16-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
Commission took the opportunity provided by the September 2016 mid-term
review/revision of the MFF 2014-2020 to propose the creation of a new
innovative financial instrument – the European Fund for Sustainable
Development (EFSD). The EFSD is part of the partnership framework for
cooperation with countries with high irregular emigration and is one of
the pillars of the new external investment plan, inspired by the success
of the investment plan for Europe. The proposed fund aims to mobilise
EU grants to catalyse investment from public and private sources to
tackle the root causes of migration in the European neighbourhood and
Africa, while helping to achieve the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development
Goals. Some NGOs have voiced concern regarding the migration compacts
themselves, and the proposal for the new fund, fearing the use of
development policy resources for migration management purposes and in
pursuit of European private sector interests. Second edition. The ‘EU
Legislation in Progress’ briefings are updated at key stages throughout
the legislative procedure.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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16-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
In
a 2015 speech, European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu,
re-ignited the debate on the post-2020 cohesion policy reform by
suggesting ten main issues for future reflection. One issue is about how
the EU's cohesion policy can best contribute to its two objectives:
competitiveness and cohesion. Finding the most efficient form of support
is an important point of reflection: should it be grants, repayable
assistance, financial instruments, or possibly a mix of all of these
along with further thematic concentration? In addition, the way that
cohesion policy addresses new or growing challenges (such as migration)
is widely debated. Other issues to consider are simplification of policy
for beneficiaries, the importance of achieving better governance, and
the contribution of cohesion policy to the EU’s economic governance.
Another topic deals with the best way to support lagging regions.
Special attention is also paid to the role of the urban dimension in
cohesion policy. How cohesion policy can best support growth, jobs and
innovation outside heavily populated areas and in regions with special
geographical characteristics is also another issue of discussion in
policy circles. Last but not least, the method of allocation of cohesion
policy funds is another thought-provoking topic. In a 2016 speech, the
Commissioner focused on four main areas: flexibility, performance,
economic governance along with structural reforms, and simplification.
Since then, the issue of Brexit has further complicated discussions
regarding the future of cohesion policy. The departure of the UK from
the EU may have a significant impact on the EU budget and consequently
on the financial envelope for cohesion policy. This briefing is an
update of an earlier edition, published in May 2016.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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16-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
Transatlantic
regulatory patterns overall and in four key sectors: food, automobiles,
chemicals, and pharmaceuticals indicate that the EU risk regulation is
not always or generally more stringent or precautionary than the US
regulation. In fact, the reality is a complex mix of parity and
particularity. While there is overall EU-US similarity, there is also
variation. In some risk matters, and across and within sectors, there is
more precaution in Europe, whereas in others it may be in the US. Even
if they are unusual deviations, and even if they go in both directions,
transatlantic regulatory differences can still pose barriers to trade
that may in some cases warrant harmonization. However, regulatory
variation can also be the basis for learning to improve future
regulatory design, both by comparing outcomes across regulations in
different jurisdictions, and by planning adaptive regulation over time.
International regulatory cooperation does not simply mean adopting the
current standard of one side or the other. It can also involve
collaboration to reviewing existing regulations and designing new
approaches that improve outcomes for all.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP
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16-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
paper provides an overview of the current set-up of tools contributing
to the funding of the EU external policies. The focus is on the recently
established instruments and how they relate to the previously existing
ones. The paper provides a first assessment of the current and envisaged
set up of tools with regards to the following key aspects: added-value,
coherence, flexibility and simplification, and democratic oversight of
EU funding for external action.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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15-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
This
is a first attempt to explore the monitoring and assessment of migrant
education (MAME) in EU countries. A review of literature indicated the
main dimensions of MAME, and these have shaped a questionnaire completed
by national experts of 27 EU countries. The country reports reveal that
little has been done to monitor and assess migrant education, but that
most countries already have an enabling infrastructure.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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17-02-2017 11:00 AM CET
Plenary
sessions : MEPs approved Ceta during this week's plenary session
followed by a visit by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling
them how the EU-Canada trade deal was not just about commerce, but also
about improving people's lives. Newly-elected Austrian President
Alexander Van der Bellen also addressed the Parliament, while MEPs
adopted new anti-terrorism measures and set out their ideas for the
future of the EU.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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17-02-2017 11:36 AM CET
The
draft report by Marijana PETIR (EPP) and Maria Lidia SENRA RODRÍGUEZ
(GUE/NGL), drafted jointly by FEMM and AGRI Committees, highlights that
women are responsible for about 35% of total working time in
agriculture. Women in rural areas are involved in both care work and
farm work. The draft report calls to improve conditions for women in
rural areas through providing adequate public services and increasing
the participation of women as beneficiaries of CAP. 317 amendments have
been tabled.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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17-02-2017 12:40 PM CET
REPORT on e-democracy in the European Union: potential and challenges
Committee on Constitutional Affairs
Ramón Jáuregui Atondo
Committee on Constitutional Affairs
Ramón Jáuregui Atondo
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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17-02-2017 12:40 PM CET
REPORT on EU options for improving access to medicines
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Soledad Cabezón Ruiz
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Soledad Cabezón Ruiz
Source : © European Union, 2017 - E
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17-02-2017 04:55 PM CET
DRAFT
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and
of the Council amending Regulations (EU) No 1316/2013 and (EU) No
283/2014 as regards the promotion of Internet connectivity in local
communities
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Carlos Zorrinho
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Carlos Zorrinho
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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17-02-2017 12:10 PM CET
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
pursuant to Rule 133 of the Rules of Procedure
on conducting a detailed study of the threats to biodiversity in the EU posed by the EU itself
Aldo Patriciello
pursuant to Rule 133 of the Rules of Procedure
on conducting a detailed study of the threats to biodiversity in the EU posed by the EU itself
Aldo Patriciello
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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17-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
United Kingdom is preparing to meet the deadline it has set itself of
end-March 2017 for launching the formal procedure to leave the European
Union. Following a UK Supreme Court ruling, triggering Article 50 of the
EU's Lisbon Treaty now requires that the UK Parliament pass legislation
on the matter, a process which is now under way. Prime Minister Theresa
May's speech at Lancaster House on Brexit on 17 January and the UK
government's subsequent White Paper were seen by analysts as
anticipating a complicated set of negotiations between the UK and the
EU, with the UK in effect prioritising control of migration over its
continued membership of the single market. This note offers links to
recent commentaries and reports published by major international think
tanks on the UK's plans to leave the EU. More studies on issues raised
by the vote can be found in a previous edition of 'What Think Tanks are
thinking' in October 2016.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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20-02-2017 09:12 AM CET
This
study analyses the political and legal dynamics behind referendums on
EU-related matters. It was commissioned by the European Parliament’s
Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the
request of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European
Parliament.
It argues that we have entered a period of increasing political uncertainty with regard to the European
project and that this new political configuration will both affect and be affected by the politics of EU-related referendums.Such referendums have long been a risky endeavour and this has been accentuated in the wake of the Great Recession with its negative ramifications for public opinion in the European Union. It is clear that referendums on EU matters are here to stay and will continue to be central to the EU's future as they are deployed to determine the number of Member States within the EU, its geographical reach, its constitutional evolution and adherence to EU policies. Only now they have become an even riskier endeavour.
project and that this new political configuration will both affect and be affected by the politics of EU-related referendums.Such referendums have long been a risky endeavour and this has been accentuated in the wake of the Great Recession with its negative ramifications for public opinion in the European Union. It is clear that referendums on EU matters are here to stay and will continue to be central to the EU's future as they are deployed to determine the number of Member States within the EU, its geographical reach, its constitutional evolution and adherence to EU policies. Only now they have become an even riskier endeavour.
Further information
Study: Referendums on EU Matters
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EPStudy: Referendums on EU Matters
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20-02-2017 10:10 AM CET
The
paper provides an overview of the current set-up of tools contributing
to the funding of the EU's external policies. The focus is on recently
established instruments, such as blending of grants and loans, trust
funds and the Facility for refugees in Turkey. The paper provides a
first assessment of the current and envisaged set-up of tools with
regard to their added-value, coherence, flexibility and simplification,
and democratic oversight of EU funding for external action.
This study was requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets.
Further information
Link to the study
Link to the study
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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20-02-2017 03:31 PM CET
General
: Ceta passed a crucial hurdle on 15 February when MEPs voted to back
the landmark EU-Canada trade deal. The agreement removing more than 99%
of tariffs can provisionally enter into force as early as April.
Speaking following the vote, Artis Pabriks, Parliament's lead MEP on
Ceta, said: “Europe cannot survive without free and fair trade and
high-quality interaction with other global players.” He also described
Ceta as “the gold standard for future trade deals”.Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
Parliament's
Press Service is holding a seminar on civil law rules on robotics. The
discussions are set to focus on issues related to the fast development
and ever-increasing introduction of robotics and artificial intelligence
in different spheres of economic and public life - which raise legal
and ethical issues that require intervention at EU level. This thematic
digest provides selected policy department publications prepared to
support the committees in their work related to these issues.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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20-02-2017 11:58 AM CET
As
international trade negotiators or regulatory bodies consider options
to reconcile regulatory standards to reduce barriers to trade, concerns
may arise that such efforts at harmonization, mutual recognition or
other modes of regulatory cooperation might weaken regulatory
protections.
In this context, one viewpoint is that European
regulatory standards have become more protective - more stringent and
precautionary - than US regulatory standards, so that converging might
weaken European standards (although "harmonizing up" to higher standards
is also possible). But the real pattern of regulation is more complex.
Precautionary policies have been pursued on both sides of the Atlantic,
in both directions (sometimes greater European precaution, sometimes
greater US precaution), and cost-benefit analysis of regulation has been
employed on both sides as well. A key problem in claims of greater
precaution is sample selection bias: citing prominent examples that draw
media attention but that do not actually represent a general pattern or
trend. This report summarizes the literature, and offers a descriptive
transatlantic comparison of regulatory standards in four key sectors
food, automobiles, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Further information
Text of the study "Free Trade Agreements and Patterns of Risk Regulation in the EU and the US"
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EPText of the study "Free Trade Agreements and Patterns of Risk Regulation in the EU and the US"
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25-01-2017 12:00 AM CET
This
year's European Parliamentary Week focuses on the 2017 Semester Cycle
policy priorities, taking stock of strengths and weaknesses of the
current economic governance framework. This thematic digest contains
selected publications provided by the policy departments and the
Economic Governance Support Unit to support committees in their work on
e.g. the Panama Papers, the Banking Union, workers’ mobility, the
European Pillar of Social Rights, EU financing, and the Financial
Regulation reform.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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20-02-2017 02:55 PM CET
In
Sept. 2016, the EC put forward an ambitious overhaul of the EU telecoms
rules with new initiatives to meet Europe’s growing connectivity needs
and to encourage investment in high-capacity networks. The new European
Electronic Communications Code puts forward simplified rules to increase
competition and predictability for investments. It also aims to make
better use of radio-frequencies by reducing divergences between
regulatory practices and agreeing on a set of coordinated basic
parameters.
The Code puts forward a revision of the
sector-specific consumer protection rules and the universal services
regime. It suggests new definitions of electronic communication services
aiming to ensure a level playing field between traditional and new
online market players. ITRE is the lead committee dealing with the
regulatory framework for Telecoms. IMCO has played a key role in shaping
the regulatory framework for the electronic communication sector in
Europe, with exclusive competence for all aspects related to consumer
protection and universal services. In this recast, IMCO will continue to
take the lead in deliberating which sector-specific rules should be in
place to protect consumers and to ensure the universal availability of
basic electronic communication services.
IMCO Rapporteur: D. CHARANZOVA (ALDE)
Shadows: L. van NISTELROOIJ (EPP), M. MIZZI (S&D), V. FORD (ECR), J. MAŠTÁLKA (GUE/NGL), J. REDA (GRENS/EFA), R. IWASZKIEWICZ (EFDD)
ITRE Rapporteur: P. DEL CASTILLO (EPP)
IMCO Rapporteur: D. CHARANZOVA (ALDE)
Shadows: L. van NISTELROOIJ (EPP), M. MIZZI (S&D), V. FORD (ECR), J. MAŠTÁLKA (GUE/NGL), J. REDA (GRENS/EFA), R. IWASZKIEWICZ (EFDD)
ITRE Rapporteur: P. DEL CASTILLO (EPP)
Further information
Timetable
Procedure file
Timetable
Procedure file
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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20-02-2017 12:14 PM CET
As
part of its eCommerce package, the EC presented on 25.05.16 a proposal
for a regulation on addressing geo-blocking and other forms of
discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or
place of establishment. The purpose of the regulation is to ensure that
customers have the same access to goods and services as local customers.
The Regulation builds upon the provisions of the Services Directive
(Art 20), which already establishes the principle for
non-discrimination,
but has proven difficult to
enforce in practice due to legal uncertainty concerning what practices
would or not be considered justified.
The regulation seeks to provide more legal certainty and enforceability by defining specific situations when there can be no justified reason for discrimination on the grounds of nationality/residence. It also bans the blocking of access to websites and the use of automatic re-routing without the customer's prior consent; and includes provisions of non-discrimination within accepted payment means.
Council adopted its negotiating mandate in November 2016. Parliament, led by IMCO, is currently going through its first reading.
Rapporteur: R. Thun Und Hohenstein (EPP)
Shadows: V. Rozière (S&D), A. Van Bossuyt (ECR), D. Charanzová (ALDE), D. De Jong (GUE/NGL), J. Reda (Greens/ALE)
JURI Rapporteur (rule 54): L. J. Geringer De Oedenberg (S&D)
The regulation seeks to provide more legal certainty and enforceability by defining specific situations when there can be no justified reason for discrimination on the grounds of nationality/residence. It also bans the blocking of access to websites and the use of automatic re-routing without the customer's prior consent; and includes provisions of non-discrimination within accepted payment means.
Council adopted its negotiating mandate in November 2016. Parliament, led by IMCO, is currently going through its first reading.
Rapporteur: R. Thun Und Hohenstein (EPP)
Shadows: V. Rozière (S&D), A. Van Bossuyt (ECR), D. Charanzová (ALDE), D. De Jong (GUE/NGL), J. Reda (Greens/ALE)
JURI Rapporteur (rule 54): L. J. Geringer De Oedenberg (S&D)
Further information
Timetable
Procedure file
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EPTimetable
Procedure file
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16-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
aim of EU asylum policy is to harmonise asylum procedures in the Member
States by establishing common arrangements. The Fact Sheet on asylum
policy gives an overview of its legal basis and objectives, and of the
achievements made. This compilation further includes Fact Sheets on: the
EU immigration policy - which intends to establish a balanced approach
to dealing with both regular and irregular immigration; and on border
management policy.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
20-02-2017 01:40 PM CET
RECOMMENDATION
FOR SECOND READING on the Council position at first reading with a view
to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the
Council on official controls and other official activities performed to
ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and
welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending
Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC)
No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and
(EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council
Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives
98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and
repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the
European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC,
89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and
Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation)
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Karin Kadenbach
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Karin Kadenbach
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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20-02-2017 03:45 PM CET
This
report summarises the presentations and discussions of a workshop on
health promotion and primary prevention, held at the European Parliament
in Brussels on Tuesday 29 November 2016. The aim of the workshop was to
provide background and technical information and advice to the members
of the ENVI Committee on the latest findings and trends in the field of
preventive health, specifically concerning health promotion and the
primary prevention of diseases and disabilities.
The state
of primary prevention and health promotion in Europe was highlighted
during the first part of the workshop. Presentations focused on joining
forces in the context of chronic diseases, the importance of primary
care professionals' clusters, health promotion from citizens'
perspective, and the role schools play in prevention. The second part
of the workshop focused on examples of good practices. Various ongoing
initiatives, coordinated by the European institutions, in the EU were
presented. The activities of insurance industries were also highlighted,
as well as the views of employers and trade unions on promoting healthy
behaviours and creating healthy working environments.
This workshop and the respective document were prepared by the Policy Department A at the request of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
This workshop and the respective document were prepared by the Policy Department A at the request of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.
Further information
Health Promotion & Primary Prevention: Exchange of Good Practices
Health Promotion & Primary Prevention: Exchange of Good Practices
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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16-02-2017 12:00 AM CET
This
compilation of Fact Sheets deals with issues related to the topic of
women’s economic empowerment. It specifically incudes Fact Sheets on
equality between men and women - including the principle of equal pay
for equal work - the general principles of social and employment policy,
social dialogue, and the fight against poverty, social exclusion and
discrimination - by offering legal protection for potential victims and
by establishing incentive measures.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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