Financial services form an essential part of the EU’s efforts to complete the internal market, under the free movement of services and capital.

The digital and green transformation has brought additional opportunities and challenges for financial services policy. The withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU brings a new set of challenges with potential implications for the financial services sector within the EU and beyond.

Parliament has been actively involved in carrying forward the ambitious legislative projects for developing the EU regulatory framework for the financial sector including the supervisory and regulatory structure for financial markets, as well as&nbsp;exploring ways of addressing systemic risk and the challenges emerging from fast-paced technological developments.

Financial supervision

The President of the European Central Bank (ECB) takes part four times a year in a monetary dialogue with Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) to report on monetary policy and answer question from MEPs.&nbsp;Although guaranteed independence under the Treaty, the ECB is accountable for its actions towards the European Parliament, and more precisely the ECON Committee.

The European Central Bank is the central institution of the Economic and Monetary Union and has been responsible for conducting monetary policy for the euro area since 1 January 1999 The ECB and the national central banks of all EU Member States constitute the European System of Central Banks.

Monetary dialogue

Bosnia and Herzegovina - along with other Western Balkans countries – was identified as a potential candidate for EU membership during the Thessaloniki European Council summit in June 2003.

Since then, a number of agreements between the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina have entered into force - visa facilitation and readmission agreements (2008), Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-related issues (2008). The Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) has been ratified and entered into force on 1 June 2015.

Bosnia and Herzegovina applied for EU membership in February 2016.&nbsp;The European Council granted the&nbsp;candidate status to the country on December 2022.

EU - Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European Union’s relations with South Africa focus mainly on respect for human rights, freedom, equality, justice, democracy and the rule of law.

A range of dialogues between the EU and South Africa allow us to share experiences in areas of common interest, or where we face common challenges. In addition to the areas of cooperation mentioned in the following sections, the following are also covered by these dialogues: Peace and Security, Human Rights, Good Governance, Migration, Social Cohesion, Energy, Innovation.

EU - South Africa

Plastics pervade modern life. Global plastics production has been multiplied by 20 since the 1960s and is expected to double by 2036.

In May 2018, the European Commission put forward a legislative proposal seeking to address the issue of marine litter from plastics. The proposal builds on the 2015 circular economy action plan, which announced 'action to fulfil the objective of significantly reducing marine litter', and on the Strategy for plastics in a circular economy published in January 2018.

EU Strategy for Plastics - 8th parliamentary term

Election observation is a highly visible demonstration of the European Union's commitment to supporting democracy and promoting human rights around the world.

It contributes to strengthening democratic institutions, building public confidence in electoral processes, helping to deter fraud, intimidation and violence, especially in fragile, post-conflict or developing regions. It also complements other key EU foreign policy objectives, particularly peace-building.

International election observation

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, also known as the Istanbul Convention, is the first legally binding international instrument on this issue. It establishes a comprehensive framework of measures for preventing such violence, supporting victims and punishing perpetrators.

The European Parliament first sounded the alarm about the problem of violence against women in a resolution of 11 June 1986. Since then, Parliament has played a particularly important role in the field, including through the work of its Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). As of October 2020, it has been signed by all EU Member States, and ratified by 21.

Violence against women (2019-2020)

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. Therefore, on 11 December 2019 the Commission presented a communication on a European Green Deal that sets out a detailed vision to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, safeguard biodiversity, establish a circular economy and eliminate pollution, while boosting the competitiveness of European industry and ensuring a just transition for the regions and workers affected.

Parliament has played an important role in pushing for more ambitious EU climate legislation and declared a climate emergency on 28 November 2019.&nbsp;

The European Climate Law writes&nbsp;into law the goal to become climate neutral by 2050 and attain the intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels).&nbsp;After 2050 the EU will aim for negative emissions.

On 14 July 2021 the European Commission presented its “Fit for 55 in 2030” package-the legislative tool to deliver on the targets agreed in the European Climate law.&nbsp;

On March 2023, Parliament adopted draft measures to the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The proposals&nbsp;&nbsp;aim to substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption in the EU building sector by 2030, and make it climate neutral by 2050. They also aim to increase the rate of renovations of energy-inefficient buildings and improve information-sharing on energy performance.

European Green Deal

On 24 February 2022,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;began a&nbsp;military invasion&nbsp;of Ukraine, in a major escalation of the conflict that had begun in 2014. Shortly before, on 21 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent.&nbsp;

Since then, the EU and its international allies have rallied firmly behind the Kyiv government. This support has resulted in unprecedented levels of financial aid, assistance, weapons deliveries to Ukraine, sweeping sanctions against Moscow, and the granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova.

On 1&nbsp;March&nbsp;the European Parliament held an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels to assess Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky&nbsp;and the Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Ruslan Stefanchuk spoke live from Kiev.&nbsp;The European Parliament President Roberta Metsola was in Kyiv on 1 April&nbsp;to express the European Union´s support of&nbsp;the Ukrainian people and to condemn the Russian attack. On&nbsp;8 June&nbsp;Stefanchuk adressed Parliament in the Strasbourg hemicycle.

Following the atrocities carried out by Vladimir Putin’s regime against Ukrainian civilians, the European Parliament has&nbsp;recognised Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism in a resolution on November 2022.

On 9th February 2023, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy&nbsp;addressed the European Parliament during an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels.

Russian aggression against Ukraine

MEPs elected Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT) on January 2022 as President of the European Parliament until 2024.

Roberta Metsola won the election in the first voting round, where she received an absolute majority of 458 votes out of 690 cast in the remote secret vote, among three candidates.&nbsp;

President Metsola is leading the Parliament in the second half of the current legislative term, until a new Parliament is constituted following the 2024 European Elections.

Born in Malta in 1979,&nbsp; Roberta Metsola who has been an MEP since 2013, is the youngest EP President ever elected. She became First Vice-President in November 2020, and was Parliament’s acting President after President Sassoli passed away on 11 January.

She is the third female President of the European Parliament, after Simone Veil (1979-1982) and Nicole Fontaine (1999- 2002).

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament

Refugee movements and migration are at the centre of global attention.&nbsp;

The European Parliament is actively involved, in the adoption of new laws on irregular and regular immigration. It is a full co-legislator together with the Council representing member states on these matters since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009.

The European Commission proposed the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in September 2020 to improve asylum procedures and ensure solidarity and fair responsibility sharing among member states when dealing with the arrival of migrants and asylum seekers. The Pact comprises the following legislative proposals: Regulation for Asylum and Migration Management, Regulation for Crisis and Force majeure, Screening Regulation, Qualification Regulation , Reception Conditions Directive (recast), Amended Asylum Procedures regulation, Return Directive (recast), Amended EURODAC Regulation and Union Resettlement Framework Regulation.&nbsp;

The EP calls to advance in the reform of EU migration and asylum common policy before the 2024 EU elections.&nbsp;

Migration

Threats to bee health and market competition make the economic viability of apiculture a critical matter.

Profitability is crucial for the sustainability of the apiculture sector. Like other agricultural producers, beekeepers must cope with production and market challenges. When it comes to production, various factors can affect productivity in a eekeeping enterprise. Outbreaks of animal diseases, exposure to chemicals, losses in plant diversity, adverse climatic conditions or the deterioration of bees' natural habitats owing to natural or human factors can all threaten the productive capacity of beehives. These factors can also be among the causes of the bee health problems and high bee mortality rates registered in recent decades.

EU apiculture sector

The European Parliament has its seat in Strasbourg in France where the 12 monthly part-sessions, including the session at which the decision on the annual EU budget is taken, should be held.

Find in this package, audiovisual content of the activities of the European Parliament in Strasbourg such as atmosphere inside and outside the buildings and parliamentary work..

The European Parliament in Strasbourg

This “Question Time” gives MEPs the possibility to question the Commission on specific topical issues decided upon by the Conference of Presidents. Each MEP has one minute to ask their question, followed by an answer of up to two minutes and a possible follow-up question, no longer than 30 seconds, and a second answer by the Commissioner of up to two minutes.

Question Time with the Commission may be held at each part-session for a duration of up to 90 minutes on one or more specific horizontal themes: the topics/questions are sent to the EC the week before the plenary session.

Question time

The European Parliament has launched a new series of invitations to EU heads of state and governments under the theme, This is Europe. These exchanges and discussions&nbsp;focus on EU actions. The various topics are being&nbsp;adapted primarily to current events and in close cooperation with the individual leaders.

This is Europe Debates

Defying international criticism, Iran has sentenced many protestors to death, and continues to execute people arrested during recent demonstrations.

The demonstrations started in mid-September after a young woman, Mahsa Amini, died in the custody of the ‘morality police’ for, they claimed, breaking the strict hijab rules. Hundreds of people have been killed in the protests that have followed and thousands arrested because of their brutal repression by the government.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called these death sentences “state sanctioned killing”, and said that the Iranian government is using executions to intimidate the population and stamp out dissent.

While the EU is discussing a fourth round of sanctions because of the regime crackdown and Iran's military support for Russia, some member states have called for the classification by the EU of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.

EU - Iran

International Women’s Day is held every year on 8 March. Equality between women and men is one of the objectives of the European Union.

Over time, legislation, case-law and changes to the Treates have helped shore up this principle and its implementation in the EU. The European Parliament has always been a fervent defender of the principle of equality between men and women.

On this occassion the EP held a short ceremony on 15 March 2023 with participation of&nbsp;Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

President Metsola said International Women’s Day is not only a moment to recognise the achievements of women and girls across the world. It should also be a call to action to strengthen gender equality across all spheres of our society. Seeing it as an invitation for societies to do better, President Metsola said: “The time is now for the European Union to lead by example - to set standards in criminalising violence against women, to improve access to justice, and to ratify the Istanbul Convention before the end of this term.

International Women’s Day

EU leaders will gather for a European Council summit on 23-24 March 2023. The main items on the agenda are the ongoing war in Ukraine, the competitive of the European single market and the economy, as well as energy prices and logistics.

In a debate with Presidents Michel and von der Leyen, MEPs&nbsp;outlined their expectations for the 23-24 March European Council.

President of the European Council Charles Michel acknowledged Ukraine’s urgent need for more weapons and ammunition and confirmed that EU leaders will work on a proposal by High Representative Borrell to offer Kyiv assistance.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reported back from her meeting with US President Joe Biden, saying there is “a striking symmetry between the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the European Green Deal,” since both aim to fight climate change and boost investment and growth.

European Council, 23-24 March 2023

Have a look at the 2021 and 2022&nbsp;stockshots with illustrative pre-edited broadcast quality video footage. These editable stockshots are clean (raw), with natural sound (no voice-over), produced to illustrate priority EU dossiers and parliamentary work. They are intended to help audiovisual media produce their own programs, for example, editing of news reports or documentaries.

Infoclips - Illustrative footage

Israel is a key and strategic ally of the European Union. Political, economic and social cooperation - as well as trade, cultural and scientific exchanges - with Israel date almost to the origins of the EU itself. The respect for human rights and democratic principles is an essential element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the basis of the bilateral relationship. Israel is also gradual being integrated into European policies and programmes through the Action Plan of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).

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