Greens/EFA Debriefing

18.01.2019

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, …

European Parliament supports greater cross-border cooperation between tax authorities

18.01.2019

Fiscalis programme

The European Parliament has voted with a broad pro-European majority in favour of the Fiscalis programme for improving cross-border cooperation between tax authorities, which is part of the Multi-Financial-Framework (MFF) programmes currently being negotiated between the Parliament, Council and Commission.

The EU needs new tools to protect and support the rule of law

17.01.2019

European Values

Today, the European Parliament voted in favour of a support scheme for civil society organisations working to promote human rights and democracy in the EU. Almost €1 billion will be allocated to the scheme, and it will also become easier for smaller organisations to apply for EU funds. The report authored by Greens/EFA MEP Bodil Valero also contains special emergency measures to support civil society organisations in Member States where there is a rapid and serious deterioration of the rule of law.

EU must remain a reliable partner in decommissioning nuclear power plant

17.01.2019

Nuclear power/Lithuania

The European Parliament is sending a signal of reliability in assisting the people of Lithuania in the decommissioning of the outdated Ignalina nuclear power plant

Ska Keller debates with Spanish Prime Minister on the Future of Europe

17.01.2019

Watch our co-president Ska Keller's debate with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for a progressive Future of Europe.

Parliament approves Terricabras report on Fundamental Rights

16.01.2019

Press release from EFA MEP J-M Terricabras

The European Parliament has today voted to approve a report prepared by MEP Josep-Maria Terricabras which analyses the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (in 2017). The report, approved by MEPs, calls for "impartial" investigations into the excessive use of police for...

EU Parliament adopts strong recommendations to better protect health and the environment

16.01.2019

Final Report Special Committee on Pesticides

The European Parliament has just called on EU governments and the European Commission to make the authorisation procedure for pesticides more transparent, to take decisions based on independent scientific evidence, to test pesticides and pesticide active substances more rigorously for health and environmental risks, and to re-asses the product glyphosate for its cancer risks

Call for unilateral action to guarantee citizens' rights in Brexit

16.01.2019

Press release from EFA MEP Alyn Smith (SNP)

Greens/EFA MEP Alyn Smith (SNP) has today urged the EU to act unilaterally to guarantee the rights of citizens who have been left in limbo following the UK Government’s botched handling of the Brexit negotiations. Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the SNP MEP said: &ldqu...

Spanish government must push for social and green Europe

16.01.2019

Future of Europe

The Spanish government shows in many areas that a greener and a more social Europe is possible. We welcome the Spanish government's very concrete measures to help families in need and to bring forward the energy transition.

The time for games is over

15.01.2019

Brexit

This devastating defeat for Theresa May cannot be seen as a crisis but as an opportunity to break the deadlock in the UK Parliament and take the question of Brexit back to the people. The time for political games is over, the solution to this crisis must be put to the British public

Gender equality and taxation policies in the EU

15.01.2019

Quotes from Ernest Urtasun and Molly Scott Cato

Today, the European Parliament has voted for a raft of actions aimed at supporting gender equality in taxation policies. The report gender equality and taxation policies in the EU, which was co-authored by Greens/EFA MEP Ernest Urtasun, calls on the European Commission to end gender-discrimination in taxation policies through the individualisation of tax systems and for VAT exemptions for essential basic goods such as sanitary products.

Glyphosate renewal rife with chemical industry influence - new findings

15.01.2019

Public health/Glyphosate

Today, Bart Staes, Greens/EFA MEP and co-rapporteur for the PEST Committee on the EU pesticide authorisation procedure, together with colleagues from other groups, present damning new evidence on the chemical industry's involvement in the procedure for renewing the authorisation of the dangerous substance glyphosate.