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.

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.

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.

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.

Green MEP appointed Chair of the Transport Committee

Karima Delli takes over from Michael Cramer

The European Parliament's Transport Committee has appointed its Chair for the next two and a half years. The French Green MEP Karima Delli, who has been a member of the committee since 2014, was elected chair and takes over the position from Green MEP Michael Cramer.

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 12-15 December 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included: LuxLeaks appeal trial; 4th Railway Package: missed opportunity for progress; New Greens/EFA co-presidents and bureau announced; Commission Statement: rule of law in Poland; Sakharov Prize presentation; Commission Statement: Energy Union Package; Parliament’s rules of Procedure; Commission: Labour mobility package - coordination of social security systems; Revision of the Research fund for Coal and Steel; Council and Commission statements ahead of European Council; European Parliament presidency: Greens/EFA candidate; ETS vote in ENVI.

Hearing of French Minister Ségolène Royal

EMIS inquiry committee 24 November 2016

  Ségolène Royal, France’s environment minister, appeared before the EMIS committee in Strasbourg today. The much-anticipated hearing got off to a rocky start, as Ms Royal arrived 40 minutes late due to a delayed flight, and the Members therefore only had an hour for thei...

Air pollution

Revised legislation won’t tackle public health crisis

The European Parliament has today voted in favour of a long-overdue revision of EU air quality legislation, setting out national limits on a range of air pollutants. The Greens/EFA group has condemned the final agreement, which is substantially weaker than the European Commission's original proposal...

Hearing of Alexander Dobrindt, Olaf Lies and Ségolène Royal

EMIS inquiry committee - 20 October, November

Hearing with German Transport Ministers Alexander Dobrindt and Olaf Lies (20 October), upcoming hearing with Minister Ségolène Royal (presumably in November)

Hearing of Mr Alexander Dobrindt

EMIS inquiry committee - 19 October 2016

Hearing of Mr Alexander Dobrindt - Federal Minister of Transport and Infrastructure of Germany

For an EU Car Emission & Safety Agency

EMIS inquiry hearing

The revision of the EU type-approval framework for cars is currently being discussed in the European Parliament in the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO). This reform has been put forward by the European Commission in the aftermath of the scandal on diesel emissions and turn-off devices. While the Greens/EFA welcomed the Commission's proposal as a good basis for discussion, we are more sceptical about the draft report presented by MEP Daniel Dalton (European Conservatives and Reformists, ECR UK).

Comment on the Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements 10 October 2016

Bas Eickhout