The adverse effects of medicinal products will be better monitored in future, to prevent the recurrence of cases like the French diabetes medicine "Médiator" (benfluorex), which led to many deaths. Changes to existing EU legislation, backed by the Public Health Committee on Tuesday, would trigger an automatic EU safety evaluation in the event of a safety alert about a medicinal product in any EU Member State.

A breast implant register, more stringent checks and product traceability, and a pre-market authorisation system are among the measures proposed by the Environment and Public Health Committee on Wednesday to prevent a recurrence of the PIP defective breast implants case. The resolution was passed unanimously.

Parliament's Transport Committee voiced deep concern on Tuesday over the threat of retaliation actions against European airlines if the EU continues implementing the new carbon trading scheme for flights departing and arriving in the EU. While some MEPs recommended abolishing the scheme, others feared a total loss of credibility if the EU gave in to threats from third countries. Later, In an Environment Committee debate on Thursday, most MEPs urged the Commission to stand by the scheme.

Rules on the labelling and contents of baby milks and food for people with special medical needs must be better defined to protect consumers and give clarity to the food industry, according to MEPs voting on legislation in the Public Health and Food Safety Committee on Wednesday. The special rules should also cover gluten intolerance and certain low calorie diets, they say.

Shipping fuels should be subject to stricter sulphur limits to protect public health and the environment, according to MEPs voting on draft legislation in committee this morning. Maritime emissions cause an estimated 50,000 premature deaths in the EU each year.

The EU needs to improve its Emissions Trading System (ETS) and other policies to help its transition towards an economy less dependent on carbon, says a non-legislative report adopted by the Environment Committee on Tuesday.

Medical devices such as silicone breast implants, should be subject to stricter controls and better traceability, said MEPs and European Commission representatives at an Environment and Public Health Committee meeting this morning.

Emissions Trading System (ETS) credits should be taken out of the next phase of trading to help lift the sinking carbon price, said Environment Committee MEPs on Tuesday. MEPs also voted on measures aiming to get the EU on track to meet its 20% energy efficiency target by 2020.

The agreement reached at UN climate talks in Durban is a breakthrough that must be followed by firm action, says Jo Leinen (S&D, DE), Chair of the EU Parliament delegation to the summit (COP 17).

The European Parliament is calling for a binding global deal on climate change to be agreed by 2015. The "ping pong blame game" between the US and China is holding up progress towards this deal and must come to end, said Jo Leinen (S&D, DE), Chair of the EP delegation to the UN climate change summit in Durban (South Africa) on Wednesday.