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.

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.

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.

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.

Fundamental rights should be respected in all instances when applying the EU's Internal Security Strategy, says a resolution adopted by Parliament on Tuesday. MEPs also want proper funding for this strategy in the 2014-2020 financial framework.

Clearer rules are needed to protect not only the victims of cross-border defamation, but also journalists accused of it, says a resolution approved on Thursday.

The police would get better and faster support from their counterparts in other EU countries, for example when asking them to conduct house searches or interview witnesses, under a proposed European Investigation Order endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee on Tuesday. The new rules would set deadlines for gathering the evidence requested and limit the grounds for refusing such requests.

Schengen Treaty Member States may reimpose checks at internal borders in the event of a serious threat to their public policy or to internal security, for up to ten days, says draft legislation as amended by the Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday. In a separate vote on visa legislation, MEPs also backed a clause allowing the emergency reimposition of visa requirements for third country nationals crossing the EU's external frontiers.

Non-EU seasonal workers would enjoy basic working and living conditions, such as a minimum wage and decent accommodation, under draft legislation endorsed by the Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday. These rules would tackle exploitation, while preventing temporary stays from becoming permanent. The Commission estimates that over 100,000 third-country seasonal workers come to the EU every year.

Ceturtdien Parlaments apstiprināja jauno nolīgumu, kas paredz ES gaisa pasažieru datu pārsūtīšanu ASV Iekšzemes drošības departamentam, ja pasažieris lido no vai uz ASV. Nolīgums paredz noteikumus par datu apmaiņas norisi un uzglabāšanas ilgumu, datu aizsardzību, kā arī pilsoņu tiesību aizsardzību administratīvā kārtā un tiesā.