ACTA Zombie bites back

EU-India free trade deal puts millions of lives at risk

As European Commission (EC) pressure mounts on India to rush into signing a free trade agreement (FTA), activists from across Europe mobilised in Brussels today to demand that the EC withdraw provisions that will harm people’s access to medicines in India and across the developing world. Civil s...

EU data protection rules

EU ministers must not water down data protection legislation

EU justice and home affairs ministers are set to discuss draft EU legislation on data protection tomorrow (1). Commenting ahead of the Council debate, the European Parliament's draftsperson on the EU data protection regulation Jan Philipp Albrecht (Green MEP, Germany) said: "Reports that v...

Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 14-17 January 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg plenary included tackling youth unemployment in Europe, biopiracy and indigenous genetic resources, regulating credit rating agencies, corruption and misuse of EU funds, the controversial economic agreement with southern Africa and working conditions in Asia and EU retailers

Genetic resources and Biopiracy

Protecting genetic resources and traditional knowledge in developing countries

  Update:Attempts by Conservative (EPP) MEPs to weaken the report were defeated, and in the end the report by Green MEP Catherine Grèze was carried by a large majority. The EU must now support the request of developing countries that the granting of patents be dependent on the dislcosure of...

IP rights and genetic resources

EP highlights need to tackle biopiracy

The European Parliament today adopted a report by Green rapporteur/draftsperson Catherine Grèze on the intellectual property rights of genetic resources in developing countries. After the vote, Catherine Grèze said: "Much greater effort is needed to tackle biopiracy, which is a major problem ...

Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 14 - 18 January 2013

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include tackling youth unemployment in Europe, Biopiracy and indigenous genetic resources, Regulating credit rating agencies, Corruption and misuse of EU funds, the controversial economic agreement with southern Africa and working conditions in Asia and EU retailers

Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 10-14 December 2012

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included the EU budget 2012-2013, the controversial EU-Latin American free trade agreement, wrongheaded EU patent system, airport noise and working conditions, Financial transaction tax, animal transport and welfare, addressing fundamental rights in the EU, EU summit and the continuing crisis, EU-Russia agreement, Human rights and EU policy, Israeli settlements and opposing the Belo Monte dam in the Amazon.

European patent

MEPs abdicate control over intellectual property to non-EU institution

The European Parliament today voted to adopt the unitary European patent. The Greens/EFA group has raised concerns about the legality of the proposal, as well as the decision to grant wide-ranging intellectual property powers to a non-EU institution, the European Patent Office (and Court). The group...

Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 10 - 14 December 2012

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include the EU budget 2012-2013, the controversial EU-Latin American free trade agreement, wrongheaded EU patent system, airport noise and working conditions, Financial transaction tax, animal transport and welfare, addressing fundamental rights in the EU, EU summit and the continuing crisis, EU-Russia agreement, Human rights and EU policy, Israeli settlements and opposing the Belo Monte dam in the Amazon.

Call for a progressive agenda on creation and innovation

Second phase of consultation

Send us your input and contribute to the building of a progressive agenda! After the rejection of ACTA, Greens/EFA want to protect the users of the Internet and their fundamental rights, but also have the ambition to tackle issues related to the way society is organized. Creation and innovation depend on how knowledge and information are managed, while they can considerably benefit from the Internet and the new technologies. Their blooming can also play a key role in making society a better place!

Intellectual property and genetic resources

MEPs take stand against biopiracy

The European Parliament's development committee today adopted a report by Green rapporteur/draftsperson Catherine Grèze on the intellectual property rights of genetic resources in developing countries. Commenting after the vote Catherine Grèze said: "Biopiracy is a major problem in developing...

Co-Presidents' session briefing

20.11.2012

Live stream 20th November 2012

During the Strasbourg Plenary session briefing, Greens/EFA co-presidents Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit present the key issues of the plenary session for the Greens/EFA group