Priority

Dieselgate scandal could have been prevented

Plenary speech by MEP Bas Eickhout

An independent agency would create much greater transparency, bringing any wrongdoing on the part of car manufacturers out into the open, and forcing the Commission to take action

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A step in the right direction, but Parliament fails to deliver independent EU oversight

Dieselgate

The European Parliament has voted on both the findings and recommendations of the Dieselgate inquiry committee and the draft legislation on type approval of vehicles. The Greens/EFA group was instrumental in securing an inquiry into Dieselgate.

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Europe needs independent oversight to prevent another Dieselgate

Dieselgate inquiry

The Dieselgate inquiry is at and end and its come forward with some important recommendations about how to stop further cheating. One of the key demands is the establishment of an independent agency to monitor the market. Bas Eickhout writes on the battle to make sure this happens.

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Serious shortcomings from both EU Commission and Member States

Dieselgate inquiry

The European Parliament committee set up to investigate the Dieselgate scandal has voted on its final report. The report makes clear that both the EU Commission and Member States should have acted on emission fraud sooner and makes recommendations for future action.

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Automotive industry

Draft EU supervision will have to be strengthened

The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee has voted in favour of the draft report on approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles (“type approval”). The Greens/EFA group has been pushing for the establishment of an independent EU agency to help restore consumer confidence and avoid further scandals, but this proposal did not find majority support in committee.

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Dieselgate

Commission launches overdue infringement proceedings

The European Commission has today launched infringement proceedings against seven EU Member States. The states are accused of having failed to set up a system of sanctions for car companies that installed prohibited software in their vehicles in order to cheat emission tests. This sanction system is...

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Hearing Vladimir Sucha and Giovanni De Santi

EMIS Committee

The EMIS committee held its second hearing of JRC officials on Thursday, following disappointment from some Members with the first hearing held in April. Vladimir Sucha, JRC’s current director-general, Vladimir Sucha, had previously been invited to appear, but had to be replaced by his colleag...

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Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 21-24 November 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included: Occupational retirement provision; EU-Turkey relations; Conflict minerals trialogue; Council/Commission Statements on outcome of COP22; EU Parliament refuses to refer CETA to the ECJ; Commission considers Code of Conduct changes; Emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants; Renewing the approval of the active substance bentazone; Sign language and professional sign language interpreters; Umbrella deal on EU-US data protection; Dieselgate hearing with French Minister, Ségolène Royal; EU accession to the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women.

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Hearing of French Minister Ségolène Royal

EMIS inquiry committee 24 November 2016

Ségolène Royal, France’s environment minister, appeared before the EMIS committee in Strasbourg today. The much-anticipated hearing got off to a rocky start, as Ms Royal arrived 40 minutes late due to a delayed flight, and the Members therefore only had an hour for thei...

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Air pollution

Revised legislation won’t tackle public health crisis

The European Parliament has today voted in favour of a long-overdue revision of EU air quality legislation, setting out national limits on a range of air pollutants. The Greens/EFA group has condemned the final agreement, which is substantially weaker than the European Commission's original proposal...

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Hearing of Alexander Dobrindt, Olaf Lies and Ségolène Royal

EMIS inquiry committee - 20 October, November

Hearing with German Transport Ministers Alexander Dobrindt and Olaf Lies (20 October), upcoming hearing with Minister Ségolène Royal (presumably in November)

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Hearing of Mr Alexander Dobrindt

EMIS inquiry committee - 19 October 2016

Hearing of Mr Alexander Dobrindt - Federal Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Germany

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