While MEPs shun the Commission's draft seed regulation, Europe has a new weapon in its fight against money laundering and takes strong action in Crimea.

Crimea crisis / Money laundering / Seed regulation

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16530169/n001-140312-002-en.srt

Russia’s invasion of Crimea  is plainly unacceptable

and the upcoming self-determination  referendum is outright illegal.

That was the message as Europe  spoke as one voice.

The EU has outlined an 11 billion euro  aid package for Ukraine

with MEPs pressing  for a rapid response to the crisis.

to be courageous with the EU  and to do what is necessary.

that’s how much money laundering  is alleged to have cost Europe in 2012.

The Parliament has just given the EU  a new weapon to tackle this:

EU-wide public registers to identify  the beneficiaries of suspect funds.

For those criminals who want  to use Europe’s stable political environment

for their illicitly gained money,  this is a terrible day.

The seed market in Europe  rakes in 7 billion euros.

The European Commission intended  to regulate production on the market.

On the Parliament side,  MEPs didn't want this.

Some feared it would give  the Commission too much power

and give international stakeholders  a chance to monopolise the market.

Therefore MEPs shunned the proposal  and sent it back to the Commission,

with their representative  being heckled in the Chamber.