Pollution

Rolf van Melis | CC

Road mobility package

Road transport sector let down by Commission's proposals

The European Commission has today (31 May) presented the first part of its road mobility package. The package contains proposals for controversial changes to current laws on the social and environmental aspects of the road transport sector, as well as an update that will affect the working conditions of freight drivers working abroad.

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Road Mobility Package must deliver for workers and the environment

Road transport

The European Parliament has voted on a resolution setting out its position on EU road transport policy. This comes ahead of the European Commission’s Road Mobility Package. The Greens/EFA group wants to see significant improvements to the conditions of workers in the transport sector.

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Tackling food waste

EFA Press Release from Jill Evans MEP (Wales)

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament in favour of binding food waste reduction targets. MEPs are calling for an EU waste reduction target of 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030 compared to the 2014 baseline. Plaid Cymru has previously called for large food retailer...

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Dieselgate scandal could have been prevented

Plenary speech by MEP Bas Eickhout

An independent agency would create much greater transparency, bringing any wrongdoing on the part of car manufacturers out into the open, and forcing the Commission to take action

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Ruben de Rijcke (CC BY-SA 3.0)

A step in the right direction, but Parliament fails to deliver independent EU oversight

Dieselgate

The European Parliament has voted on both the findings and recommendations of the Dieselgate inquiry committee and the draft legislation on type approval of vehicles. The Greens/EFA group was instrumental in securing an inquiry into Dieselgate.

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Palm oil and deforestation of rainforests

Plenary speech by MEP Benedek Jávor

The European Parliament is showing the way forward on how to help protect the world’s rainforests from the devastation currently being caused by reckless palm oil production

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European Parliament wants to ban import of new GM maize

GMOs

The European Parliament's Environment Committee has voted against the import of a range of genetically modified maize varieties for use in feed and food. The majority of MEPs voted against the European Commission's proposal to authorize several Genetic Engineering Maize varieties from Syngenta.

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Oregon Department of Agriculture (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

ECHA opinion doesn't answer all the questions on glyphosate

Glyphosate

There remain a range of reasons as to why glyphosate is at odds with a healthy and sustainable agriculture. Not only does the chemical target the weeds it is supposed to kill, but it also harms surrounding plants and wildlife, making it a real threat to biodiversity. The issue of pesticide-resistant crops also poses increasing problems for animals and the environment.

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Radioactive contamination of water and food

EU protection rules still decided behind closed doors

Many of the current nuclear reactors in the world are the result of technological choices of people who are not necessarily alive anymore. Yet the consequences of those choices affect people today all around the world, as well as generations to come, far beyond political borders and timeframes.

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Serious shortcomings from both EU Commission and Member States

Dieselgate inquiry

The European Parliament committee set up to investigate the Dieselgate scandal has voted on its final report. The report makes clear that both the EU Commission and Member States should have acted on emission fraud sooner and makes recommendations for future action.

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Employment committee backs strengthened regulations

Limiting exposure to carcinogens

The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs committee has today backed the draft report on the amendment to a directive designed to protect workers from risks of exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work.

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Automotive industry

Draft EU supervision will have to be strengthened

The European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee has voted in favour of the draft report on approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles (“type approval”). The Greens/EFA group has been pushing for the establishment of an independent EU agency to help restore consumer confidence and avoid further scandals, but this proposal did not find majority support in committee.

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