The first plenary session of the EU Parliament in the second semester of 2018 was held on 11 September, where the main challenges and topics of the next six month have been outlined. The first significant issue of the fall semester of 2018 is about the single digital market. The EU supports spread of the 5G Network, which could lead to a faster communication in and between Member States and could also boost other segments of 'digital industry' such as the IoT (Internet of Things). Another novelty is that a "reverse 112 system" is going to be introduced, so in the event of a disaster or emergency, nationals can be alerted via SMS.
In November 2018 the European Parliament will be voting on the regulation supporting the use of green energy and energy efficient instruments. According to the agreement concluded by the European Council and the European Parliament, by the end of 2030 the level of energy efficiency must be at 32.5% and at least 32% of the energy consumption should come from renewable resources. If the Parliament accepts the bill, Member States must increase their energy savings by 0.8% every year and take measures to help vulnerable customers.
There is an understanding among the bodies of the European Union that the number of pharmaceuticals used in farming should be reduced. There was an increase in the number of the development of antibiotic resistance in human bodies in the recent years, which is mainly caused by the too much – and most of the time unnecessary – antibiotics used in husbandry. The regulation would pressure the Commission to reserve antimicrobials only for humans and ban them from animal treatment. The vote is planned to take place in the plenary session in October 2018.
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