Every year conflicts, persecution and natural disasters force millions of children, women and men to flee their homes in search of safety. Some look for refuge in EU. Last year alone member states offered protection to 135,700 asylum seekers, nearly half of which were given refugee status. In honour of World Refugee Day on 20 June, we take a look at what the Parliament and the EU are doing to help.

Europe – Australia Business Council lecture and conversation with Minister Turnbull

President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in international organizations.

Today the Commission decided to seek clarifications from Italy and Slovakia on their application and implementation of the EU's Late Payment Directive. The request for information in both cases takes the form of a letter of formal notice under EU infringement procedures.

Made up of the leaders of the political groups and the EP president, the Conference of Presidents is an integral part of Parliamentary life, but do you know exactly what it does? If so, congratulations you are a Parliament expert. For those of us who aren´t, here is a summary of the main ways in which it affects Parliament's work.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Foreign Minister of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius attend meeting in Tallinn on Monday and Tuesday, at the invitation of Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet.

The European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva, made the following statement:

President Dalia Grybauskaitė extended congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II on Her Majesty's Official Birthday.

The European Commission has made the first disbursement of €250 million to Ukraine to support institutions and reforms in the country. This payment is part of the "State Building Contract" programme signed on 13 May after the joint meeting between the European Commission and the Ukrainian government in Brussels.

As the situation of Polish citizens in Lviv and London differs, the expectations of our compatriots in Western and Eastern Europe are likewise diverse. The Polish diaspora policy comprises many regional policies merged into one as part of the MFA's activity," remarked the chief of Polish diplomacy in the Senate.