European Union

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is an important part of both Lithuanian and Belarusian history. But the mutual past is creating tensions between the two nations, which only benefits Russia.

The EU’s onshore wind and solar energy needs can be met without undermining food production or nature protection efforts, according to a report by the European Environmental Bureau released on Wednesday (24 July). However, this depends on human choices, at an individual and political level.

Hungary will block European Union refunds for member states that gave munitions to Ukraine until Kyiv allows the transit of oil from Russia's Lukoil through a pipeline over its territory, the Hungarian foreign minister said on Tuesday (23 July).

It’s no secret that Europe is facing some of the biggest challenges in its history, from the digital and green transition to climate adaptation and mitigation, along with the need to boost its security and defence resources and enhance its competitiveness.

The gentleman’s agreement among the EU's centrist parties to keep extremes at bay held as the European Parliament elected chairs and vice chairs of its committees, but rows over gender balance exposed tensions between the mainstream parties.

The UK, US, and EU competition authorities specified common fair competition principles on foundation artificial intelligence (AI) models like ChatGPT but did not commit to joint action, according to a joint statement on Tuesday (23 July). 

Carmen Crespo Díaz, a Spanish lawmaker from the European People's Party (EPP), was elected by acclamation chair of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee on Tuesday (23 July), an appointment welcomed by the industry and environmental NGOs.

Germany’s government and the centre-right opposition have struck a deal to ringfence the Constitutional Court against blockades and hostile takeovers, amid fears that the far-right could try to undermine the rule of law if it continues to gain ground. 

After decades of the same elites ruling through largely undemocratic means, Armenia has in recent years seen a surge in political polarisation that is threatening its ongoing democratic transformation.

The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees are taking place in Brussels on 23 July 2024, following the appointments of their members in the plenary sitting of 16-19 July. During the constitutive meetings, each committee and subcommittee is electing its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate. The newly set up committees will then start holding their regular meetings during the same week following their constitutive meeting.
The AFET constitutive meeting took place on Tuesday 23 July from 09.00 to 09.30 in room József Antall 2Q2 (Brussels).
The meeting was webstreamed.
AFET-SEDE-DROI calendar of meetings 2024
Meeting documents
Webstreaming
Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Commission opened a formal antitrust investigation into food delivery apps Delivery Hero and Glovo, examining whether the two are participating in a cartel, according to a Tuesday (23 July) press release.

While the political balances of the new European Parliament started to be redrafted on Tuesday (23 July) as MEPs picked the leading roles for each policy committee, the influential economic and monetary affairs (Econ) and budget committees remained firmly in the hands of incumbent parties – S&D and ECR respectively.

Length of video : 32'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The Committee on Foreign Affairs elected it's Bureau on 23 July 2024 during its constitutive meeting. David McAllister (EPP, Germany) was re-elected Chair of the Committee. He is joined in the Bureau by Hana Jalloul Muro (S&D, Spain) as First Vice-Chair, Urmas Paet (Renew, Estonia) as Second Vice-Chair, Alberico Gambino (ECR, Italy) as Third Vice-Chair and Ioan-Rareş Bogdan (EPP, Romania) as Fourth Vice-Chair (elected in absentia).
Taking the floor following his election, David McAllister stressed the need for AFET to start its work as quickly as possible in this time of high geopolitical tensions: "The European Union needs to maintain a strong transatlantic relationship, strengthen the European pillar within NATO, continue its support of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian war of aggression and contain Chinese influence. We need to put continued emphasis on the necessity of European enlargement. The Foreign Affairs Committee has an important role to play in all of those tasks. I will continue to work hard to ensure that all Members have the opportunity to contribute to this endeavour".
Press release
Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

The European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee (AGRI) elected on Tuesday (23 July) Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová as its chair but postponed a vote on one of the vice-chairs after a dispute about gender balance. 

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen committed to making agriculture a part of the Green Deal while ensuring that farmers can make a living during negotiations with the Greens/EFA last week, the Greens' coordinator for agriculture, Thomas Waitz, told Euractiv.

French energy industry representatives called on newly elected members of the national parliament in a joint letter on Monday (22 July) to ensure that the country's political instability does not hold back French energy policy.    

Greens MEP Anna Cavazzini (Germany) will be chairing the European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) for another term, according to a press release by the Parliament on Tuesday (23 July).

The three influential European Parliament committees responsible for energy and industry, environment, and transport elected their leaders for the next five years on Tuesday (23 July).

All of Parliament’s 20 standing committees and four subcommittees held their constitutive meetings on Tuesday to elect their Chair and Vice-Chairs.
Committee on Constitutional Affairs
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Committee on Budgets
Committee on Budgetary Control
Committee on Culture and Education
Committee on Development
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
Committee on International Trade
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Committee on Legal Affairs
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
Committee on Fisheries
Committee on Petitions
Committee on Regional Development
Committee on Transport and Tourism
Subcommittee on Human Rights
Subcommittee on Tax Matters
Subcommittee on Public Health
Subcommittee on Security and Defence

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP