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June 18-21 plenary session: pensions, EU Summit, postal services
Institutions - 18-06-2007 - 08:00
Looking to the future: MEPs discuss pension rights this week
The June Plenary session of the European Parliament sees MEPs discuss pension rights, debate a report on the "Equitable Life" pension crash and consider whether the EU should ban cat and dog fur. The definition of what exactly constitutes vodka will also be considered. You can watch all the debates and votes from Strasbourg live on the Parliament's website. The EP will also return to the situation in the Middle East, adopting a formal position, and discuss the outcome of the recent G-8 summit.
EU Summit, liberalisation of postal services
This week also sees important business outside the plenary chamber:
- At the end of the week, EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering will address European leaders during the upcoming meeting of the European Council. The Summit of June 21-22 will discuss the roadmap for the EU institutional future.
- Parliament's Transport Committee will vote on the proposed directive on postal services – MEPs on the Committee plan to suggest postponing opening of all postal services to competition to Dec. 31, 2010.
- After the plenary, many members move on to Wiesbaden, Germany, where the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) - EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly gathers.
European pensions
On Tuesday Parliament will debate the final report of a special EP committee of inquiry into the collapse of British life assurance company Equitable Life. MEPs want to prevent Europeans from losing their savings in the future and sustain healthy pensions and insurance market. The report produced by the EP committee of inquiry calls on the British government to compensate victims of the Equitable Life crisis.
The Parliament will also vote (first reading) on the improvement of the portability of supplementary pension rights. MEPs seek to extend the scope of the future directive to include group insurance contracts or pay-as-you-go plans.
Vodka compromise
MEPs will vote on the compromise reached by the Parliament and ministers about what can be called vodka and how it should be labelled. MEPs will also discuss and vote on the report that envisages a total ban on EU exports and imports of cat and dog fur.
Daily updates
Apart from daily summaries of the plenary session, you can also read our stories on the so-called vodka war (Monday), European space project Galileo (Tuesday). On Wednesday – World refugee day – read the story on EU refugee and asylum policy as well as interconnection of politics and scientific research. On Thursday catch up on the EU Summit and the growing role of the Parliament and its president.
Other important issues:
- Implementation of a Code of conduct on multiple sclerosis
- Safer use of mercury
- EU policy on promoting broadband connection and consumer confidence in the digital environment
- Situation of Iraqi refugees
REF.: 20070615STO07871