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.

Commission labour mobility package

Proposals could undermine “social Europe”

The European Commission has today announced its proposals on EU social security coordination.They include plans to tighten the rules for accessing benefits for non-working citizens. For example, EU citizens currently receive unemployment benefits in the country in which they last worked. Under the C...

Job Creation in a Post-Growth Economy

A study commissioned by the Greens/EFA

The study examines the relationships between jobs, GDP and energy consumption over the years and to check how far we went with energy efficiency. It also lays the foundations of a green macroeconomic model which allowed us to estimate the impact of innovative measures such as working time reduction and green taxation on energy.

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 21-24 November 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included: Occupational retirement provision; EU-Turkey relations; Conflict minerals trialogue; Council/Commission Statements on outcome of COP22; EU Parliament refuses to refer CETA to the ECJ; Commission considers Code of Conduct changes; Emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants; Renewing the approval of the active substance bentazone; Sign language and professional sign language interpreters; Umbrella deal on EU-US data protection; Dieselgate hearing with French Minister, Ségolène Royal; EU accession to the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women.

Divestment makes its way into EU pension law

The European Parliament has today backed a report on improving provision of workplace pensions (1). The Greens/EFA group has secured a number of key amendments, which will introduce social and environmental measures into pension risk assessment and bring divestment into EU legislation. Commenting...

How a fair EU agri-food policy can help create jobs in rural areas

A blog from our food campaign

How effective is European support for farming and agriculture? Well, the numbers speak for themselves: rural economies are in bad shape. Between 2005 and 2010, 2.5 million farms were lost in the EU, with the average farm size increasing. Between 2000 and 2012, European agriculture lost 4.8 millio...

Caterpillar and Alstom cases show urgent need for European reindustrialisation policy

MEPs have today voted in favour of a resolution on the need for a European reindustrialisation policy, in light of the recent Caterpillar and Alstom cases. The Greens/EFA group secured a range of amendments, which included the need for:  more ambition on green targets and indicators;greater dem...

Secret science is not science

Molly Scott Cato, Benedek Jávor, Heidi Hautala

European Pillar of Social Right

28.09.2016

From theory to practice

What is currently already covered by the European social acquis and what should be further addressed? What should the Commission and Member States do to ensure the full implementation of the pillar and the enforcement of social rights throughout the EU?

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 12-15 September 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included: Car emissions scandal; Work-life balance; Rule of law in Poland; Situation in Turkey; State of the Union; Social dumping in the EU; Asylum - additional measures for Italy and Greece; Apple tax ruling; Copyright reforms; External investment plan; Nomination for Sakharov Prize 2016; Informal EU Council on security.

State of the Union

European Union still best answer to the challenges we face

Commenting on today's State of the Union address from President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, Greens/EFA co-president Rebecca Harms said: "The European Union, with all its achievements and its shortcomings, is still the best answer to nationalism. We are better able to defe...

Social Dumping

Time to end the exploitation of workers across the European Union

The European Parliament today adopted the Balas report on "social dumping within the European Union".Today’s decision is significant in the context of the forthcoming negotiations on the controversial directive on posted workers.Commenting after the vote, Greens/EFA member of the Committ...