Priority

The fight against corruption and how to win it

Defeating the disease

New estimates released this year have shown the staggering amount of money that is lost due to corruption in the EU: between 179 and 990 billion euros, every single year. To play with a metaphor, corruption is like a contagious disease, a virus that spreads quickly, infecting people in ways that are not always visible, and ravishing our public services in its wake. The virus was created by humans, but we don’t need doctors to eradicate it, just a lot of hard work - or better said, a lot of teamwork! We need your support for these campaigns and we are happy to lend you ours as well – just get in touch, and let’s get to work.

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bee sunflower — boris smokrovic unsplash

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 23-27 October 2017

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included a Minute's silence for Daphne Caruana Galizia; Protection of whistleblowers; Extension of Glyphosate licence; Biofuels: targets need to be genuinely sustainable; GMOs: Parliament votes on 20th objection; Action needed to ensure adequate minimum income; Entry/Exit system “costly and disproportionate”; Protecting workers from carcinogens; Discharge of the Council EU budget; Combating sexual harassment and abuse in the EU; Sakharov prize.

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Reform of the EU budget is long overdue

Future of EU finances

The Greens/EFA co-presidents welcome the fact that the European Commission is now taking steps to reform the EU budget.

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Justus Lipsius EU Council — JLogan (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Improved cooperation could save billions of euros

Preparation of the European Council of 22 and 23 June 2017

"EU member states need to make pooling and sharing resources the rule, not the exception. Improved cooperation could save billions of euros, money that is urgently needed to prevent conflicts and violence in the world," comments Greens/EFA co-president Ska Keller, ahead of the Council summit.

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Commission proposal lacks real ambition

EU budget 2018

The European Commissioner for Budget, Günther Oettinger, has presented his draft EU budget for the year 2018. This officially launches the annual budget procedure that will continue until the end of this year. For the Greens/EFA group, the draft budget shows little ambition.

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21962.cooperate and undertake 01 — © Trista Weibell

European Commission must invest more to promote solidarity

European Solidarity Corps

“Promoting solidarity between young people across the EU is something we strongly support, but the European Commission will have to do better than this to make it happen," comments Greens/EFA education and policy spokesperson, Helga Trüpel.

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Budget accountability

Checking the spending of public funds

It’s that time of the year again, when the European Parliament reviews the spending of public funds by 52 EU institutions, and formally signs-off on the final accounting, this for time for the year 2015. Every year, there are a number of controversies that emerge, and this year is no different...

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No additional funds despite fresh commitments and ongoing crises

EU budget: MFF revision

The European Parliament has approved the Midterm revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020. The revision is a poor deal for the parliament, says Greens/EFA member of the European Parliament’s Budget committee Indrek Tarand.

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European Parliament demands protection for whistleblowers uncovering fraud in the EU budget

A strong signal to the European Commission

The report focusses on the crucial role played by whistleblowers in preventing and uncovering fraud and mismanagement of the EU budget.

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Monti Report

Reform of EU's own resources system urgently needed

The report marks the end of the mandate of the High-Level Working Group Own Resource to develop recommendations for the reform of the income side of the EU budget.

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sunflower©sergey-zolkin — ©sergey-zolkin

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 24-27 October 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included: Breaches of democracy, rule of law, fundamental rights; Commission Work Programme; Corporate Tax package; Democracy and press freedom Hungary; Key debate on conclusions of European Council; Debate on situation of journalists in Turkey; EU budget 2017; 2016 Sakharov Prize winner; CETA trade deal on hold (Thursday)

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EU Budget

Parliament takes step in the right direction

The European Parliament today voted on the 2017 budget and the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), backing several amendments from the Greens/EFA Group. Among these are the freezing of 20% of the pot in the EU Commission's budget from which former EU commissioners are paid a trans...

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