EP this week: EU budget, Syrian refugees and coordination of economic policies | WPN World People News

Parliamentary committees deal this week with issues such as helping out refugees from Syria and offering better legal protection to young people accused of crime, while the political groups prepare for next week's plenary session in Strasbourg. The week starts with a two-day meeting with MEPs and national parliamentarians from all over the EU to discuss how the cooperation on budgetary matters can be improved.

The meeting called "European parliamentary week" marks the start of the European Semester, which involves the EU coordinating national economic policies. It will be attended by EP President Martin Schulz as well as Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission.

Staffan de Mistura , the United Nations' special envoy to Syria, visits the foreign affairs committee on Monday to talk about the latest developments in the country and the humanitarian funding needed for the Syrian refugees.

A draft law offering better legal protection for children accused or suspected of crime will be put to a vote by the civil liberties committee on Thursday. Among other things, the proposal states that these young people must have mandatory access to a lawyer.

The budget committee will debate ideas for improving the way the EU is funded, after a presentation by Mario Monti, chair of the high level working group on own resources.

On Thursday and Friday a delegation of six MEPs will participate in a seminar in Ankara, Turkey, where they will meet members of the parliaments of Turkey, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republich of Macedonia.

During the week the Parliament's political groups will be preparing for next week's plenary in Strasbourg, where MEPs will vote among others on resolutions on country-of-origin labelling for meat in processed foods and the US Senate report on the use of torture by the CIA.

Source: European Parliament