European Parliament (News)

Plenary sessions : The EU should place mandatory limits on industrially-produced trans-fatty acids (TFA) which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, infertility, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and obesity for consumers, says a resolution voted on Wednesday. TFA intake is mostly linked to consumption of industrially produced, partially hydrogenated oils.

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Plenary sessions : The threats, violations and restrictions faced by journalists in Turkey will be debated with Commissioner Corina Creţu, representing EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, late on Wednesday afternoon. Since the 15 July failed coup d’état, which left 241 people dead and thousands injured, 90 journalists have been jailed, more than 2,500 have lost their jobs and arrest warrants have been issued against hundreds of media workers in the country.

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Plenary sessions : New rules to curb the growing influx into the EU of plant pests, such as olive grove killer Xylella fastidiosa, and better equip member states to tackle their spread, were endorsed by the Parliament on Wednesday. The new regulation introduces preventive and rapid response mechanisms for suspect plant imports, steps up pest surveillance efforts in the EU and requires all member states to draw up outbreak contingency plans.

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Plenary sessions : Parliament backs the EU Commission case for investing in innovation, growth and job creation, pursuing socially-balanced structural reforms, and encouraging responsible public finances, in a resolution on EU economic priorities for 2017, voted on Wednesday.

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Plenary sessions : The EU needs to update its long-term financial plan to cope with unforeseen crises said MEPs in their vote on its forthcoming review, on Wednesday. MEPs acknowledged that the Commission’s proposal to revise the multiannual financial framework (MFF) genuinely responds to requests in Parliament’s negotiating stance, adopted in July, for more flexibility and an EU crisis reserve. However, they were disappointed that resources remain unchanged.

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Plenary sessions : The websites and apps of public administrations, hospitals, courts and other public sector bodies will have to be made accessible to everyone, under new EU-wide rules approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday. The web accessibility directive, already agreed by Parliament and Council, should make it easier for disabled and elderly people to access data and services on the internet, e.g. to file a tax declaration, apply for an allowance, pay fees or enrol at university.

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Plenary sessions : Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker briefed MEPs on the political conclusions of the latest EU summit in Wednesday’s plenary debate. Political group leaders focused on the proposed EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) recently rejected by Wallonia’s parliament, EU-Russia relations, trade defence instruments and migration.

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Plenary sessions : Migrant children, and especially those travelling alone, are among the most vulnerable people on earth. MEPs will discuss how the EU can guarantee their rights and protection in a debate with Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos on Wednesday afternoon at around 16.00. The consequences of the dismantlement of the Calais “jungle”, where there were several unaccompanied asylum-seekers, are likely to be raised.

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General : The UK's decision to leave the Union will already affect the EU's budget for next year. "There has already been an unforeseeable situation and now we have to deal with this problem," said Jens Geier, the MEP who will negotiate on behalf of the Parliament regarding the bulk of the EU's budget for 2017. MEPs will vote on Parliament's position in plenary on 26 October. We talked to the German S&D member about how Brexit is affecting the budget and the upcoming negotiations with the Council

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Plenary sessions : MEPs welcomed the EU Commission proposal for a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) in a debate with Commissioner Pierre Moscovici on Tuesday evening.

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Plenary sessions : When it comes to budget talks, the stakes are high, but the terminology can be baffling. On Wednesday 26 October MEPs vote on Parliament's position regarding the EU's 2017 budget and the revision of the long-term budget, while in the afternoon the EU Court of Auditors presents its assessment of the 2015 budget. All of this is important, but it can be challenging to decode the terms used. Read our brief glossary to make sense of it all.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs want an EU work programme in line with genuine concerns and expectations of the Europeans. In their debate with Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans on Tuesday, they focused on the social dimensions of EU policies, investment, trade, migration and security.

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Plenary sessions : Parliament debated both the mid-term revision of the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2014-2020 and the EU budget for 2017 with budgets Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday afternoon. For the 2017 budget debate, MEPs were joined by Slovakia’s state secretary for finance Ivan Lesay, representing the Council Presidency.

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Plenary sessions : To end the current “crisis-driven” approach to perceived breaches of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in EU member states, the EU Commission should set up a binding EU mechanism to monitor and report annually on their records in these fields, say MEPs in a resolution passed on Tuesday. This mechanism should include objective benchmarks and lay down a gradual approach to remedying breaches, they add.

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Plenary sessions : Clear rules requiring EU firms to respect human rights in all their global operations must be laid down and enforced, urge MEPs in a resolution voted on Tuesday. Clauses on corporate liability for human rights violations should be included in EU trade and investment agreements, they add. MEPs also advocate creating a certified “abuse-free” product label at EU level.

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Plenary sessions : The EU strategy for liquefied natural gas (LNG) must make energy supplies more secure, cut carbon emissions and deliver affordable prices say MEPs in a resolution voted on Tuesday. Parliament calls on the EU Commission to aim to reduce the EU’s dependency on gas in the long term by using it more efficiently and gradually phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.

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Plenary sessions : EU fisheries rules should be applied uniformly to all EU fishermen, so that they are treated fairly, say MEPs in a resolution voted on Tuesday. Inspection procedures, e.g. for net mesh sizes and catches, should be standardized, as should penalties for infringements, it says. Introducing an EU “core curriculum” for training all fisheries inspectors, and using compatible real-time communication technologies EU wide, would also help improve fairness, it adds.

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Plenary sessions : The Commission should review its legislation against corruption and organised crime to better equip Member States in their fight against criminal organisations operating in the EU, say MEPs in a non-legislative resolution passed on Tuesday. MEPs call for initiatives such as EU-wide rules to seize assets from criminal organisations to re-use for social purposes and protection of whistle-blowers.

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Plenary sessions : Plans to prolong a 10% increase in the EU contribution towards regional and social project costs in Greece until 30 June of the year after its economic adjustment programme ends were approved by Parliament on Tuesday. MEPs also approved a special provision whereby the EU would pay up to 85% of project costs in Cyprus until the current regional and social policy programming period ends in 2020.

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General : When Jean-Claude Juncker became president of the European Commission in 2014, he told the European Parliament he would focus on making progress on growth, employment, investment and the digital economy. As Parliament is keen to ensure these promises are kept, it has developed a digital tool to follow progress on the 10 priorities chosen by Juncker. The Legislative Train Schedule shows the current status of each piece of proposed legislation as well as its development.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP