MEPs discussed Europe's energy security and the Doha trade round when parliament opened on Monday. MEPs debated an energy review which proposes deep cuts in Europe's CO2 emissions by the end of the century. This was followed by a debate on the stalled Doha trade round and whether progress could help or hinder economic recovery.

 

The energy debate focused on the "2nd Strategic Energy Review" which proposes a 50-80% cut in CO2 emissions by the middle of the century. French Liberal Anne Laperrouze, who drafted a report for Parliament on the review, told the House: "As the climatic constraints deepen, we need to rethink our strategy. Instead of 60% we propose an 80% reduction in CO2 emissions, a 35% increase in energy efficiency and to reach renewable energy use of 60% by 2050."

 

Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said "we have agreement on supply for 10 years; we have a monitoring system; but we should not rest idle on this issue, the EU is more robust than we think; its weakness is lack of infrastructure."

 

 

Given the economic recession and fears of growing protectionist and nationalist tendencies there were different views about whether the Doha Development trade round, which has been stalled since July, would help or hinder a recovery.

 

European Trade Commissioner Baroness Ashton said pressing ahead with Doha would be a step towards recovery. For the centre-right EPP-ED Georgios Papastamkos called for a "new international economic architecture" that was more transparent.

 

Glyn Ford, a British Labour MEP, said the Socialists are "committed to a successful outcome to the Doha round." With elections in India, a new European Parliament and Commission in June "the current financial and economic crisis is a reason to move forward and not to retreat," he said

 

 

MEPs also discussed "non-discrimination based on gender and intergenerational solidarity", the protection of Europe's wilderness and production and employment in the clothing industry in Europe.

 

MEPs welcomed the decision of the new US President Obama to close the Guantanamo prison and and agreed that Europe should take in detainees. However, a few MEPs voiced security concerns. MEPs also discussed CIA rendition flights.

 

Also on Tuesday MEPs discussed measures to combat child pornography and the new "sanctions directive", under which employers of illegal immigrants would be penalised.

 

 

MEPs have repeatedly called on the US to close Guantanamo and continue to support the decision, but the question of whether countries should accept former prisoners proved controversial. 

 

Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vondra said that the question of accepting former detainees is a national decision, but it is desirable to find a common political response.  "This subject raises a number of political, legal and security issues which need further study and consultation".

 

For the European People's Party Hartmut Nassauer was concerned because "many past and present detainees were trained in terror camps in Afghanistan after 9-11....They are potential terrorists, and we have a duty to protect our citizens".

 

Martin Schulz for the Socialists agreed that the security of people living in Europe was naturally a vital consideration. At the same time he underlined that now a US President  wants to go back to the best values of his country. Schulz asked: "Are we to refuse to help in these circumstances?"

 

Liberal leader Graham Watson said Europe has to cooperate with the US. "Europe can't stay back and shrug its shoulders and say that these things are for America alone to sort out."

 

MEPs  will vote on a resolution on Guantanamo topic on Wednesday. Join our online debate on this topic via link below.

 

 

MEPs discussed the protection of children from the new threats created by new technologies and the Internet? They called for "grooming" - the action of soliciting children for sexual purposes - and paedophile chat rooms on the Internet to be criminalised. Many MEPs underlined the need for the exchange of information between Member States and the importance of data protection.

 

 

Voting against the line taken by the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee on a report on gender discrimination and "intergenerational solidarity", MEPs adopted a call for 90% of pre-school children across the EU to have guaranteed access to crèche facilities. At the same time, it called for a review of work-life balance policies in the EU.

 

 

MEPs also debated Claudio Fava's report on the proposal for new directive for sanctions against employers of illegal immigrants and discussed the issue of the protection of minorities in Europe.

 

Read our separate articles on these subjects.

 

MEPs Wednesday called for a "third industrial revolution" to tackle climate change, which is worse than previously thought. The President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas addressed the House, calling for the exchange of "land for peace". Later, MEPs discussed the impact of the economic crisis on the car industry and the possibilities of public support.

 

 

Climate change is "more rapid and more serious in terms of its adverse effects than was previously thought", warns the final report of the Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change. While calling for a "third industrial revolution" and innovation and incorporation of climate change issues in all spheres and policies, the report also urges citizens to become engaged in the fight against global warming.

 

With motivation and not prohibitions everybody can be encouraged to do "little things at home", said German Christian Democrat Karl-Heinz Florenz, who steered the report through Parliament. According to the report, households are responsible for almost 1/5 of the emissions. For more information on the debates click on the link below.

 

 

"We trust you because you are a man of balance and reconciliation and therefore also of peace," Hans-Gert Pöttering said to Mahmoud Abbas, stressing the need for a Palestinian government of national consensus.

 

Mr Abbas spoke of the suffering of the Palestinian people exposed to "military aggression" and "bullying by settlers". He said “the longest military occupation in modern history" must end and backed the 2-states-solution, exchanging "land for peace". He invited the European Parliament to help organise the upcoming Palestinian elections and said national reconciliation was a priority. More details can be found on the link below.

 

 

Debating the crisis in the car industry, most speakers agreed that the industry which employs 12 million Europeans directly and indirectly needs public support. The condition: innovation and sustainability to boost competitiveness. Some MEPs maintained that the industry was already suffering too much to impose new environmental restrictions on it. Click below to read more.

 

 

In the final session of the February plenary MEPs gathered to discuss the issue of correct labelling for animal feeds. BSE, CJD and 'mad cow' disease stemmed directly from using contaminated animal feeds leading to widespread culls and fear of the unknown. Parliament yesterday updated 2002 rules concerning animal feed labelling. Consumers and farmers alike will know better what they are eating.

 

 

Animal feed is produced mainly using a system whereby old animal tissue is converted in protein rich feed. During the 90s, this process was tainted severely as farmers purchasing rendered feed were not 100% clear on the contents. The spread of BSE came from the feeding of diseased rendered animals directly back to normally herbivorous cows, thus spreading the disease.

 

Building on an initial rule passed in 2002, the European Parliament have now made it clear that they want complete transparency in the labelling of animal feed.

 

Green MEP and rapporteur of the legislation Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf said: "We are talking about transparency in relation to feed to provide safe foodstuff for consumers. Customers of compound feed need to know exactly what they are being provided with."

 

 

The new proposal includes the customer's ability to read a list of the ingredients of the feed in descending content percentages. The customer may also request further, more detailed content analysis of the feed within a range of plus or minus 15%. The Parliament agreed that this variant was necessary to protect the feed manufacturer's intellectual property rights.

 

Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Health said: "The compromise package strikes the right balance between consumer protection and intellectual property rights...it marks a concrete step against the misleading of feed."

 

 

In other debates on Thursday the Parliament discussed the role of the EULEX legal mission in Kosovo. After one year of independence the Mission want to promote stability in the area, providing political and financial support wherever possible. The resolution was adopted with 424 votes in favour, 133 against and 24 abstentions.

 

Members also called on more unity in trade between the EU and China as a new report showed greater independence from each party.

 

Also debated was the situation of asylum seekers in the EU. The topic centred on the conditions of holding cells individuals are put in whilst their diplomatic status is being resolved. MEPs were universal in their condemnation of the poor conditions experienced.

 

 

The session closed with a debate on human rights. Discussed was the continuing conflict in Sri Lanka between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Government which has seen the deaths of over 70,000 people to date.

 

The situation of Burmese refugees in Thailand was also debated.