Europeans debate the surge in emigration from North Africa after the popular uprisings. MEPs discuss a report calling for clarity on the use of GMOs.

The News: Immigration - GMOs

The project for  an EU border guard resurfaces

against the backdrop of fears  of a migration wave from North Africa.

MEPs should take a stand  on the new European rules.

And the rest of today’s news  in brief and in images.

After the arrival of over 5500  illegal immigrants from Tunisia

the Italian authorities fear a second wave  of refugees, this time from Libya.

Rome fears a ‘biblical exodus’  if Muammar Gaddafi is overthrown.

The Italian government,  which perhaps has found it to be

a way of diverting attention  from other purely Italian problems,

I’ve heard talk of 2.5 million people  arriving to the EU via Italy.

Before MEPs,  the Home Affairs Commissioner

wished to take stock of the events  in Libya and calm people down.

The EU has released €25 million  in emergency funds.

So far we haven't seen  anyone coming to Europe.

They've gone to the neighbouring  countries as expected.

The changes in North Africa raise  the question of the reception of refugees,

but also of the role of Frontex,  the European border surveillance agency,

and the issue of creating  a real European border guard.

This MEP took a stand  on the issue already in 2010.

One of the points that  I have raised as rapporteur

is to evolve this agency into  a proper EU border guard agency.

Situations such as Libya  bring back these points with full force.

The uprisings and their effect on the EU

will be on the menu of the EU heads of  state and government on 11 March.

All these genetically modified organisms  have been authorised by EFSA,

the European Food Safety Authority,  for cultivation and consumption.

EFSA isn’t as independent  as its mission statement requires.

In EFSA, there are people in key positions

who have concealed clear links with the  industry. This is no longer acceptable.

It’s not about managing conflicts  of interest, it's about forbidding them.

Among MEPs, however,  the debate is raging.

We have that in place, at great cost  to the taxpayer, through EFSA.

Let Member States decide on other  issues, but not on the scientific ones.

The situation is so unclear that some  states prohibit the cultivation of GMOs,

They often argue the lack of  scientific knowledge about GMOs

The problem with GMOs in the nature  is that they self-replicate.

If you discover a problem  after a few years, it’s spreading.

It's really difficult to stop,  once it's released,

unlike all other pollution  where, if you discover something,

you stop it and eventually it will degrade  or sediment at the bottom of the sea.

The spread of GMOs, their marketing  authorisation, conflicts of interest:

MEPs will continue the debate  on Monday in Strasbourg.

Safer, top-quality  cross-border healthcare

is the goal of a compromise  finally adopted by Member States.

On 19 January, the Parliament  had already said yes to these new rules,

1% of European patients seek care  across borders each year.

Europe must protect  the freedom of the press.

After the controversy caused  by the Hungarian media law,

MEPs from the big political groups  asked the Commission on Tuesday

to create an independent  media supervision group

to ensure the ethics, independence  and transparency of media

The new president of Kyrgyzstan,  Roza Otunbayeva,

Commission President Barroso  hailed her commitment

to restoring the rule of law in this  former Soviet republic in Central Asia.

The country had sunk into chaos  after a revolution in April 2010.

The EU promised to continue to support  the reconstruction of Kyrgyzstan.