Reding told to do more for Roma people

IN BRIEF

EU media coverage

MEPs voted on Tuesday (7 September) to scuttle a proposal drafted by Morten Løkkegaard, a Danish Liberal, to set up a taskforce of journalists, funded by the European Commission, to produce news about the EU. The suggestion, which was widely opposed by political groups, journalists' trade unions and the Commission, was deleted from a report setting out ideas to improve coverage of the EU by European media.

Farming profits

On Tuesday, MEPs approved a report calling on the Commission to crack down on anti-competitive behaviour in the food retail and processing sectors to ensure farmers get a fairer share of profits. The report, drafted by José Bové, a French Green MEP, called for more price transparency for consumers. It urged the Commission to draft codes of “good commercial practice” and set up a complaint system and sanctions to deter “unfair behaviour”, as well as monitoring prices for farm goods.

Animal testing

On Wednesday (8 September), MEPs approved a compromise deal reached with member states to revise rules on animal testing dating from 1986. Liberal and Green MEPs, who claimed the new rules would do little to reduce animal testing, made a last-ditch effort to defeat the deal but were defeated by Socialist and conservative MEPs. The new legislation aims to tighten the EU's rules on animal testing. Laboratories and companies conducting tests will be subject to spot-checks to ensure that they abide by EU animal-welfare rules.