Environment

We are all concerned about the air we breathe, the water we use and the food we eat.

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Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 10-14 December 2018

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included humanitarian visas, conflict of interest of Czech Prime Minister, transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain, the digital service tax, the revocability of Art 50 ...

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Parliament calls for more transparency on the authorisation of pesticides and additives in the food chain

Food law

Members of the European Parliament voted in favour of greater transparency around the authorisation of pesticides, GMOs and additives in the food chain. "We cannot rely on the industry to judge whether its own products are harmful. We need more scrutiny by independent scientists", declared Bart Staes, Greens/EFA group spokesperson on pesticides

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The “innovation principle” is a regulatory Trojan horse from the industry

How a group of industries with problematic products are trying to weaken the precautionary principle

Few words carry a more positive image than “innovation”: solving humanities’ problems, bringing comfort, relief and fun. So why the hell are the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament opposing the introduction of the so-called “innovation principle” in the Horizon Europe Regulation, which will be setting the terms for the next 160 billion euro EU research funding programme? Because this is in reality an industry stunt to hinder the precautionary principle, and the EU citizens' safety. Here is how.

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Time for stricter testing around pesticide authorisation

PEST final report

The final report calls on EU governments and the European Commission to step up environmental and health assessments of pesticides and pesticide active substances, to ensure that no conflicts of interest affect the authorisation procedure and to make risk assessments transparent. The product glyphosate will be tested for cancer risks. MEPs will vote on the final report in the plenary session of the European Parliament in January.

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EU-wide class action law suits will hold companies to account

Consumer rights

Today, the majority of the members of the Legal Affairs Committee today voted in favour of greater consumer protection and for the possibility of EU-wide class action law suits. Representative entities, such as consumer organisations, will be able to bring collective redress before the courts if infringements affect people in several EU countries.

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A new EU law for more transparency in the food chain

No more dirty secrets in the authorisation procedure for pesticides, GMOs, food additives and novel food!

Democracy and science have in common the fact that they cannot be properly carried out in the dark: both require transparency. The altercation around the reauthorisation of the herbicide glyphosate in 2017 shed an uncomfortable light on the opacity of both the assessment process and the authorisation process of pesticides in the EU. The Commission's imperfect attempt to make the situation better will be debated and voted on next week in the European Parliament, under strong industry lobby pressure.

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Our demands for the COP24 negotiations

UN climate talks in Katowice

This December government leaders will gather in Katowice, Poland for the COP24 climate summit, where all countries of the world, including EU Member States, must commit to put forward higher 2030 climate targets by 2020. To stay below 1.5°C, as indicated in the landmark IPCC report, the EU needs to commit to significantly increase both its long-term and 2030 targets.

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Greens/EFA demand debate on medical devices

Implant files

The "Implant Files", a cross-border investigation by journalists into how medical devices on the EU market, such as pacemakers, artificial hips and contraceptives, which may have caused pain, injury or even death among patients, must be debated by the European Parliament, according to the Greens/EFA group.

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Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 12-15 November 2018

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included: Clean Energy Package; Emissions from Trucks and other heavy Duty vehicles; Future of Europe debate with Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany; Romania rule of law resolution; Multiannual Financial Framework; Humanitarian visas.

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Driving down emissions from trucks

CO2/trucks and heavy duty vehicles

The European Parliament voted in favour of Greens/EFA rapporteur Bas Eickhout's proposed changes to the European Commission's regulation on "CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles", which would see substantial reductions in CO2 emissions from trucks and heavy goods vehicles.

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European Parliament calls for more climate spending

EU budget/MFF

The European Parliament voted for the new EU budget from 2021, which is better suited to tackling the climate change with taxes on plastics, emissions trading and tech companies. In the interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2021-2027 and on the reform of EU's revenue ("own resources"), the Parliament have pushed through Greens/EFA demands to increase the EU budget, to commit to 30% climate-related spending by 2027 and to make the EU less dependent on the payment behaviour of EU governments.

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Strong basis for the future of renewable energy and greater energy efficiency

Energy Package

Members of the European Parliament voted on the final Energy Package for more renewable energy, greater energy efficiency and a legally binding roadmap to the Paris climate targets.

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