ECJ ruling on data retention

Swedish and UK regimes are incompatible with EU law

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has today ruled that the current data retention regimes for electronic communications services in Sweden and the UK are incompatible with EU law (1). The ECJ ruling states that "general and indiscriminate" retention of data is illegal, but does allow ...

European Parliament united in defence of fundamental rights

The European Parliament has approved a report on the Situation of Fundamental Rights in the EU in 2015, with the Greens/EFA Group voting in favour. Three of the four amendments presented by the Greens/EFA Group were approved. Following the vote, MEP Josep-Maria Terricabras, spokesperson on the subje...

Appeals procedure against whistleblowers Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet as well as journalist Edouard Perrin

Joint statement by whistleblowers Ana Garrido, Brigitte Heinisch, Jonathan Sugarman and András Horváth together with Greens/EFA Members of the European Parliament

We, whistleblowers and Members of the European Parliament, express our solidarity with the LuxLeaks whistleblowers Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet, as well as the journalist, Edouard Perrin, who all served the public interest by shedding light on illegal tax avoidance schemes in Europe. Retalia...

Women's Rights: Poland

Polish government intends to withdraw support for Istanbul Convention

The Polish Minister for Social Affairs, Labour and Family has today announced their intention to withdraw Poland’s signature from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. The convention, commonly referred to as the Istanbul Conventi...

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 21-24 November 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included the occupational retirement provision, EU-Turkey relations, conflict minerals, the outcome of COP22, CETA & ECJ, Commission code of Conduct, emissions of atmospheric pollutants, dieselgate hearing with French Minister Ségolène Royal, ...

Data protection

Transatlantic deal is great step forward

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee has today adopted with a significant majority the EU-US data protection agreement for police and law enforcement authorities (“Umbrella agreement”). The agreement provides regulation for data protection when it comes t...

EU-Turkey relations

Accession negotiations must be frozen

The European Parliament will today debate EU-Turkey relations. While there is expected to be support from a majority of MEPs for a freeze on accession negotiations with Turkey, the Greens/EFA group is also calling for pushback on Turkey's calls for enhancement of the Customs Union and Visa Liberalis...

European entry permit

Superfluous data collection

 The European Commission today presented its proposal for a new European entry permit. Under the proposals, travellers to the European Union who do not need a visa would have to apply for entry using the EU Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). The system is intended to coll...

Turkey Progress Report

Accession negotiations must be put on hold

The European Commission will present today its annual report on Turkey’s progress on EU membership. Commenting ahead of the report, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said: “The EU and its Member States must strongly condemn the recent arrests and call on the Turkish government ...

Turkey

Opposition arrests a further blow to democracy and rule of law

Several members of Turkey’s opposition HDP party, including its leader Selahattin Demirtas, have been arrested and detained in Ankara.

Turkey

Persecution of journalists must end

The European Parliament will today debate the situation of journalists in Turkey. Commenting ahead of the debate Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said: “The situation of journalists in Turkey, which was bad before the coup, intensifies day by day. "Thousands of journalists have been dis...

Civil liberties must be safeguarded in fight against terror

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

MEPs in Strasbourg on Tuesday debated progress on security issues, with new European Commissioner for the Security Union, Sir Julian King. President of the EFA Group in the European Parliament, Josep-Maria Terricabras, took part in the debate and emphasised the need to protect and defend human ri...