This is a very complex and ambitious report, which aims to simplify the EU rules on cross-border inheritance. The aim is to enable citizens who own property in several member states, or who live in a member state other than their own, to plan their legacies adequately and at a lower cost. It will not affect the existing national laws of any member state.

 

This should drastically reduce the number of cross-border inheritance disputes by making clearer which laws apply and when. A European Certificate of Succession should also provide greater legal certainty for people writing up their wills.

 

We are disappointed that Ireland and the UK will not be opting in at this stage, but we are strongly in favour of a second reading. By this time we hope that the Council will be able to resolve its disagreements over 'clawback' to enable this regulation to cover the entire EU. It is important to avoid creating a system where people can 'shop around' and move to countries which have opted out in order to avoid commitments in their home member states.

In 2010, the United Nations Cocoa Conference concluded negotiations on a new International Cocoa Agreement, which will replace the agreement signed in 2001. The main objectives of the International Cocoa Agreement are to promote international co-operation in the world cocoa economy, to promote a sustainable cocoa economy in economic, social and environmental terms, and to strive for cocoa prices which are fair for both consumers and producers. The European Union, as one of the largest importers of cocoa beans, is one of the main partners in this agreement.

 

Our Group believes the European Parliament should say "yes" to the International Cocoa Agreement, however we would like to use this opportunity to raise the important issue of child labour in cocoa production. Children working in cocoa fields are exposed to a range of health risks and this is unacceptable. It is important that different organisations involved in the fight against child labour develop a holistic strategy to counter the root causes of the problem. The European Union has an important role to play as different policies can be used to tackle the problem. The Commission should look into the possibility of developing an effective system for tracing goods that are produced using child labour.

The 2013 EU budget should boost growth and high-quality employment, and start implementing the EU 2020 objectives. The key theme for the EU 2013 budget should therefore be 'jobs and growth' rather than 'austerity'.

We want to deal with the crisis by bringing in fair and sustainable corporate governance measures - in particular binding rules on issues such as workers' participation and gender balance. The EPP's inflexible approach demonstrates that their heads remain in the sand and their promises on improving Europe's corporate culture are short-termist and insincere.

There is ongoing violence in Nigeria in the areas where Christian and Islamic populations live side-by-side. Some of these groups belong to the Boko Haram Islamic sect, which has links to the 'Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb' and has called for the introduction of Sharia law.

 

The S&D Group condemns terrorism and, as the Nigerian constitution guarantees religious freedom, is strongly against the imposition of religious laws on a population that does not want it.

The aim of the initiative is to encourage higher turn-out in the European elections. To this end, the constitutional affairs committee (AFCO) calls on the Commission to propose ways to make it easier for EU citizens living outside their own countries to take part in European elections.

 

The report proposes to give the European Parliament delegation a mandate to initiate dialogue with the Council on the possibility of a comprehensive review of the Electoral Act of 1976. Particular issues that need to be resolved are the timing of the reforms, the overall size of the Parliament and the allocation of seats within it (including a legal definition of digressive proportionality), and the voting system to be used for the pan-European constituency.

The main goal of the Commission's roadmap is to achieve the European target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050 as agreed in the climate and energy package. Moving towards a low-carbon economy by 2050 will not only help address the major threats and challenges posed by climate change but it will also make a significant contribution to turning the European economy into an competitive, efficient and innovative economy at the forefront of global developments.