European Parliament

Should cloning for food be banned because of animal welfare concerns? On Tuesday 8 September MEPs debate and vote on amendments to a European Commission proposal to ban the cloning of farm animals in the EU. The MEPs in charge of steering the plans through Parliament support the ban, but want to add provisions on the offspring of cloned animals and the marketing of their products coming from countries outside the EU. Watch the debate live from 9.00 CET.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

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General : The first-ever European Week of Sport kicked off in Brussels today and will be organised every year by the European Commission with the aim of promoting sport and physical activity across Europe. The new initiative was originally suggested in a report by MEP Santiago Fisas, a Spanish member of the EPP group, which was adopted by the European Parliament. As part of the event various activities take place in all member states and are open to anyone regardless of age, background or fitness level.

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Plenary sessions : European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will discuss the challenges facing Europe on 9 September from 9.00 CET. It will be his first State of the European Union speech since Parliament elected him to the post following the EU elections in May 2014. It has been a testing time for Europe with lacklustre economic growth, high debt and unemployment levels and a serious refugee crisis. Find out what leading MEPs expect from the address and follow our live coverage on Wednesday.

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When MEPs elected Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission on 15 July 2014, he vowed to focus on ten policy areas, from boosting Europe’s economy to fostering democratic change. Over a year later, Juncker returns to the European Parliament for his first State of the European Union address and MEPs will be eager to hear from him how much has been achieved and what still needs to be done. Find out the Juncker Commission's 10 priorities in our infographic.

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Plenary session - Strasbourg

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General : Take part in our guest photographer contest, inspired by 2015 being the European Year for Development. From January until September we have been announcing different topics linked to development. Send us your photo inspired by the latest theme, along with the submission form and you could be invited to Strasbourg to do a photo reportage.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Plenary sessions : Technology can help people to express themselves, but it can also be used to violate their human rights. On Tuesday 8 September MEPs vote on a report on the impact of intrusion and surveillance systems on human rights in countries outside the EU. Report author Marietje Schaake, a Dutch member of the ALDE group, told us that the EU should lead by example and that European technologies should not contribute to human right violations.

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The agriculture committee on Thursday rejected the Commission's draft law that would give member states the power to restrict or prohibit the use of EU-approved GM food or feed on their territory. It fears that arbitrary national bans could distort competition on the EU's single market and jeopardise the Union's food production sectors which are heavily dependent on imports of GM feed.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

The EU's budget for next year will be decided over the coming months. Starting this week parliamentary committees adopts their opinions on the budget, followed by the budget committee drafting its recommendation to MEPs. Meanwhile the Council will present its position during next week's plenary. Check our infographic for all the steps of the budgetary procedure.
Committee on Budgets

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : A Greek government request for EP involvement in the regular review of the country’s third loan programme is to be discussed on Thursday at a meeting of the President and political group chairs. In the committees, members are to discuss migration and vote on the use of genetically modified food and on the next year’s EU budget. Parliament’s political groups also prepare for the plenary, including Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker's first State of the European Union speech and debate.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : Being an MEP involves more than just debating and voting on legislative proposals. They can be tasked with drawing up a report to represent the Parliament's position on a legislative proposal or any other matter. They can also act as group coordinators in a committee, follow the progress of a legislative report or be in charge of preparing an opinion on a proposal. Read on to find out more about the different responsibilities MEPs are able to take on in the European Parliament.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

The Week Ahead 31 August – 06 September 2015

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General : Articles on our photography contest, Ukraine, social media, gender equality and the European integration of the Western Balkans have proved to be most popular on our website in the first half of 2015. Read our article to find out more and click on the links to discover them yourself.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : Countries such as Italy and Greece dealing with an influx of asylum seekers should receive more support from other member states, MEPs said on a delegation visit to the Italian island of Sicily from 22 to 24 July. “Italy spends over €1 billion every year just to take care of those who make it across the Mediterranean. Italy’s borders are the EU's borders and a better management of the migratory flows is our common responsibility,” said French ALDE member Jean Arthuis, co-chair of the delegation.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : The finalists competing for the 2015 LUX Film Prize have been announced: Mediterranea, Mustang and Urok (in English: The Lesson). The three films deal with current social issues such as immigration, position of women and girls, education and economic problems in society.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : Reporting on the European Parliament has never been easier, thanks to our blog listing the latest digital resources that are free to use. Updated around the clock, this page informs you what images, infographics, videos and photos are available for you to download as soon as they become available. Not only are these materials free to use, they are also often available in all of the EU’s 24 official languages, from Bulgarian to Swedish.

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General : From Pinterest to LinkedIn, the European Parliament is present on most major social media platforms in order to better communicate with you. On these platforms we offer not only background information and the latest news, but also videos, photos, infographics and the opportunity to discuss topical issues. Try out our interactive infographic to get a taster of what we serve up on each platform.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP

General : Every day 315 million Europeans use the internet, but challenges still remain for consumers and companies alike. The European Commission presented its strategy for a digital single market on 6 May. In addition Parliament and the Council agreed in June to ban roaming fees in 2017 and guarantee equal treatment for all internet traffic. Read on for an explanation of the terminology involved.

Source : © European Union, 2015 - EP