Comments from Bart Staes on the European Parliament’s new PEST Special Committee

Glyphosate

"We want to make sure there can no re-run of the glyphosate saga. The re-authorisation of glyphosate highlighted the serious problems with the current process," says the committee’s co-rapporteur and Greens/EFA MEP, Bart Staes.

Theresa May must resolve the deep contradictions of her position

Brexit

The European Parliament will today (13 March) debate the guidelines on the framework of future EU-UK relations. The Greens/EFA group will use the debate to call on Theresa May to resolve the contradictions in her position.

European Commission must get its act together on ethics

Selmayr scandal

“For such a senior position to be approved without any scrutiny makes a mockery of transparency and democracy in the Commission," comments Greens/EFA MEP, Bart Staes.

Tax/CO2 €10bn tax gap reveals the flaws in vehicle taxes

CO2 Emissions

A new report from the Greens/EFA group shows that the growing gap between real life CO2 emissions from cars and in lab tests has contributed to a major tax gap on cars. The study calculates for the first time the theoretical loss in revenue for 11 EU member states amounting to more than €10 billion in 2016. Between 2010 to 2016 the loss was at least 46 bn Euros.

Terry Reintke to submit #MeToo petition to President of the European Parliament

International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day (Thursday 8th March), Greens/EFA MEP Terry Reintke will submit a petition to the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani.

European Commission finally names and shames Member States

Tax avoidance

“It is great to see the European Commission finally acknowledge the role of EU countries in facilitating tax avoidance," says Sven Giegold.

ECJ rules that intra-EU ISDS mechanisms are illegal

Investment protection

The European Court of Justice has today ruled that the investor-state dispute mechanism contained in the bilateral investment agreement between Slovakia and the Netherlands "has an adverse effect on the autonomy of EU law, and is therefore incompatible with EU law."

EFA welcomes new MEP

Miroslavs Mitrofanovs joins EFA Group

Miroslavs Mitrofanovs has joined the European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament, part of Greens/EFA. He replaces Tatjana Ždanoka who has left the European Parliament to focus on her party's campaign for the Latvian national elections to the Saeima due to be held in October this ...

Reaction of the Greens/EFA presidents

Italian elections

"It was always clear that leaving Italy alone to deal with such a disproportionate share of the migration problem was cruel. Now we can see it was also politically short-sighted," comments Greens/EFA president Philippe Lamberts.

Judicial reform in Poland - quote from Ska Keller

Article 7

The planned reform of the judiciary in Poland is a "serious breach of the rule of law", according to the majority of MEPs.

Greens/EFA group calls for postponement of budget discharge until Commission answers ethics questions

EU Commission ethics

"With the Commission showing so little regard for transparency and conflicts of interests, we cannot in good faith discharge their budget until they introduce the necessary ethics reforms," says Bart Staes.

New tax committee: Unfinished work to do on tax justice

Tax Justice

The European Parliament has today approved the establishment of a new special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance.

Posting of workers: Breakthrough for social Europe

Posting of Workers Directive

Late last night, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council achieved a breakthrough in the negotiations on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive. Under the agreement, workers who provide a service in an EU Member State other than their country of origin will benefit not only from the minimum wage but also from local collective agreements and shall be entitled to legally guaranteed travel, accommodation and meals allowances.

New Galician MEP joins European Parliament

Press release from EFA in the European Parliament

Ana Miranda of the BNG (Bloque Nacionalista Galego) becomes the European Parliament's newest MEP as of this Wednesday 28 February. Ana was previously an MEP during part of the 2009-14 legislature when she served on the Petitions and Fisheries committees. Ana Miranda said that she looked fo...

Philippe Lamberts on Northern Ireland protocol

Brexit

"Nothing in this agreement should come as a surprise. This is exactly what the UK signed up to back in December and they cannot now feign surprise at being asked to honour it," comments Greens/EFA president, Philippe Lamberts.

Greens/EFA group demands real blacklist

Tax havens

The Greens/EFA group will use today's debate in the European Parliament on the EU tax haven blacklist to call for much greater transparency in the blacklisting process.

Death of Slovak journalist, Ján Kuciak

Reaction of the Greens/EFA group

Greens/EFA MEP Benedek Javor comments on the death of the Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his partner.

EU needs more money to tackle future challenges

Ska Keller on the informal EU summit

"A strong European Union needs more money to tackle its future challenges and invest in education and climate change," says Ska Keller.

Internal electricity market must deliver for citizens and the climate

Internal electricity market

The European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee has adopted a series of legislative reports on the internal electricity market. The Greens/EFA group welcomes the parliament’s position on limiting public support for coal, which is much stronger than the Council's, but questions the insufficient measures for fighting energy poverty.

EU plans financial injection for bloated arms industry

Defence industry

The Greens/EFA Group has voted against plans that would see the European Union provide financial support to the European defence industry in developing weapons and other arms.

Białowieża forest: protect Poland and Europe's green lungs

European Court of Justice

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice has today presented his opinion that the forestry management decisions taken by Poland concerning Białowieża forest infringe EU law.

Eurogroup is doing the ECB's credibility a disservice

ECB leadership

"It is high-time that a woman is part of the ECB leadership. We will do our utmost to achieve this in the coming weeks and months," comments Greens/EFA MEP, Sven Giegold.

Turkish Green co-chairs Eylem Tuncaelli and Naci Sönmez are released

Turkish Greens

The co-chairs of the Turkish Greens and the Left Party of the Future (Yesiller ve Sol Gelecek Partisi) Eylem Tuncaelli and Naci Sönmez were released on Saturday morning at 5am after having been held in custody for just over one week.

Bulgarian Vice Prime Minister wants to expulse Ska Keller out of Bulgaria

The Bulgarian government coalition party National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria today published a statement signed by party leader and Bulgarian Vice Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov, demanding Ska Keller to be expelled out of Bulgaria. The attacks came after Ska Keller hold a speech at yesterday's protests against the commercial exploitation of the Natura 2000 protected Pirin National Park.

We demand immediate release of Turkish co-chairs Eylem Tuncaelli and Naci Sonmez

Statement of the co-presidents of the Greens/EFA Group and of the co-chairs of the European Green Party

We demand an immediate explanation from the Turkish authorities over the outrageous arbitrary arrests of Eylem Tuncaelli and Naci Sonmez in the early hours this morning and call for their immediate release. This action is yet another example of Turkey’s growing contempt for the rule of law under the leadership of President Erdogan.

Progress on tax justice must not be lost

Special committee on taxation

The presidents of the political groups of the European Parliament have agreed to establish a special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance. "The Paradise Papers show that there is a clearly unfinished work to do if we are to secure tax justice in Europe," says Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts.

Judicial and criminal law reforms undermine the rule of law in Romania

Debate on Romania's reforms in the European Parliament

“With their proposed reforms to the judiciary and criminal law, the Romanian government risks seriously undermining rule of law," says Greens/EFA co-president Ska Keller.

Conservatives blow opportunity to build Europe-wide democracy

Transnational lists / Spitzenkandidaten

“By burying transnational lists, the European Parliament has missed an historic opportunity. Never before has this idea enjoyed such popularity in the Council," said Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts.

Pan European Electoral lists

Press release from EFA MEP J-M Terricabras (Catalonia)

The European Parliament has today voted against setting up transnational lists for future European Parliament elections. This would have meant common lists of candidates who could stand for election across the whole territory of the EU, enabling citizens from all parts of the Union to vote for a ...

Committee will provide answers to the serious questions raised by glyphosate scandal

Glyphosate

"Pesticides can have a serious impact on the quality of the food on our plates and the health of our environment. That’s why it is so important that the authorisation process is made fit for purpose," says Greens/EFA MEP Bart Staes.

New regulation fails to do what it says on the tin

Geo-blocking

The European Parliament has today voted on the outcome of the geo-blocking trilogue. While the new regulation introduces some new limits, by excluding videos, music, ebooks and online gaming, the final regulation falls far short of putting an end to geo-blocking.

Member States must lead the transition

EU Emissions Trading System

Bas Eickhout comments on the revision to the EU’s Emissions Trading System - "Thanks to the insistence of the Greens, EU governments can now shut down coal plants without having to pass the CO2 on to other sectors."

Future of the European Union & Croatia

Leaving the shadows of the past behind

The European Parliament continued today its series of debates with invited European leaders on the Future of Europe with the visit of the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković. Greens/EFA co-president Ska Keller used her speech to raise questions regarding widening social inequality and environmental concerns in Croatia.

New list shows full extent of financial secrecy

Financial Secrecy Index

A new report from the Tax Justice Network shows the real world state of financial secrecy. "Unless European leaders grasp the full extent of this crisis, money will continue to drain away from national treasuries, with painful results for people in their countries," says Molly Scott Cato.

Greek and FYROM talks about conflict over the name of FYROM

Reaction from Ska Keller

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and FYROM Prime Minister Zoran Zaev raised the prospect of settling the conflict over the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). An agreement opens up the possibility for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to join the European Union, as well as NATO.

The Bulgarian Presidency must show leadership on asylum reform

Refugee policy

"Transferring responsibility for refugees to neighbouring European countries is not an acceptable solution to the EU's solidarity crisis," comments Ska Keller, president of the Greens/EFA group.

New study highlights corruption and calls for action at EU level

Study on Bulgaria

A new report commissioned by the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament shows that much more ambition is required in the fight against corruption within Bulgaria and at EU level.

We must seize this opportunity to strengthen European democracy

Transnational lists

"We have just taken an important step forward in the process of creating a single European constituency. Until now, European elections have struggled to advance a genuinely EU-wide public debate," says Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur Pascal Durand.

Only full transparency can restore confidence in blacklist

Tax Havens

EU Finance Ministers have agreed to remove eight jurisdictions from the EU blacklist of tax havens. The Greens/EFA group wrote to the Council Presidency and the Chair of the Code of Conduct Group last week, demanding greater transparency on the creation and management of the blacklist

Greens/EFA group demands transparency

EU tax haven blacklist

The Greens/EFA Group has written today to the Council Presidency and to the Chair of the Code of Conduct Group regarding the EU blacklist of tax havens.

Reaction of Molly Scott Cato

European Commission VAT proposals

"The current VAT rules are an out-dated mess. We need to adopt a definitive regime so that VAT is always paid where the goods or services are consumed and at the VAT rate of that Member States," says Greens/EFA MEP Molly Scott Cato

European Parliament group presidents endorse Special Committee on Glyphosate

Following a Greens/EFA initiative, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament endorsed the mandate of a Special Committee to analyse and assess the authorisation procedure for pesticides today. The decision will be endorsed by the next plenary.

The EU must become a world leader on renewables

Renewable Energy Directive

The European Parliament has voted on its position for the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, part of the European Commission’s Clean Energy Package. The report sets out targets for renewable energy for 2030 and calls for an end to the use of palm oil in biofuels.

Enshrining the Paris Agreement in EU law

EU Energy Governance

Claude Turmes and Michele Rivasi herald a "great victory for the climate and citizens".

Energy efficiency will keep bills down while protecting the climate

Energy Efficiency Directive

Greens/EFA MEP Benedek Jávor welcomes the passing of strong measures on energy efficiency: "It’s not just about keeping emissions down. It is also crucial to citizens’ health and to keeping energy bills down for citizens and businesses."

European Parliament agrees stricter rules for dual-use technology exports

No more spyware for dictators

"The European Parliament has delivered on its promise to strengthen the EU's human rights policy by making exports of surveillance technology stricter", comments Greens/EFA rapporteur Klaus Buchner.

Greens/EFA presidents on the Bulgarian Presidency and the visit of the Irish Prime Minister

Future of Europe

The Greens/EFA presidents look ahead to the debates on the Bulgarian Presidency and the visit of the Irish Prime Minister.

Single use plastics have no place in the EU economy

EU plastic strategy

Bas Eickhout and Davor Škrlec react to the European Commission's new Plastic Strategy: "There can be no room for unnecessary single use plastics in the European economy."

Tatjana Ždanoka to stand down as MEP

Press Release from EFA in the European Parliament

Latvian and EFA MEP Tatjana Ždanoka has announced that she intends to stand down as a Member of the European Parliament from March 2018. Ms Ždanoka will then focus on her party's campaign for the Latvian national elections to the Saeima due to be held in October this year. Tatjana Ždano...

Failure to set shared objectives undermines common fisheries policy

Fishing

The European Parliament has voted in favour of a report on the conservation of fishery resources and protection of marine ecosystems. While Green MEPs backed the successful attempt to include a ban on pulse fishing, the Greens voted against the report, which fails to establish common objectives at an EU level.