Parliament

Press release - MEPs call for tougher EU rules to reduce textiles and food waste

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Conference, Textile, EPR, Table tennis rubber, Recycling, ECR, Clothing, Food, Foodservice, Parliament, Eye, Commission, Restaurant

MEPs call for tougher EU rules to reduce textiles and food waste

Key Points: 
  • MEPs call for tougher EU rules to reduce textiles and food waste
    - More ambitious 2030 targets to reduce food waste
    - Producers to have greater responsibility for textile products, clothing and footwear
    - 60 million tonnes of food waste and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated annually in the EU
    - Less than 1% of all textiles worldwide are recycled into new products
    On Wednesday, Parliament adopted its proposals to better prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU.
  • MEPs adopted their first reading position on the proposed revision of the Waste Framework with 514 votes in favour, 20 against and 91 abstentions.
  • Background
    Every year, 60 million tonnes of food waste (131 kg per person) and 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated in the EU.
  • Clothing and footwear alone account for 5.2 million tonnes of waste, equivalent to 12 kg of waste per person every year.

Press release - Euro 7: Parliament adopts measures to reduce road transport emissions

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Health, Conference, European emission standards, Euro, PM10, ECR, Laboratory, Parliament, Commission, Council, CO2

Euro 7: Parliament adopts measures to reduce road transport emissions

Key Points: 
  • Euro 7: Parliament adopts measures to reduce road transport emissions
    - Road vehicles to stay cleaner for longer, improving air quality
    - Lower exhaust emissions limits for buses and trucks
    - New measures to limit particle emissions from tyres and brakes and to increase battery durability
    - Environmental Vehicle Passport to contain information on environmental performance
    On Wednesday, MEPs gave their green light to new EU rules to reduce emissions from passenger cars, vans, buses, trucks and trailers.
  • Vehicles will need to comply with the new standards for longer, ensuring they remain cleaner throughout their lifetime.
  • Reducing emissions, increasing battery durability
    For passenger cars and vans, the current Euro 6 test conditions and exhaust emissions limits will be maintained.
  • The current emission limits apply to cars and vans (Euro 6) and to buses, trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles (Euro VI).

Press release - MEPs agree to extend trade support for Moldova, continue work on Ukraine

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
ATM, Deep, Crime, Farmer, Republic, European Union Association Agreement, Aggression, International trade, Committee, Parliament, Commission, Council, European Commission, Legislation

MEPs agree to extend trade support for Moldova, continue work on Ukraine

Key Points: 
  • MEPs agree to extend trade support for Moldova, continue work on Ukraine
    - MEPs reinforced safeguards for EU farmers in case of a surge in Ukrainian products
    - Negotiations with Council to extend trade support for Ukraine to start
    - Duties and quotas temporarily suspended for Moldova for another year
    On Wednesday, MEPs endorsed the renewal of trade liberalisation measures for Moldova and amended the proposal on Ukraine to reinforce safeguards for EU farmers.
  • The liberalising measures are conditional on Ukraine’s respect for democratic principles, human rights, the rule of law, and its sustained efforts to fight corruption and organised crime.
  • The trade liberalisation measures allowed Moldova to redirect some of its trade with the rest of the world via the EU.
  • The current suspension expires on 5 June 2024 for Ukraine and on 24 July 2024 for Moldova.

Press release - Deal on making firearms import and export more transparent to fight trafficking

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Firearm, Crime, Seizure, Risk, S&D, Schengen Information System, Parliament, Dual, Commission, ELS, Legislation, EP, Arms industry

The revised regulation aims to make import and export of firearms in the EU more transparent and more traceable, reducing the risk of trafficking.

Key Points: 
  • The revised regulation aims to make import and export of firearms in the EU more transparent and more traceable, reducing the risk of trafficking.
  • Electronic licensing
    The rules set up an EU-wide electronic licensing system (ELS) for manufacturers and dealers, replacing the predominantly paper-based national ones.
  • Competent authorities will have to check the central system, containing all refusals, before granting an import or export authorisation.
  • There is no link between the revision of this legislation and the export of firearms for military purposes to Ukraine.

Press release - Court of Auditors: European Parliament endorses new Italian member

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
European Court, European Parliament, Minister, ECA, Substitute, Parliament, Council, Treaty on European Union, Italian Court, European Court of Auditors

Court of Auditors: European Parliament endorses new Italian member

Key Points: 
  • Court of Auditors: European Parliament endorses new Italian member
    On Thursday MEPs supported the candidacy of Carlo Alberto Manfredi Selvaggi, nominated by the Italian government, for the EU Court of Auditors (ECA).
  • Background
    Carlo Alberto Manfredi Selvaggi has been serving in the Italian Court of Auditors since 1997, as Substitute Prosecutor General until 2005, and Deputy Prosecutor General until 2021.
  • The mandate of the previous Italian ECA member Mr Pietro Russo expired on 29 February.
  • Under the EU Treaty, each member state can propose its candidate for the European Court of Auditors.

Press release - Human rights breaches in Afghanistan and Venezuela

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Democracy, Capital punishment, Environment, European Parliament, Human rights, Prison, Education, Violence, United Nations, High commissioner, Crime, Parliament, Woman, Supreme Tribunal of Justice, Council, International Criminal Court, Taliban, Justice, European, International, Work, UN, LGBTIQ, Drug

- MEPs denounce gender persecution and gender apartheid, demanding Taliban must be held accountable for their crimes

Key Points: 
  • - MEPs denounce gender persecution and gender apartheid, demanding Taliban must be held accountable for their crimes
    - Increase sanctions on the regime in Venezuela including Maduro himself
    On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted two resolutions on the respect for human rights in Afghanistan and Venezuela.
  • The repressive environment in Afghanistan, including public executions and violence against women
    MEPs are gravely concerned by the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan.
  • Demanding their immediate and unconditional release, Parliament exhorts the regime to cease repressing and attacking civil society and the opposition.
  • They urge the International Criminal Court to include ongoing human rights violations and arbitrary detentions in its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed by the Maduro regime.

Press release - EU Health Data Space to support patients and research

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
LIBE, EPP, Education, Patient, Research, Cancer, Prescription, Insurance, Parliament, European Health Data Space, Statistics, Electronic health record, Council, Patient safety, ID, EP, EHR, Intellectual property, Privacy, Advertising, Medical device

EP and Council negotiators agreed on the creation of a European Health Data Space to ease access to personal health data and to boost secure sharing for the public interest.Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Key Points: 


EP and Council negotiators agreed on the creation of a European Health Data Space to ease access to personal health data and to boost secure sharing for the public interest.Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food SafetyCommittee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Press release - Foreign Affairs Committee and EU ministers debate enlargement

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Annual report, European Council, Aggression, Foreign Affairs, Committee, Parliament, Security policy, Enlargement, Reform, Balkans

On Tuesday, MEPs on the Committee on Foreign Affairs will discuss the future of EU enlargement with ministers, vice-ministers and secretaries of state of EU member states.

Key Points: 
  • On Tuesday, MEPs on the Committee on Foreign Affairs will discuss the future of EU enlargement with ministers, vice-ministers and secretaries of state of EU member states.
  • Ahead of the European Council, during which EU leaders will debate the future of EU enlargement, Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs will discuss enlargement with the foreign ministers of Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and the deputy ministers or secretaries of state of Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and Hungary.
  • MEPs want to exchange views with their guests and to seek solutions on how to approach challenges that EU enlargement will face in the future.
  • To address this, the report recommends that the EU reform its neighbourhood policy and accelerate the enlargement process.

Press release - Platform Work: first green light to new EU rules on employment status

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Intelligence, Parliament, Employment, Workplace, Council, Algorithm, Official Journal, Person

The new rules, agreed on by the Parliament and the Council in February, aim to ensure that platform workers have their employment status classified correctly and to correct bogus self-employment.

Key Points: 
  • The new rules, agreed on by the Parliament and the Council in February, aim to ensure that platform workers have their employment status classified correctly and to correct bogus self-employment.
  • The provisional agreement on the Platform Work Directive was adopted by the Employment and Social Affairs Committee with 37 votes in favour and 3 against.
  • The directive obliges EU countries to establish a rebuttable legal presumption of employment at national level, aiming to correct the imbalance of power between the platform and the person performing platform work.
  • The burden of proof lies with the platform, meaning that it is up to the platform to prove that there is no employment relationship.