Briefing
Newsletter - 20-23 May 2013 - Strasbourg plenary session
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Parliament will urge member states to step up the fight against tax havens and improve tax collection, in a debate on Tuesday that gives input to the 22 May European Council. On Tuesday MEPs will vote on a draft resolution that says EU member states should join forces to halve the €1 trillion uncollected "tax gap" by 2020.
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The EU single banking supervision mechanism, as agreed by lead MEP negotiators and the Council Presidency in late March, will be debated in plenary session on Tuesday. The final vote on the rules will come later, to allow more time for parallel talks between the EP and the European Central Bank on detailed accountability provisions for the system's supervisor.
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The goals that Parliament expects to be achieved and values that it wants to be defended in talks on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with United States will be debated on Wednesday and voted on Thursday.
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Changes to member states' media laws and their impact on government interference in the media should be monitored every year at EU level, says a draft resolution to be voted on Tuesday. It also advocates broadening the scope of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive to ensure full respect for media freedom and pluralism. A second draft resolution, also to be voted on Tuesday, calls for improved media education and protection for minors.
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The 2014 European elections should be held from 22 to 25 May, instead of 5 to 8 June, says a draft decision to be voted by Parliament on Tuesday. This will give the new Parliament more time to prepare for the election of the European Commission President in July 2014.
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A draft law to ensure that a victim of violence who is granted protection in one EU member state can get the same protection when she or he moves to another will be voted on Wednesday. The law would also speed up recognition of protection measures by creating standard multilingual certificates.
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New legislation on the "non-commercial transport" of pets, already informally agreed with EU ministers, will be put to a vote on Thursday. It should make it easier to transport pets across borders and will strengthen animal health requirements. It will also ensure that pet owners get clearer information on line.
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A provisional deal with the Council on the environmental safety of offshore oil and gas drilling will be debated on Monday and put to the vote on Tuesday. It would require oil and gas firms to prove their ability to cover potential liabilities deriving from their operations and to submit major hazard reports and emergency response plans before getting a licence to drill.