The European Parliament is considering allowing quarantined MEPs to take part in plenary sessions via video conference as part of precautions against coronavirus.
MEPs are asked to self-isolate if they have traveled to one of the virus-hit areas in the past 14 days. So far, there have been no reports of lawmakers having to quarantine themselves.
Yet Parliament is nevertheless looking into how to enable quarantined MEPs to participate from afar and is considering options such as video conferences or “improved web streaming,” a Parliament official told POLITICO.
If lawmakers have to quarantine themselves, “we are trying to explore how those MEPs could follow sessions and meetings, and by giving them access to interpretation,” the official said.
The Parliament has canceled all lawmakers trips to destinations on a list of affected areas, which include Northern Italy (Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto), mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Iran.
This week, for instance, the Parliament scrapped two planned committee trips to the Italian cities of Parma and Milan.
The Parliament is not alone among EU institutions in taking precautions. But it decided to implement particularly strict measures on its members as it is “an open, transparent institution which welcomes thousands of visitors every week,” the official said.
According to a recent notice issued by the Parliament, MEPs who traveled to affected areas should “stay home in self-isolation” and “monitor [their] health,” even if they show no symptoms and had no contact with infected people.
In case of contact with an infected person, they are advised to contact their doctor or medical emergency services, but to not go to a clinic “without prior telephone contact.”
“If after 14 days of your return, you have no symptoms, you are advised to visit your General Practitioner to receive a full clearance,” the note said.
The Parliament relies on lawmakers to follow its guidelines of their own accord, as it does not keep tabs on the whereabouts of each MEP. This past week was a so-called “green week,” during which many MEPs either go back to their constituencies or travel. In some countries, Read More – Source
The European Parliament is considering allowing quarantined MEPs to take part in plenary sessions via video conference as part of precautions against coronavirus.
MEPs are asked to self-isolate if they have traveled to one of the virus-hit areas in the past 14 days. So far, there have been no reports of lawmakers having to quarantine themselves.
Yet Parliament is nevertheless looking into how to enable quarantined MEPs to participate from afar and is considering options such as video conferences or “improved web streaming,” a Parliament official told POLITICO.
If lawmakers have to quarantine themselves, “we are trying to explore how those MEPs could follow sessions and meetings, and by giving them access to interpretation,” the official said.
The Parliament has canceled all lawmakers trips to destinations on a list of affected areas, which include Northern Italy (Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto), mainland China as well as Hong Kong and Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Iran.
This week, for instance, the Parliament scrapped two planned committee trips to the Italian cities of Parma and Milan.
The Parliament is not alone among EU institutions in taking precautions. But it decided to implement particularly strict measures on its members as it is “an open, transparent institution which welcomes thousands of visitors every week,” the official said.
According to a recent notice issued by the Parliament, MEPs who traveled to affected areas should “stay home in self-isolation” and “monitor [their] health,” even if they show no symptoms and had no contact with infected people.
In case of contact with an infected person, they are advised to contact their doctor or medical emergency services, but to not go to a clinic “without prior telephone contact.”
“If after 14 days of your return, you have no symptoms, you are advised to visit your General Practitioner to receive a full clearance,” the note said.
The Parliament relies on lawmakers to follow its guidelines of their own accord, as it does not keep tabs on the whereabouts of each MEP. This past week was a so-called “green week,” during which many MEPs either go back to their constituencies or travel. In some countries, Read More – Source
