Rights and freedoms

People sitting at a table with laptops/ CC0 Headway

Put rights and freedoms at the centre of the upcoming Digital Services Act

A blog by MEPs Alexandra Geese, Patrick Breyer and Marcel Kolaja.

The farming population is in freefall, with Europe having lost 50% of its farmers in 20 years. Consumers are demanding healthier food produced as close to home as possible.

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European flag with women symbol — Promoting women's rights

Gender equality in EU's foreign and security policy

Info mail on the report by Greens/EFA MEP Urtasun

"The European Parliament will adopt the first-ever report calling on gender equality in EU’s foreign and security policy. While several countries around the world have already adopted a foreign policy with a strong focus on gender equality, the EU continues to lack one. This is why we call on the EU and its leaders to promote a gender transformative vision of foreign policy that protects and promotes women’s human rights" said the rapporteur

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European Parliament votes to overhaul business model of internet platforms

Digital Services Act

The reports on the EU Digital Services Act have been adopted by a large majority. MEPs voted for the European Commission to provide a clear legal framework for online platforms, to set out guidelines for dealing with indications of illegal content and to end the arbitrary blocking and deletion of content by online platforms.

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Commission launches proceedings against Malta & Cyprus

Golden passports: quote from Sven Giegold MEP

Today, the European Commission announced that it is launching infringement proceedings against Malta and Cyprus over their programmes that sell citizenship through investment or real estate purchases. This follows on from revelations by Al Jazeera that showed links between...

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(CC BY-ND 2.0) United Nations Human Rights Council

UN Human Rights Council vote

Quotes from Reinhard Bütikofer MEP & Hannah Neumann MEP

Today, the United Nations Human Rights Council will elect 15 new members in a secret ballot. The 15 countries will be chosen later today by the UN General Assembly to sit on the 47 nation council. The new members will serve for three years from January. China, Saudi Arabia and Russia are vying for p...

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Bulgaria: Rule of law report

Quotes from Ska Keller MEP and Daniel Freund MEP

Members of the European Parliament have just voted (Thurs. 8 Oct.) on a report on the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights in Bulgaria, following widespread protests over a series of corruption scandals tied to the country's political elite.

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poland supreme court (CC BY 2.0) David Berkowitz

Parliament votes for serious action on rule of law

Rule of law

Today, the European Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Establishment of an EU Mechanism on Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRF). The Parliament vote reaffirms the commitment of MEPs to establish a comprehensive approach to the rule of law instead of ...

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Picture of definition of democracy — ©-Tobias-Keckel

Commission report shows urgent need for rule of law mechanism

Rule of law

This report must be a building block for serious action and should spur the Commission on to widen its narrow scope of the democracy monitoring to include fundamental rights. The Commission must not use the publication of this report as an excuse to kick the can down the road when it comes to action on the strengthening of the rule of law in Europe.

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strasbourg building ep — © European Union 2015 - Source EP

Greens/EFA take on the plenary session

14-18 September

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the Just Transition Fund, arms exports, the state of the Union, global data collection system for ship fuel oil consumption data, the situation in Moria refugee camp, the situation in Poland and LGBTI rights, strategic approach to pharmaceuticals in the environment, the situation in Belarus, the EU Roma Strategy, and maximising the energy efficiency potential of the EU building stock.

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Rule of law debate & LGBTI photo action

Quote from Terry Reintke MEP

The European Parliament debates the rule of law and attacks against the LGBTI community in Poland. The report: "Determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by the Republic of Poland of the rule of law" will be voted on 17 September.

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The Crucial Role of Third-Country Migrant Workers in the European Union

A Greens/EFA Position Paper

The Greens/EFA Group and the European Parliament have consistently called for a more holistic approach covering all pillars of the European Union's asylum and migration system. This is becoming even more important in times of COVID-19 pandemic crisis, showing that migrant workers are an integral part of European societies.

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Jordi Solé elected President of the EFA Group in the European Parliament

Press Release from the EFA Group in the European Parliament

- Jordi Solé replaces Oriol Junqueras and becomes Vice President of Greens/EFA Group Catalan MEP Jordi Solé has today been elected President of the European Free Alliance (EFA) Group in the European Parliament and becomes First Vice President of the Greens/EFA Group. He replaces ...

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