orange flowers © by Henry Be
orange flowers © Henry Be
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Nature must be at the heart of the post-Covid-19 recovery

A blog by MEPs Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg and Grace O’Sullivan

Biodiversity is all around us. Even for those restricted to home in these trying and sad times, a cursory look around shows a world teeming with life.

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Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 21-25 October 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include EU data protection rules, UN climate change deal, sexual and reproductive health and rights, medical implants and consumer safety, ship recycling, sustainable fisheries, EU economic governance, migrant protection after Lampedusa, secret data surveillance and SWIFT, detention of activists in Russia

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Join the Food Revolution

World Food day 2013

As part of World Food Day, the Greens/EFA group launched a new campaigning project called 'Join the Food Revolution'. Personal engagement and participative democracy are key in determining and improving food policies throughout Europe. Thanks to the 'Join the Food Revolution'...

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GMO Court Case

Mexican judge bans GMO maize

The very good news from last week was the decision of the Federal Tribunal of Mexico to suspend all authorisations for growing GMO maize. On the 10th of October, the federal judge of the 12th Federal District Court fo...

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Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 7-11 October 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included EU food rules, tobacco rules and lobbying, shale gas and environmental assessment, flight times and safety, Syrian refugee crisis, right-wing extremism on the rise, EU borders and migrant protection, CIA human rights abuses in Europe, secret data surveillance and SWIFT, Roma discrimination, Sakharov Prize

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 14 - 18 October 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include Boardroom quotas for women, European Parliament - ending the multi-seat operation, Rules governing EU funds, Cloud computing: an opportunity for Europe? Product safety for consumers, EU car emissions rules in the balance, World Food Day – Green campaign launch

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Untouchables: stop discriminations based on castes!

Vote on the caste-based discrimination resolution by the DEVE Committee

The European Parliament adopted on Thursday 10 October a resolution on caste-based discrimination. Having regards to the resolution of 2007 on the human rights situation of the Dalits in India and the one of 2012 on cast...

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e-fa: News Round-Up

news bulletin from the European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament

September 2013 Round-Up The European Free Alliance (EFA) draws together political parties fighting for democracy and self-determination for the stateless nations and regions of Europe. European Free Alliance MEPs sit in ...

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Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 7-11 October 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include EU food rules, tobacco rules and lobbying, shale gas and environmental assessment, flight times and safety, Syrian refugee crisis, right-wing extremism on the rise, EU borders and migrant protection, CIA human rights abuses in Europe, secret data surveillance and SWIFT, Roma discrimination, Sakharov Prize

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Revision of the tobacco directive

Registry of contacts between Greens/EFA and the tobacco industry

The Greens/EFA Group respects the provisions of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control with regard to contacts with the tobacco industry. Greens/EFA interactions with the industry are listed here.

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Join the seed freedom campaign

European Greens and Vandana Shiva launch joint petition on seed legislation

The Greens together with Navdanya , the organisation of Indian activist and scientist Vandana Shiva, launch a petition on the new legislative proposal of the European Commission on the production and commercialisation of seeds.

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IPCC report

Change policies, not the climate!

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC) will release its report on the latest scientific research on climate on Monday 30th September. The summary for policy makers is currently being finalised by the different government representatives in Stockholm and will be presented this morning at 10 am. For the Greens, leaders from Europe and beyond know enough now and cannot continue to ignore the overwhelming body of scientific evidence....

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 30 September - 4 October 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include the vote on the CAP reform in the agriculture committee, the shortlisting of Sakharov Prize candidates, the votes on flight times and aviation safety, EU economic governance and EU budget 2014. Greens/EFA meet in Ghent for their study days.

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EU seed regulation

Inspired by Vandana Shiva's visit Europe should take the lead in shifting the flawed logic of seed laws

  International activist and scientist Dr Vandana Shiva is currently travelling the world on a campaign on seed freedom and has published, together with the 'International Commission on the future of Seed' a small ...

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GMO (In)Digest

Issue 10 of the GMO Campaign Newsletter

In this issue : no qualified majority in appeal committee on GMO imports; honey contamination; EFSA; is Monsanto dropping the EU?

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EU-Thailand Free-Trade Agreement

Thousands protest on the streets of Thailand

  The 2nd round of the Thailand - EU Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) talks took place last week in the city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Since the start of the negotiations, civil society has expressed its fear...

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 23 - 27 September 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include the final trialogue on the EU agriculture policy reform, the committee votes on easier access to EU funds for crisis countries, risky medical devices and EU funding for research and innovation to 2020. Greens/EFA co-presidents will also travel to Greece and meet with key stakeholders and decision-makers.

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Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 9-13 September 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included the reports on the climate impact of biofuels, the right of access to a lawyer, innovative, sustainable transport technologies, supervising European banks, mortgages, eel stocks under threat, covert surveillance and threats to media freedom, preserving endangered languages in Europe, access to genetic resources and rights, Egypt crisis and the EU's role

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 16 - 20 September 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include the committee votes on organised crime, on risky medical devices, on emissions trading scheme. Two Greens/EFA events: 'The law of the seed' public debate and press conference with Vandana Shiva & an event in the framework of the mobility week 'Sustainable 2 Wheels'

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Youth in Crisis

Forgotten Generation?

A lost generation, a forgotten generation. MEPs sent mixed messages today to young people across Europe suffering from the effects of the crisis. We have ended up allocating too little money for too many years while impo...

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Lobbying and transparency

Bonanza week for dirty lobbyists in European Parliament

Another plenary week, another list of successes for dirty lobbyists in the European Parliament. With the sound of popping corks ringing around the offices of public affairs and industry representatives in Brussels, let's...

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Food or Fuels?

The EU must stop fuelling climate change and hunger

Several years ago, agrofuels were presented as an adequate solution to limit the negative climate impacts of the transport sector. There are currently two European laws that encourage the use of these fuels in the tr...

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Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 9-12 September 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include the reports on the climate impact of biofuels, the right of access to a lawyer, innovative, sustainable transport technologies, supervising European banks, mortgages, eel stocks under threat, covert surveillance and threats to media freedom, preserving endangered languages in Europe, access to genetic resources and rights, Egypt crisis and the EU's role

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Youth Unemployment

Wrong message, wrong strategy

The European Parliament will next Wednesday vote in plenary on a report on youth unemployment. This report comes in response to the EU's alarming rates of youth unemployment. However, the Greens/EFA group doesn't belie...

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 2 - 6 September 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include committee debates on PRISM/NSA snooping scandal and EU implications, water protected as basic public service, Commission communicaiton on shadow banking and a Greens/EFA conference on shale gas

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Belo Monte Blog

"It is a monster"

Greens/EFA MEPs went to Brazil for a delegation mission where they met with officials and NGOs about the Belo Monte Mega-Dam project.

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First Debriefing

Green Group Delegation to Belo Monte

Debriefing on the Green Group Delegation to Belo Monte (Brasilia, Belem and Altamira), July 8-13, 2013   Brussels, July 17th, 2013 Son Excellence l’Ambassadeur Mrs Vera Barrouin Machado Brazilian Mission to t...

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First post mission meeting

Ulrike Lunacek meets with the new Brazilian Ambassador to the EU

Ulrike Lunacek met with Vera Machado, the new Brazilian Ambassador to the EU, this afternoon after the end of our delegation visit to the controversial Belo monte mega dam site. Ulrike handed her a first debriefin...

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e-fa: News Round-Up

news bulletin from the European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament

June/July 2013 Round-Up The European Free Alliance (EFA) draws together political parties fighting for democracy and self-determination for the stateless nations and regions of Europe. European Free Alliance MEPs sit in ...

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Illegal deportation in Italy

Italian ministers must address concerns of collusion with Kazakhstan over deportation of dissident's wife and 6-year-old daughter

Italy must provide rapid answers to concerns of conspiring with Kazakhstan to deport a prominent Kazakh opposition figure's wife and 6-year-old daughter from Italy to Kazakhstan. French Green MEP Nicole Kiil-Nielsen toda...

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Protecting Bees

New steps at EU level to protect bees and other pollinators

On Monday 15 July the European Commission will try to take the next step in protecting bees and other pollinators by proposing a temporary ban on the highly toxic pesticide Fipronil, from the phenylpyrazole chemical fa...

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State Aid for nuclear

Giving public support to an expensive technology failure?

The UK government has been since months in lengthy negotiations with the French energy provider EDF, over subsidy payments for planned nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point C. These public subsidies, known as Contracts for D...

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European Maritime and Fisheries Fund

A progressive reform works together with a progressive use of subsidies

On 30th May, the European Parliament and EU Member States reached agreement on the main issues in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), with very positive outcomes for the future of fish and the fisheries se...

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Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 1-5 July 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include export credit agencies, EU budget 2014-2020, Hungary, reforming the EU's anti-fraud body, reforming the structure of the banking sector, regulating investment funds (UCITS), implementing the Financial Transaction Tax, emissions Trading System, US and UK government surveillance of EU citizens, election of the EU Ombudsman, access to care for vulnerable groups, arms exports, the crisis in Syria, closure of Greek public television ERT

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Finding Food

Some of the best practices of innovative ways to help the most deprived

Finding Food is getting harder. Across Europe, organisations that help the most deprived are sounding the alarm bell. The number of people that fall below the poverty line is rising fast, while the amount of food available is dropping. Food banks and other aid organisations have increasing difficulties in meeting the demand.

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Belo-Monte Mega-Dam

Green MEPs depart for Belo Monte Mega-Dam project

As hundreds of thousands of Brazilians take to the streets to challenge the development model of their country, Green MEPs Catherine Grèze, Eva Joly and Ulrike Lunacek, will be in Brazil gaining an overview ...

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Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 1-5 July 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include - Export credit agencies, EU budget 2014-2020, Hungary, Reforming the EU's anti-fraud body, Reforming the structure of the banking sector, Regulating investment funds (UCITS), Implementing the Financial Transaction Tax, Emissions Trading System: stopping the rot, US and UK government surveillance of EU citizens, Election of the EU Ombudsman, Access to care for vulnerable groups, Arms exports, Crisis in Syria, ERT: Greek public television back from the brink

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Give Youth a Chance!

Employment Instrument must be for all youth

This week's European Council (27-28 June 2013) will focus amongst other issues on initiatives to enhance youth employment. Member States are to discuss the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), a new funding instrument with...

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Fair Politician of the Year 2013

Judith Sargentini awarded for making EU policy more fair towards developing countries

Green MEP Judith Sargentini was today awarded the title of Fair Politician of year 2012 – 2013. The prize is for the MEP who puts the most effort into making EU policies more fair towards developing countries Sarge...

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 24 - 28 June 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include Horizon 2020, Multiannual Financial Framework, Roma integration strategy, Tackling youth unemployment in Europe, When Rule of Law is at risk: What can/should the EU do?, Agroecology: The Need for Transformation in Policy and Science, Water is a public good, Citizens first! Ideas for Improving and Extending the European Citizens' Initiative

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CFP Reform

Major improvements for stock and consumers on the way

A deal on proposals to overhaul the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), struck last month between the European Parliament and EU governments, was endorsed by the EP's fisheries committee today.  The final negotiatio...

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Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 10-14 June 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included asylum seekers, EU's housing crisis, rules on infant and baby food, Schengen, accounting transparency for extractive industries, illegal fishing, EU budget and the future framework, problematic EU passenger data rules, Turkey's worrying democratic backslide, nuclear safety and EU rules

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 16 - 21 JuneMay 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include Ship scrappage, worker protection and the environment, EU fisheries reform to be confirmed, Eel stocks under threat, Dalligate, Olafgate and the role of the EU Commission, Financial transaction tax in Europe, Reforming the banking sector in Europe, Modern and sustainable transport technologies, EU budget and the future framework, Hungary and EU defence of rights, Fixing emissions trading or not?, Clamping down on climate-damaging F-Gases, EU rules on posted workers

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Reforming the European External Action Service

Ashton needs to tackle shortcomings in the EU's diplomatic service

Today the European Parliament adopted its recommendations for reforming the European External Action Service. When the service was founded in December 2010, EU High Representative and foreign policy chief Catherine Ashto...

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EU-Indien

Intransparente Verhandlungsführung von Freihandelsabkommen legitim?

Das Gerichtsurteil des Europäischen Gerichts vom vergangenen Freitag verheißt nichts Gutes. Die NGO Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) reichte 2011 eine Klage gegen die EU ein wegen intransparenter Verhandlung...

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Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 10-14 June 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include asylum seekers, customs enforcement of IP, EU's housing crisis, rules on infant and baby food, border-free Europe, accounting transparency for extractive industries, illegal fishing, EU budget and the future framework, EU economic governance and the social impact, problematic EU passenger data rules, Turkey's worrying democratic backslide, nuclear safety and EU rules

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Think. Eat. Save.

World Environment Day and Beyond against Food Waste

World Environment Day (WED) is an annual event initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It aims at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day to stimulate awareness of the environment ...

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GMO (In)Digest

Issue 9 of the GMO Campaign Newsletter

EU Work: New seed regulation: Commission plans would threaten seed diversity The European Commission presented its food safety package on 6th May, with proposals for new EU rules in a number of areas, including se...

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Give Bees a Chance!

A battle won, but the bees are not saved from the terrible triple P

This week is the second European Bee Health Week, dubbed BeeODiversity, and it involves a conference Wednesday 5th June in the European Parliament (EP) and a fancy exhibition outside parliament all week long. The Green...

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e-fa: News Round-Up

news bulletin from the European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament

May 2013 Round-Up The European Free Alliance (EFA) draws together political parties fighting for democracy and self-determination for the stateless nations and regions of Europe. European Free Alliance MEPs sit in a Euro...

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Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 3-7 June 2013

Priorities for the Greens this week: EU-Russia summit and EU-Russia relations, EU data protection rules Greens/EFA events: EU-US trade: the good, the bad and the ugly; Finding food - Innovative ways to help the most deprived; European arms exports and their implications

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