288. Points out that over the last four years (2011-2014), 336 145 applications were received for all selection procedures launched by the European Personnel Selection Office, that the average cost of processing one application can be estimated at EUR 238 and that less than 10 % of those candidates are finally placed on a reserve list; demands that Union taxpayers' money be saved by cutting red tape and prolonging the validity of the established reserve lists to at least two years; demands the Commission to report on this issue by June 2015;

To help fight abuse and circumvention of the rules (e.g. via so-called letter-box companies), Directive 2014/67/EU contains a list of factual elements to help the assessment of whether a specific situation qualifies as a genuine posting (Article 4).

51. Calls for detailed information on how the President, as a politically neutral figure, has kept his duties in office separate from his preparations to head the Socialists and Democrats' list in the European elections, in particular with regard to the staff in his cabinet and in Parliament's information offices and to travel expenses; is of the opinion that in connection with many of those activities, no distinction has been made between the two roles; calls for clear segregation of office holders' functions, following the Commission's approach, so that Union taxpayers do not have to pay for the election campaigns of European list le ...[+++]aders;

(17) In order to ensure that the Union list of projects of common interest ("Union list") is limited to projects which contribute the most to the implementation of the strategic energy infrastructure priority corridors and areas, the power to adopt and review the Union list should be delegated to the Commission in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), while respecting the right of the Member States to approve projects of common interest related to their territory.

43. Calls for a clearer definition of SME priority markets on the basis of the agenda for the EU’s trade negotiations; recalls that priority markets should of course include high-growth markets, such as the BRIC countries, but also take into account SMEs’ perception of opportunities for internationalisation in developed countries and in neighbouring regions; sees, therefore, the growth of host markets and gaps in existing support structures as the main criteria for making the list of priority markets; recommends that several of the ...[+++] EU’s neighbouring countries, especially those in the Western Balkans and in Mediterranean area, or those sharing borders with the EU, should be added to the list, since most SMEs initially export to trading partners in neighbouring countries and since EU trade with these countries plays a strong role in their growth and stability;

(10c) In accordance with Article 1(c) of Directive 2000/60/EC, the future reviews of the list of priority substances under Article 16(4) of that Directive will contribute to the cessation of emissions, discharges and losses of all hazardous substances by 2020 by progressively adding further substances to the list.