Tag: European Parliament

If the EU leaders' agreement on the long-term EU budget does not respect the red lines spelled out by MEPs, namely flexibility, a mid-term review clause and more money for growth and investment, the European Parliament might decide to reject the proposal and revert to annual budgets, says Hannes Swoboda, leader of the Socialists and Democrats group.

The European Parliament’s agricultural committee began adopting dozens of amendments to the EU’s future farm policy on Wednesday (23 January), but approval remains far from certain when the full Parliament considers compromise proposals in March.

The European Parliament will formally demand sight of the report by OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud body, which preceded the resignation of former Health Commissioner John Dalli over alleged cash-for-influence from the Tobacco industry.

Europe's overseas aid commissioner urged rich nations not to renege on their commitments to help the world's poor people, even as EU capitals grapple with their own financing problems.

MEPs face a daunting two weeks as they attempt to iron out glitches in key banking union regulations before heads of state meet in December to seal the new regime. Parliament’s life would be made easier if they knew how many countries want to join the new union, the rapporteur on one of the two regulations tells EurActiv.

Europe's first direct curbs on ultrafast trading and investors who take bets on commodity prices moved a step nearer on Friday (26 October) when the European Parliament backed new securities rules.

Financial market fraudsters across the EU could face imprisonment from next year under new EU-wide banking rules voted by MEPs in the European Parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee yesterday (October 9).

If the scheduled extraordinary European Council in November does not agree on a framework for the 2014-2020 budget or if the European Parliament denies its approval, the future of the EU will be held hostage to an unstable and unmanageable environment, argues Ivailo Kalfin.

With an overhaul of air quality laws due within a year, health advocates are calling for the European Commission to resist pressure to tone down the EU’s pollution standards and instead replace them with stronger UN guidelines.

The potentially harmful effects of medicinal products will be better monitored in the future as changes to existing EU legislation, adopted yesterday (11 September), tighten up the European system. Problems with medical products in any member state will also  be evaluated.

The European Union's image has improved in the eyes of a majority of Europeans in the last 10 months, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey.

German MEP Constanze Krehl was working to win a mandate on EU funds for the 2014-2020 multi-annual financial framework. She says EU funds will be completely revamped to support projects that fall in line with the EU's 2020 goals, but throws her support behind coal plants.

The European Parliament has moved a step closer towards establishing a single, liberalised European rail network after a round of voting on the proposed competition rules.

The European Parliament yesterday (19 June) diluted moves to rein in credit rating agencies, bowing to pressure from banks and companies that argued that proposals were unworkable or counterproductive.

Danish MEP Emilie Turunen explains why the European Commission should strengthen protections for the elderly, disabled and other potentially vulnerable consumers.

Europe’s consumer laws fail to protect the most vulnerable people, say member of the European Parliament who called for tougher measures to prevent senior citizens, children and the disabled from being victims of rip-offs or aggressive marketing.

The draft energy efficiency directive, initially billed as the most important energy savings law to date, is being held back by the "vested interests" of large energy companies with very close ties to member states, EU sources have said.

With 60 days left before the Rio sustainable development conference, MEPs have sent a message to the European Commission to produce “without delay” an ambitious environmental agenda for the decade ahead that avoids past failures.

The energy efficiency bill is entering its final round of amendments, as the first talks between the European Commission, Parliament and Council will commence in an informal meeting tomorrow (11 April).

Thirty years on, Margaret Thatcher's education policies have created a shortage of skills in the EU institutions, which are struggling to recruit English-language interpreters and translators. The UK's House of Lords has called on the government to address Britain's "monoglot culture" by re-instating compulsory language classes in schools.

Earmarking too large a chunk of the European Union’s cohesion funds for environmental projects in the 2014-2020 budget could be "detrimental", MEPs said.

European Parliament political groups put aside their differences on the Energy Efficiency Directive and decided today (28 February) to jump start negotiations with the EU Council before the vote in the plenary session next month. 

The European Parliament needs to make a strong bid for the Energy Efficiency bill by speaking with a united voice at the Energy committee's vote on 28 February, says Wendel Trio, director of Climate Action Network Europe. 

Socialist members of the European Parliament have set up an "alternative Troika" to find solutions for Greece beyond austerity measures, with their group leader going as far as likening the current task force to "locusts". The socialists' concerns about Greece were largely echoed by other political group leaders in the Assembly, EurActiv France reports from Strasbourg.