All actions aimed at suppressing the freedom of expression and assembly in Azerbaijan should stop immediately, says a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday. Azerbaijan's hosting of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in its capital Baku on 26 May should be an opportunity for it to show its commitment to democracy and human rights, it adds. In a separate resolution, also passed on Thursday, Parliament calls on China to stop deporting North Korean refugees back to North Korea.

MEPs criticize the recent decision of the High Court of Ukraine to postpone its ruling on the appeal by former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko against her seven-year prison sentence, in a resolution adopted on Thursday. They warn against delaying the legal proceedings, condemn the use of force against her by prison guards and remind Ukraine of its obligation to examine any complaints of cruel treatment.

Emergency financial assistance from the EU for cash-strapped neighbours must depend on respect for human rights and democracy, said Parliament on Thursday. MEPs also oppose plans to cut Parliament out of future decisions on granting this aid.

Parliament urged the European Commission to improve existing EU legislation to close the gender pay gap, including stricter sanctions on employers, in a vote on Thursday. The request for a legislative proposal points out that the gender pay gap still averages 16.4% in the EU, and in some member states has even widened.

ES ir efektīvāk jāizmanto resursi, lai veicinātu ekonomikas izaugsmi un saudzētu vidi, Parlaments uzsver ceturtdien pieņemtajā rezolūcijā. Jāveic vērtīgu materiālu otrreizēja pārstrāde tā vietā lai tos izgāztu atkritumu poligonos vai sadedzinātu, un nodokļu sistēmai vajadzētu sodīt resursu šķērdēšanu, lai palīdzētu celt ES konkurētspēju, uzsver deputāti.

Parliament has called on the Swiss government to revoke a "discriminatory and unlawful" decision to reimpose quotas on long-term residence permits for Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Slovene, Slovak, Czech and Hungarian citizens, in a resolution adopted by MEPs on Thursday.

Devising a "European Investment Plan" to create new jobs, reallocating EU structural funds to projects to create them for young people, and introducing a "European Youth Guarantee" to ensure that they are not without jobs for more than four months, are among the proposals set out by MEPs in a resolution, adopted Thursday, on measures to tackle youth unemployment.

EU Member states should set an example in fighting homophobia, says Parliament in a resolution adopted by a clear majority on Thursday. MEPs condemn homophobic laws and violence in European countries, and call on EU member states to consider giving access to cohabitation, registered partnerships or marriage to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

Eiropas Savienībai ir jārīkojas kopīgi, lai ierobežotu Ķīnas negodīgo tirdzniecības praksi, kas kropļo konkurenci, un atjaunotu ES un Ķīnas tirdzniecības līdzsvaru, saka Parlaments trešdien pieņemtajā rezolūcijā. Jāsāk ar skaidru pārskatu par to, cik liela ir Ķīnas ietekme uz ES ekonomiku, tāpēc jāizveido iestāde, kas uzrauga Ķīnas ieguldījumus ES uzņēmumos un tās aktivitāti dalībvalstu parādu iepirkšanā, norāda deputāti.

Topošajai finanšu darījumu nodokļa sistēmai jāaptver plašāks darījumu loks un tās apiešana jākļūst finansiāli neizdevīgai, uzsver Eiropas Parlaments trešdien, 23. maijā, pieņemtajos ierosinājumos. Deputāti prasa arī to, lai nodokļa ieviešanu uzsāktu pat tad, ja dažas no dalībvalstīm to nevēlas.