MEPs voiced concern about evacuation procedure training on passenger ships and suggested limiting cruise ship size by law, in a Transport and Tourism Committee debate with Commissioner Siim Kallas on Tuesday. An investigation of the Concordia accident will help shape a revision of ship safety rules and new measures might be tabled before the end of 2012, Mr Kallas said. He also deplored EU Member States' "lack of enthusiasm" for stepping up the European Maritime Safety Agency's powers.

Um einen einheitlichen europäischen Raum für effiziente, sichere und umweltschonende Verkehre zu schaffen, bedarf es realistischer, verpflichtender Zielvorgaben in Bezug auf Umwelt und Sicherheit, meinen die EU-Abgeordneten. Bis 2020 muss die Unfallopferrate im Straßenverkehr gegenüber 2010 um die Hälfte sinken. Kosten für Luftverschmutzung, Lärm und Stau sollten in den Preis aller Verkehrsträger einberechnet werden, fordert das Parlament.

New rules to make motorbikes safer and more environmentally friendly got the thumbs up from Parliament's Internal Market Committee on Monday, when it adopted a report on a common system of type approval for powered two-wheel vehicles ranging from mopeds to heavy motorcycles.

The EU should pay up to 95% of regional development project costs in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Latvia and Hungary to spur recovery, says a resolution voted on Thursday. MEPs backed a proposal for a temporary increase in the EU's share of funding for targeted projects, without changing the total volume of structural funding for each Member State.

As co-legislator, Parliament will see that cohesion policy is not diverted from its primary aims as it is adapted to new economic and budgetary needs, said regional development and employment committee MEPs in debates Tuesday and Wednesday on cohesion policy reform proposals tabled by the Commission this autumn. MEPs want the reform negotiations completed by the end of 2012.

"We are undertaking a radical change in Greek society and institutions to create a more rational and more competitive development model", regional policy minister Michalis Chrysochoidis told the Regional Development Committee on Tuesday. Mr Chrysochoidis discussed with Regional Development Committee MEPs how best to improve the take-up of EU structural funds, cut bureaucracy and invest in growth and jobs, especially for young people.

The resolution drafted by Mathieu Grosch (EPP, BE) and adopted today calls for the abolition of all remaining barriers and borders in order to complete the creation of a single transport area for goods and passengers which is competitive, co-modal and resource efficient. Today's vote by the transport committee reflects a broad political consensus on the main safety and environmental targets to be reached by 2020.

Die Abgeordneten haben am Donnerstag einer Finanzverordnung zugestimmt, die 40 Mio. Euro für Programme und Pilotprojekte im Rahmen der integrierten Meerespolitik für den Zeitraum 2011-2013 bereitstellt. Auf diese Summe konnte sich das Parlament mit dem Rat in erster Lesung einigen.

Um neuen Bahnunternehmen den Markteintritt zu erleichtern und das Angebot an Transportdienstleistungen im Güter- und internationalen Personenverkehr zu erhöhen und zu verbessern, hat das Parlament einer Neufassung der vor zehn Jahren verabschiedeten Richtlinien zur Marktöffnung im Schienenverkehr in erster Lesung zugestimmt.

MEPs gave their green light, Tuesday, to prolong a suspension of EU customs duties on imports of certain industrial goods to the Canary Islands. The proposal allows duty-free imports of raw materials, components and capital goods, so as to boost local firms' competitiveness and stabilise employment.