Committees : Innovative development funding mechanisms, such as a financial transaction tax, need to be backed by the EU, as the world's leading aid donor, ahead of the September UN summit in New York to review the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), said Development Committee MEPs on Monday.Source : © European Parliament

Plenary sessions : Every EU household should have access to broadband Internet at a competitive price by 2013 and be trained in the skills needed to participate fully in the new digital society, argues a resolution adopted by Parliament on Wednesday. MEPs call for specific, measurable targets and a regular review of the 2015.eu strategy's achievements, including the goal of ensuring that 75% of mobile subscribers are 3G users by 2015.Source : © European Parliament

Committees : To combat fake medicines, internet sales should be included in draft EU legislation to prevent "falsified" medicines from entering legal supply chain, and mandatory safety features should be introduced for prescription medicines, said Environment Committee MEPs on Tuesday. The committee also approved measures to improve pharmacovigilance in the EU.Source : © European Parliament

EU Member States must not only deliver on their international aid pledges, but also bring in a financial transactions tax and consider a possible temporary debt moratorium, to help developing countries to cope with the effects of the global financial and economic crisis, say MEPs in a resolution adopted on Thursday. At least 25% of the EU's CO2 emission trading revenue should be allocated to the fight against climate change in developing countries, they add.Source : © European Parliament

MEPs have listed six priority issues they want the Council to address at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly, which starts in September 2010: the EU's place at the UN, world governance and UN reform, peace and security, development, human rights and climate change.Source : © European Parliament

EU Member States must not only deliver on their international aid pledges, but also bring in a financial transactions tax and a temporary debt moratorium, to help developing countries to cope with the effects of the global financial and economic crisis, said the Development Committee on Monday. Member States are also urged to earmark at least 25% of the EU's CO2 emission trading revenue to help developing countries to deal with the effects of climate change.Source : © European Parliament

Agriculture can help to slow climate change, but should be ready to adapt to the impact of global warming, said Agriculture Committee MEPs and scientists at a public hearing on Wednesday.Source : © European Parliament

Spanish Presidency ministers this week outline their EU Council Presidency priorities to a range of parliamentary committees and will field MEPs' questions on most EU policy areas. On Monday they faced the committees on Education and Culture, Regional Development and Women's Rights. This release will be updated throughout the week.Source : © European Parliament

The second revision of the Cotonou Agreement governing relations between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries should be finalised in March 2010. Progress in the negotiations is assessed in a report by Development Committee Chair Eva Joly (Greens/EFA, FR).Source : © European Parliament

Red tape hindering companies from taking part in EU research programmes, the declining number of scientists in Europe and the high cost of patents were among issues raised by MEPs at the hearing of Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Commissioner-designate for Research, Innovation and Science.rss.item.source.prefix_EN : rss.item.source.value_EN

Karel De Gucht of Belgium, the Commissioner-designate for trade, was questioned about the Doha development talks, free trade agreements and non-tariff trade barriers during his hearing on Tuesday morning. MEPs also asked how the EU's new External Action Service would link in with his portfolio and what measures he planned to take against counterfeiting and dumping.Source : © European Parliament

Andris Piebalgs, the Latvian Commissioner-designate for Development, fielded Development Committee questions on the key aim of development policy - fighting poverty - as well as aid effectiveness, the impact of climate change on developing countries and co-ordination among EU policy makers. MEPs of all political groups set out their development policy priorities at the start of the hearing.Source : © European Parliament