Development

EU banana regime

EP votes against the interests of small banana producers by endorsing change in banana regime

The European Parliament today voted to endorse an agreement reached in the WTO aimed at ending the long-running dispute on the EU's banana regime. The Greens opposed the agreement, which is against the interests of small producers and developing countries. After the vote, Green MEP Catherine Greze s...

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Situation in Haiti a year after the earthquake - humanitarian aid and reconstruction

Greens/EFA motion for a resolution

Greens/EFA stress the need for immediate action to rebuild the capacities of the Haitian state in terms of democracy and good governance, which are essential for national reconstruction. They also call on the Commission and the Member States to integrate local food production and secure food supplies into the reconstruction efforts in Haiti, via the development of rural infrastructures and aid to small farmers

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UN climate talks

Better than expected outcome at Cancun but global climate diplomacy must speed up

The UN climate conference in Cancun (COP16) concluded today with agreements, which will enable the UNFCCC negotiations to continue working towards a binding climate deal in South Africa next year. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament described the outcome as progress but underlined the n...

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UE - Proche Orient

L'Union européenne doit peser de tout son poids pour obtenir des avancées vers la levée du blocus illégal

La députée Verts/ ALE (Europe-Ecologie- les Verts) Nicole Kiil-Nielsen revient de Gaza et de Cisjordanie dans le cadre d'une délégation officielle du Parlement européen : "La situation dans la Bande de Gaza est Intolérable et explosive." "Avec l'appui des autorités Égyptiennes...

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Trade

EP votes to address flaws with export credit agencies

The European Parliament's trade committee today voted on a proposal to revise EU rules on export credit agencies (1). The Greens welcomed the outcome, which would address some of the flaws in the current system. After the vote, French Green and EP draftsperson (rapporteur) Yannick Jadot said: "...

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Trade and climate change

EP underlines need to address conflicts between trade and climate policy

The European Parliament today adopted a report on trade and climate change by Green draftsman Yannick Jadot with a large majority. The report sets out the need to ensure greater coherence between trade and efforts to address climate change. After the vote, rapporteur Yannick Jadot (Greens/EFA) said:...

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Climate change

EP sends strong signal ahead of UN climate summit in Cancun

The European Parliament today adopted a resolution setting out its position on the forthcoming UN climate summit in Cancun (1). Green MEPs welcomed the resolution, which calls for stronger EU action on emissions and resolving contradictions in the EU's negotiating position. After the vote, Green MEP...

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Poverty and income

Greens call for framework rules on minimum income as key to addressing poverty in Europe

The European Parliament is today debating tackling poverty in the context of the European and international years focusing on poverty eradication. MEPs are also set to adopt a non-legislative report (1), which includes a call for an EU framework directive on minimum income, a long-standing Greens/EF...

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Millennium Development Goals

EU Millennium pledge is a cynical PR stunt

World leaders are meeting this week at a UN summit in New York to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which are due to be realised by 2015. At the summit last night, EU Commission President Barroso reiterated a 'new' pledge to provide €1 billion to the achievement o...

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Recruitment of new EU ambassadors

External Action Service must not become an old boys club

Commenting on media reports that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton intends to appoint hardly any women and Eastern Europeans as EU ambassadors, Franziska Brantner, foreign affairs spokesperson of the Greens/EFA Group, said:"Ms Ashton's first staffing decisions could hardly be worse: not even ...

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European External Action Service

Parliament paves way for better foreign policy despite governments' lack of ambition

Commenting on today's approval by the European Parliament of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Franziska Brantner, foreign affairs spokesperson of the Greens/EFA Group, said: "Parliament's approval paves the way for a more coherent and effective European foreign policy that better m...

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Development Policy

Europe must make greater efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals

The European parliament today adopted a report assessing the progress made in reaching the UN Millennium Development Goals (1). Commenting on the vote, Green MEPJudith Sargentini, Member of the Development Committee,said:"Four months before the mid-term review of the achievement of the Millennium De...

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