EU

European Parliament this week: Farm products, cultural objects, airports noise

Published

12 years ago

April 7, 2014

With the European elections approaching rapdily, the committees and political groups prepare for the last plenary of this legislature. During the week political groups will set their positions for the upcoming plenary starting 14 April while committees vote on deals reached with the Council. These include proposals for returning cultural objects, rules on noise restrictions at airports and measures to promote farm products.

Promotional measures to boost the sales of farm products within the EU and abroad will be put to a vote in the agriculture committee on Monday. The EP and member states have informally agreed that the EU's co-financing for promotion will be increased and that more products, such as beer, chocolate, bread and pasta, will be eligible. The Commission will also be able to act more swiftly to restore consumers' confidence when there are unjustified concerns about the safety of a product.

Vítor Constâncio, vice president of the European Central Bank, will present the bank's annual report for 2013 to the economic committee on 7 April.

The transport committee will vote Thursday (10 April) on an informal deal with national governments to ensure that national and regional authorities have the final say when deciding to apply operating restrictions for flights to limit noise at EU airports.

On the same day the culture and education committee will vote on a proposal concerning the return of cultural objects that were illegally removed from a member state after 1993. The Commission estimates that every year some 40,000 cultural objects are illegally removed in the EU.

A European Citizen's Initiative will have a hearing in Parliament on 10 April. Called 'One of Us', the initiative calls for a ban on financing research and other activities that could involve the destruction of human embryos.

Next week's plenary will be filled with important legislation that MEPs want to decide on before the European elections in May. This includes possible votes on how to deal with failing banks, protecting employees posted abroad, as well as boosting supplementary pension rights for people working in another country. Only less than seven weeks to go before the European elections on 22-25 May.