Anti Corruption Day 2016

Today is International Anti Corruption day, a UN sponsored day that aims to raise awareness and call for action in the fight against corruption. Last year, we published a series of proposals for how ethics, transparency and integrity needed to be improved in the EU institutions, as well as a list of ways in which we were working to achieve those goals.

Positive feedback on Greens/EFA draft EU Directive for the protection of whisteblowers

  On 4 May 2016, the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament presented a draft Directive to ensure minimum standards of protection for whistleblowers across the European Union. The Directive, drafted with the help of legal experts, was designed to be a catalyst that would push forward th...

Two years after the Luxleaks scandal

what progress for tax justice?

A blog from our Tax Justice campaign Happy anniversary! Two years ago, the newly appointed European Commission – "the Commission of the last chance" – started its mandate with the Luxleaks scandal. After whistleblowers and journalists spoke out, European citizens learnt that...

PANA Committee

Greens/EFA MEPs launch EULeaks whistleblower platform

A group of Greens/EFA MEPs today launched EULEAKS, an online platform which will allow whistleblowers to upload documents securely and anonymously. The platform, which can be accessed via the Greens/EFA website (http://www.greens-efa.eu), went live following the first meeting of the Committee of Inq...

Bahamas Leaks

Neelie Kroes revelations a perfect example of why people are losing trust in politicians

A new investigation from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) reveals that former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes breached the EU Commission’s Code of Conduct by withholding information about her participation in an offshore company in the Bahamas. A whistleblower shar...

Sakharov Prize 2016

Greens/EFA nominate Can Dündar for defending of freedom of thought and expression in Turkey

The Greens/EFA group has agreed to nominate Can Dündar, a Turkish journalist, columnist and documentarian, for this year's Sakharov Prize.

Panama Papers: European Parliament kicks off its investigation

A blog from our Tax Justice Campaign

The biggest tax scandal of all time – involving both politicians and well-known figures, and triggering a range of investigations – deserved the highest possible response from the European Parliament. That is exactly what the Greens called for immediately after the Panama Papers revelations and what was finally approved at the beginning of June.

Final report on Luxleaks

Who’s to blame and what needs to change

When the Luxleaks scandal broke 18 months ago, the Greens in the European Parliament were the first to call for an inquiry committee to make sure we could properly investigate the revelations.

Greens/EFA Round up

Debriefing of the Strasbourg plenary week 4-8 July 2016

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg plenary included: Energy labels and a common sense A-G system; Human trafficking and EU external relations; UK referendum aftermath; Diverting development aid to military purposes; Revising money laundering rules and tackling tax avoidance; Controversial EU-Canada trade deal ratification; EU border and coast guard and fundamental rights; Whistleblower protection: EU rules badly needed; Tax evasion: conclusion of Lux Leaks investigation.

Protection of whistleblowers

Plenary debate on July 6th, 2016

Whistle-blowers play an essential role in our democracies and the EU has the duty to protect those who take risk to disclose information in the public interest.

A step forward on money-laundering, but Commission needs to be bolder

After the Panama Paper revelations, the European Commission needs to show it is ready to take strong action on tax evasion and avoidance. Their newly published anti-money laundering package goes some way towards achieving that. But with up to €1 trillion lost from the real economy each year, they need to be much bolder.

EU anti-money laundering rules

Commission proposes steps forward in response to Panama Papers

The European Commission today presented proposals to update EU rules on anti-money laundering, including provisions to strengthen existing legislation in response to the Panama Papers revelations. Commenting on the proposals, Green MEP Judith Sargentini, who was co-rapporteur/draftsperson for parlia...