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Roundup: First EP plenary of 2015 starts as Latvia takes on EU presidency

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Members of the European Parliament (EP) are meeting here till Thursday for the EP's first plenary session of 2015.

On Tuesday, the Parliament voted in favor of allowing European Union (EU) member states to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops on their own territories even if these crops are allowed at EU level. A further debate looked at the smuggling of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea and what the EU can do to combat human trafficking.

This week's plenary is also significant in that Latvia is taking over the European Union (EU) presidency for the next six months from Italy, the first time the Baltic state has held the post since it joined the Union in 2004.

The prime minister of Latvia, Laimdota Straujuma, is to debate EU priorities with MEPs on Wednesday morning, focusing on the strategic priorities already announced, namely a 'competitive, digital and engaged' Europe.

During the EP's review of the Italian presidency, the country's prime minister Matteo Renzi pleaded in favor of focusing on investment rather than austerity to revive Europe's economy. "In recent years Europe gave the impression of being too focused on the economy, on constraints and parameters: this was a mistake," he told MEPs.

"It is absolutely essential that we all fight to overcome this situation of economic recession and austerity. We should not invest in fear. We should not invest in failure. We should invest in success and in a future for our children."

On Tuesday Parliament also held its first debate with newly-elected European Council president Donald Tusk. Former Polish prime minister Tusk presented the results of the December 2014 European Council, which backed plans to mobilise billions of euros for growth and jobs.

EC President Jean-Claude Juncker also attended the debate. The EC plans to mobilise 315 billion euros (370 billion U.S. dollars) between 2015 and 2017 to boost growth, jobs and competitiveness via a new European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).

A minute's silence was held on the opening of this week's plenary session to pay tribute to the victims of the Paris terrorism attacks. Endit