The European Parliament adopted on Thursday 3 February amendments to financing instruments for development cooperation which strengthens its role as co-legislator in relation to the strategic decisions on the spending of development aid.

Gay Mitchell MEP is the Joint Coordinator of the Development Committee for the EPP Group and the Parliament's Rapporteur for the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI).

Today’s European Summit dedicated to energy and innovation has emphasised the importance of energy savings for the climate, as well as for competitiveness, jobs and energy security. The cross-sectoral Coalition for Energy Savings welcomes European leaders’ focus on energy efficiency, but warns that there is not enough being done to get us on track to meet the 20% energy efficiency target by 2020.

Today, the WEEE Directive took another step forward in the recast process with the European Parliament’s adoption of its first reading report.

Andrew Duff  (LibDem, UK) has welcomed today the decision of Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, to answer written questions from MEPs.

Mr Duff had tabled a written question to Mr Van Rompuy in December 2009 at the time of the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty. At that stage, the procedure was blocked by the Council presidency.

Yesterday, however, Mr Van Rompuy wrote to the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, stating his agreement, after all, to answer tabled parliamentary questions about his 'own political activities'.