Health

Dan Nguyen (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Closing loopholes will improve public safety

Gun control

Improvements to the firearms directive backed by the European Parliament include the prohibition of certain semi-automatic firearms and converted firearms, better measures for deactivation, tracing and storage of weapons, and more information exchange between EU countries.

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© Don Bayley

Radioactive contamination of water and food

EU protection rules still decided behind closed doors

Many of the current nuclear reactors in the world are the result of technological choices of people who are not necessarily alive anymore. Yet the consequences of those choices affect people today all around the world, as well as generations to come, far beyond political borders and timeframes.

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European Parliament sets out plans for improved access to life-saving drugs

Access to medicines

The European Parliament has backed a report calling for improved access to medicines. At present, many vital drugs are overpriced due to abuse of patent rules by pharmaceuticals and the imbalance in the negotiating powers of pharmaceutical companies and Member States. The report sets out a number of proposals to counter these problems.

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Serious shortcomings from both EU Commission and Member States

Dieselgate inquiry

The European Parliament committee set up to investigate the Dieselgate scandal has voted on its final report. The report makes clear that both the EU Commission and Member States should have acted on emission fraud sooner and makes recommendations for future action.

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Employment committee backs strengthened regulations

Limiting exposure to carcinogens

The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs committee has today backed the draft report on the amendment to a directive designed to protect workers from risks of exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work.

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EU Commission must create a legal framework

Robots and artificial intelligence

The European Parliament has opened an urgently needed debate on creating an ethical and legal framework for the development and use of autonomous and intelligent machines. The European Commission must act and develop concrete legislative proposals.

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Conservative and Liberal alliance fails to prevent damaging food and commodity speculation

MiFID II

"The watering down of limits on food speculation will have tough consequences for the people and farmers in developing countries," said Greens/EFA economic and finance spokesperson, Sven Giegold.

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Commission proposal would do little for accountability or public health

Comitology

The European Commission has published its long-awaited proposal for the reform of the comitology process, used to approve or renew products, such as GMOs and pesticides.

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Stop glyphosate

A European Citizens Initiative

Take action and sign the petition launched by a coalition of NGOs and environmental associations.

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World Cancer day

Glyphosate resistant GMOs enter the EU without member states’ validation

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer published its conclusions on glyphosate, classifying it as “probably carcinogenic for humans”.

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New gun controls will improve public safety

Revised Firearms Directive passes committee

The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee has approved the revised Firearms Directive, which will improve security measures on gun control.

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Mercury

Beginning of the end for the use of dental amalgams in the EU

New law will reduce the trade and use of mercury, the risk of contamination, and bring legislation in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury signed in 2013.

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