Social Rights

EU institutions must end exploitation of interns

Ombudsman rules EEAS trainees must receive a fair allowance

The European Ombudsman has delivered her judgement on unpaid internships with the European External Action Service (EEAS). She has recommended that the EEAS pay all of its trainees an appropriate allowance to allow greater access for young people from all backgrounds.

European Ideas Lab

Greens meet changemakers

During a three-day event, Greens/EFA welcomed more than 300 "changemakers" from around 130 organizations of most European countries. This lab was the opportunity for us to listen, discuss and develop ideas with our guests.

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 16-19 January 2017

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary included: EP Presidency; Greens/EFA candidate for EP Presidency; EP Vice-Presidency; New MEPs joins Greens/EFA Group; Brexit; European Pillar of Social Rights; International Science and Technology Centre; Union Customs Code implementation; Money-laundering blacklist.

Social rights must be foundation of European Union

Press release by EFA MEP Jordi Solé (Catalunya)

Catalan MEP Jordi Solé has called for social rights to be a cornerstone of the European Union. MEPs in Strasbourg have been debating plans to create a 'European Pillar of Social Rights'. They insist that this must be more than well intentioned words, and call for a law to guaran...

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 the occupational retirement provision, EU-Turkey relations, conflict minerals, the outcome of COP22, CETA & ECJ, Commission code of Conduct, emissions of atmospheric pollutants, dieselgate hearing with French Minister Ségolène Royal, ...

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