Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 16-19 April 2018

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included: Future of Europe - debate with President Macron; Selmayr: Commission ethics in question – Discharge of Commission 2016 budget; Money Laundering - New legislation will deliver real benefits for citizens; Organics - Parliament seals the deal on new legislation; Greenhouse gas emissions; The Circular Economy; Energy performance of buildings; Facebook & Cambridge Analytica - Parliament response to scandal; Protection of journalists - resolution following recent murders; Dieselgate - new legislation on type-approval and market surveillance.

New rules are a good deal for consumers and farmers

Organic regulation

The Greens/EFA group has welcomed the approval of the new organic farming regulation, steered by the European Parliament’s lead negotiation Martin Häusling.

Organic - it makes a difference

How to make sure that your children are eating food that is both healthy and delicious? Do you wonder if you can always trust the organic label? The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament has fought for better and clearer rules for organic farming and food. Find out what do these new rules mean for organic food

Towards an ambitious and ecological re-localisation of protein crops in the EU

It is no news that one of the main problem of the EU farming system is the huge insufficiency of locally grown protein crops. Only 3% of arable lands are dedicated to protein crops in the EU and we import 75% of our vegetable protein supply - soya for the most part, mainly from Brazil, Argentina and the United States. The consequences of this situation go far deeper than a simple trade question. Is the report just voted by the European parliament answering these concerns?

Organic regulation briefing

On Thursday 19 April, the European Parliament will vote on the outcome of the trilogue negotiations on a new organic regulation. We've produced a briefing summarising the main achievements of the new regulation.

Meat, animal feed and the EU's unbearable hypocrisy on GMOs

How GMOs enter the EU unnoticed

NGO Mighty Earth just published a powerful report on the dire consequences of the current EU meat, milk and eggs production system on those countries, especially in Latin America, which produce the feed for farm animals. deforestation, pollution, cancers, are the direct cause of EU’s letting genetically modified protein crops in for feeding our farm animals.

Baysanto merger is bad news for farmers and the environment

Bayer/Monsanto

"Baysanto" spells bad news for farmers, our environment and food security, says Greens/EFA food safety spokesperson Bart Staes.

Comments from Bart Staes on the European Parliament’s new PEST Special Committee

Glyphosate

"We want to make sure there can no re-run of the glyphosate saga. The re-authorisation of glyphosate highlighted the serious problems with the current process," says the committee’s co-rapporteur and Greens/EFA MEP, Bart Staes.

Save the bees

Have your say by answering the consultation

The European Commission is collecting ideas and views on the decline of bees in order to develop an EU initiative on pollinators. This is the chance to play your part! Answer the consultation to save the bees!

Five reasons not to allow the Bayer - Monsanto merger

Why the Commission should stop this "merger from hell"

In September 2016 Bayer and Monsanto announced their intention to merge. If authorised by the European Commission, this would create, in the Commission’s own words, “the world's largest integrated pesticides and seeds company”, and have devastating consequences. Join us in calling on Margrete Vestager, Commissioner for Competition, to stop this “merger from hell”!

Committee will provide answers to the serious questions raised by glyphosate scandal

Glyphosate

"Pesticides can have a serious impact on the quality of the food on our plates and the health of our environment. That’s why it is so important that the authorisation process is made fit for purpose," says Greens/EFA MEP Bart Staes.

Bisphenol A, an old artificial oestrogen, still allowed in out dated and industrial food packaging

Have you ever heard about endocrine disrupters (EDCs)? If so, then you’ve probably also heard of BPA, aka « bisphenol A », one of the world’s most famous EDCs. But if you never heard about those chemicals that irreversibly affect the hormonal system, there’s no way you’ve escaped « BPA- free » labels on food containers for our little ones.