The European Parliament and its elected Members are the citizens’ voice in the European Union. That’s why we want to make Parliament accessible to everyone. News in Brief gives you a quick overview of the day’s main topics in all official Union languages. This broadcast is brought to you by the European Parliament. You can find more programmes here:

News in Brief - EN - 200317

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Nyheter i korthet - SV - 200317

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The proposed directive on liability of defective products aims to bring the European Union's product liability rules up to speed with the digital age, circular economy business models and global value chains. Consumers would be better protected against defective products and the damages they might cause. Compensation for defective products would also extend to those manufactured outside the EU.

EPRS Policy Podcast - New product liability directive

News in Brief - EN - 200228

Despite significant medical progress over the last centuries, infectious diseases such as influenza or malaria still represent a considerable threat to society. While some are endemic to specific geographical regions, others can spread, becoming epidemics or pandemics. While the first and most crucial aspect of an epidemic is, and will always remain, the loss of human life, the spread of a virus can also have important repercussions for national or regional economies. The evidence reported in various studies indicates that epidemic disease impacts on a country's economy through several channels, including the health, transportation, agricultural and tourism sectors. At the same time, trade with other countries may also be impacted, while the interconnectedness of modern economies means that an epidemic can also implicate international supply chains....

Economic impact of epidemics and pandemics

AFET - Confirmation hearing of Dubravka ŠUICA, European Commissioner-designate for Mediterranean -  Press point.

ITRE EMPL - Confirmation hearing of Dan JØRGENSEN, European Commissioner-designate for Energy and Housing

AFET - Confirmation hearing of Dubravka ŠUICA, European Commissioner-designate for Mediterranean

Press conference by Petri SARVAMAA, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, co-rapporteurs, and Moritz KÖRNER, Daniel FREUND on the Rule of Law conditionality regulation: Commission’s upcoming evaluation of the 17

Special Committee on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation

ING2

adoption of agenda

Committee on Development

DEVE

Committee on Legal Affairs

JURI

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

ECON

Committee on Budgets

BUDG

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

LIBE

Participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the European Business Summit

Delegation to the Union for the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly

DMED

European Parliament Side Event at COP27 - The Fit for 55 package: new opportunities for multilateral cooperation in terms of global decarbonisation, adaptation and loss& damage

Euroscola

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

SEDE

Committee on International Trade

INTA

Subcommittee on Human Rights

DROI

Panel for the Future of Science and Technology

Committee on Culture and Education

CULT

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

ITRE

tAFET - Confirmation hearing of Dubravka ŠUICA, European Commissioner-designate for Mediterranean

Lex signing ceremony - signature of Five COD LEX texts by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and by Jessika ROSWALL, Minister for EU Affairs, on behalf of the Swedish Presidency of the Council

Commemoration of the Victims of the Soviet Mass Deportations

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - Pegasus spyware

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Brigitte MACRON

EP Plenary session - Topical debate - Surrogacy in the EU - risks of exploitation and commercialisation

EP Plenary session - Voting session

EP Plenary session - Formal Sitting - Address by Vjosa OSMANI-SADRIU, President of Kosovo

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Vjosa OSMANI-SADRIU, President of Kosovo

EU flags at half mast inside and outside the EPLO building in Milan, Italy, following the death of Silvio BERLUSCONI, former Italian Prime Minister and former MEP.

EP Plenary session - The electoral law, the investigative committee and the rule of law in Poland

EP Plenary session - Preparation of the European Council meeting of 29-30 June 2023

Press conference on the AI Act plenary vote

Press conference on the adoption of the PEGA Inquiry conclusions

Othmar KARAS welcomes Vjosa OSMANI-SADRIU, President of Kosovo

EU flags at half mast at the EPLO building in Roma, Italy, following the death of Silvio BERLUSCONI, former Italian Prime Minister and former MEP.

EU flags at half mast at the EP buildings in Brussels following the death of Silvio BERLUSCONI, former Italian Prime Minister and former MEP

EU flags at half mast at the EP buildings in Strasbourg following the death of Silvio BERLUSCONI, former Italian Prime Minister and former MEP

EP Plenary session - Quality traineeships in the EU

One size fits all has been dropped for a more tailored approach to consumer protection. The Commission has now agreed to turn away from the proposed full harmonisation when it comes to consumer law. Hailed as a milestone by consumer organisations, it shou

Maximising Consumer Protection

MEP Jean-Paul Gauzès went to London to explain to British fund managers why and how 'alternative investments' should be regulated. Parliament approved guidelines for Frontex and the national fleets operating under it: assisting migrants in distress at sea

The News: Controlling alternative funds - Policing the high seas

MEP Jean-Paul Gauzès had a mission in London: to sell his proposals on the tightened control of alternative investment funds to those most concerned, the financiers of the City. 80% of EU funds are based in London, and the Brits, nervous about the future

Selling a directive to fund managers

The Parliament has approved new guidelines for European maritime patrols that assert the moral duty to rescue migrants in distress. A majority of MEPs had favoured binding legislation, but failed to muster the absolute majority needed.

Europe's coast guard

Greece can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the 16 eurozone countries came up with a rescue plan for its ailing economy. It comes not a minute too soon, and with a lauded sum of 20-30 billion in a joint eurozone/IMF payout. Some MEPs are hailing it as

Flash: Eurogroup to the rescue

Europe is facing weighty problems. Leaders can’t decide which political diet to adopt to slim down budgets and avoid future crises. And the EU’s youth are literally bursting at the seams as obesity rates grow. Despite sizeable differences in approach Germ

The News: Eurozone Divisions – EU Fights Fat – MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis

The Greek crisis has laid bare Europe’s divisions. Belgian MEP and former primer minister guy Verhofstadt has even accused certain states of harming Europe more than the entire legion of eurosceptics. Can the eurozone close ranks to save the currency and

Greek Crisis – Eurozone Tragedy?

Youth will get pride of place, with money going to beef up existing programmes. Order of the day: small increases. Despite the hard economic times the total figure for 2011 should go up from this year's 122.9 billion euros. MEPs and Member States should r

EU Budget 2011 in the works

European kids are ever so sweet - and fat: 22 million of them overweight. Bad eating habits are a big part of the problem which the Romanian government has decided to tackle by imposing a tax on junkfood. European response follows not far behind, with pro

Political responses to weighty problems

The German MEP stated that no-one would be excluded from the eurozone, but concedes that Europeans lack coherency in their approach to the crisis. He is adamant that the zone will survive the crisis, despite the euro’s continued slide against the dollar.

The markets must stop attacking Greece - Jorgo Chatzimarkakis

MEP Bart Staes' report on the Budgetary Discharge 2008 caused some ripples in the ranks. MEPs were concerned about missing elements of the report. Divorce laws will be simplified by an EU initiative spearheaded by Commissioner Reding. TB is back on the ag

The News: Budget approval 2008 - Divorce law update - Bart Staes on budget

Til death do us part is no more the reality in Europe. Currently 20% of all divorce cases annually are between spouses of a different nationality. This poses a huge legal conundrum which the European Commission hopes to resolve.

International heartbreak

Tuberculosis kills one person every fifteen seconds worldwide. What's more the disease is now resistant to many of the drugs used to combat it. But a new wonder drug could soon be at hand. Europe has been researching a treatment since 2006, and it could b

TB still a threat in Europe

With 1.45 billion at their disposal for running costs, the Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee submitted their report on the discharge for 2008. Though some raised their eyebrows at omissions from the final report regarding 'openness'.

Number crunch time

Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton was grilled again by MEPs, this time for her plans for the new External Action Service. MEP Elmar Brok joined us to explain the Parliament's own plan. Another committee in action was for Petitions which we went to inv

The News: European Diplomacy - Committees in Action - Elmar Brok on Ashton

Elmar Brok (EPP) evaluates the perfomance and ideas of foreign policy chief Catherine Asthon with respect to the creation of the External Action Service. Happy with her progress so far, Brok nevertheless worries about the political accountability of the f

We want political accountability - Elmar Brok

Brit Cathy Ashton remained steadfast ahead of a grilling from MEPs in the Foreign Affairs Committee today. Having presented an organigram for the new European diplomatic service (European External Action Service) she faced opposition from a large politica

Diplomacy British style

9,000 children are abandoned in Romania every year, but foreigners aren't allowed to adopt them for fears of child trafficking. The Petitions Committee examined an Italian NGO's request to make their international adoption possible once again.

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