Las elecciones europeas de 2014 se celebrarán del 22 al 25 de mayo, en lugar del 5 al 8 de junio como se había previsto inicialmente, de acuerdo con una decisión respaldada hoy por el pleno del Parlamento Europeo. El adelanto de los comicios dará más tiempo al nuevo Parlamento para preparar la elección del presidente de la Comisión Europea en julio de 2014.

El pleno del Parlamento Europeo ha aprobado hoy un informe en el que propone establecer un sistema de control anual a nivel europeo sobre los cambios en las normas nacionales que regulan los medios de comunicación. Además, los diputados piden garantizar la independencia de los periodistas, estudiar el impacto de la crisis sobre las condiciones de trabajo en el sector y revisar la Directiva de Servicios Audiovisuales para preservar la libertad de prensa y el pluralismo.

Taxpayers and savers must be the last people called upon to bail out banks, says Parliament's negotiating position, approved by the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Monday, on draft rules on saving struggling banks. The text rules out using deposits below €100,000 and says that even deposits above €100,000 should be the last to be called in. The committee voted against using deposit guarantee funds for resolution actions and also set out strict conditions for using taxpayer's money.

The social affairs committee voted on Monday to reject the one billion euro cut to the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived proposed by the European Commission, and called for support for the EU's neediest citizens be kept at the 2007-2013 level of. 3.5 billion euros.

El presidente del Parlamento Europeo, Martin Schulz, anunció hoy los nombres de los candidatos a Defensor del Pueblo Europeo. Cada uno de los candidatos será sometido a una audiencia en la comisión de Peticiones el 18 de junio. Está previsto que el pleno de la Eurocámara elija al nuevo Defensor del Pueblo en julio.

Los eurodiputados reclamarán a los Estados miembros que den un paso al frente para combatir los paraísos fiscales y mejorar la recaudación de impuestos, en un debate que comenzará mañana martes a las 8h30 y que servirá para calentar motores de cara al Consejo Europeo del miércoles. El debate también abordará cuestiones como el futuro de la Unión Económica y Monetaria y las inversiones en redes energéticas.

The EU cannot tolerate shameless discrimination of millions of its citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity, Civil Liberties Committee MEPs said on Friday, the International Day against Homophobia. EU member states must stop blocking the proposed anti-discrimination directive, they added.

Parliament wants a timely remedy for the 2013 budget shortfalls and is ready to intensify negotiations on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF). These were the key conclusions of this morning's European Parliament Budgets Committee meeting.

Specifications for a new generation of digital tachographs for trucks and buses were agreed informally by Irish presidency and Parliament negotiators on Tuesday. Innovations include devices that can read on-board recording devices from a distance, will make it easier to enforce driving and rest times.

On 24 January 2013 the Internal Market Committee adopted its position on draft rules setting out minimum EU requirements for the award by public authorities of "concession" contracts to procure works or services from private suppliers. These contracts are typically high-value, complex and long-term. These Q&A deal with certain aspects of the committee text, on which informal negotiations are now under way with the Council headed by the Irish Presidency and the European Commission.