Greens / Efa Priority

Transparency and Democracy

Democratic decisions can't be taken in the dark. Citizens' voices need to be heard. Transparency is needed to ensure equality and to prevent private interests from taking over the political process. The Greens/EFA are leading the way in the fight for more transparency and democracy in the EU and its institutions

strasbourg building ep
© European Union 2015 - Source EP

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 16-19 December 2019

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the rule of law in Malta, conflict of interest and corruption, situation of the Uyghur in China, EU pollinators initiative, animal welfare, EU-Mercosur and European Green Deal, EU Ombudsperson, ...

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Office of the Prime Minister of Malta
Frank Vincentz (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Parliament vote shows Commission must begin Rule of Law dialogue

Malta

On the initiative of the Greens/EFA group, the European Parliament has just voted on a resolution on the Rule of Law in Malta, after the recent revelations around the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The vote calls on the Commission to enter into dialogue with the Maltese Government in the context of the Rule of Law Framework.

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A_Babiš
David Sedlecký CC BY-SA 4.0

Debate on conflict of interest and corruption in EU funds

Quote from Mikuláš Peksa MEP

The European Parliament debates conflict of interest and corruption in EU funds. The Greens/EFA group had pushed for this debate after a European Commission audit report confirmed that the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is in a large-scale conflict of interest, as he personally benefited from EU funds

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Hemicycle European Parliament Strasbourg
European Union

What's coming up this week

Greens/EFA priorities - plenary session 16-19 December 2019

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

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Budapest - Hungary © Jaap Hart
© Jaap Hart

Hungary and the rule of law

Ministerial meeting with EP rapporteur, Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA)

The ability for the Hungarian people to live in a free and democratic European country is too important to push into the long grass. Nothing will change for Hungarian people without courage and political will from Member States.

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The EU is not a cash machine for oligarchs and politicians

Greens/EFA Proposals to end fraud in farm subsidies

On the occasion of the International Day Against Corruption, the Greens/EFA Group is publishing a series of recommendations on how to end the abuse of EU farm subsidies. Farm subsidies make up the biggest portion of EU spending and are an indispensable measure to protect European farmers, ensure food sovereignty, and promote healthy and sustainable food production in Europe. However, the lack of controls on the way EU funding is disbursed by European governments means that in some cases, unscrupulous politicians and people in positions of power are able to abuse the EU funding system for their own personal gain.

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Daphne

European Parliament to send mission to Malta after the revelations around the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Quote from Sven Giegold MEP

The priority of the Parliament mission must be to investigate all potential links to the Prime Minister who has protected and defended three ministers for so long. Malta must adhere to the rule of law and European values so that there can be justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia and her family.

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Office of the Prime Minister of Malta
Frank Vincentz (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Maltese Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri resigns

Quote from Sven Giegold MEP

Keith Schembri the Chief of Staff of the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, has resigned following the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech last week in connection with the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Fenech owns the company 17 Black, which appeared in the 'Panama Papers' with connections to Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi.

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Photo by Simon King on Unsplash

Shrinking Spaces

21.11.2019

Policing humanitarianism and human rights defenders

Civil society organisations are increasingly under pressure in Europe. NGOs engaged in helping refugees as well as human rights defenders fighting against rule of law backsliding are criminalised, intimidated and charged with legal restrictions. The conference will address how the criminalisation affects the rights of citizens and discuss ways to protect NGOs and human rights defenders.

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ECJ ruling on Oriol Junqueras' rights as MEP

Press Release from EFA MEPs Alyn Smith (Scotland) & Diana Riba (Catalonia)

The European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament has welcomed today's opinion from the European Court of Justice's Advocate General in favour of Greens/EFA MEP Oriol Junqueras. The Advocate General stated that an MEP's mandate comes solely from the electorate and cannot be ...

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Protecting Journalists is Protecting Democracy

EU needs to step up ambition so that the #TruthNeverDies

The UN highlights each year, on 2 November, the need to end impunity for crimes against journalists, because journalists are in the front line when it comes to holding the powerful to account, which is why they are often violently silenced. This year, the UN is reminding us that each year one journalist gets a Pulitzer prize, but one hundred get shot. Press freedom across the world - including in Europe - is in crisis.

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Free as a bird © Tiburonstudios
© Tiburonstudios

Well deserved prize for human rights defender Ilham Tohti

Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought

Greens/EFA have supported and do welcome this choice. Ilham Tohti is the paradigmatic non-violent prisoner of conscience who has been jailed for life just for speaking up on behalf of Uyghur minority in China, even after being sentenced he has held on to his consistent approach of trying to build bridges between Han Chinese and the Uyghur minority.

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