The ENVI Committee votes for clearer and more comprehensive food labelling rules. Citizens might get to vote across borders in the next European elections.

The News: Food labelling - Truly European elections?

Against obesity and junk food in Europe –  food labelling reform is under way.

How to bring the voters  closer to the Parliament?

MEPs propose the creation of  a transnational list for the next elections.

And the rest of today’s news in pictures.

Besides the price, what do you look for  when you’re shopping for food?

MEPs believe that if consumers  are to make healthy choices,

food labels must contain  certain basic but essential elements.

Mandatory information about  the most important nutrients.

The ingredients list, which already is  mandatory, will remain mandatory.

And very clear and  easy-to-find allergen labelling,

because more and more people  are allergic to certain foods.

The reform has been under debate  for three years already.

Many MEPs are not satisfied  with the details,

but ultimately they still welcome the draft.

We’ve got transfats labelled,  because that’s often spoken about

as a cause of Alzheimer’s,  infertility and heart disease.

is including the country of origin,  even if it's a boost to local produce.

In any case it’s good news  for the advocates of animal welfare.

Many consumers want to avoid  long animal transport.

If you see that an animal was  born in one country, reared in another

and slaughtered in a third,  you know that it suffered twice.

Everyone is more or less for fighting  obesity and cardiovascular diseases,

but the right recipe still needs to be found.  The MEPs must now convince the states.

Voting for an MEP from another country –

people in the streets of Brussels  find it a good idea.

It would help create  a feeling of being united.

It would certainly put aside  the problems of nationalism.

MEPs would like to create  a transnational electoral constituency

25 MEPs, nominated  by the political groups,

would be elected  alongside the classic vote.

The citizens would have two ballots  to put in the ballot box.

could help increase the European  dimension of the election campaign

and would help create a link  between the citizens and the EU.

in 2009, 43% of voters participated  in the European elections,

the lowest rate since 1979. The added  value of Europe is still being debated.

Environmental pollution  is the obvious example.

You really have to look  at Europe as a whole.

there the mafias worked together  very well on a non-national basis.

It includes several other practical  and practicable proposals

to improve the attractiveness,  fluency and efficiency

of the election campaigns  for the European Parliament.

The only snag is that  for these ideas to become reality,

the EU treaties should first be changed.

The MEPs have faith in it: the draft  will be adopted in the June plenary.

Croatia two steps closer to joining the EU:

the chapters on agricultural policy and  regional policy were closed on Tuesday.

Five chapters remain. Zagreb must make  the greatest effort on fundamental rights.

The Croat justice system  must be reformed

for the negotiations  to be finished by summer.

550 million euros for  the new sarcophagus at Chernobyl

is the record sum raised on Tuesday  at a donors’ conference in Ukraine.

One week before the 25th anniversary of  the disaster, one month after Fukushima,

dozens of countries and organisations  rallied to the cause.

The goal is to insulate the shield, hastily  installed in 1986 and now cracking.

The works could be completed  in 2015 at best.

The Italian Finance Minister proposed  a stress test on the Lisbon Treaty.

Giulio Tremonti, who was visiting the EP,

reminded that it was  thought up 10 years ago.

When it comes to hot topics like  nuclear security or illegal immigration,

the Treaty of Lisbon  does not provide adequate answers.