European Union

Raising awareness of a critical issue too early may prove to be counterproductive, either because short-sighted politicians focus on short-term interests or because they simply do not see what is coming up.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament adopted a set of ambitious proposals on the EU’s circular economy action plan on Tuesday (9 February), including calls to introduce mandatory targets to reduce waste.

The European Commission wants to promote a "strong social dimension" at the May summit in Porto, as part of the Portuguese EU Council presidency, advocating a focus on young people who are facing a "difficult period" due to the COVID-19 crisis​​​​​​​.

The EU must continue its concerted efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and take urgent measures to ramp up vaccines production to meet citizens’ expectations, MEPs say.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

While European lawmakers were scolding the bloc's top diplomat Josep Borrell for his ill-fated trip to Russia, European Council President Charles Michel has announced he will be travelling to Ukraine and Georgia in March.

The EU should prohibit targeted advertising as part of new rules against Big Tech platforms in the bloc's Digital Services Act, the EU's institutional data protection watchdog has said.

The head of the French state-controlled energy group, EDF, defended a planned restructuring of the company, dubbed 'Project Hercules' on Wednesday (10 February), as a spat grows between France and the European Union over the future of the company.

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted to pass the EU's €672.5 recovery and resilience facility on Tuesday evening (9 February), unlocking unprecedented funding aimed at helping Europe "build back better" after the COVID-19 crisis.

A range of private media outlets went off the air in Poland on Wednesday (10 February), running blank pages and slogans such as "this used to be your favourite programme," in protest against a proposed media advertising tax they say threatens journalistic independence and diversity.

The use of sexual services provided by trafficking victims must be criminalised and harder measures to tackle its proliferation are needed, Parliament says.
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

To fight inequality and in-work poverty, MEPs call for a minimum wage, equal labour conditions for platform workers and a better work-life balance.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

MEPs call on the Commission and member states to increase their efforts to prevent the pandemic from having lasting negative effects on young people and the sports sector.
Committee on Culture and Education

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

MEPs urge the European Central Bank to consider different policy measures to those currently in place to stimulate the EU economy, which faces darkening prospects.
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

On Wednesday, Parliament approved the Recovery and Resilience Facility, designed to help EU countries tackle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Committee on Budgets
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Parliament adopted comprehensive policy recommendations to achieve a carbon-neutral, sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050 at the latest.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

Wednesday, 10 February

Source : © European Union, 2021 - EP

In today's edition of the Capitals, find out more about the EU likely to ask for a two-month extension to ratify the post-Brexit trade deal, Bulgarian parents opposed to testing their children in schools and kindergartens, and so much more.

Myanmar's military tightened its post-coup grip on power, stepping up a campaign of intimidation against the ousted civilian leadership while pushing harsher tactics as a fifth consecutive day of nationwide demonstrations began on Wednesday (10 February).

Claude Turmes, the Grand Duchy’s energy minister who used to be at the forefront of calls to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, has backtracked on his earlier statements, saying the EU should first redouble efforts to reform the beleaguered post Soviet-era charter.