The European Citizens’ Initiative regulation, which takes effect on 1 April, empowers European Union (EU) citizens to work together across borders to play a direct part in shaping democratic decisions. It is the world’s only transnational tool of direct democracy. Committees of at least seven citizens living in at least seven EU Member States who [...]

On 17 April in Strasbourg, the European Parliament will welcome 12 “observer” members from Croatia, appointed by the Croatian parliament, to prepare for Croatia’s EU accession, currently expected in 2013. The 12 observers will be able to take part in meetings of committees and political groups and to take the floor, in accordance with Parliament’s [...]

External Parliamentary Activities Week The coming week is set aside for MEPs to work in their constituencies or take part in interparliamentary meetings or other delegation visits outside the EU. Parliament is sending a delegation to the second Euronest Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss co-operation between the EU and its Eastern European [...]

From 1 April onwards, EU citizens will be able to ask the European Union to introduce new legislation – provided the organisers can muster one million signatures. This new tool, known as the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), is designed to give the public a more direct say over the EU. Parliament approved the legislation in [...]

Brussels Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished speakers and guests, dear colleagues, It is a pleasure to be here with you today at the beginning of this two-day seminar on piracy. There is no time any more for ceremonial meetings. We need to sit down and agree on the concrete next steps to be taken. Acts of [...]

On Wednesday 28 March, at the plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee, an important opinion on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was adopted. The Committee broadly welcomed the Commission’s proposal for reform but, having analysed it point by point, expressed its disagreement with a number of the measures planned [...]

The Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Mr Štefan Füle, met today with Minister of European Integration of Albania Ms Majlinda Bregu. They discussed the latest developments in the EU integration process of Albania. Commissioner Füle welcomed the recent adoption by the Government of a revised Action Plan addressing the recommendations of the Commission [...]

The European Commission welcomes today’s judgments by the General Court (cases T-336/07 and T-398/07) dismissing the actions brought by Telefónica and Spain against a Commission decision of July 2007 fining Telefónica €151 million for a margin squeeze in the Spanish broadband market. The judgments are important, because they confirm the Commission’s methodology for determining the [...]

Brussels Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank Wouter and his colleagues. And well done to KPMG and the University of Manchester for your report on “Accelerating Innovation: The Power of the Crowd”. It is very valuable. Why? Because it gives us inspiring examples and evidence. Finally we have hard statistics, convincing [...]

Parliament says the EU should start accession talks with Serbia as soon as possible, welcomes plans to start them with Montenegro in June and calls on the five EU Member States that have yet to recognise Kosovo’s independence to do so, in three resolutions adopted on Thursday. Serbia Parliament welcomes the Council’s 1 March decision [...]