Join the Food Revolution Newsletter

Issue n°3 April 2014

IN THIS ISSUE - Revision Organic Farming Regulation: Reaction to EU organic label proposals - Food and feed law: learning from past mistakes to improve transparency and independence of controls. - Give Bees a Chance Action week: counter the industry pro-pesticide propaganda. - Caritas Europa Food Report: The EU role to end hunger by 2025 Your Guide to EU Funding: focus on the instruments for Rural and Coastal development - Every month food actors who joined the 'Join the Food Revolution' network share their story, showing the way to take back control over your plate – - Upcoming Events

Grand majority of Parliament votes in favor of a regulation on investor-state lawsuits

Greens criticize the result sharply

Investor-state dispute settlement ( ISDS ) has come into the focus of critics since the start of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the US (TTIP). ISDS means that foreign investors can sue the states hosting their investments in front of international courts when they see their rights and p...

Food safety and consumer information

All nanomaterials must be labelled in food products say MEPs in rejecting Commission proposal

The European Parliament today voted to reject new draft rules on the labelling of nanomaterials in food products (1). The Greens had proposed the rejection as they would have excluded all existing food additives from the labelling requirements. After the vote, Green food safety and health spokespers...

EU insurance rules

Parliament calls for full disclosure of fees and costs of insurance products

The European Parliament today voted on EU legislation on the insurance sector, the insurance mediation directive. MEPs voted in favour of provisions to strengthen the rights of consumers when purchasing insurance, with full disclosure of fees and costs, despite this having been long resisted by the ...

Investment fund rules (UCITS)

Deal improves investor protection against reckless risk taking

  The European Parliament and Council today reached agreement on draft EU legislation on investment funds (the UCITS V directive), a sector that is valued at almost €6.3 trillion. The legislation, which is being shepherded through the European Parliament by Green draftsperson/rapporteur...

Food labelling

MEPs send Commission back to drawing board and vote for full lifecycle labelling of meat

A motion tabled by the Greens to reject new rules proposed by the European Commission on origin labelling for meat was endorsed in a European Parliament vote today. The Greens welcomed the outcome and called on the Commission to come forward with new and more comprehensive proposals, with Green food...

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.

Strasbourg Flash

Weekly preview of the Greens/EFA group - 3-7 February 2014

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary include tackling homophobia, enforcing EU law, smart grids, clamping down on insider trading, winding up failing banks, trade dumping, EU climate and energy policy to 2030, air passenger rights and compensation, basic rights for seasonal workers, Ukrainian crisis and the EU's role, refugee deaths and the role of Greece

Honey and GMOs

Sting for European beekeepers as MEPs oppose labelling of GM pollen in honey

The European Parliament today voted on proposals to revise EU rules on honey. A majority of MEPs voted in favour of proposals meaning that the presence of GM pollen in honey would not need to be indicated on the label. The Greens criticised the vote, with food and environment spokesperson Bart Staes...

Public procurement

Claude Turmes

Food crisis and fraud

The fight to get on the right track

Over the past few years we have seen the horsemeat scandal, battery cage eggs marketed as organic, road salt in foods and numerous other cases of fraud or fraudulent labelling in the EU food chain. In response to all this, MEPs in the Environment Committee (ENVI) drafted a non legislative report o...

EU funds for peace and stability

Greater focus on conflict prevention and peace for new programme

The European Parliament today voted on a series of funds for the EU's external action policies over the coming 7 years (2014-20), including the Instrument for Stability and Peace (ISP), which is being shepherded through parliament by Green rapporteur/draftsman Reinhard Bütikofer. Commenting after t...