Sustainable development

Commission agrees to additional protections for frontline workers

COVID-19

Member States will be required to include written instructions for workers in order to protect them in the workplace. The Commission will report back to the European Parliament on this revision by the end of 2020. This follows the demands of the Greens/EFA group to improve protections for frontline workers potentially exposed to the virus through their roles.

EU Funding for Cities

Webinar

Cities and local governments can take the lead in climate action and realize ambitious action plans for a sustainable future. This recognition leads us to raise the question, how the EU can back cities’ efforts in the most effective way?V4 capital cities are advocating a proposal to strengthen EU financing for cities in the next MFF, the Green Deal and the Recovery Plan. It is already backed by almost 20 European municipalities. How to move forward?

Financing the green deal

As you know the commission proposed a pact called the European Green Deal, that will be the roadmap for Europe to tackle climate change and become carbon neutral in 2050. In our previous blogs we have explained what this pact is, and what it is not. In this blog, we would like to address an important aspect that is missing: MONEY. In the world we live in today, to achieve the goals that the EU has set, we need a good budget.

Recovery Plan - a crucial moment for the EU

WATCH: A webinar with MEPs Bas Eickhout and Rasmus Andresen

During this webinar, we will get together with Daniela Schwarzer, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations, and Professor of political science Catherine E. De Vries to gain insight into the economic recovery plan and new multiannual financial framework (MFF) that will be proposed by the European Commission this Wednesday.

Billion euro bailouts: will public cash lead to climate-friendly transport?

WATCH: Webinar with Greens/EFA MEPs Jutta Paulus and Ciarán Cuffe

The recovery plan should be an opportunity to invest in much-needed public transport and to ensure a true modal shift, reducing air pollution and contributing to climate action.

Billion euro bailouts: will public cash lead to climate-friendly transport?

Webinar with Greens/EFA MEPs Jutta Paulus and Ciarán Cuffe

The recovery plan should be an opportunity to invest in much-needed public transport and to ensure a true modal shift, reducing air pollution and contributing to climate action. During this webinar, Greens/EFA Members of the European Parliament Jutta Paulus (EP rapporteur for shipping emissions) and Ciarán Cuffe, will discuss with Andrew Murphy, from Transport & Environment, on how public money can turn transport green.

European Commission seizes the momentum of the Franco-German initiative

Recovery Plan

Today (Wednesday, 27th May), the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the new Recovery Plan under the umbrella of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Recovery Plan - a crucial moment for the EU

A webinar with MEPs Bas Eickhout and Rasmus Andresen

During this webinar, we will get together with Daniela Schwarzer, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations, and Professor of political science Catherine E. De Vries to gain insight into the economic recovery plan and new multiannual financial framework (MFF) that will be proposed by the European Commission this Wednesday.

Nature must be at the heart of the post-Covid-19 recovery

A blog by MEPs Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg and Grace O’Sullivan

Biodiversity is all around us. Even for those restricted to home in these trying and sad times, a cursory look around shows a world teeming with life.

EU Commission proposals must kick-start agricultural reform

Farm to Fork/Biodiversity

Today (20 May), the European Commission has just released its "Farm to Fork" and Biodiversity strategies. The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament applaud the fact that the Commission has not caved into calls to delay these strategies, and is moving forward to help tackle the loss of species and seems to be pursuing a more sustainable approach to agricultural policy.

Franco-German proposal good base for recovery, but more needed to ensure success

COVID-Recovery

The French and German governments proposed an initiative for a recovery plan for the consequences of the Corona crisis includes recovery bonds and grants for the EU countries that were hard hit by the crisis, as proposed by the European Parliament last week. However, with a planned volume of €500 billion, the plan falls short of the €2 trillion called for by the European Parliament. With regard to the climate target for 2030, the wording is vague.

A Greens/EFA debriefing of the plenary week

Plenary week, 13-15 May 2020

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the Recovery and Transformation Plan & Multiannual Financial Framework, Discharge 2018 procedure, emergency legislation in Hungary and its impact on the rule of law and fundamental rights, transitional CAP mandate vote and a debate on COVID-19 vaccines.