Culture plays a fundamental role in human life. It is also an essential source of identity, at local, regional, national and European levels, while making a significant contribution to the EU economy. EU cultural policy relates to cultural heritage, but also to the cultural and creative sector. The EU supports culture through a variety of initiatives, including the European Capitals of Culture scheme. A number of EU programmes also offer funding for cultural projects, for instance the Creative Europe programme, Horizon Europe and New European Bauhaus. As one of the sectors of the economy worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU included culture in its coronavirus response investment initiatives and the REACT-EU programme aimed at dealing with the consequences of the pandemic. The European Parliament has called for increased support for culture as part of the post-pandemic recovery efforts.

EPRS policy podcast - Culture and regional development

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be attained by 2030. The SDGs and the broader 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, of which they form the core, are based on findings that human activities have triggered dramatic changes in the conditions on Earth (climate change and biodiversity loss), which in turn have contributed to the deterioration of human wellbeing. To reverse the trend, there is an urgent need to simultaneously address the multiple causes and consequences of environmental depletion and social inequalities, by developing synergies and managing trade-offs between the SDGs. The European Union has been a leader in drafting the SDGs; it is also a frontrunner in mainstreaming the SDGs in all its policies.

EPRS podcast - Policy: Understanding SDGs: The UN's Sustainable Development Goals

In March 2018, the EU introduced a legislative package on the fair taxation of the digital economy. It contained proposals for an interim and a long-term digital tax. However, there was no immediate political agreement in the Council. As finding a global solution at the OECD level or a coordinated EU approach was not yet feasible at the time, some Member States started designing or implementing their own digital taxes, which gave rise to trade tensions. In this podcast, we talk about taxing the digital economy. We analyse the main challenges, look at EU proposals and new developments to make international tax regimes fit for the digital age.

EPRS policy podcast - Taxing the digital economy: New developments and the way forward

In May 2020, the European Commission published its 'farm to fork' strategy – 'for a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system' – along with the EU biodiversity strategy, as part of the implementation of the European Green Deal. In those strategies the Commission set a target of 25 % of the EU's agricultural land to be under organic farming by 2030, as well as a significant increase in organic aquaculture. In this podcast, we’ll decorticate the Commission’s new plan to promote organic production in Europe.

EPRS policy podcast - Development of organic production in the EU: 2021-2027 action plan

What is the EU’s long term vision for rural areas? In this episode, we’ll look at their needs, their potential and challenges, see where current support policies have succeeded and where they’ve been less successful… and have a quick look into the future.

EPRS policy podcast - EU rural development policy: Impact, challenges and outlook

The EU has contributed to creating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established in 2015, as part of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and takes action to implement them through its internal and external policies, as outlined in the 'Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030' reflection paper, the European Green Deal, the European Commission's political priorities and its work programme. The Sustainable Development Goals also have a regional dimension, sometimes called 'localisation'. Achieving around 65 % of the targets is estimated to require local and regional authority participation. Numerous regions and cities, including in the EU, have expressed support for the SDGs and many have integrated them in their policy frameworks.

EPRS podcast - Policy: Sustainable Development Goals in EU regions

<p>The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels on 10 July 2019, following the appointment of their members in the plenary sitting of 3-4 July. During the meetings, each committee and subcommittee will elect its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate. The newly set up committees will then start holding their regular meetings during the week of 22 July.</p>

AGRI - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

REGI - Committee on Regional Development

<p>On Wednesday 10 July, the Committe on Development (DEVE) met for the first time in its new composition and elected as its Chair Swedish MEP Tomas TOBÉ (EPP). The Committee also elected four Vice Chairs: Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA (Greens/EFA), Norbert NEUSER (S&amp;D), Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU (Renew Europe), Erik MARQUARDT (Greens/EFA). The next meeting of the Committee will take place in the morning of 24 July and is set to discuss the state of play of development cooperation, the 2020 budget and the future partnership with ACP countries. The Finish EU Council Presidency will set out its priorities, in particular in humanitarian aid.</p>

DEVE - Committee on Development

EP Plenary session - Summit of the Future: transforming global governance for building peace, promoting human rights and achieving the Sustainable development goals

Committee on Development

DEVE

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

AGRI

Committee meeting on Regional Development

REGI

Joint DEVE/AFET/DROI presentation of Sakharov Prize candidates

DROI

AFET

Committee Constitutive meeting on Regional Development

Committee Constitutive meeting on Development

Committee Constitutive meeting on Agriculture and Rural Development

Genoptagelse af sessionen

Åbning af mødet

Erklæringer fra formanden

Godkendelse af protokollerne fra de foregående møder

De politiske gruppers sammensætning

Forhandlinger forud for Parlamentets førstebehandling (forretningsordenens artikel 71) (opfølgning)

Delegerede retsakter (forretningsordenens artikel 111, stk. 6) (opfølgning)

Delegerede retsakter (forretningsordenens artikel 111, stk. 6)

Berigtigelser (forretningsordenens artikel 241)(opfølgning)

Undertegnelse af retsakter vedtaget efter den almindelige lovgivningsprocedure (forretningsordenens artikel 79)

Arbejdsplan

Genoptagelse af mødet

Forebyggelse af tab af plastgranulat for at mindske mikroplastforurening (forhandling)

Fælles regler til fremme af afhjælpning af varer (forhandling)

Forbud mod produkter fremstillet ved tvangsarbejde på EU-markedet (forhandling)

Ændring af direktiv 2011/36/EU om forebyggelse og bekæmpelse af menneskehandel og beskyttelse af ofrene herfor (forhandling)

Dagsorden for det følgende møde

Godkendelse af protokollen fra dette møde

Hævelse af mødet

Plenary session

Godkendelse af protokollen fra foregående møde

Parlamentets sammensætning

Valgs prøvelse

Udvalgenes og delegationernes sammensætning

Forhandlinger forud for Parlamentets førstebehandling (forretningsordenens artikel 71)

Delegerede retsakter (forretningsordenens artikel 111, stk. 6)(opfølgning)

Meddelelse fra formanden (frist for forespørgsler til skriftlig besvarelse (forretningsordenens artikel 138))

Ruslands udemokratiske præsidentvalg og dets ulovlige udvidelse til de besatte områder (forhandling)

Afstemningstid

Nye påstande om russisk indblanding i Europa-Parlamentet og i det kommende EU-valg og indvirkningen på Unionen (forhandling)

Kinesisk politivirksomhed i Europa (forhandling)

Igangværende høringer inden for rammerne af artikel 7, stk. 1, i TEU vedrørende Ungarn for at styrke retsstatsprincippet og konsekvenserne heraf for budgettet (forhandling)

Decharge 2022 (forhandling)

Indlæg af et minuts varighed om politisk vigtige sager

Stemmeforklaringer

Dagsorden for næste møde

Committee on Regional Development

DEVE - Presentation of the priorities of the Hungarian Presidency - Exchange of views with Tristan AZBEJ State Secretary

DEVE AFET DROI - Presentation of candidates for the Sakharov Prize 2024

DEVE Committee constitutive meeting

EMPL Committee constitutive meeting

AFETY DEVE -  Geopolitical dialogue with Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships

DEVE workshop on ' Confronting debt, climate change and poverty: Global financial architecture reform and fiscal space of developing countries '

DEVE workshop on Opportunities and challenges of the green transition for pastoralism and indigenous people in Africa ?

DEVE - Humanitarian assistance to persons with disabilities

Joint DEVE / AFET Committee - Exchange of views on the situation in Ethiopia

SEDE - Exchange of views with Jiří Šedivý, Chief Executive, European Defence Agency: update on the Capability Development Plan and the Annual Coordinated Review of Defence

AFET DEVE SEDE joint Committee - The European Union’s Strategy in the Sahel

AFET DEVE DROI joint meeting - Exchange of views with the 2023 Sakharov Prize laureates - Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, represented by Afsoon Najafi and Mersedeh Shahinkar

TRAN - Public hearing on The Future Development of Electric and Fuel Cell Trucks

DEVE Public Hearing ' EU-Africa Strategy - State of play '

EP Plenary session - Recent developments at the EU’s external border between Finland and Russia and the need to uphold EU law - Council and Commission statements

DEVE Committee

REGI - Exchange of views with Marko Pavić, Chairperson of the Croatian Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development and EU Funds

This news item shows extracts from the AFET (Foreign Affairs), LIBE (Civil Liberties, Home Affairs and Justice), ITRE (Industry, research and Energy), ECON (Economy and Monetary Affairs), ENVI (Environment, Public Health and Food Safety), DEVE (Development) and AGRI (Agriculture) Committee's constitutive meetings and the election of their Bureau. The constitutive meetings of the European Parliament's standing committees and subcommittees take place in Brussels following the appointments of their members in the plenary sitting of 16-19 July. During the constitutive meetings, each committee and subcommittee elects its respective bureau, made up of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate. The newly set up committees then starts holding their regular meetings during the same week following their constitutive meeting.

Constitutive meetings of the Committees (AFET, LIBE, ITRE, ECON, ENVI, DEVE and AGRI): extracts

This infoclip shows footage of the Cukrarna Gallery opened in September 2021 in Ljubljana (Slovenia) with the contribution of the European Regional and Development Fund (ERDF). The Slovenian capital has gained a new space that serves both as a venue for exhibiting contemporary art and as a place where thoughts can be explored and contemporary art projects of all kinds – visual, intermedia, performance, sound, music and more – can be created and presented. The financial contribution from the EU ERDF is of 10,7 million euros for a total estimated value of 24,6 million euros.

Infoclip: "Cukrarna" Gallery - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Plenary discusses the latest ruling by the International Court of Justice regarding Israel and the alleged involvement of UNRWA staff in the 7 October attacks The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take a series of measures to prevent any acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, after South Africa filed an application against Israel at the court in December 2023. It also ordered Israel to take immediate and effective measures to ensure aid can reach people in Gaza. During the debate with the Council and the European Commission on Tuesday afternoon, MEPs also discuss the allegations that 12 staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA ) were involved in the 7 October attacks against Israel. While several donor countries have suspended their UNRWA funding, the EU said it will take a decision in light of the outcome of the investigation announced by the UN and its subsequent actions.

Debate - War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region: Opening statement by Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management

Debate - War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region: Closing statement by Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management

Debate - War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region: MEPs debate part 3

Debate - War in the Gaza Strip and the need to reach a ceasefire, including recent developments in the region: MEPs debate part 1

This infoclip shows the factory of Seifert Systems in Malta. The company, with more than 55 years’ experience and expertise within Industrial Thermal Management, has recently made a €12 million investment to extend their factory in Malta, benefitting from EU funds through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Infoclip: Industrial thermal management systems - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – Birżebbugia (Malta)

Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES) and Sven SIMON (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs, hold a press conference on the European Elections 2024 report. The draft text adopted by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs calls for a binding agreement between Parliament and the European Council on the so-called lead candidate process for the election of the Commission President. MEPs say that lead candidates, jointly with the presidents of the European political parties and of their respective parliamentary groups, should engage in negotiations immediately after the elections to put forward a common candidate, before the European Council can make a proposal. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES) and Sven SIMON (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs, on the European Elections 2024 report

MEPs debate on proposals for the lead candidate system ahead of the 2024 elections, after the vote was postponed at November’s plenary session, to allow for more time for deliberation. The proposition includes a mechanism to elect the Commission President, as well as ways to increase turnout and enhance democratic processes. Opening statements by Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES) and Sven SIMON (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs and Paolo GENTILONI, European Commissioner for Economy. The transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please, check against delivery.

The European Elections 2024: opening statements by Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES) and Sven SIMON (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs and Paolo GENTILONI, European Commissioner for Economy

MEPs debate on proposals for the lead candidate system ahead of the 2024 elections, after the vote was postponed at November’s plenary session, to allow for more time for deliberation. The proposition includes a mechanism to elect the Commission President, as well as ways to increase turnout and enhance democratic processes. Closing statements by Paolo GENTILONI, European Commissioner for Economy, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES) and Sven SIMON (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs .

The European Elections 2024: closing statements by Paolo GENTILONI, European Commissioner for Economy, Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES) and Sven SIMON (EPP, DE), Rapporteurs

This infoclip shows The Malta Life Sciences Park (MLSP). It offers 13 5002 square meters of space, including state-of-the-art laboratories, offices, seminar and meeting rooms and a range of shared facilities, all adjacent to some of the country’s leading hospitals and universities. Here, nearly 30 companies of all sizes have access to experienced and professional business and financial advice, as well as assistance for taking their products and services to the global market. Over 25 pharma and medical device companies use the centre to successfully build their product portfolios. Total investment for the project “BioMalta – Setting up a Life Sciences Centre” is EUR 18 000 000 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 15 300 000 through the “Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.

Infoclip: Malta Life Sciences Park - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - Msida (Malta)

This Infoclip show the St. Thomas Tower in Malta. The project consists of the restoration of two historical coastal forts situated along the South Eastern coast of Malta which will be restored to their former glory for the enjoyment of cultural enthusiasts. The scope of the project, which also consists of the conversion of St. Thomas Tower into a Piracy Museum which will exhibit the piracy era in the Mediterranean, is to restore and conserve these cultural assets with the scope of enhancing the cultural tourism portfolio which Malta has to offer to visiting tourists.

Infoclip: St. Thomas Tower - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - Wied il-Ghajn (Malta)

This infoclip shows the Malta’s Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre. It offers advanced diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Opened in 2013, it has tripled the number of beds available for cancer patients on the island. The Centre is part of the new acute general hospital in Msida, close to the island's capital Valletta. It aims to treat 60 % of all Malta's cancer patients and is in keeping with Malta's National Cancer Plan that aims to reduce waiting times for patients and provide better therapeutic practice. Total investment for the project “Mater Dei Hospital Oncology Centre” is EUR 48 802 700, of which the EU’s European Regional Development Fund is contributing EUR 41 482 300 from the Operational Programme “Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period.

Infoclip: Sir Antony Mamo Oncology centre - European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) - Msida (Malta)

In a joint secret vote in the Foreign Affairs and Development committees and the Human Rights Subcommittee, MEPs will choose the three finalists for this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair, Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), DEVE Chair and Udo BULLMAN (S&D, DE), DROI Chair annouce officially the three finalists: Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran, Vilma Núñez de Escorcia and Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez Lagos from Nicaragua, Women fighting for a free, safe and legal abortion: Justyna Wydrzyńska - Poland, Morena Herrera - El Salvador, and Colleen McNicholas - United States. The winner will be chosen by Parliament’s Conference of Presidents on 19 October.

Announcement of the 3 finalists for Sakharov Prize 2023: statements by David McALLISTER (EPP, DE), AFET Chair, Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), DEVE Chair and Udo BULLMAN (S&D, DE), DROI Chair

MEPs discuss and assess the outcome of the 29 - 30 June European Council during the plenary session. During the summit, Heads of State or government focused on the latest developments in Russia, its war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU’s continued support for the country, and on EU migration and asylum policy. They also discussed security and defence cooperation, the economic situation in the EU, as well as relations with China and the upcoming leaders’ meeting with Latin American and Caribbean states. Second part of MEPs debate.

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 29-30 June 2023, in particular the recent developments in Ukraine and Russia: MEPs debate (part 2)

MEPs discuss and assess the outcome of the 29 - 30 June European Council during the plenary session. During the summit, Heads of State or government focused on the latest developments in Russia, its war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU’s continued support for the country, and on EU migration and asylum policy. They also discussed security and defence cooperation, the economic situation in the EU, as well as relations with China and the upcoming leaders’ meeting with Latin American and Caribbean states. First part of MEPs debate.

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 29-30 June 2023, in particular the recent developments in Ukraine and Russia: MEPs debate (part 1)

As part of the "Free Navalny Campaign", a full-size replica of the punishment cell (Shizo) where the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny is serving his 9.5 years sentence is installed in front of the building Station Europe, at the European Parliament in Brussels. Extracts from the event in presence of Heidi HAUTALA (Greens/EFA, FI), Vice-President of the EP and Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), Chair of DEVE Committee.

Display of replica of Alexei Navalny's cell in front of Station Europe: extracts from the event in presence of Heidi HAUTALA (Greens/EFA, FI), Vice-President of the EP and Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), Chair of DEVE Committee

EP Budgetary Control committee (CONT) visit Budapest in order to look into the ongoing issues with the protection of EU budget. The Members of the Fact-finding mission meet with Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Regional Development and János BÓKA, State Secretary for European Union Affairs of the Ministry of Justice.

Fact-finding mission of the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) to Budapest (Hungary): Meeting with Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Regional Development and János BÓKA, State Secretary for European Union Affairs of the Ministry of Justice

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