The National Disability Authority and European Parliament Information Office in Ireland are jointly hosting a conference on the opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in public and political life on an equal basis with others. The event takes place on the morning of Friday 24th May 2013 in the Croke Park Conference Centre and attendance is free of charge.

In the context of the Irish presidency, the European Parliament Office in Ireland, in co-operation with the Centre for Irish and European Security, will host a conference entitled "Securing Europe: Future Threats and Trends". The Conference will take place on 16th May from 9 am-5.00 pm in the European Parliament Office, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 and speakers will include Emer Costello MEP as well as a range of international speakers.

It was dedicated to you and now it is in Brussels for you to see. The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the EU last year is on display at Parliament's visitors centre until 6 October. Inaugurating the exhibition, EP president Martin Schulz said: "Understand what kind of precious gift it is for all of us to live in the EU in an era of peace on a continent that was too long, too often, a continent of war, of hate, of racism, of xenophobia, of anti-Semitism."

People who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) continue to experience widespread discrimination and harassment, according to the largest survey ever conducted among the LGBT community in Europe. Nearly half (47%) of LGBT people said they had personally felt discriminated against or harassed on the grounds of sexual orientation in the past year, while one in four (26%) had been attacked or threatened with violence in the last five years.

Specifications for a new generation of digital tachographs for trucks and buses were agreed informally by Irish presidency and Parliament negotiators on Tuesday. Innovations include devices that can read on-board recording devices from a distance, will make it easier to enforce driving and rest times. Jim Higgins MEP, Irish member of the Transport Committee said "Our aim was to improve enforcement of social legislation and to verify that drivers and companies respect driving and resting times. Hopefully this will increase road safety for all road users in Ireland and across the continent."

In this age of smartphones and social media protecting people's privacy has become more important than ever. The European Parliament is currently working on a major overhaul of EU data protection legislation that should ensure Europeans' data are safe online and offline. Follow the seminar on 14-15 May which brings together MEPs, experts and stakeholders and learn more about the issues at stake.