European Parliament

The 32nd plenary session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) will take place in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, from December 19 to 21 2016. The session will be opened formally by its Co-Presidents Louis Michel for the European Parliament, and Netty Baldeh (Gambia) for the ACP in presence of Justin Muturi, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya.

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General : With committees meeting and the final plenary session of the year to prepare for, MEPs have a busy week in store for them in Brussels. MEPs vote on proposals to help member states better fight terrorism and to make the EU more democratic and transparent. The political groups also prepare for next week’s sitting in Strasbourg where the 2016 Sakharov Prize will be awarded to Yazidi survivors and advocates Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar.

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General : Some 7,500 young people came to the Parliament in May 2016 to come up with ideas on how the improve the situation in Europe as part of the European Youth Event (EYE). In recent weeks a number of these participants were invited to present their ideas on anything from asylum policy to e-voting to Parliament committees. Thanking participants at the end of the hearings this week, Vice-President Mairead McGuinness said: “Your future is determined by politics, make sure you are involved in it."

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Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

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General : Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, visited today the European Parliament in Brussels, where he was welcomed by Parliament President Martin Schulz. They had a meeting during which they discussed developments in Tunisia and EU-Tunisia relations. Essebsi called the visit is a "historic and highly symbolic moment" and addressed MEPs on his country's commitment to democracy and freedom.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : MEPs approved €31.5 million in EU aid to repair flood damage in Bavaria in a plenary vote on Thursday. Seven people died in the May and June 2016 floods, which affected more than 47,000 people in Lower Bavaria. Over 2,000 were still unable to return to their homes two months later. Hardest hit was the Rottal-Inn district in Lower Bavaria. The aid will come from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF).

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Plenary sessions : Trust in the US took a hit following revelations of mass surveillance by Edward Snowden, but an agreement on data protection adopted by MEPs today should help to restore it. The deal known as the umbrella agreement covers the transfer of all personal data exchanged across the Atlantic when dealing with criminal offences, including terrorism. Green German MEP Jan Albrecht, who was responsible for steering the deal through Parliament", said it would ensure “high standards and high protection”.

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Plenary sessions : The European Commission should revise its code of conduct for Commissioners, to ensure that their declarations of interests give a complete picture of the financial situation and activities of a Commissioner and his or her family, said MEPs in a non-binding resolution voted on Thursday. The “cooling off” period for ex-Commissioners should be prolonged to 36 months, they added.

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Plenary sessions : For next year’s budget, MEPs have ensured better support for unemployed youngsters and additional funds to boost key initiatives supporting SMEs, transport infrastructure projects, research and Erasmus+ student mobility. Commitment appropriations for 2017 total €157.8578 billion, and payment appropriations €134.49 billion.

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Plenary sessions : The EU-US Umbrella Agreement on the protection of personal data exchanged for law enforcement purposes was backed by a broad majority of MEPs on Thursday. The deal will ensure high, binding data protection standards for data exchanged by police and law enforcement authorities across the Atlantic.

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Plenary sessions : Small investors need better information about the possible risks and fees for investment products they might buy, say MEPs. They voted on Thursday, by 561 votes to 9 with 75 abstentions, to delay the introduction of a key explanatory document supplied by investment providers to consumers, while the EU Commission comes up with better proposals.

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General : UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has warned MEPs that Aleppo's besieged eastern part could be obliterated by Christmas. After six years of war, the suffering of civilians in Syria continues unabated and in recent days more than 50,000 people have fled eastern areas of Syria’s second city as government forces advance. In an interview following his meeting yesterday with Parliament’s foreign affairs and development committees, the UN envoy spoke of the need for a political solution.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : It's a common problem on holiday: you are unable to watch your favourite TV show because the online subscription service you have at home won't work abroad due to copyright restrictions. This could soon change. On 29 November Parliament's legal affairs committee backed a proposal to give consumers the right to use their online subscriptions to films and other digital content when they temporarily stay in another EU country. Watch the video to find out more.

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Plenary sessions : President Schulz announced that two motions for resolutions, seeking a European Court of Justice opinion on the compatibility with the Treaties of the EU-US deal on protecting personal data exchanged for law enforcement purposes, will be put to the vote on Thursday, immediately before the vote on the recommendation drafted by Jan Philipp Albrecht.

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Plenary sessions : The EU-US “Umbrella Agreement” on the protection of personal data exchanged for law enforcement purposes will be debated on Wednesday evening at around 18.00. It aims to ensure high, binding data protection standards for data exchanged by police and law enforcement authorities for the cross-border prevention, tracking and prosecution of criminal offences, including terrorism.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Small investors need to be much better informed about possible risks and fees related to investment products they might buy, say MEPs. On Thursday they agreed to delay implementation of new rules under which investment companies have to provide a consumer-friendly document to guide prospective investors of “packaged retail and insurance-based investment products” (Priips).

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An EU scheme offering EU member states technical help with structural reforms needed to boost growth and jobs was backed by the Regional Development Committee on Tuesday.
Committee on Regional Development

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New rules to enable EU citizens subscribing to services that give access to online music, games, films or sporting events, to enjoy this content while abroad in another EU country were approved by the Legal Affairs Committee in a vote on Tuesday.
Committee on Legal Affairs

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Caps on the wholesale prices that telecoms operators charge each other for using their networks to carry cross-border “roaming” calls were agreed by industry MEPs on Tuesday. This brings the abolition of roaming charges for consumers a step closer.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

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