The EU Commission’s Renovation Wave must put people first

A blog by Ciarán Cuffe, Greens/EFA MEP

Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and the renovation rate in Europe is a win-win. It’s a chance to tackle poverty, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says Ciarán Cuffe, Greens/EFA MEP and rapporteur on the European Parliament’s report: ‘Maximising the energy efficiency of the EU Building stock’.

Genome editing in agriculture

A Greens/EFA perspective

Biodiversity and ecosystems are under extreme threat, with around one million species facing extinction. In order to respond to these unprecedented and closely interlinked crises, our food and agricultural systems need to be rapidly transformed. High input, industrial farming based on monocultures and factory farming must be replaced by high biodiversity, locally adapted food production systems, ones which produce healthy food while respecting animal welfare and the environment.

Radical transformation of our agricultural system needed, not GMOs

A Greens/EFA perspective on genome editing in agriculture

Biodiversity and ecosystems are under extreme threat, with around one million species facing extinction. To avert the worst consequences of runaway climate change, urgent action needs to be taken now.In order to respond to these unprecedented and closely interlinked crises, our food and agricultural systems need to be rapidly transformed. High input, industrial farming based on monocultures and factory farming must be replaced by high biodiversity, locally adapted food production systems, ones which produce healthy food while respecting animal welfare and the environment.

The Mercosur Trade Agreement: A lose-lose deal

When you go to the official website of the EU-Mercosur agreement, the first sentence you see is: ‘A union of countries working as one to secure the well-being of their people’. This is outrageous when you realise that this agreement will emphasize deforestation, biodiversity loss, land grabbing, violation of human rights and adding to this, that in Europe our farmers will have to face unfair competition, that will destroy local markets. This agreement is a gift to multinationals!

Housing rights before market interests, for a socially just recovery

Our housing system is not working for people. Across Europe, from Paris to Warsaw, Dublin to Athens, an increasing number of people in the EU are struggling to afford the rising costs of housing. Greens/EFA MEP Kim van Sparrentak is leading a report in the European Parliament to tackle the housing crisis.

MEPs denounce reports of political espionage

EFA MEP calls for investigation into phone hacking reports

EFA MEP Diana Riba (ERC) has submitted a written question to the European Commission which denounces the revelations of political espionage against leading Catalan politicians, published this week by the Guardian and El ...

Protecting marine life - the road to 2030

Webinar

Healthy oceans are a key to our life on Earth as we know it. Unfortunately, marine life is disappearing at an alarming rate. The decisions we make now will be extremely important. But what can we do this year? In the next 10 years? What role can the EU biodiversity strategy play?

Plenary session debriefing

8-10 July

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the programme of the German Presidency, prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, EU Hydrogen Strategy, chemicals strategy for sustainability, boosting Roma inclusion process in Europe, state of play Rule of Law in Member States,...

A new European energy infrastructure policy in line with the climate emergency

A blog by Marie Toussaint

During this week’s plenary session, Members of the European Parliament will adopt a resolution setting out the Parliament’s views on the upcoming revision of the trans-European energy infrastructure Regulation (TEN-E Regulation). The current law sets out the process and criteria to select cross-border electricity, gas and oil infrastructure projects of European interest. For the upcoming revision due in December this year, the Greens/EFA group is asking to end EU support for fossil fuel projects, such as gas pipelines. In addition, this year the European Commission should adopt transitional guidance on how to spend EU funds until the revised law enters into force. This is to ensure that only projects in line with the Paris Agreement are supported.

Green hydrogen & renewables

The EU should take the lead now!

On Wednesday 8 July 2020, the European Commission presented its so-called “Hydrogen Strategy”. Our MEPs Henrike Hahn and Damien Carême, co-chairs of Greens/EFA's Green Industrial Policy Campaign look at why hydrogen will be a key energy source to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. But not any type of hydrogen: green hydrogen only!

Greens/EFA group opposes any Israeli annexation and reaffirms the need for a two-state solution

Position paper

Over many years, the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians has come to a standstill. This is due to the ongoing Israeli occupation, serious shortcomings on the side of the Palestinian leadership but also the attitudes of the international community and in particular the US, the EU and the Arab League. Developments on the ground have seen growth of Israeli settlements in the West Bank continuing unabated. Those are major impediments to the peace process.

Plenary Flash - July session

Greens/EFA priorities 8-10 July 2020

This week, the Parliament will debate on the programme of the German Presidency of the EU with Chancellor Merkel, on prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, EU hydrogen strategy, Roma inclusion,... Discover all the other major topics on the agenda and the Greens/EFA priority issues