Parliament is set to approve new rules aiming to protect the environment in the EU through criminal law.

Following a debate on Monday, MEPs are expected to give their final green light to a new directive on environmental crime, as agreed with the member states in November 2023, on Tuesday. The new law provides an updated list of environmental crimes including illegal timber trade, depletion of water resources or breaches of EU chemicals legislation. It also introduces the so-called qualified offence of causing the destruction of an ecosystem, such as large-scale forest fires, and thus comparable to ecocide.

Individual offenders, including company representatives, can face prison sentences of up to five or ten years depending on the severity of the crime. They will also be required to reinstate the environment they destroyed and compensate for the damage. Companies can also face fines of up to 5% of their worldwide turnover or 40 million euro.

Background

The new legislation aims to tackle the rising number of environmental crimes in the EU. Environmental crime is the fourth largest criminal activity in the world and is one of the main sources of income for organised crime alongside drugs, weapons and human trafficking.

Press conference -  Environmental crime directive

EP Plenary session - Joint Debate - Disability cards

EMPL CRPD Network meeting

LEX signing ceremony in presence of Roberta METSOLA, EP President

EP Plenary session  - Commission statement - Healthy lifestyle and active ageing in the EU

EP Plenary session - Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7)

EP Plenary session - Data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services

Press conference on Environmental crime directive

Trilogue on Environmental Crimes

JURI Committee -  Vote on  its position on a draft bill on the protection of the environment through criminal law

Trilogue on  the final shape of EU rules for the design, production and disposal of batteries

Toine MANDERS, Martin SCHULZ EP President

Martin SCHULZ - EP President meets with MEP Toine MANDERS

Martin SCHULZ EP President, Toine MANDERS

Martin SCHULZ EP President meets with Toine MANDERS

Toine MANDERS and Antonio TAJANI , Commissioner in charge of industry

meeting beetween Toine MANDERS and Antonio TAJANI -Commissioner in charge of industry

Edvard KOZUSNIK, Malcolm HARBOUR, Lara COMI, Christel SCHALDEMOSE, Toine MANDERS, Heide RUHLE

PRESS CONFERENCE ON STANDARDISATION

Commissionner Siim KALLAS and Toine MANDERS

The EU next challenge: building a Single European Area for Transport and Mobility through renewed TEN-T

Members of European Parliament Lara COMI, Toine MANDERS and Christel SCHALDEMOSE in a press conference in Strasbourg.

Press conference by Comi, Manders and Schaldemose

MEP Toine MANDERS in Brussels

Toine MANDERS in a meeting at the EP in Brussels

MEP Toine MANDERS attends a plenary session in Strasbourg

Toine MANDERS at the EP in Strasbourg.

MEP Toine MANDERS speaks in plenary session in Strasbourg

Arlene McCARTHY, Hans-Gert POETTERING, Willy DE CLERCQ, Toine MANDERS, Charles TANNOCK

Action against piracy inside the EP in Strasbourg

MEPs adopt the first EU-wide Disability Card and Parking Card for persons with disabilities during the plenary session in Strasbourg. The new rules, already agreed on by the Parliament and the Council, establishes an EU-wide disability card to make sure that, when travelling for a short period, people with disabilities have equal access to preferential conditions, such as reduced or zero entry fees, priority access and access to reserved parking. Opening statements by Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteurs, Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP, ES), FEMM Committee. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Joint Debate - Disability cards: Opening statements by Rapporteurs, Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP, ES), FEMM Committee

Twelve COD LEX texts are scheduled to be signed on Thursday, 11 April 2024, by President Metsola and Ms Hadja LAHBIB, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions, with the exception of two files which will be signed by Ms Valérie DE BUE , Minister for the Civil Service, Tourism, Heritage and Road Safety (Government of Federation Wallonia-Brussels), and Mr Benjamin DALLE, Minister for Brussels, Youth, Media and Poverty Reduction (Flemish Government), on behalf of the Belgian Presidency.

MEPs debate and vote on new EU rules to reduce emissions from passenger cars, vans, buses, trucks and trailers and to set battery durability requirements for them. The regulation governing the type-approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles (Euro 7) aims to support the EU’s transition towards clean mobility and improve air quality. Opening statements by Alexandr VONDRA (ECR, CZ), Rapporteur, Massimiliano SALINI (EPP, IT), ITRE Committee, Elisa FERREIRA, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), IMCO Committee, and Marian-Jean MARINESCU (EPP, RO), TRAN Committee. This transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7): Opening statement by Alexandr VONDRA (ECR, CZ), Rapporteur, and Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms

Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), rapporteur, holds a press conference on the Environmental crime directive. Parliament is set to approve new rules aiming to protect the environment in the EU through criminal law. Following a debate on Monday, MEPs are expected to give their final green light to a new directive on environmental crime, as agreed with the member states in November 2023, on Tuesday. The new law provides an updated list of environmental crimes including illegal timber trade, depletion of water resources or breaches of EU chemicals legislation. It also introduces the so-called qualified offence of causing the destruction of an ecosystem, such as large-scale forest fires, and thus comparable to ecocide. Individual offenders, including company representatives, can face prison sentences of up to five or ten years depending on the severity of the crime. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), rapporteur on the Environmental crime directive

MEPs are set to approve long-term funding for Ukraine, the “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform” (STEP), and associated major changes to the multi-year EU budget. The revision of the EU’s long-term budget – the multiannual financial framework (MFF) – includes the €50 billion Ukraine Facility and the “Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform” (STEP) which aims to support EU competitiveness and resilience in strategic sectors. It also bolsters the EU’s budget to deal with migration and external challenges as well as the EU's crisis preparedness and budgetary flexibility. Furthermore, in line with Parliament’s demands, the revision introduces a mechanism to tackle escalating costs linked to the repayment of the NextGenerationEU recovery plan amid rising interest rates. On Tuesday, Parliament will debate and vote on the corresponding texts recently agreed with the EU member states: MFF revision

Joint debate - MFF revision: MEPs debate

MEPs give their final green light to a new directive on environmental crime, as agreed with the Member States in November 2023. The new law provides an updated list of environmental crimes including illegal timber trade, depletion of water resources or breaches of EU chemicals legislation. It also introduces the so-called qualified offence of causing the destruction of an ecosystem, such as large-scale forest fires, and thus comparable to ecocide. Short presentation of the topic.

Short presentations - Report: Antonius Manders (A9-0087/2023) - Protection of the environment through criminal law

MEPs vote on the following topics: High common level of cybersecurity at the institutions; Catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna; Common rules promoting the repair of goods; Net Zero Industry Act; Union certification framework for carbon removals; Strengthening the CO2 emission performance targets for new heavy-duty vehicles; Possibilities to increase the reliability of audits and controls by national authorities in shared management; EU framework for the social and professional situation of artists and workers in the cultural and creative sectors; Implementation of the principle of the primacy of EU law; UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28); Reducing inequalities and promoting social inclusion in times of crisis for children and their families; Implementation of the European Solidarity Corps programme 2021-2027; and Implementation of the European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027.

Voting session: implementation of the principle of the primacy of EU law

MEPs debate on their position on rules to protect journalists, activists, academics, artists and researchers against legal actions aimed at silencing them. The draft directive provides minimum standards of protection from lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP) in the EU through early dismissal of these cases, obliging the claimant to cover the costs of proceedings and not recognising third country judgements. The rules should apply in cross-border cases when the claimant and defendant are not based in the same country as the court or when the case is relevant to more than one member state and the disputed work can be accessed electronically. MEPs are also set to call on member states to ensure that SLAPP victims get legal, financial and psychological assistance. MEPs debate

Protection of journalists and human rights defenders from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings: MEPs debate

The EU Parliament gives its final green light to updated rules for the design, production and waste management of all types of batteries sold in the EU. The deal reached with the Council in December 2022 aims to build a stronger and more competitive industrial sector, which is crucial for the EU’s energy transition and for strategic autonomy. It introduces stronger requirements to make batteries more sustainable, more durable and better-performing, as well as including more stringent targets for waste collection, recycling efficiency and material recovery. Opening statements by Achille VARIATI (S&D, IT), Rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), ITRE Committee; Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), IMCO Committee; Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries and by Erik BERGKVIST (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee. The transcript is the result of an automated process. Please check against delivery.

Batteries and waste batteries: opening statement by Achille VARIATI (S&D, IT), Rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment and by Erik BERGKVIST (S&D, SE)

To provide legal certainty to business and citizens, the Commission has proposed a directive laying down rules on corporate due diligence obligations. According to the new rules, companies will be required to prevent, end or mitigate the negative impact that their activities have on human rights and the environment, such as on child labour, slavery, pollution or biodiversity loss.

Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence: MEPs debate

The Legal Affairs (JURI) Committee adopt its position on a draft bill on the protection of the environment through criminal law. The proposal introduces new environmental crimes and sanctions for companies and individuals. Extracts from the vote and statement by Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur.

Vote on Environmental crimes - JURI Committee: statement by Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur and extracts from the vote

Parliament calls for harmonized rules to protect players, especially kids, and measures to help the innovative video games sector expand.The draft text, on which MEPs debate on demands better protection for gamers, especially children, from gaming addiction and manipulative practices. Extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Adriana MALDONADO LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur.

Consumer protection in online video games - a European Single Market approach: extracts from the debate, from the vote and statement by Adriana MALDONADO LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Rapporteur

MEPs debate on protecting critical infrastructure in the EU against attacks and countering hybrid attacks. First part of the Questions and Answers.

Question Time to the European Commission: protecting critical infrastructure in the EU against attacks and countering hybrid attacks (part 1)

Parliament debates the new law establishing a single charging solution for mobile phones, tablets and other portable electronics in the EU. From autumn 2024, a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras and headphones, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. This law is part of a broader effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, reduce e-waste and make consumers’ lives easier. MEPs debate (part 2).

Radio Equipment Directive - common charger for electronic devices: MEPs debate (part 2)

A new “right to repair” must encompass long-lasting products that can be fixed, labelling to better inform consumers and extending guarantee rights. The draft text stresses that an effective right to repair should address a product’s lifecycle and take into account product design, ethical production, standardisation, labelling on reparability and on the expected lifespan of a product. Second part of the debate

Right to repair: MEPs debate (part 2/2)

On 10 February, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) adopted its position on proposed new rules governing the entire battery product life cycle, from design to end-of-life. MEPs are set to demand stronger sustainability and performance requirements and more stringent targets for waste collection, recycling efficiency and material recovery. They also want the battery industry to follow internationally recognised due diligence standards across their entire value chain. Opening statements by Simona BONAFÈ (S&D, IT), rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), ITRE Committee; Antonius MANDERS (EPP,NL), IMCO Committee, Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries and Ismail ERTUG (S&D, DE), TRAN Committee.

Batteries and waste batteries: opening statements by Simona BONAFÈ (S&D, IT), rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Ismail ERTUG (S&D, DE) and by Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment

The debate focuses on key points for the safety of toys in the EU’s market. It tackles issues such as the need to protect children from dangerous chemicals, the challenges posed by new technologies embedded in toys, and measures to strengthen market surveillance.

Implementation of the Toy Safety Directive: MEPs debate

Parliament debates on updated motor insurance rules to ensure better protection and equal treatment of EU citizens involved in accidents or when insuring their vehicles.

29 találat