European Parliament
#Verhofstadt on future EU-UK relations: ‘We should be ambitious’
Ahead of Wednesday’s (29 January) vote on the withdrawal agreement, European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt (Renew Europe, Belgium) laid out his thoughts. One of the aims of the withdrawal agreement is to protect citizens’ rights. How will they be safeguarded? Citizens’ rights are safeguarded on several levels. First of all, on the level of […]
#Brexit – Signed, sealed, and not quite delivered
This morning (24 January), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel signed the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the UK in Brussels, writes Catherine Feore. The European Parliament’s plenary will hold a vote on the agreement on 29 January. Once the European Parliament has given its consent, the Council […]
#PetTrafficking – Measures against the illegal puppy business
MEPs want action to tackle the illegal trade in pets in order to better protect animals and punish rule breakers. Many pets are traded illegally across the EU generating high profit at a low risk, often providing a profitable source of income for criminal networks. To clamp down on the illegal trade in pets, the environment […]
Show us the money for new policy proposals, MEPs tell budget commissioner
Commissioner Hahn in the Budget Committee The European Commission needs to clarify how it plans to fund new policy proposals for the EU’s budget for 2021-2027, said the budget committee. During a debate with Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn (pictured) on 22 January, members of the Parliament’s negotiating team for the EU’s next long-term budget expressed […]
#MobilityPackage – Transport Committee backs deal with EU ministers
Mobility package: Transport MEPs approve deal on road transport sector reform A deal between Parliament and Finnish Presidency negotiators on reforming the road transport sector was approved by the Transport and Tourism Committee on Tuesday (21 January). The revised rules for posting of drivers, drivers’ rest times and better enforcement of cabotage rules (i.e. transport of […]
#Brexit – MEPs concerned about citizens’ rights
MEPs are concerned over EU and UK citizens’ rights, including freedom of movement© Shutterstock.com/1000 Words Parliament highlights that assurances are needed on the protection of citizens’ rights to ensure its consent to the Withdrawal Agreement. In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, MEPs take stock of citizens’ rights in the context of Brexit and highlight that […]
MEPs call for a common electronic charger
Different chargers for each piece of equipment could soon be a thing of the past MEPs want to make life easier for consumers and cut electronic waste through the introduction of a common charger for all mobile devices. They called on the European Commission to come up with a proposal by July 2020 during a debate […]