Topics and links – April 2014

Update: This post is available in all official EU languages – please see at the bottom of this post.
How can I vote in the upcoming European elections? What can the European Parliament do about the current summer-time arrangement? How does the Parliament protect animal welfare?

Answers to these questions or other citizens’ concerns can be found by consulting our selection of links below.

The following topics are based on questions and comments from citizens writing to the European Parliament.

European elections 2014

With the European elections just around the corner, citizens continue to turn to the EP with many different requests. Some citizens ask for practical information about the elections, others express their state of mind and preoccupations of what improvements the elections can bring.

The following links will guide you to the relevant information:

The 2014 European elections

Your Europe: Elections abroad

EPRS: 2014 European elections: national rules (10-04-2014)

Factsheet on the EP electoral procedures

Ukraine at a crossroads

With Ukraine on the brink of a potential civil war, the comments and reactions from citizens are mixed, with a variety of opinions expressed. Some citizens write to the Parliament in an appeal for help; others are firmly against the EU supporting what they see as extremists at the head of the Ukraine Government. Many express their fear of a potential new world war flaring up and urge a peaceful resolution to the conflict to be found.

The following links will guide you to the relevant information:

Ukraine: MEPs call for EU sanctions against Russian energy firms (17-04-2014)

MEPs cut customs duties on imports from Ukraine (03-04-2014)

G-7 Leaders Statement on Ukraine (25-04-2014)

Council conclusions on Ukraine (14-04-2014)

European Commission: European Union’s support to Ukraine – update (09-04-2014)

Summer time

Citizens recurrently turn to the Parliament with comments on putting the clocks forward in summer time. Some citizens are in favour of this arrangement since they look forward to enjoying all sorts of evening leisure activities because of the natural light available. Others do not see any advantages in this clock change.

The following links will guide you to the relevant information

EP answer: Summer time (1-4-2014)

Petition 0859/2013 on extending summer time (28-2-2014)

Petition 1477/2012 concerning summertime arrangements (30-10-2013)

Directive 2000/84/EC on summer-time arrangements (19-1-2001)

European Commission’s in-depth analysis of the implications of summer time (23-11-2007)

Animal welfare

Some citizens express their concerns about violence towards stray dogs in some Member States, a recurrent topic for several months. Other citizens voice their worries regarding the killing of wild animals and write to the European Parliament asking to place a complete ban on the import of all wild animal body parts as trophies into EU Member States.

The following links will guide you to the relevant information:

EP answer: Stray dogs (13-01-2014)

Communication from the Commission on the European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015 (05-02-2012)

Wildlife crime: MEPs call for tougher penalties (15-01-2014)

EP resolution on the EU strategic objectives for the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (06-02-2013)

EP’s intergroup on the welfare and conservation of animals

Water scarcity in Malta

Some citizens commented on water management in Malta and presented to the European Parliament some suggestions on how to address the water scarcity in this country.

The following links will guide you to the relevant information:

European Commission’s information on Malta’s environmental rules (3-2013)

European Commissions assessment of the Maltese River Basin management plans

European Environment Agency’s report on Malta’s coastal and marine issues (13-4-2011)