Press room 

Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on Thursday to make the European Medicines Agency more effective in tackling shortages of medicines and medical devices.

Ministers outlined the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU to parliamentary committees, in a series of meetings.

MEPs say new measures for batteries are crucial for the transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy and for EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

Environment and Public Health MEPs will debate on Monday the Coronavirus outbreak with the Executive Director of the EU Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Parliament's Committee responsible for public health debated how to support efforts to develop and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines, together with Commissioner Kyriakides.

MEPs discussed the EU risk assessment of the herbicide glyphosate, in the light of the so-called “Monsanto Papers”, with experts in a public hearing on Wednesday.

MEPs debated the latest developments concerning the authorisation of vaccines against COVID-19 with European Medicines Agency (EMA) Executive Director Emer Cooke.

Parliament negotiators reached an agreement with Council on Monday on new criteria to determine whether an economic activity is environmentally sustainable.

To protect human health and the environment, the Environment Committee objected on Tuesday to a Commission proposal allowing lead in recycled PVC.

Plans to boost greenhouse-gas emission curbs through the EU carbon market (EU ETS) were informally agreed between MEPs and Council Presidency on Thursday.

The EU needs clear policy objectives to achieve a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free and fully circular economy by 2050 at the latest, say MEPs.

On the eve of World Cancer Day, Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) backs EU wide effort to beat cancer.

The share of waste to be recycled should be raised to 70% by 2030, from 44% today, while landfilling, which has a big environmental impact, should be limited to 5%, said Environment Committee MEPs on Tuesday, as they amended the draft EU “waste package” legislation. They also advocate a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030.

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Environment MEPs advocate a full and immediate EU-wide ban on ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, and call for common sanctions at EU level against wildlife trafficking, in a resolution voted on Thursday. Wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated €20 billion annually. It has grown in recent years, becoming one of the biggest and most profitable forms of organised cross-border crime.

Environment and Public Health Committee MEPs will discuss the current Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak with the European Commission on Thursday morning.

A freeze in the auction of some pollution allowances should be allowed to help boost green investments, according to environment committee MEPs voting on draft legislation on Tuesday.

On Friday, Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement to overhaul EU rules on batteries and take into account technological developments and future challenges.

EU needs a common approach to limit COVID-19 and avoid member states designating other EU countries as red zones, EP’s committee responsible for public health says.

CO2 emitted by transport, farming, buildings and waste must be cut by 30%, and CO2 emitted and absorbed by forestry and land use must balance out, by 2030.