Society

For equality between men and women, work-life balance and the rights of underrepresented people.

© 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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Women working in textile factory

A big step towards a more social Europe

European Labour Authority

Negotiations on the European Labour Authority have just been concluded with stronger protections for cross-border workers. The European Labour Agency will strengthen the functioning of the Internal Market and will help better detect mailbox companies, bogus self-employment and other fraudulent business models across all EU Member States and mediate between national authorities in labour disputes. It will also cooperate with trade unions and social partners in EU Member States. The Greens/EFA group have long argued for a more social Europe that protects workers' rights.

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Palm oil

Quote Bas Eickhout

"The battle is not over, the proposal is under consultation for the next four weeks so we, along with civil society and the public, still have time to close these loopholes and clamp down on destructive palm oil entering the EU. Green victories never come without a fight." Bas Eickhout, Greens/EFA rapporteur on the file and leading candidate of the European Green Party in the European elections

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Money laundering and affordable housing - what’s the link?

Impact of money laundering on housing prices across the EU

Tax evasion and money laundering through real estate can contribute to the increase of rental and housing prices in your city. We Greens/EFA are fighting hard in the European Parliament against money laundering - not least, because everyone in Europe should have the right to affordable housing!

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Work life Balance Directive

Statement by Ernest Urtasun

The European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission have reached an agreement on the Directive on work-life balance. In the future, the right to ten days of paid paternity leave will apply to all EU countries, as well as the right to five days/year of carers leave and the right to four months of parental leave per parent (two of which will be non-transferable and paid). In the European Union, women take almost three times more unpaid leave than men do to care for their children or parents.

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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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EU governments must abolish modern slavery on Europe's roads

Mobility Package/Transport

"It is a victory for trade unions and all those working towards fairer working conditions that the European Commission and a cross-party group of MEPs were unable to pursue their anti-social aims in the Transport Committee. " said Keith Taylor

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EU-wide class action law suits will hold companies to account

Consumer rights

Today, the majority of the members of the Legal Affairs Committee today voted in favour of greater consumer protection and for the possibility of EU-wide class action law suits. Representative entities, such as consumer organisations, will be able to bring collective redress before the courts if infringements affect people in several EU countries.

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Greens/EFA demand debate on medical devices

Implant files

The "Implant Files", a cross-border investigation by journalists into how medical devices on the EU market, such as pacemakers, artificial hips and contraceptives, which may have caused pain, injury or even death among patients, must be debated by the European Parliament, according to the Greens/EFA group.

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Towards a more social Europe

Child benefit/EU Employment Agency

There will be no cuts in child benefit for parents whose children live in an EU Member State other than that in which the parents work, according to the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) Committee.

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European Parliament calls for the strongest possible protection for whistleblowers

The Legal Affairs Committee voted in favour

Whistleblowers are the drivers of positive change. They have uncovered tax dodging, data breaches and war crimes, and in the process they have helped to change politics. That's why this proposal is now a good basis with which to protect those who wish to disclose information in the public interest.

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Picture credit : david-hellmann - Unsplash

More compensation and greener commuting for rail passengers

Passenger rights

MEPs voted for rail passengers throughout the EU to have a greater entitlement to compensation without the loophole of force majeure, for full rights even when travelling with several railway providers, and to be able to take bicycles on the train.

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