Trade

The overarching goal of a Green trade policy is to ensure that trade achieves the maximum human well-being for the minimum use of energy and resources. This entails the redesign of the global trade system so that it does not undermine the regeneration of ecosystems, while ensuring the possibility of high-quality employment and environmental protection at home and abroad. Such systematic change must be firmly based on a foundation that respects the dignity and rights of all people, including with a clear gender perspective, and is not at the expense of other species with which we share the planet.

Trade

Our vision for trade policy

Read our paper 'Green trade for all'

Trade policy requires a rapid and radical rethink. Globalisation currently demands twice the resources that the planet can provide. We need a systematic transformation to ensure maximum human well-being with the minimum use of resources. Read our ideas and steps we can take right now, in our 'Green Trade for All' paper.

What's coming up in Parliament

Strasbourg Flash - Plenary session 28-31 May 2018

A look ahead to next week's session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

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OG Picture: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 2.0)

European Union must defend multilateralism

Trade dispute with the USA

The European Union must use this postponement as an opportunity to vigorously defend multilateralism. The EU should take this case to the World Trade Organization. To counter Trump’s reckless protectionist agenda, the EU needs a common strategy.

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Meat, animal feed and the EU's unbearable hypocrisy on GMOs

How GMOs enter the EU unnoticed

NGO Mighty Earth just published a powerful report on the dire consequences of the current EU meat, milk and eggs production system on those countries, especially in Latin America, which produce the feed for farm animals. deforestation, pollution, cancers, are the direct cause of EU’s letting genetically modified protein crops in for feeding our farm animals.

en | fr | es | nl

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We need to stand up for the values of fair trade

Trump trade tariffs

Greens/EFA co-presidents Philippe Lamberts and Ska Keller respond to reports that the EU will be exempt from tariffs on steel and aluminium.

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Multilateral Investment Court

little more than a rebranding exercise

The Member States and the Commission continue to ignore the legitimate resistance of European citizens to the transfer of their legal and democratic sovereignty to multinationals. Even if they claim to have cleaned up the ISDS mechanism through the MIC, the truth is it doesn’t change the deeply shocking and discriminatory nature of the system.

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EU must reject Trump's "every man for himself" approach

Trump trade tariffs

The Greens/EFA group responds to President Trump's trade tariff announcement.

en | de | es | fr

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ECJ rules that intra-EU ISDS mechanisms are illegal

Investment protection

The European Court of Justice has today ruled that the investor-state dispute mechanism contained in the bilateral investment agreement between Slovakia and the Netherlands "has an adverse effect on the autonomy of EU law, and is therefore incompatible with EU law."

en | fr

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No spyware for dictators: stricter rules for dual-use exports

Briefing on the recast of the "Control of exports, transfer, brokering, technical assistance and transit of dual-use items"

On 17 January 2018, the European Parliament will vote on its position for the recast of the "Control of exports, transfer, brokering, technical assistance and transit of dual-use items", from Greens/EFA rapporteur Klaus Buchner. Dual-use items can be used for military as well as for civilian purposes, including drones, high performance computers and some chemicals. About 10% of EU exports fall under dual use. This recast introduces the possibility to control exports of cyber-surveillance items on human rights grounds. With warfare increasingly built on dual-use technology, this is a much needed reform.

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Making Globalisation work for the Sustainable Development Goals

26.11.2017

Panel discussion

Globalisation describes the advancement of the global integration of the economy, culture and political structures. At this panel, we want to discuss how globalisation can support the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals and what needs to be done in order to make that happen.

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