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.

To complete a safe, efficient, low-pollution single transport area the EU must set itself realistic but binding environmental and safety goals for 2020, says Parliament in a resolution passed on Thursday. These include halving the number of road deaths and serious injuries, and doubling the number of pedestrians and cyclists in towns, from 2010 levels. Pollution, noise and congestion costs should be included in the prices paid by users, MEPs add.

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.

MEPs gave their green light Thursday to allocate a €40 million budget to integrated maritime policy pilot programmes and projects for 2011-2013. They struck an agreement with the Council at the first reading.

To encourage new rail operators to enter the market and supply high-quality services, Parliament approved a recast of the 2001 EU legislation on liberalised rail services at the first reading on Wednesday.

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.