EPP Boycotts EP Election Mission to Venezuela

Venezuela elections

The EPP Group has decided to not participate in the electoral mission that the European Parliament will send to Venezuela to follow the municipal and regional elections on 21 November, “since they will inevitably be used to validate the Nicolás Maduro regime which continues to violate the human rights of the Venezuelan people.”  It is…

Protecting Children’s Rights

children's rights

In 2021, children have been repeatedly caught in the midst of political and border management disputes on the EU’s external borders, but children’s rights are not protected. These developments call for a renewed commitment to the protection, safe-guarding, and best interests of children, says Afshan Khan, Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe,….

School Help Should be Part of Emergency Aid: Ochojska

Ochojska

Help for schooling children and youngsters should be integrated into the EU’s emergency aid programmes, said Janina Ochojska MEP ahead of this week’s vote in the European Parliament’s Development Committee on the Report on the ‘New orientations for the EU’s humanitarian action’. She added, “Integrating training and school programmes into emergency programmes is important to…

Gender Equal Societies Are Happier and Healthier

gender equal

At a special event in the European Parliament on Tuesday the S&D Group leader Iratxe García, together with vice-president Hélene Fritzon and the S&D spokesperson on women’s rights Maria Noichl, and other key S&D members, presented the S&D Group’s position on women’s rights It is the Socialists and Democrats’ roadmap on how to achieve a gender equal European Union, as they believe…

EPP’s 10 Point Plan to Beat Cancer

Beating Cancer

Every year, 1.3 million people in the EU die of cancer and 2.7 million are diagnosed with it.  The EPP says, “We can and must change this trend.” Its message is: “The work we do in the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) must make a difference to people’s lives.” The EPP Group…

Parliament Freezes Accounts of EU Border Guard – again

Frontex budget frozen

MEPs have agreed to close the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency’s accounts for 2019, but asked for part of next year’s budget to be frozen. The recommendation to grant the so-called discharge to Frontex for management of its 2019 budget received 558 votes in favour, 82 against and 46 abstentions. In the accompanying resolution…

“We cannot afford to fail” – Sassoli

David Sassoli

David Sassoli the EU Parliament President, speaking to coincide with the COP26 summit in Glasgow, said: “We cannot afford to fail.” He said, “The UN Emissions Gap report makes clear that the current national plans to tackle climate change are nowhere near enough. If we are serious about preventing a rise of more than 1.5…

Protecting the People of Poland and the EU

Poland and Rule of Law

Parliament said it “condemns” an attempt to undermine the primacy of EU law and calls on the Council and Commission to urgently protect the people of Poland and the Union. In a resolution adopted on Thursday with 502 votes for, 153 against, and 16 abstentions, MEPs emphasised that the Polish Constitutional Tribunal lacks legal validity…

Pandora Papers EP Report

Pandora Papers

The European Parliament has adopted a report on the Pandora Papers, in the wake of the revelations by the ICIJ and others into global tax avoidance, evasion and money laundering.The report was an initiative of the Greens/EFA Group. For the first time, this report sees the European Parliament condemns the role of the United States…