Agriculture and Fisheries

Resources on our Planet are finite. Let’s not waste them.

Gene editing techniques are GMOs says EU Court of Justice

Time to put them aside and finally invest in true innovation

On Wednesday 25 July, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) published its very awaited ruling on the legal statute of modern mutagenesis, including some of the techniques known as “new breeding techniques”. This ruling confirms what civil society and the Greens/EFA have been claiming from the beginning: these are not “breeding techniques” but GMOs, and they should be treated as such. Now is definitely the time to finally invest on real innovation for our food system!

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CC Chafer Machinery

A victory for food safety and the environment: ECJ ruling on new GMOs

GMOs

Today, the European Court of Justice ruled that organisms obtained by mutagenesis, otherwise known as "new breeding techniques" by the biotech industry, are in fact Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), and are subject to the 2001 EU GMO Directive and all its obligations. Despite heavy lobbying by the industry looking for ways to circumvent the GMO Directive, the Court's ruling is a victory for European food safety and the environment.

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New GMOs are not progress, but yet another tool of industrial farming

Our food system needs real innovation

Very soon, the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) will publish its ruling concerning the legal statute of a group of biotech. After the ruling, tense negotiations will set the future of the current European GMO regulation. As always, citizens and lawmakers will face the full force of the industry lobbies. Whatever happens these new GMOs will not bring any progress to our food and farming system: innovation is somewhere else.

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Sustainable eating

How small steps can lead to big chance for your health and the climate

This booklet is about the food we eat every day, and the impact it has on our health, our environment and our future. Sustainable eating is becoming an urgent issue all over the world. We can all help change things by making different food choices. So, if you are ready, here's some 'food for thought' about making your fridge a force for change.

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© Udo Weber

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 28-31 May 2018

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included: Commission proposals on plastics, sustainable finance, sustainable fishing, Multiannual Financial Framework and cohesion policy, trade dispute on steel and aluminium tariffs, debate with Luxemburgish Prime Minister, posting of workers, reform of the CAP, objections to the authorisation of two GMOs

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GMO imported crops continue to enter the EU while the flawed authorisation process undergoes reform

2 objections to GMOs were voted today

Little by little, the European Parliament is trying to install more democracy and transparency into the EU decision processes. by reforming the way the EU approves GMOs, active substances contained in pesticides or any product or substance susceptible of having an impact on human health or the environment. But while the discussions are under way, GMOs continue to enter the EU market.

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@Erich Westendarp

European Commission looking for savings in the wrong places

Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy

The Greens/EFA group has expressed strong concerns with the European Commission’s planned reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy, due to be published on Friday (1 June). The European Parliament today backed an own-initiative report on the reforms, which are expected to see CAP spending on rural development cut by 25 percent. The Greens/EFA Group wants to see a more targeted approach, promoting rural development and small farms and investing money in transitioning to sustainable agriculture.

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North Sea plans are unsustainable and at odds with Common Fisheries Policy

Fishing

The Greens/EFA group has condemned the decision of the majority of MEPs to back fishing legislation without guaranteeing meaningful sustainability targets. MEPs voted today on the trilogue outcome on the Multiannual Management Plan for the North Sea. While the Common Fisheries Policy sets an upper limit to fishing intensity (known as F-MSY), the North Sea Plan allows fishing at higher levels than allowed under the basic regulation.

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The Greens/EFA Co-Presidents' briefing

29.05.2018

LIVE press conference 29 May 2018 10:30-10:50

Greens/EFA co-presidents Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts present the key issues of the plenary session and of the European agenda for the Greens/EFA group

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European Union

What's coming up in Parliament

Strasbourg Flash - Plenary session 28-31 May 2018

A look ahead to next week's session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

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Jenni Peterson

World Bee Day

Some tips to help bees every day

1) Replace pesticides Give up chemicals and insect poisons in your home and garden.  Replace these products with more environmentally and bee-friendly alternatives. Natural repellents (e.g. planting mint around cabbages to protect them from caterpillars) and predatory insects such as lady...

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The situation of EU sugar beet farmers made worse by a GM sugar beet from Monsanto

EU farmers need a true shift to agroecology

European sugar beet producers have been suffering in recent years from a succession of transformations of the sector and low market prices. Some Member States have been using the farmers’ difficult situation as an excuse to lift the EU ban on tbee-toxic pesticides but are yet willing to let imported GM sugar beet flood the EU market.

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