Rights and freedoms

Fighting for EU democracy, defending human rights

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EU Justice Programme final trilogue

Quote from Heidi Hautala MEP

Today, final trilogue negotiations between the European Parliament, Commission and Council were concluded on the EU Justice Programme for the years 2021-2027, which includes greater support for citizens, civil society and legal experts.

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Viktor Orbán

EPP to debate Fidesz

Quote from Judith Sargentini

On the news that the member parties from the European Peoples Party have request a debate on expelling the Hungarian party Fidesz, Judith Sargentini, Greens/EFA rapporteur on the rule of law in Hungary report comments: "While it's welcome that a few EPP parties are finally coming around ...

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© European Union 2015 - Source EP

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 11-15 February 2019

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the EU-Singapore trade agreement, the protection of animals during transportation, the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement, the debate on the Future of Europe with the Italian Prime Minister, the final trilogues on copyright and on the gas directive, ...

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digits Copyright Tan Kian Khoon

EU deal on copyright a blow to the free internet

Copyright

"This deal is a threat to small publishers, authors and internet users alike and risks putting the internet as we know it solely in the hands of the tech and media giants. Upload filters do not work as algorithms simply cannot tell the difference between copyright infringements and legal parodies. Even the most sophisticated upload filters routinely block perfectly legal content." Julia Reda, Greens/EFA Vice President and shadow rapporteur on the Copyright Directive

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Catalonia Europe

Trial of Catalan political prisoners

Press release from EFA MEPs J-M Terricabras & Jordi Solé

EFA MEPs from Catalonia have spoken out in the European Parliament this week as the trial gets underway in Madrid of the Catalan political prisoners - government ministers, civil society leaders and former Speaker of the Catalan parliament - for seeking to assert Catalonia's right to self-determ...

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The Greens/EFA Co-Presidents' briefing

12.02.2019

LIVE press conference 12 February 2019 10:30-10:50

Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts presents the key issues of the plenary session and of the European agenda for the Greens/EFA group

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Expansion of Frontex should only happen with stronger fundamental rights

Frontex

The members of the Committee on Justice and Home Affairs have just voted on their position on the mandate for the negotiations on the European Border Management Agency, Frontex. The Greens/EFA were able to assert their demands to hold Frontex accountable for possible violations of fundamental rights, to strengthen the role of the Officer for Fundamental Rights and not to allow the European Border Management Agency to deport people from third countries to other third countries.

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Hemicycle European Parliament Strasbourg
European Union

What's coming up in Parliament

Greens/EFA priorities

A look ahead to the February plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

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Council must act on Hungary

Rule of law

We cannot foster autocracy within our Union, which is supposed to be based on democracy and the rule of law. So long as other EU governments stay quiet on the dire situation in Hungary, they are encouraging Orbán to continue on his anti-democratic path.

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David Sedlecký CC BY-SA 4.0

New conflict of interest ruling on Czech PM Andrej Babis

Quote from Bart Staes MEP

A Czech municipal authority in Černošice has ruled that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has a conflict of interest around his media organisations that are controlled by the Agrofert group. Under Czech law it is illegal for a Prime Minister to control media organisations.

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Calls for swift action on citizens' rights in event of Brexit no-deal

Press release from EFA MEP Alyn Smith (SNP)

As the deadline to reach a Brexit agreement approaches, and with no obvious way forward to reach a deal, Alyn Smith MEP has authored a joint letter to EU leaders calling for swift action to protect the rights of citizens in the event of a chaotic no-deal. The letter, cosigned by twenty-four other...

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© European Union 2015 - Source EP

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 14-17 January 2019

GREENS/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the special committee on pesticides, glyphosate, gender equality and taxation policies, Brexit, the Romanian presidency, nuclear decommissioning, rights and values, …

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