Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats
Strasbourg : Plenary session from 19 November 2012 to 22 November 2012
Jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters
Monday 19 November 2012
The Brussels I Regulation provides clear rules for access to justice and is of utmost importance for both citizens and business. An agreement was found with the Council at first reading and endorsed unanimously by the members of the committee on legal affairs in October.
In an increasingly globalised world where EU citizens can live and work outside the EU, the reflexive effect is vital in order to defend their fundamental right of access to justice and to prevent discrimination on grounds of domicile.
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Approval of agricultural or forestry vehicles
Monday 19 November 2012
The aim of this regulation is to harmonise technical requirements for the type-approval of tractors with regard to numerous safety and environmental elements at the level of the EU. This regulation is required in order to ensure a high level of both road and occupational safety and environmental protection and will also allow for a harmonised system of EU vehicle type-approval.
Harmonising and improving technical rules and standards for agricultural vehicles helps strengthen functional and occupational safety for users and workers as well as guaranteeing good functioning of the internal market, while boosting the competitiveness of EU industry.
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Shadow banking
Monday 19 November 2012
Full oversight of shadow banking is needed in order to identify risky transfers and ensure consumer protection. The S&D Group is on the front line in ensuring that no actor or instrument remains outside the regulatory radar: we fight to obtain fairer, more stable and more efficient financial markets, which serve the real economy.
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Card, internet and mobile payments
Monday 19 November 2012
This initiative report is the European Parliament’s contribution to the consultation launched by the Commission on facilitating payments by card, the internet and mobile phones within the European Union.
Our Group takes the view that the development of an integrated European card, internet and mobile payment system should be based on high levels of consumer protection. Consumer confidence is a key condition when developing payment via these means. The EU should therefore develop a consistent legal framework ensuring increased competition, transparency and security.
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Protecting children in the digital world
Monday 19 November 2012
Different policy approaches across member states have resulted in very diverse actions across Europe when it comes to tackling illegal and harmful content, making social networks safer places, streamlining content rating schemes and market fragmentation. Further action at European level might therefore be necessary to build on the best practices of member states. Only a comprehensive combination of legal, technical and educational strategies – including prevention – can adequately address the dangers that children face in the online environment.
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The removal of shark fins on board vessels
Tuesday 20 November 2012
Sharks' fins are very popular and expensive in Asian restaurants but in order to meet the market's increasing demand, tens of millions of sharks are mutilated every year and thrown back to slowly die in the sea. As a consequence of overfishing, sharks are now becoming an endangered species, which inevitably causes disruption and imbalance in the marine ecosystem. The S&D Group is ready to challenge the EPP rapporteur's opposition to a total ban on this cruel practice.
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Work of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in 2011
Tuesday 20 November 2012
The report stresses the crucial role of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) national parliaments, local authorities and non-state actors in drafting and monitoring the Country and Regional Strategy Papers and the implementation of the European Development Fund (EDF). It calls for greater involvement of MEPs in its meetings and activities and welcomes the renewed attendance of the EU Council at its sessions in 2011.
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Towards a genuine Economic and Monetary Union
Tuesday 20 November 2012
The report, as adopted in the economic and monetary affairs committee (ECON), includes our main priorities.
It contains most of our demands for a social pact, including a European Youth Guarantee, a social protocol to protect fundamental social and labour rights and a social protection floor to guarantee universal access to health services. It also reinforces the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the governance framework for the economic and monetary union. On investment, the report insists on the need to implement the Council's Growth Compact and calls for a eurozone countercyclical fund, amounting to 1% of GDP within the EU budget.
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Climate Change Conference in Doha
Wednesday 21 November 2012
From 26 November to 8 December 2012, the 18th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Doha, Qatar.
Fighting climate change should remain a priority, both at European and international level, as climate protection will create sustainable growth, additional jobs and decrease dependency on energy imports. As such, we ask the EU to show leadership at the UN climate summit in Doha, speaking with ‘one voice’ in seeking progress towards an international agreement.
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Enlargement: policies, criteria and the EU's strategic interests
Wednesday 21 November 2012
The report reaffirms support for this, the EU’s most successful external policy, and reassesses the procedures of enlargement, taking into account both the experience of past enlargements and the new realities created by the economic crisis. The report emphasises the importance of social considerations which complement economic factors, while also stressing the need to strengthen the unified voice of civil society, both in the EU and candidate countries.
The Commission is invited to pay more attention to protecting labour rights. Furthermore, particular attention is paid to the need for candidate and potential candidate countries to overcome lingering historical mistrust and to respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities.
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Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report - 2011
Thursday 22 November 2012
This traditional budgetary control exercise represents an important foundation of the budgetary discharge procedure. The annual report forms the basis for the European Parliament's considerations as to whether to grant or refuse discharge to the Commission.
The level of errors is still too high, especially regarding rural development and research where it has increased: it needs to be reduced. We need to ensure that EU money is spent more effectively. But we will not achieve this goal by cutting spending. We need better controls. National authorities must commit themselves to better management of EU funds. The Court itself acknowledges that over 60% of errors found in the implementation of regional policy could have been spotted by member states if proper controls had been in place. The Parliament will address all these concerns during hearings with relevant Commissioners.
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