More Than a Few Steps in the Right Direction, We Need to Start Running

COP26 Protests in Glasgow

The European Greens say they welcome the progress made at the UN Climate Conference COP26 in Glasgow. Improved emission commitments from some countries, new international initiatives on phasing out oil and gas production as well as finalising the Paris Agreement rulebook bring the world a couple of desperately needed steps closer to tackling the climate…

Performance of EU Spending Programmes

EU Spending

The European Commission’s reporting on how EU spending programmes perform shows mixed results in different funding areas, and the indicators which measure progress towards targets do not focus enough on results. These are some of the conclusions of the European Court of Auditors, which has published its 2020 report on the performance of a selection…

Medical Treatment Needed for Saakashvili

Mikheil Saakashvili

The EPP Group has called on the Georgian authorities to provide Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili an adequate medical treatment in an appropriately equipped hospital. “We remain seriously worried about Mr Saakashvili’s health and security conditions as well as his rights as a prisoner, including in terms of privacy and dignity and as a person standing a…

MEPs Ask Poland to Lift Ban on Abortions for Women at Risk

Polish Ban on Abortions

A year after the Polish Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling, MEPs are calling on the government to lift the ban on abortion that puts women’s lives at risk. Last September, a 30-year-old Polish woman died of septic shock because her doctors did not perform a life-saving abortion, waiting instead for the foetus to die because of the…

Towards Minimum Wages in Europe

Minimum Wages in Europe

The European Parliament’s employment committee has made a big step towards a European directive for minimum wages, which both strengthens and safeguards the different social models in Europe, by approving the report tabled jointly by S&D MEP Agnes Jongerius and EPP MEP Dennis Radtke. The Socialists and Democrats’ have spearheaded the campaign for a European Directive…

Greens Lead Calls for Legislation on SLAPPs

SLAPPs

Members of the European Parliament have debated a report on the use of Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in Europe to silence critical voices such as NGOs, journalists, environmental and human rights defenders. MEPs will vote on the report tomorrow, ahead of an expected Commission proposal for legislation on the use of SLAPPs next…

EPP Seeks More Sanctions on Belarus as Border Situation Deteriorates

Belarus migrants

The EPP Group is calling for sanctions to stop the flood of migrants to Belarus, including a ban on the airlines involved in Lukashenko’s human trafficking. The call came ahead of a parliamentary plenary debate on the migration crisis on the EU’s eastern border. “As EU Ambassadors consider a new package of sanctions on the…

Albania Ready for IGC to start Accession Negotiations

EU Albania

After three days of a fact-finding mission in Albania, the European Parliament’s standing rapporteur for the country, Isabel Santos MEP underlined that the country has fulfilled all the criteria and has done everything that it was requested to do, to start accession negotiations with the European Union. Santos called on the member states to finally…

Haugen Tells MEPs DSA Can Set Global Standards

Instagram Facebook and Haugen

The EU’s future Digital Services Act can set the global standards in transparency, oversight and enforcement, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told MEPs.  The DSA  has the potential to be a “global gold standard” and inspire other countries to “pursue new rules that would safeguard our democracies”, Haugen stressed in todays’ hearing. She warned, however, that…

The potential of Artificial Intelligence

artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence regulation should focus on the level of risk associated with specific uses, a draft report presented in the AIDA committee on Tuesday says. The test, presented by the rapporteur, says that the public debate should shift towards a focus on the enormous potential of artificial intelligence (AI), which offers humankind the unique chance…