Sirpa Pietikäinen on CITES: "Biodiversity at stake"
This year is the UN year of biodiversity and it brings endangered species into the spotlight. Finland's Sirpa Pietikäinen leads a delegation of environment MEPs to Doha, Qatar, this weekend, where parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) gather. MEPs will push for a trade ban to save bluefin tuna and polar bears and a ban on the ivory trade. The former environment minister explains what is at stake.Source : © European Parliament
The head of the IMF Wednesday urged the European Parliament and EU ministers to agree as soon as possible on a solution to the economic crisis and on regulating cross-border banks. Dominique Strauss-Kahn told a meeting of MEPs and MPs that "there are no regional or national solutions for global problems, only global solutions".
One of the men considered to be the founding fathers of the euro currency met MEPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday (16 March) to talk about transatlantic relations. Tommaso Padoa Schioppa was formerly on the board of the European Central Bank and now chairs the Paris-based think tank "Notre Europe". As the euro goes though choppy waters we caught up with him to ask a few questions about the common currency.
Fears that draconian measures to check your internet use, laptop, smart phone or other equipment may work themselves into a new international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) lay behind recent attempts by MEPs to be consulted in any deal. In a resolution adopted on 10 March MEPs supported measures to protect intellectual property rights, but want the right of freedom of expression and privacy to be upheld in any ACTA agreement.
Do you remember everything the doctor said during your short encounter about the medicine prescribed for you? Probably not. You've got questions and the leaflet with the medication doesn't help much.
At the moment an Argentinian working for a French company in Spain can't travel to France for a meeting on his long-term visa. But that will change from 5 April following Parliament's backing of new rules allowing non-EU nationals staying in a member state on a long-stay visa to travel to most other EU countries under the same conditions as the holder of a residence permit.
Debates on foreign affairs and International Women's Day marked the March sitting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. MEPs also voted to give unemployed workers in Germany and Lithuania financial help and backed a jobs and growth strategy for the next decade. MEPs supported EU aid for those affected by natural disasters. The EP marked the annual day for victims of terrorism on Thursday. Read on and check out the slideshow for a glimpse into the 8-11 March session.
The need to think about reforestation, land use and managing water through dykes are just two things MEPs want governments to take action on in the wake of recent natural disasters. Floods in Portuguese Madeira and storm Xynthia in Europe this year have claimed scores of lives. Natural calamities were debated Thursday morning (11 March). Recent earthquakes in Chile and Turkey have also brought emergency responses into focus.
The post Copenhagen climate deal was debated by MEPs Tuesday afternoon with Europe's climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard outlining the way forward. She argued for the EU to maintain momentum ahead of the next climate conference in Mexico at the end of the year and push for a legally binding deal.
During the cold war the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was the cornerstone of international efforts to control the balance of nuclear bomb-making technology. In the complex post cold-war international environment, the spread of nuclear technology and fears it could fall into terrorist hands have become major concerns. Ahead of the forthcoming Treaty review meeting MEPs are set to question Council and Commission today (Wednesday 10 March) on measures to improve the situation.
As the ice melts and the native Inuit people and polar bears retreat, more and more ships and commercial explorers are Arctic bound. With the dream of the Northwest passage opening up for sailors, an uncertain international legal status and vast oil and gas reserves the future could be bleak for the Arctic. Ahead of Wednesday's debate with the EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton, we spoke to British Liberal Diana Wallis who is active on this issue and sponsored a parliamentary resolution.
The continuing pay gap between men and women in the EU, violence against women and more female MEPs were some of the issues raised in the Parliament during International Women's Day on Monday. Several MEPs also criticised the fact that Commission presented a new plan how to reach gender equality in the next 5 years but did not discuss it with NGOs or the public.
The plight of Europe's 10 million Roma population will fall under the spotlight Tuesday afternoon when MEPs discuss an upcoming Roman summit. They will be putting questions to the European Commission and Council of Ministers about what is being done to improve the plight of the Roma. Physical and verbal violence and unequal access to services are just some of the issues that will be raised.
The EU's internal market will be under scrutiny Tuesday when a series of reports will be debated by MEPs in Strasbourg. Among the issues being discussed will be ways of resolving disputes without legal action and improving people's knowledge of the options open to them. The debate will be held Tuesday from 0900 CET and you can watch live online.
Over €7.6 million in financial aid for training and self-employment could be available to former workers in Germany and Lithuania if MEPs back the measures Tuesday. Workers at the Karmann car company and construction workers in Lithuania have lost their jobs, due in part to the economic crisis. They may benefit from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) under which MEPs approved aid worth euro 52.3 million to help 15,000 people who lost their jobs in eight States in 2009.
During the Parliamentary sitting on Monday to Thursday (8-11 March) one of the main issues was a debate on EU foreign and security policy Wednesday morning. In addition the House called for an independent investigation on alleged human rights breaches in the Gaza conflict when they voted on the findings of the UN fact-finding mission. There was also good news for small businesses when MEPs supported exempting very small companies from drawing up annual accounts. Follow the week's news here.
Every year over 180,000 students across Europe study in the Erasmus University exchange programme. Students spend a semester or academic year at a foreign university to develop their language skills and for new experiences abroad. Here Scottish MEP Alyn Smith and a Lithuanian intern Eglė Draugelytė at the European Parliament talk about their experiences.
The upcoming International Women's Day has thrown attention towards what can be done to help women who suffer domestic violence. As leftwing Swedish MEP Eva-Britt Svensson knows only too well, the violence can often be perpetrated by partners in a relationship or marriage. However, to those living in fear she has a strong message, "it is possible to leave this bad relationship and make your own life". Here she talks about what can be done Europe wide to deal with this problem.
With over 1,200 journalists covering the European Union the Brussels press pack is rivalled in size only by its Washington counterpart. But what is it like covering the European Parliament, Commission and Council of Ministers? How do journalists make sense of it all? We asked some correspondents their thoughts ahead of the 31 March deadline for the European Parliament's journalism prize which marks excellence in reporting of EU affairs by the written, radio, TV and internet media.
As the international community strives for "mission accomplished" in Afghanistan and defeat of the Taliban, we talk to Dutch Social Democrat Thijs Berman who in November was in Afghanistan to monitor elections and will return there soon. He tells us of his concerns about President Karzai's decision to appoint the election commission, the need to help the Afghans build a credible administration and why he believes sending more troops would be a "mistake".
EU legislation against the trade in implements which can inflict torture or be used for executions has not been adequately enforced by the Member States, the EP Human Rights Subcommittee maintained on Thursday. Tougher supervision of existing rules plus a thorough review of the legislation are needed, said MEPs.
Committee meetings – Brussels
In three urgent resolutions adopted on Thursday, Parliament urges Hamas to release kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, deplores the escalating criminal violence in Mexico and calls on South Korea to scrap the death penalty.
