-border "journey planners". If there is no progress by 2020 they will call for legislation.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Three agencies managing migration flows into the EU and two EU funds for migration measures should get a €69.6 million budget boost for extra staff and other expenses for this year, after Parliament backed a European Commission proposal on Tuesday. Parliament has been calling for the bigger budgets in the wake of the April tragedies that cost the lives of around 1,200 migrants.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : Members of the agriculture, energy and international trade committees are visiting on 18 and 19 June the Milan Expo, the world exhibition whose motto is "feeding the planet, energy for life". The aim of the visit is to promote efforts to increase global food security, fight food waste and encourage healthy lifestyles.

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The Syrian conflict could be the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II, leaving millions homeless and hundreds of thousands desperately seeking to find safety in neighbouring countries and Europe. "We can and should do much more for all of those forced to run to save their lives and their freedom," said Portuguese GUE/NGL member Marisa Matias, chair of the EP’s delegation to Syria. Ahead of World Refugee Day on Saturday June 20, our infographic shows you the extent of the crisis.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary session and committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : EP President Martin Schulz discussed British plans to renegotiate EU membership during a meeting with UK Prime Minister David Cameron today. They also talked about the migration crisis in the Mediterranean and the ongoing talks on trade deals. Afterwards Schulz said: I came to London to listen and to learn and I think we had an excellent and open-minded exchange of views.”

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP