Equal Opportunities

The Hands that Sew your Shirt

Ulrike Lunacek and Jean Lambert

EU truck size rules/monster trucks

MEPs put the brakes on gigaliner proposals

<xml> </xml> The European Parliament's transport committee today voted on proposals from the European Commission on EU rules truck dimensions (Directive 96/53/EC). MEPs voted to postpone a decision on the proposals from the Commission, which would have legalised the cross-border use of e...

Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 10-13 March 2014

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg plenary included the Plastic bags and the environment; Remembering Fukushima; EU seed legislation; EU financial supervision; Money laundering; Genetic resources and benefit sharing; Data protection; NSA surveillance and fundamental rights; Phasing out super greenhouse F-gases; Shale gas, fracking and environmental impact; Nanomaterials and EU labelling; EU-IMF Troika Inquiry; Ukrainian crisis and Europe's role; TTIP Beware: EU-US Trade Agreement

Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 17-21 March 2014

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include preventing the spread of mega trucks, clamping down on corporate tax evasion, nuclear safety, EU communications legislation and net neutrality, posted workers, waste shipments, honey labels, bee health and GMOs, emissions from global aviation, Ukrainian crisis and the EU's response, right to water citizens' initiative, EU climate and energy policy in the balance

Greens/EFA Round-up

Debriefing of the plenary week Strasbourg 24-27 February 2014

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg plenary included the European Parliament’s inquiry into the Troika’s response to the economic crisis; the testimony from Edward Snowden; CO2 emissions from cars; aid for the most deprived; railway safety and EU rules; privacy concerns with eCall vehicle tracking; EU-Switzerland relations; youth unemployment and the youth guarantee; tobacco and public health; use of armed drones; EU judicial cooperation and basic rights; Indonesian rainforests and climate change; Ukrainian crisis and Europe's role; extreme weather and climate change.

EU rules on posted workers

Enforcement rules will help prevent exploitation of posted workers

A final agreement on EU legislation on the enforcement of EU rules on posted workers was reached in negotiations between the European Parliament and Council today. The Greens welcomed the outcome, with employment and social affairs spokesperson Elisabeth Schroedter stating: "This new legislatio...

Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 24-27 February 2014

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include Troika's flawed role under scrutiny, testimony from Edward Snowden to MEPs, tackling cars' climate impact, EU economic governance, aid for the most deprived, railway safety, privacy concerns with eCall vehicle tracking, EU-Switzerland relations, youth unemployment and the youth guarantee, tobacco and public health, EU judicial cooperation and basic rights, Indonesian rainforests and climate change, Ukrainian crisis and Europe's role, extreme weather and climate change

Green Jobs

Successes and opportunities for Europe

By greening our economies, we can provide high-quality green jobs to fight unemployment and at the same time combat climate change and environmental decline. The EU can only benefit from such efforts. There is strong evidence to suggest that the green transition will have a positive impact on employment, reflecting the fact that sustainable economic activities like saving energy or farming organically are more labour-intensive than the activities they replace.

Brussels Agenda

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 17-21 February 2014

Greens/EFA priorities for the week include EU rules on money market funds, posted workers, cloned animals and EU food law, money laundering, terrorism funding and the financial system, protecting migrants' lives in Mediterranean. Among Greens/EFA events : hearing on right to water - first successful EU citizens' initiative, conferences on plastic bags, on social cohesion in times of recession and on afrophobia in the EU

Employment and migrants rights

Seasonal workers to get strengthened rights under EU rules

The European Parliament today voted on EU legislation on seasonal workers. The Greens welcomed the outcome, which sets out new EU provisions on the rights of seasonal workers from non-EU countries. Commenting after the vote, Green migration and employment policy spokesperson Jean Lambert said: &quo...

A Green Review

7th legislature of the European Parliament (2009-2014)

During this five-year term, Greens/EFA have been the driving force to promote crisis resilience through social justice, to secure our climate and energy future, to fight for a healthy environment, to defend human rights, social, democratic and digital rights, to promote global solidarity and security and to celebrate cultural diversity in the EU.

Minority rights

Overdue EU action on homophobia and LGBT discrimination must be delivered

The European Parliament today voted in favour of a report calling for an EU roadmap against homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Commenting after the vote, EP rapporteur/draftsperson and Green civil liberties and LGBT spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek stated: &quo...