European Union

Withdrawal Agreement vote sad day for Europe

Brexit

We will continue to support citizens' rights and the principle of solidarity. The ties that bind us run deeper than our political union and although the UK will for now embark on a separate path we will stay partners and friends. If the UK changes its mind in the future then we will leave a light on for them to return home.

EFA Group welcomes new SNP MEP

Heather Anderson replaces Alyn Smith

The European Free Alliance (EFA) Group in the European Parliament has welcomed new Scottish National Party (SNP) MEP Heather Anderson. Ms Anderson replaces former EFA Group President Alyn Smith who was elected to Westminster at the December UK General Election. The appointment also means that ...

A Greens/EFA take on the plenary week

13-17 January 2020

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the European Green Deal, the Sustainable Investment Plan, Just Transition Fund, Roadmap on Social Europe, the Council hearings on the rule of Law in Hungary and Poland, Czech PM Andrej Babiš' conflicts of interest, Convention on biodiversity, ...

Conference on the Future of Europe

Quote from Daniel Freund MEP

MEPs have voted with a large majority on a resolution launching the 'Conference on the Future of Europe', which will lead to a reform process aimed at improving the democracy and citizen participation in the European project.

Parliament to debate EU subsidies and potential conflicts of interest - quote from Mikuláš Peksa MEP

Czech PM Babiš

The European Parliament debates the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and the reopening of a criminal investigation into his company's use of EU subsidies and potential conflicts of interest.

This week in the European Parliament

Greens/EFA priorities - plenary session 13-17 January 2020

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

Oriol Junqueras elected President of EFA Group in the European Parliament

EFA MEPs elect ERC's Junqueras to succeed Alyn Smith

Catalan MEP Oriol Junqueras has today (Tuesday) been elected President of the European Free Alliance Group in the European Parliament. He succeeds SNP MEP Alyn Smith who was elected to the UK Parliament at the December UK General Election. The European Free Alliance forms a joint parliamentary...

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, ...

Greens/EFA call on Croatia and Germany to keep EU Council ambition high in 2020

Closing of the Finnish Presidency

On 31 December 2019, Finland’s EU Council presidency draws to a close. Just before the beginning of Finland’s presidency term, the country elected a new five-party centre left coalition government, which immediately adopted well regarded climate goals. Showing leadership on ambitious climate action at the national level set high expectations for Finland to demand ambitious climate decisions also at the EU level.

ECJ rules Oriol Junqueras has the right to be a MEP

Today, European Court of Justice has ruled that our colleague Oriol Junqueras has the right to be a Member of the European Parliament. The Spanish Supreme Court had ruled that Junqueras could not take up his seat after he was elected in the last European elections in May, as he was in pretrial detention for having participated in the organization of a self-determination referendum in Catalonia. The Greens/EFA group have long been calling for a political solution.

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.

Parliament votes for Emily O'Reilly to continue work in holding EU institutions to account

European Ombudsman

The European Parliament has voted to elect Emily O'Reilly to continue in her current role as European Ombudsman, an independent role that is designed to hold EU institutions and bodies to account, as well as promoting good administration. O'Reilly won in the third round of votes. There were five candidates in the first round.