Press Release from EFA MEP Ernest Maragall (Catalonia)
In a key report by Greens/EFA MEP Ernest Maragall voted today by the European Parliament, MEPs have called for the EU's flagship Erasmus+ programme to do more to promote mobility through vocational training in Europe.
But MEPs rejected an amendment calling for the documentation about the prog...
In many of the biggest political scandals of the past months – Luxleaks, Dieselgate and now the Panama Papers – we saw trade secret laws abused as a shield against investigation and exposure of how corporations are harming the public good, avoiding taxes and endangering public safety. Whistleblowers find themselves fighting for their freedom in court – or in hiding. And yet, the European Parliament is about to expand corporate secrecy and deter whistleblowing by adopting the Trade Secrets Directive.
Press release from EFA MEP Ernest Maragall (Catalonia)
In a landmark report by Greens/EFA MEP Ernest Maragall, the European Parliament's Culture Committee has called for the EU's flagship Erasmus+ to do much more to promote mobility in vocational training across Europe.
The report, approved by the Culture Committee today, says that whilst Erasmus+ has b...
Today our MEP Ernest Maragall has issued a report calling for Erasmus+ to do much more to promote mobility in vocational training across Europe.
Mobility can greatly improve employability, but there are currently far too many barriers for young people in vocational training. With young unemployment still unacceptably high, Erasmus+ must be reformed to help unlock the full potential of Europe's young people.
New EU rules open the door to abuses by unscrupulous firms
A legislative agreement on new EU rules on the protection of trade secrets was today endorsed by the European Parliament's Legal Affairs committee. The Greens have expressed concern with the law, with Greens/EFA MEP Julia Reda, commenting after the vote:
“These new rules on 'trade s...
EFA MEP Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru) wants the European Commission to ensure that legislation on access to web based programming while abroad facilitates the use of Welsh and other minority languages.
Jill Evans says that 'geoblocking' – or blocking access to online content based on location – can ...
Yesterday afternoon a provisional agreement was reached between the European Parliament and Council on the stall proposal to create an EU passenger name record system, to access and store the data of air passengers travelling in the EU (1). Commenting on the deal and in the context of the council of...
'Safe Harbor' must be immediately suspended by EU Commission
The advocate general of the European Court of Justice today issued his legal opinion on a case concerning the transfer by Facebook of the data of EU citizens to the US under 'Safe Harbor'. The advocate general found that the transfer of private data to the US by Facebook is at odds with EU data prot...
ECJ judgment brazenly disregarded, proposals on mass surveillance adopted
The European Parliament’s Civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee today adopted by a large majority proposals on the unjustified collection and analysis of passenger name records of all air passengers travelling to or from the EU. Commenting after the vote, Jan Philipp Albrecht, V...
Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 6-9 July 2015
Greens/EFA priorities for the Brussels plenary included corporate tax transparency and reporting, TTIP, circular economy, emissions trading system – market stability reserve, energy transition and green job creation, debate with Greek Prime Minister Tsipras, Greens/EFA group nomination for the Sakharov Prize, copyright reform, Srebrenica Commemoration.
European Parliament defends freedom of panorama and calls for copyright reform
The European Parliament today adopted by a large majority a report reviewing the EU’s current copyright framework. The report is authored by Pirate Party MEP and vice-president of the Greens/EFA group Julia Reda. One of the draft report's proposals, introduced at the committee vote stage and oppos...