The crisis and the agenda

In a week marked – as has been the case for some time already – by the economic and financial crisis and by the discussions on measures to curb the crisis, the European Parliament gathered in plenary session in Strasbourg (17-20 May) addressed various themes ranging from organ transplant to the life and working conditions of farmers, to energy efficiency to the reception of “refugees”, including revitalizing relations with Mediterranean Countries. Rules for transplants. “EU common quality and safety standards would facilitate organ donation, transplantation and exchanges among EU countries”, thus obtaining “shorter waiting times” for the patients, according to Slovakian MEP and EP rapporteur on organ donation Miroslav Mikolàsik’s. The Assembly demands common EU rules and an “Action Plan” to this regard. “Over the past 50 years organ transplantation has become an established practice worldwide and is often the only possible treatment”, the rapporteur said. But there still are long waiting lists. “About 60,000 patients are now on waiting lists in the EU”, while hundreds of people die each year while hoping for a transplant. The parliament underlines the specific aspects: quality and security (with the possibility of designating a competent authority responsible for quality and safety standards for human organs intended for transplantation); protection of “living donors”; fighting organ trafficking. For Mikolàsik’s, “appointing transplant donor co-ordinators in each hospital, and swapping information and best practice will help countries with low organ availability to improve their donation rates”.“Made in” for textiles. A proposal for industrial textile labeling was put forward in a report presented by Dutch MEP Tine Manders. Accordingly, Country of origin textile labeling must be made mandatory so as to “help consumers to make informed choices”. The rapporteur appointed by the Assembly listed a series of items asking the Commission to adopt a new regulation to this regard; a similar proposal by the EP submitted in 2005 was opposed by Member States. “Country of origin labeling must be made mandatory to ensure that consumers are not misled by labels suggesting clothes were made in an EU Member State rather than a third country”. The new labeling proposal “doesn’t apply to clothes only, but to all textiles”, namely, curtains, couches, tablecloths and toys if consisting of at least 80% fabric.Barcelona Process. To give “fresh impetus” to the so-called “Barcelona process”, aimed at drawing closer the Mediterranean shores. The Union for the Mediterranean (Ufm), revitalized during the French rotating presidency, was slowed down by the onset of the economic crisis followed by the conflict in Gaza in December 2008. Reunions at ministerial level resumed last year, but the ambitious projects remained in writing; maybe also because national political convictions did not meet the promises made. Next June 7 the second UPM summit will take place in Barcelona. According to the draft resolution drawn up by French MEP Vincent Peillon, “the fresh impetus” that the process needs “will require a historic commitment by heads of state and government” to provide “adequate funding for major projects and consolidate the institutions underpinning the UfM process”.Resettling refugees. The European Parliament addressed various different issues. For example, the EP proposed economic incentives to Member States volunteering to welcome third-country refugees. MEPs drew attention on the need of at least 14 weeks’ maternity leave allowance, for self-employed women. British MEP Richard Ashworth, drew up a resolution asking to “make life easier for farmers, by creating a single payment system and simplifying rules on electronic identification of animals”, in the framework of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy under way.