Press room 

Ministers are outlining the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU to parliamentary committees, in a series of meetings.

In order to create a toxic free environment and a truly circular economy, lawmakers agreed to stricter limits on persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

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

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.

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.

The EU has to put forward a mid-century zero emissions strategy by 2018, Environment MEPs said on Thursday.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

In delegation to Amsterdam on Thursday, MEPs warned that delays on the delivery of the new Vivaldi building would have consequences on the agency’s business continuity.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.