About: European Parliament
Parliament urges Council to start negotiating on next EU long-term budget
The European Parliament laid down funding priorities for the next long-term EU budget on Tuesday (13 November) and urged the Council to agree on a common position so that talks be completed before next May. But differences still remain about the level of member states' contributions.
ECR puts forward Czech MEP as their Spitzenkandidat nominee
Czech MEP Jan Zahradil will be the lead candidate of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) to run for the presidency of the next European Commission, party chief Syed Kamall announced on Tuesday (13 October).
Parliament rubber-stamps Europe’s 2030 clean energy laws
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday (13 November) a set of three clean energy laws for 2030, including binding targets for renewable energies, an indicative objective on energy savings and a separate text on the governance of the Energy Union.
In Strasbourg, Merkel brings European army one step further
In an eagerly awaited speech on the future of Europe before what she called 'the biggest democratic parliament of the world', German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Tuesday (13 November) for a "real, true European army" and a common asylum framework.
European cities slow to adopt electric buses
Fully electric buses account for only 9% of urban bus sales in Europe, according to research by Transport and Environment (T&E), a green campaign group. High upfront costs are the biggest barrier to their deployment on a mass scale.
Money for agriculture must go to those who cultivate the land, MEPs insist
The ample funding provided by the EU's Common Agricultural Policy should be used by real farmers and not those who lease land for profit, said members of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. EURACTIV's media partner Dnevnik reports.
Big brands pledge to turn tide on global plastic waste
Big brands - from Coca Cola to Kellogg - pledged on Monday (29 October) to cut all plastic waste from their operations in what the United Nations called the most ambitious effort yet to fight plastic pollution.
European Parliament wants to ban neo-fascist groups
Faced with the upsurge in xenophobia in Europe, MEPs want to take firm action against neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups, which currently benefit from a certain level of discretion in several countries. EURACTIV France reports.
Trans-Europe Express – Water, water, everywhere
“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” Those words by the late Jacques Cousteau become truer by the day in our ever more polluted world. But the EU could be on the brink of cleaning up the one thing none of us can live without.
French people barely comforted by positive economic conditions
France tends to develop in the opposite direction to the rest of the eurozone and the economic lights are now on green. However, French morale tells a very different story and the international situation raises concerns among economic forecasters. EURACTIV France reports.
European funds: What next for the Polish economy?
European funds were one of the factors that helped Poland avoid the serious effects of the financial crisis. Negotiations on the new seven-year financial framework have already begun in the European Parliament. The outcome could have a major effect on how Poles vote in next May's elections.
MEPs crank up crusade against single-use plastics
MEPs moved on Wednesday (24 October) to ban widely-used, throw-away plastics such as straws, bags and cotton buds, putting the burden on manufacturers to recycle more in an effort to clear up ocean pollution.
Commission urges Parliament, Council to move on transparency
The European Commission is unhappy with the lack of progress in negotiating its proposal for a mandatory transparency register with the European Parliament and Council and has urged the Parliament to consider making "meaningful" proposals before "our next political meeting", according to an official letter seen by EURACTIV.com.
French people convinced by EU but poorly motivated to vote
Support for the EU is at its highest level for 26 years. However, this enthusiasm is not reflected in the projections for turnout at the next European elections. EURACTIV France reports.
#MeToo blog allows victims at European Parliament to speak freely
A new blog is collecting accounts of sexual harassment at the European Parliament, whether they be inappropriate comments, touching or sexual assaults. An advisory committee has also put new measures in place. EURATIV France’s media partner Ouest-France reports.
Kazakh families torn apart in China’s Xinjiang crackdown
When he looks back on his youth in China's far-west Xinjiang region, Akikat Kaliolla, an ethnic Kazakh, recalls the place's natural beauty and the big, colourful weddings typical of his majority-Muslim community.
European Parliament revs up CO2 car limits
MEPs voted in Strasbourg on Wednesday (3 October) in favour of a 40% CO2 reduction target for light vehicles by 2030. The target is higher than what the Commission has proposed and tough talks with national capitals now loom large on the horizon.
Trans-Europe Express – EU values, the elephant in the room
As MEPs from across the political spectrum prepare to face off in kick-off European election debates in the coming weeks, one thing is clear: the words "European values" will be heard a lot.
Sakharov Prize nominees include NGOs in the Mediterranean
The nominees for the 2018 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought have been announced on Thursday (27 September), including Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia and NGOs saving lives of migrants in the Mediterranean. Since 1988, THE...
Parliamentarians: Europe and Asia are the two pillars to take world forward
Multilateralism is the most effective mechanism to deal with climate change, said, participants of the 10th Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting held in Brussels on 27-28 September.
Energy efficiency: ‘Tough legislation means tough enforcement’
New EU rules on buildings and energy efficiency standards, adopted earlier this year, are “tough but fair” and will need to be implemented and enforced correctly, according to the architects of the legislation.
Europe’s 2050 climate strategy takes shape
A group of 19 countries officially launched the Carbon Neutrality Coalition in New York on Thursday (27 September), just weeks before the European Commission is expected to publish a document outlining policy scenarios to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Eternal debate continues over having a single seat for European Parliament
For four days a month, the entire European Parliament moves from Brussels to Strasbourg. In his documentary, Le grand déménagement (“The big move”), Olivier Lamour addresses the perennial European debate: should there only be a single European seat in Brussels? EURACTIV France reports.