MEPs usually gather to two rather than one September plenary sessions in Strasbourg in order to compensate for the time spent on summer vacations in August. This second session was dedicated for consideration of the debts of the EU member states and the EU itself. On Wednesday MEPs listened to a speech by President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso on the situation in the EU and adopted important decisions concerning EU member states` economic control.
(Read more...)

On Friday 7 October, international conference Human Rights and Civil Liberties: Uses and Abuses will be held at the President Valdas Adamkus` library-museum (S. Daukanto g. 25). The seminar is organized by the VMU Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy together with Valdas Adamkus` presidential library. (Read more...)

The international conference „Liberal response to the challenges of the twenty-first century in a European Lithuania“ together with the 6th Lithuania Republic Liberal Movement congress will take place on 15-16 October in Vilnius. It will be a new and unprecedented event in Lithuanian political life, for liberal ideas` formation and propagation. With this event the Liberals are aiming not only for openness of their event but are also looking for new ideas for the program of the upcoming parliamentary elections. (Read more...)

The list of nominated candidates for the Sakharov Prize this year includes five "Arab Spring" activists, Palestinian doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish, Belarusian journalist Dzmitry Bandarenka, Slovenian writer Borisas Pahoras and San José de Apartadó Peace community operating in Colombia. (Read more...)

On 14-15 September the first regular session of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly, which unites MEPs and members of those countries` parliaments which participate in the Eastern Partnership programme, took place in Strasbourg. The main goal of this institution is to promote multilateral dialogue and exchanges between the EU and its Eastern partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. (Read more...)

This week, after the summer break, MEPs gathered to the first plenary session of their third term in Strasbourg. Although there are no plenary sessions taking place in August, the list of subjects to be considered is quite long, therefore two long plenary sessions are held in Strasbourg in September. During the third EP term there will be twelve long plenary sessions in Strasbourg and five short ones in Brussels. 

(Read more...)