Background - všetko

This press kit is a compilation of recent press releases, prepared for the informal European Council on 23 May, setting out the European Parliament's work and positions regarding growth and jobs .

The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee took a unanimous stand on the latest bank capital requirements legislation on Monday 14 May. The vote gives Parliament's negotiators, led by rapporteur Othmar Karas (EPP, AT), a strong hand in pushing its reform agenda with Member States.

The European Parliament's current President, Jerzy Buzek, is soon to hand over the reins to his successor, who will be chosen by the full body of MEPs at the Strasbourg plenary session in January 2012. This mid-way point between the European elections of 2009 and 2014 gives an opportunity to review some of the main legislation adopted by MEPs over the last two and a half years.

The cost of using mobile phones, smartphones and tablets when travelling within the EU will fall sharply from 1 July this year, under a provisional agreement between MEPs and national governments to be voted by Parliament on Thursday 10 May.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is being debated in the European Parliament's International Trade Committee, which will make a formal recommendation to Parliament as a whole on whether or not to approve it. Parliament cannot amend the agreement, but only approve or reject it. If it does not give its consent, then the agreement falls as far as the EU is concerned.

A new agreement on the transfer of EU air passengers' personal data to the US Department of Homeland Security will be voted by the European Parliament on Thursday 19 April. The deal sets the legal conditions for the transfer of this data and covers issues such as storage periods, purpose of the data use, data protection safeguards, administrative and judicial redress. The agreement is intended to replace another deal applied provisionally since 2007.

The EU's future financing debate will be pursued on Thursday 22 March, at a conference of representatives of the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Danish Presidency, EU Member States and their national parliaments. This note provides some background information on the EU's Multi-annual Financial Framework and Parliament's stance on the EU's long-term budget.

All elected offices in the European Parliament, i.e. President, Vice-President, Quaestor, and Committee Chair and Vice-Chair are renewed every two and half years, so once in the 5-year legislative term.

With the Eurozone crisis looming larger than ever, the European Parliament will be looking ahead to the coming months with apprehension, but also a determination to play an active role in efforts to emerge from the crisis and build a more sustainable economic system for the future, based on democratic procedures.

With the vote of Belgium's Joint Community Commission (CoCom), the process of ratifying the protocol allowing 18 additional Members to join the European Parliament has been successfully completed. The 27 national ratification procedures started on September 2010, following a decision by national governments in June 2010 to adopt a proposal modifying the EP composition.