Photo by József Szabó on Unsplash Centre right MEPs say they want to postpone the law proposal on pesticide reduction in its current form because it will jeopardise European food production during the war in Ukraine. “When there is a war in Europe, we cannot do business as usual. The current law proposal is not fit for purpose”,…
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash A top level Socialist delegation to the United States has concluded with a warning that centre-right MEPs are “abandoning the centre to engage with the extreme right.” That is the claim from S&D leader Iratxe García and vice-president Pedro Marques. They have just finished their visit to the United States, wrapping up…
Photo by Handy Wicaksono on Unsplash Some 559 employees of TNT Belgium at Liège Airport who lost their jobs following a transfer of operations to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport should receive €1.9 million in EU aid, say MEPs. On Thursday, the Committee on Budgets approved Belgium’s request for support for the workers. MEPs acknowledged that “the COVID-19 pandemic…
Photo by Tech Daily on Unsplash EU negotiators have struck a deal creating the first “best in class” standard for the issuing of green bonds. The “European Green Bonds Standard” (EUGBS), which companies issuing a bond can choose to comply with, will primarily enable investors to orient their investments more confidently towards more sustainable technologies and businesses. It…
Centre right MEPs says Europe is “deeply indebted” to people in Ukraine. Their comments comes as the war with Russia enters its second year. Just over one year since the start of the bitter conflict an EPP Group delegation is visiting Ukraine this week. Comment came from Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group,…
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Delaying arms deliveries means that Ukraine, despite its “courageous efforts”, cannot turn the tide in its favour against Russia in the ongoing war. So says Reinhard Butikofer, a senior MEP who was speaking on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bütikofer, foreign policy coordinator of the Greens/EFA group in…
Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash MEPs have presented a 15 point plan for preventing corruption and interference in the EU. This comes in the wake of the corruption scandal involving MEPs and payments from third countries known as ‘Qatargate’. The plan includes the mandatory requirement to declare all meetings and a “cooling off period” for MEPs being…
Photo by Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash MEPs from across the political divide insist that the European Union should ratify the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, in line with a 2021 Court of Justice opinion. The EU signed the Istanbul Convention in 2017 and signalled its commitment to eradicating gender-based violence. However, the EU ratification process has been stuck…
Photo by moein rezaalizade on Unsplash MEPs will this week debate the EU’s response so far to the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on 6 February. The death toll in the two countries had exceeded 33,000 by Monday. The World Health Organisation has now warned of a secondary disaster, with tens of thousands of people displaced and in need…
MEPs have expressed “unwavering solidarity” with the people of Ukraine and their support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity “as long as necessary and beyond”. They spoke after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech in the European Parliament this week which was enthusiastically received by MEPs. Rasa Juknevičienė, EPP vice-chair for Foreign Affairs, said, “By…
