Consumers

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary weeks July I and II 2019

We are back !  After the green wave of the European elections in May, political groups were formed and the new European Parliament had its first two plenary sittings in Strasbourg.  The topics on the agenda were mainly about the election of the Presidents of the European Parliament and of the European Commission.

Phosphate additives in food

EFSA confirms serious concerns for human health

Eighteen months ago, the Parliament voted on an objection, co-tabled by Greens/EFA MEP Bart Staes, to the authorisation of phosphate additives in kebab meat. Whilst the sole aim of the objection was to protect human health, in line with the law governing food additives, it was narrowly rejected. ...

How did the car industry manage to undermine EU pollution limits?

The dangers of technocratic decision-making on public health and the environment

Despite an EU law limiting the amount of pollution that cars could emit, the car industry - together with complicit EU governments - managed not only to delay the implementation of the rules, but to insert massive loopholes that essentially rendered the new pollution limits meaningless. How this happened is a scandal that is yet to be fixed.

Why dangerous hormone-disrupting chemicals are still everywhere

...and why we need to reform comitology

In your shampoo, in your sports bottle, in your bathroom air freshener, in your cleaning products, in your food and its packaging, in the pesticides the local farmer uses near your children’s school, even in nappies... endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are everywhere, omnipresent, like a monster from a horror movie. And a broken EU decision-making process is letting them slip through and continue to poison us.

EU must change from a kerosene tax paradise to a global pioneer for climate action

Aviation/CO2 tax

The non-governmental organisation "Transport and Environment" today published a study, kept secret by the European Commission, on the consequences of a kerosene tax on aviation.

European Parliamnet calls for an end to endocrine disrupters

Quote from Bas Eickhout MEP

Members of the European Parliament have just called for an end to substances that can have an impact on the hormonal system, such as bisphenol A, in food packaging, cosmetics and toys. The European Commission must act now in order to minimise exposure to endocrine disruptors and must close the looph...

New rules wasted opportunity to tackle dual quality of products

Consumer protection

The European Parliament voted on better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection rules. While there are some improvements on current consumer protection legislation, today's changes are a wasted opportunity to tackle the dual quality of products.

What's coming up in Parliament

Greens/EFA priorities - plenary session 15-18 April 2019

A look ahead to the March I plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

Consumer rights: time for a class action mechanism in the EU

The European Parliament today adopted its position on new legislation regarding a collective redress mechanism to be used by consumers throughout the EU. Unfortunately, Member States in the Council are slacking in moving forward on this, thereby not recognising the need for such a tool for the protection of consumers.

Majority voted against the free internet

Copyright

The Greens/EFA group had joined the protests of millions of people and received a petition of over 5 million people against this law. The agreement adopted today will make upload filters the norm and restrict possibilities of expression due to licensing obligations that are impossible to fulfil.

Product quality/Unfair Commercial Practices Directive

Quote from Julia Reda MEP

Last night, 'trilogue' negotiations between the European Commission, Council and Parliament were concluded on changes to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, part of the new deal for consumers released by the Commission last year, aimed at tackling among others the unfair practice of so-called “dual quality” by companies operating across different Member States.

A vote for a Digital Single Market, a vote for an open and free internet for all

Copyright Reform

Two years and a half have passed since the European Commission proposed a Directive for Copyright in the Digital Single Market. More years have passed ever since academics, politicians and the civil society have looked into the amendment of a law that is considered obsolete. Now, we are only counting days until the European Parliament votes on this controversial file