European Union

Russia has admonished the EU and Poland for organising a meeting with EU and foreign diplomats to discuss potential sanctions against Moscow with jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s close associates. Moscow would consider it morally and ethically “treasonous” that Navalny’s associates...

The German government wants to create a culture of open data sharing - and is setting a good example. The second Open Data Act, which the cabinet passed on Wednesday (10 February), expands the obligations of public authorities to make their data available to the general public. EURACTIV Germany reports.

On Wednesday, MEPs called for democratic oversight of tech giants to safeguard freedom of expression.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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MEPs called on the EU to step up its efforts to regulate social media while safeguarding freedom of speech and avoiding censorship.

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

"In the context of the exponential growth of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the President of the European Parliament has announced a number of measures to contain the spread of epidemic and to safeguard Parliament's core activities.

The current precautionary measures adopted by the European Parliament to contain the spread of COVID-19 do not affect work on legislative priorities. Core activities are reduced, but maintained to ensure that the institution's legislative, budgetary, scrutiny functions are maintained.

The meetings will be with remote participation for Members (being able to view and listen to proceedings, ask for the floor and intervene in the meeting). Other participants are invited to follow the meeting through webstreaming.

Following these decisions, the next ordinary AFET Committee meetings will take place on 22-23 February (via videoconference).

EP Calendar 2021
AFET-SEDE-DROI meetings
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

Raising awareness of a critical issue too early may prove to be counterproductive, either because short-sighted politicians focus on short-term interests or because they simply do not see what is coming up.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament adopted a set of ambitious proposals on the EU’s circular economy action plan on Tuesday (9 February), including calls to introduce mandatory targets to reduce waste.

The European Commission wants to promote a "strong social dimension" at the May summit in Porto, as part of the Portuguese EU Council presidency, advocating a focus on young people who are facing a "difficult period" due to the COVID-19 crisis​​​​​​​.

The EU must continue its concerted efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and take urgent measures to ramp up vaccines production to meet citizens’ expectations, MEPs say.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

While European lawmakers were scolding the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell for his ill-fated trip to Russia, European Council President Charles Michel has announced he will be travelling to Ukraine and Georgia in March.

The EU should prohibit targeted advertising as part of new rules against Big Tech platforms in the bloc's Digital Services Act, the EU's institutional data protection watchdog has said.

The head of the French state-controlled energy group, EDF, defended a planned restructuring of the company, dubbed 'Project Hercules' on Wednesday (10 February), as a spat grows between France and the European Union over the future of the company.

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted to pass the EU's €672.5 recovery and resilience facility on Tuesday evening (9 February), unlocking unprecedented funding aimed at helping Europe "build back better" after the COVID-19 crisis.

A range of private media outlets went off the air in Poland on Wednesday (10 February), running blank pages and slogans such as "this used to be your favourite programme," in protest against a proposed media advertising tax they say threatens journalistic independence and diversity.

The use of sexual services provided by trafficking victims must be criminalised and harder measures to tackle its proliferation are needed, Parliament says.
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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To fight inequality and in-work poverty, MEPs call for a minimum wage, equal labour conditions for platform workers and a better work-life balance.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

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MEPs call on the Commission and member states to increase their efforts to prevent the pandemic from having lasting negative effects on young people and the sports sector.
Committee on Culture and Education

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MEPs urge the European Central Bank to consider different policy measures to those currently in place to stimulate the EU economy, which faces darkening prospects.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

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On Wednesday, Parliament approved the Recovery and Resilience Facility, designed to help EU countries tackle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Committee on Budgets
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP