- Financial transaction tax
- Investment,Growth and jobs
- Cutting resource waste to boost the economy
- Strengthening the rights of vulnerable consumers
- Internal Market Scoreboard
- Gender pay gap
- Youth Opportunities Initiative
- Resolution on homophobia
- EU-China trade relationship

On Friday 27 April, the European Parliament Office in Ireland hosted a workshop for third-level media students entitled 'The EU Communication Challenge'.  Participants heard from Paddy Smyth from the Irish Times, Labour MEP Phil Prendergast and freelance Brussels-based journalist, Sarah Collins, as they gave their impressions of the difficulties associated with communicating EU-related issues.  Participants then tried it out for themselves in a variety of working groups, each producing a 3-minute news report on their assigned topic. The event concluded with the launch of the EU Communication Challenge competition.  The competition is open to all third-level students and the prize is participation in a seminar for working journalists in Brussels in the autumn of this year.  The closing date for entries is Wednesday, 22 June 2012.

Europe Day in European Union House, 18 Dawson Street/43 Molesworth Street.


Come and celebrate Europe Day in European Union House.  Sample tea/cakes from many different cultures.  In co-operation with several embassies, a multitude of tastes await you. You're welcome to join us between 12.30pm and 2.30pm to sample many different examples of afternoon tea from our European neighbours.

Members from an Age & Opportunity group from Co. Clare visited the EP office in Dublin today. The Group, who travelled from Ennis, Kilkee and Kilrush, were briefed by the Head of Office on the general history of the EU and its institutions, relations between Ireland and the EU, the specific role and activities of the European Parliament and the work of the Irish MEPs, etc. A number of issues such as the implications of EU water policy were subsequently raised.  The visit forms part of the Office's actions to mark the Year of Active Ageing.

In Ireland as part of this programme, MulkearLIFE has been working to implement its plans to 'Restore the Lower Shannon Special Area of Conservation for Sea Lamprey, Atlantic Salmon and Otter'.  To mark the 20th anniversary of the EC Life Programme, MulkearLIFE is running a series of events:

16 January to 1 May:  Amateur Photo Competition

21 May:  A Mural of Life - the official launch of MulkearLIFE's mural at Annacotty on the Mulkear River and the unveiling of related habitat work on site

26 May:  LIFE On a River 'The Magical Mulkear:  A Field Trip of Discovery.

In autumn 2010 the EU agreed to tighten financial supervision in the private sector in an effort to head off any future financial crisis. A year later the public sector was under the spotlight as the EP tackled dangerous imbalances in EU economies and considered new rules meant to limit the growth of debt and deficits in the member states. On 28 September 2011 MEPs finally approved the so-called "six- pack" of new rules. Read on to find out more about its passage through Parliament.