European Parliament

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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General : Proposals to regulate private security firms, a blacklist of countries linked to money laundering and the opportunities and challenges of the sharing economy are just some of the topics covered by Parliament committees this week. In addition the House of European History will be officially launched this week, while the Parliament opens its door to the general public in Brussels.

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In the eyes of a growing number of all EU citizens, belonging to the Union is a good thing. The new Eurobarometer survey also reveals which aspects of EU membership are most important to Britons.

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Committee meetings, Brussels

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General : In the eyes of a growing number of citizens, belonging to the EU is a good thing. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey of Europeans’ attitudes, figures are virtually back at their pre-crisis levels in 2007.

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Plenary sessions : From trade to Nato, the EU and Turkey have enjoyed a productive relationship in many domains for decades. However, recently relations have turned frosty as concerns mount over the state of democracy in the country with media outlets being closed and journalists being jailed. MEPs also keep a close eye on developments and wonder if it may not be time to rethink how the EU cooperates with Turkey. Read on for an overview of the options.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Venezuela’s government must ensure the full restoration of the democratic order and immediately release all political prisoners, urged Parliament on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : The appointment of European Parliament Vice-President Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz as a member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) was endorsed in plenary on Thursday by 326 votes to 126, with 193 abstentions.

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Plenary sessions : Young fishermen and fish farmers in the EU’s outermost regions (ORs) need financial help and incentives, including money for new boats, said Parliament on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : The Commission managed the 2015 EU budget funds according to the rules, so MEPs granted it a “discharge” approval for that year, in a resolution voted on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : EU rules are needed to oblige textile and clothing suppliers to respect workers’ rights, say MEPs in a resolution adopted on Thursday.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs from across the political spectrum urged Greece’s creditors on Thursday to swiftly conclude negotiations over the Greek bailout package, highlighting the pain that Greeks have endured.

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Plenary sessions : MEPs secured €8 million for cultural projects aiming to protect and promote Europe’s shared cultural heritage, as part of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage.

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Plenary sessions : Loopholes used by some of the world’s multinationals to avoid paying tax were closed by Parliament in a vote on Thursday.

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An EU country facing an emergency gas shortage will be able to alert another member state of the impending supply crisis and trigger cross-border assistance to remedy it, under new cooperation rules informally agreed by Parliament and Council negotiators Wednesday night.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

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Plenary sessions : Common EU-wide social rights, as proposed by the European Commission, the “European Pillar of Social Rights”, should be pegged at the highest level and not lead to a “race to the bottom”, MEPs stressed in a debate on Wednesday.

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Plenary sessions : Europe is not closing the door to Turkey, but recent developments prompt it to look for alternatives to Turkey’s accession to the EU, said MEPs in a debate with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn on Wednesday.

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Plenary sessions : Political group leaders and MEPs gave their views on Hungary’s new education law, perceived as targeting the Central European University, the tightening of rules for NGOs and asylum seekers and a government survey entitled “National Consultation - Let’s stop Brussels!”.

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Plenary sessions : President Tajani highlighted the international “Girls in ICT” Day, to be held on Thursday. This aims to encourage young women to study and take up careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

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Plenary sessions : The labour market has drastically changed in recent years due in part to the digital economy, leading to more temporary jobs and more people being treated as independent contractors. However, the EU is preparing legislation to reinforce workers' rights as part of the European pillar of social rights initiative. The European Commission will present the plans to MEPs on Wednesday 26 April. We asked two MEPs about the best ways to create fair working conditions for employees.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP