3New EU laws·decision 3 of 22 on Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Mercury: dental amalgam and other mercury-added products subject to manufacturing, import and export restrictions
Committee report by Marlene Mortler · Parliament’s first vote on a proposed EU law. It sets Parliament’s position for negotiations with the Council. · voted at 12:21
Parliament’s position on proposed laws. It usually needs to agree with the Council before a law is final.
Adoptedby an overwhelming majority550 for · 14 against · 64 abstained (88 % in favour)
Backed by The Left, Verts/ALE, S&D, Renew and PPE; ECR and PfE mostly abstained; ESN split.
How the vote unfolded · 7 ballots
Before the final vote, MEPs decided on 1 amendment (1 adopted) and 2 parts of the text voted on separately (2 rejected). Procedural motion adopted: Referral back to committee.
Roll call requested by PPE · separate votes by PPE.
adoptedrejectedlapsedsquare = amendmentcircle = part of the textdecisive voteSolid = roll call (click for every MEP’s vote); faded = no individual positions
All 7 ballots in voting order
1.Amendments by the committee responsible — put to the vote collectivelyAmendments by the committee responsible – put to the vote collectively
A vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual
positions recorded
Adopted
2.Amendments by the committee responsible — separate voteAmendments by the committee responsible - separate vote
A vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual
positions recorded
Adopted
3.Separate vote on Article 1, paragraph 1, point 1, point a Regulation (EU) 2017/852 Article 10, paragraph 2 a, after subparagraph 1
electronic vote (totals only) — no individual
positions recorded
Rejected
4.Separate vote on Article 1, paragraph 1, point 1, point b Regulation (EU) 2017/852 Article 10, paragraph 7, after subparagraph 1
A vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual
positions recorded
Rejected
5.Amendment 16, adding text after recital 412:21A9-0002/2024 – Marlene Mortler – After recital 4 – Am 16A vote in which every MEP’s individual position is recorded and published. requested by PPE
One day of voting in plenary. Each subject is a report, resolution, agreement or objection; they are grouped by kind of decision, and each group says what “adopted” means there.
The ballots
Members vote on amendments and on parts of the text first, then on the text as a whole. That final, decisive vote is the result shown at the top of each subject.
Who voted how
Only roll-call votes record each Member’s vote — open one for every name and the breakdown by group. A show of hands records the outcome only.
Document & procedure
Each subject rests on a document (a committee report, a motion, a Council or Commission text) and belongs to a procedure, the whole file that can span years.
Group badges
How most of a group voted: ✓ For · ✗ Against · – Abstained · ~ Split (no majority).
Codes in ballot labels
Am 27 — amendment 27
§ 5 — paragraph 5
§ 5/2, part 2 — a A paragraph or amendment voted in separate parts, so groups can back one part and oppose another., taken in parts
Am 3= 7= — identical amendments voted together
***I — Parliament’s first vote on a proposed EU law. It sets Parliament’s position for negotiations with the Council.; *** — Parliament can approve or reject the text, for example an international agreement, but cannot amend it.; * — Parliament gives its opinion on a proposal. The Council decides, but must wait for Parliament’s opinion.
Lapsed — Not put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter.