Parliament and Council negotiators reached last Tuesday an agreement to make access to justice faster, cheaper and more user-friendly for EU citizens and businesses, the EU press service reported. The two pieces of legislation under negotiation between the two EU legislators, respectively on taking evidence and on service of documents, aim to make judicial cross-border cooperation between national courts more efficient through digitalisation in civil and commercial matters.

A political agreement on the first EU-wide rules on collective redress, that aims to make the internal market function better by improving tools to stop illegal practices and facilitating access to justice for consumers, was struck between the negotiators of Parliament and Council.

In a resolution adopted by the EP's Employment and Social Affairs Committee and drafted by Jose Gusmao (GUE/NGL, PT), MEPs urged EU countries to take radical measures to cushion the employment and social shock caused by the pandemic. They insisted the Commission to revise the Employment Guidelines to take account of the consequences of the pandemic and better respond to future crises.

Three special committees and a committee of inquiry to be established for 12 months, and a permanent subcommittee on tax matters to be set up, was backed by MEPs on Friday.

Parliament calls on the Commission to present a comprehensive, well-funded and ambitious post-2020 EU Disability Strategy that reflects the diversity of persons with disabilities and their needs. In a resolution adopted by with wide majority on Thursday, lawmakers demanded that people with disabilities should, together with their representative family members and organisations, be involved in preparing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the new strategy.

During the plenary session in Brussels, lawmakers adopted with overwhelming majority on Thursday their recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. They expressed their worries that there is no real progress in the ongoing EU-UK trade talks after four rounds, and that differences remain substantial with little time left to reach an agreement.

A new legislation on sustainable investments, or so-called 'taxonomy', dedicated to make the financial sector more green-oriented, was backed by the MEPs on Thursday at the plenary session in Brussels. All financial products for which there is a claim that they contribute to environmental sustainability should be proved by disclosing the share of their investments into activities that are considered such.

In the run-up to European Council sitting on 19 June, when EU leaders will meet via video conference to discuss the next EU long term budget and the recovery instrument, at the plenary session MEPs expressed clearly their standpoint on future EU financing in the context of the Covid-19 respond.

On Monday, several European Parliament’s visitor facilities in Brussels will reopen to the public with the necessary distancing and hygiene measures in place to guarantee a safe visit. Of course, they can be accessed free of charge.

On the need for a new European model accented on Saturday during his speech to the inaugural session of the Italian Government’s consultation on a strategy for the economic recovery, European Parliament President David Sassoli.