Summary

This past week, the European Parliament held a plenary session in Strasbourg.

On Tuesday, 23 October, Members of the European Parliament (“MEPs”) approved the amendments on the proposal for a Directive on the quality of water intended for human consumption.  The amendments call for increasing consumers’ confidence in drinking water from the tap.  To do so, Member States should also provide universal access to clean water and improve water access in cities and public spaces.  The measures of the Directive are intended to contribute to reducing plastic usage and litter – plastic bottles are one of the most common single-use plastic products found on Europe’s beaches and seas.  See the amendments adopted here.

On Wednesday, 24 October, MEPs agreed their position on the proposal for a Single-Use Plastics Directive.  The purpose of the proposal is to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.  The new rules target the ten single-use plastic products found most often on Europe’s beaches and seas.  The new rules also include obligations for producers to help cover the costs of waste management, collection targets, and a short timeline for achieving reductions in the consumption of certain single-use plastic products, including plastic tobacco filters.  See the text adopted here.

On Thursday, MEPs approved a motion for a resolution on the use of Facebook users’ data by Cambridge Analytica and the impact on data protection.  The resolution calls for Facebook and other platforms to allow EU bodies to audit users’ data security.  The resolution also calls for the prevention of election manipulation on social media platforms, and for a reform of EU competition rules to take greater account of data held by undertakings.  See the text adopted here.

Meetings and Agenda

• No official meetings in the European Parliament are planned before October 26, 2018.