European Parliament shows some ambition on CO2 reductions

CO2 emissions

The majority of MEPs have just voted to reduce CO2 emissions from new cars by 40% by 2030. The European Parliament's position for the upcoming negotiations with the European Commission and Council and lags behind the position of the Environment Committee, which had called for a 45% reduction, and goes beyond the European Commission's proposal of just 30%.

More ambitious reduction targets will lead to EU-wide job creation

Car industry/CO2 emissions

"Even though this is clearly a politically steered report from the Commission, designed to influence votes in the Parliament and Council, it still finds that employment numbers in the entire EU will increase with more ambitious reduction targets," says Bas Eickhout, energy policy spokesperson for the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament.

Paris Agreement now enshrined in EU law

Energy Governance

A final text on a European framework law on climate and energy (energy governance) was adopted in trilogue on Tuesday, 19 June. This Regulation is the transposition at European level of the Paris Agreement resulting from COP21.

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 11-14 June 2018

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included: Multiannual Financial Framework; Brexit; Iran nuclear deal; Netherlands PM Mark Rutte on the Future of Europe; Poland: independence of the judiciary; Renewable Energy Directive; Circular economy at the heart of cohesion policy; Tax justice: transparency of big companies; FIFA: Play Fair – Fight for the forgotten; Climate change photo exhibition.

Posted workers/transport: weak mandate must be renegotiated

Quote from Terry Reintke

A majority of MEPs have just rejected the negotiating mandate for posted workers in the road transport sector. MEPs voted to overturn the decision made in the Transport Committee, where Social Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives voted against social rights such as minimum wages, adequate rest periods, local collective agreements and legally secure entitlement to allowances for travel, accommodation and food.

Modest success on targets but key decisions pushed back to 2023

Renewable Energy

The European Parliament, Commission and Council came to agreement on the revision to the Renewables Directive late last night.

Cohesion policy must be a driver of the circular economy

Circular economy

The European Parliament has today backed Greens/EFA proposals on making Cohesion Policy a driver of the circular economy. The proposals are contained in an initiative report from Greens/EFA MEP Davor Škrlec.

The Greens/EFA Co-Presidents' briefing

12.06.2018

LIVE press conference 12 June 2018 10:30-10:50

Greens/EFA co-presidents Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts present the key issues of the plenary session and of the European agenda for the Greens/EFA group

What's coming up in Parliament

Strasbourg Flash - Plenary session 11-14 June 2018

A look ahead to next week's session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

Big win for a socially just Europe

Posting of workers

The European Parliament backed the outcome of trilogue negotiations on the revision of the Posting of Workers Directive. Under the agreement, workers who provide a service in an EU Member State other than their country of origin will not only be guaranteed the same pay as their colleagues, they'll also receive the same entitlements, making their terms and conditions genuinely equal.

Parliament backs Greens/EFA plans on sustainable finance

Sustainable Finance

The European Parliament has today voted in favour today of an initiative report from Greens/EFA MEP Molly Scott Cato, setting out the parliament’s position on Sustainable Finance. The Greens/EFA group has successfully steered the parliament's position on the sustainability transition to include support for plans to extend the concept of stranded assets to include fundamental ecological systems and services such as unsustainable agriculture. The European Commission published its proposals on Sustainable Finance on 24 May.

Time for a comprehensive strategy on plastic waste

Plastic

The Greens/EFA group has welcomed the European Commission's proposals for a directive on single use plastics, but called for stronger reduction targets and action on chemicals used in plastics.