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...

Protecting universal postal services

MEP Jill Evans has defended the Universal Service Obligation to deliver and collect post at least five times a week within the EU. Jill Evans was speaking on behalf of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament's debate on the application of the EU's Postal Services Directive. MEP...

Creating Labour Market Conditions Favourable for Work-Life Balance

The European Parliament voted today to back a report on Creating Labour Market Conditions Favourable for Work-Life Balance. Commenting on the report, and the forthcoming Commission proposals, Greens/EFA MEP Tatjana Ždanoka said: "Achieving a good balance between our private lives and wor...

A Green Debate on Integration and Active Inclusion

08.09.2016

Rethinking Integration of Third Country Nationals in Europe

REGISTRATION CLOSED Programme 09:30 - 10:00  Registration and coffee 10:00 - 10:15 Welcome and Introduction Josep-Maria Terricabras MEP, Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament PANEL I: SETTING THE SCENE: MAINSTREAMING INTEGRATION IN THE EU POLICY FRAMEWORK ON MIGRATION Chair: Josep...

EU rules on posted workers

Commission right to push ahead with reform

The European Commission today announced it would be proceeding with its proposal to revise EU rules on the posting of workers, overruling opposition from parliaments in 11 member states which had sought to block the plans with a so-called ‘yellow card’. Welcoming the decision, Green social ...

Out there

Celebrating diversity, fighting for equal rights & open societies

Pride is first and foremost political. It is not just about dressing up and bringing some more colour and glitter into the world. The Pride season is about equal rights for all. It is about the right to live the life you want to live, love the person you want to love and be the person you want to be. This is why the Pride season is a mirror for our society, showing us how open, how equal, how inclusive our societies are.

Adoption of "Privacy Shield“, 12 July 2016

Jan Philipp Albrecht

In a landmark ruling on October 6th 2015 the European Court of Justice has ruled that data sharing between the EU and US under the Safe Harbor decision is invalid. The so called "Privacy Shield" replaces the Safe Harbor decision that stood for more than 15 years before being struck down. The Commission has today signed a blank cheque for the transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the US, without delivering equivalent data protection rights. The 'Privacy Shield' framework does not seem to address the concerns outlined by the European Court of Justice in ruling the Safe Harbor decision illegal. In particular the individual rights of consumers are still too weak and blanket surveillance measures are still in place. In this context, the Commission should not be simply accepting reassurances from the US authorities but should be insisting on improvements in the data protection guaranteed to European consumers. Despite the fact that, the EU's new Data Protection Regulation will enter into force in May 2018, a revision of the Privacy Shield to take account of these revised rules is not foreseen.

Protection of whistle-blowers

Plenary speech by Julia Reda

Protection of whistle-blowers

Plenary speech by Benedek Jávor