European Parliament

General : Europe Day, celebrated on 9 May, is all about our common journey from war to peace and cooperation. It was on 9 May 1950 that then French foreign minister Robert Schuman put in words a dream of a different Europe working together to overcome conflicts and growing stronger step by step. In 1958, this dream took shape in the Rome Treaties that set the basis for the European Union. Francesco Fresi was present in Rome at the signing and shared with us his thoughts on Europe’s extraordinary journey.

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General : The European Parliament’s official Twitter accounts have hit the one million follower milestone. Parliament first dipped its toes into Twitter back in April 2009, launching accounts in 22 EU languages. Eight years later, it boasts more than a million followers for its 26 accounts, including Europarl_photo, where you can find the best images of the Parliament and the people in it.

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Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

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General : The rights of EU citizens living in the UK and how they will be affected by Brexit is the focus of a hearing organised by three parliamentary committees this week. In addition the inquiry committee investigating the Panama papers holds a meeting with representatives from the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and Madeira to discuss their tax regimes.Political groups also prepare for next week's plenary session.

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General : Europeans increasingly realise the need for common solutions to the most pressing problems, yet question whether politics will be able to deliver, according to a new survey. The Eurobarometer survey, carried out in March, was commissioned by the European Parliament to get an idea of what people want. Check out our infographic to see in which areas people expect more from the European Union and read on for an overview of the survey's main findings.

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Committee and political group meetings, Brussels

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General : The House of European History is a new Brussels-based museum offering a fresh and though-provoking way of seeing and understanding Europe's history and the development of European integration. Situated just a few minutes' walk from the Parliament, it will be open seven days a week from 6 May free of charge..

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

General : European Parliament President Antonio Tajani officially opened the House of European History (HEH) on Thursday in a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony held in the presence of former EP president Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering (chair of the Board of Trustees) and Professor Wlodzimierz Borodziej (chair of the HEH Academic Committee). The museum will be open to the public as of this Saturday 6 May.

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General : Parliament opens its doors to the public in Brussels this Saturday from 10.00 to 18.00 CET. It's an opportunity to explore the plenary chamber, join a guided tour and take part in debates. In addition visitors enjoy the chance to be among the first to visit the House of European History, a new museum that is opening its doors on the same day.

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General : "Cooperation between our two parliaments has emerged stronger from this Tunisian week", said European Parliament Vice-President David-Maria Sassoli as the event closed on Thursday. "We must now give concrete form to the shared experiences and good practices, to benefit all our citizens", he added.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

The EU should have an autonomous process for judging whether countries are at high-risk of money laundering, say committee MEPs after rejecting for a second time, by 61 votes to 7 with 32 abstentions, a blacklist of countries drawn up by the EU Commission.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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EU citizens could pay less for e-books after plans to allow member states to reduce VAT on e-publications were backed in committee on Wednesday.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

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General : Private companies are increasingly used by European countries and the EU to provide security and military services in missions abroad. However, military tasks and the protection of civilians are heavy responsibilities and if something goes wrong it can have fatal consequences. Parliament's foreign affairs committee has drafted rules to increase the accountability of private security firms and prevent them from taking on military combat tasks. MEPs will vote on the report during the June plenary.

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General : Online platforms such as Uber, Airbnb and Deliveroo that match providers of goods and services with consumers have become household names in just a few years. The total transactions' value for the four main sectors involved in the so-called collaborative economy already reached €28 billion in the EU in 2015, nearly double that of 2014. However, this new business model also comes with challenges and opportunities, which are dealt with in a report adopted by the internal market committee on 3 May.

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General : “When freedom of the press ends, so does democracy. We've seen this in the past,” said MEP Jaromír Štětina. The Czech member of the EPP group is a former journalist who lost his job during the Prague Spring back in 1968 when the Warsaw Pact armies invaded Czechoslovakia. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 2014. On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, we asked him about the importance of free media. Watch our video to find out what he had to say.

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The EU should reap “collaborative” economy benefits while ensuring fair competition, workers’ rights and tax compliance.
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

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General : World Press Freedom Day is marked every year on 3 May, but there is little reason to celebrate as journalists continue to be repressed and persecuted all over the world. The challenges facing the press are discussed by Parliament's human rights subcommittee on Thursday morning, with a special focus on the growing threat of disinformation. Check out our handy guide on how to spot fake news.

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Private security companies must respect minimum requirements on accountability, the screening of staff and reporting on misconduct, while staying away from tasks usually reserved for the military said committee MEPs on Tuesday.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Security and Defence

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Growing EU-NATO cooperation to fight human trafficking in Mediterranean and boost cyber defence capabilities was welcomed by Foreign Affairs and Defence MEPs in a debate with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday.
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Security and Defence

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Plenary sessions : Debt relief for Greece will be looked into at the next Eurogroup meeting on 22 May, according to Jeroen Dijsselbloem. The president of the informal body of the eurozone's finance ministers made the announcement during a plenary debate in Parliament on 27 April. He also apologised to MEPs about recent remarks that proved controversial.

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