EP this week: migration, GMOs and passenger data

Quotas to relocate refugees arriving to Greece and Italy, GMOs and limits on emissions of air pollutants are on the agenda this week in the European Parliament. Plans to introduce EU-wide rules for collecting and processing the data of air passengers will also be discussed.

How should the EU deal with asylum seekers? On Thursday the justice committee votes on a report assessing an emergency scheme to relocate asylum seekers and refugees in Europe. MEPs will likely repeat their call for more refugees to be relocated and for the mechanism to be made binding for all EU member states.

The issue of PNR (Passenger Name Record) data is also on the agenda at the justice committee. On Wednesday members vote on amendments to clarify which flight data should be included and for how long it should be saved.

A draft report rejecting the Commission's proposal to allow individual member states decide whether or not to allow the use of GMO feed and food products on their territory is to be debated in the environment committee on Wednesday. In an earlier debate members highlighted their concern that the proposal could damage the single market and the competitiveness of EU farmers.

Stricter and compulsory limits on emissions of air pollutants will be put to a vote in the environment committee also. The European Commission estimates that these new limits could cut air pollution costs by €40 billion.

Ministers from the Luxembourgish government present the Council presidency's work programme in several committees. Luxembourg took over as chair on 1 July for six months.

Wednesday marks one year since MEPs elected Jean-Claude Juncker i as President of the European Commission.

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REF. : 20150713STO80601