Protecting the Rights of Workers in the Platform Economy

Platform Workers

The Commission is set to adopt a proposal on improving the working conditions in platform work, acting on a European Parliament own-initiative report adopted on September 16, 2021. The Socialists and Democrats Group have been the driving force to enshrine a rebuttable assumption of an employment relationship in EU law. This means platform workers are…

Protecting Animal Welfare

Humane transport of animals

After 18 months of fact-finding, Parliament’s committee of inquiry into the protection of animals during transport adopted its conclusions and recommendations. Parliament‘s inquiry into the protection of animals during transport (the ANIT committee), set up in June 2020 to investigate alleged violations of EU rules, wrapped up its work on Thursday. It concluded that EU…

EU Solidarity for Asylum Policy

Asylum Policy

The S&D Group says it is laying the groundwork for a solidarity-based response system in the EU’s common and asylum policy when faced with crisis situations.  In the draft report of the crisis regulation, LIBE chair and rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar is proposing a new mandatory relocation framework to share responsibility and wants to…

Future Role of the EMA

EMA Head Emer Cooke

Health MEPs quizzed the EMA’s Executive Director on Tuesday on the current situation around COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics, as well as the Agency’s future role. In light of increasing COVID-19 cases across the EU and concerns raised by a  new variant members of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee focused the debate vaccines, recent developments…

EU Capital Markets Package

Capital Markets Package

The European Commission has presented its capital markets package. The package includes changes to the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR), the rules for alternative investments such as hedge funds (AIFMD), the European Long-Term Investment Funds framework (ELTIF) and the creation of a single European data hub for company data (ESAP). The proposals are mainly…

Combatting Violence Against Women

Stop violence against women

The Socialists and Democrats have called on the European Commission to keep its word and finally present a strong directive to prevent and combat all forms of violence against women and girls. The S&Ds demand that the European Union recognise violence against women and girls as a serious crime in the treaty’s catalogue of crimes with…

Defend our Forests

Defend our Forests

The Commission has published its legislative proposal on reducing the risks of deforestation and forest degradation associated with all products on the EU market. The proposal is part of the package on soil, waste shipment and deforestation and it will require companies to ensure that their products sold in the EU do not come from areas…

EU to “Stand United” Against Manipulation of Migrants by Belarus.

Belarus border

The situation at the Belarus border and the gas crisis are very much on the EU agenda. German MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, AFET coordinator for the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, has commented on the crisis. “The European leaders at their summit are challenged to deal with two blackmailing efforts against the EU which they must…