The European Parliament’s negotiator on the e-Privacy regulation, Birgit Sippel MEP, has called for trilogue talks between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission to start as soon as possible, after years of member states blocking progress. E-Privacy rules will give citizens control over how their confidential information can be used or shared online. […]
Debate with Secretary of State for European Affairs Ana Paula Zacarias: MEPs called for democratic oversight of tech giants to safeguard freedom of expression
Regulate social media platforms to defend democracy, MEPs say. In a debate with Secretary of State for European Affairs Ana Paula Zacarias from the Portuguese Presidency of the Council, and Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová, almost all speakers criticised the vast power of social media platforms and their worrying impact on politics and freedom of speech. […]
Portuguese Presidency organizes “The Metamorphosis of Intellectual Property in the Age of Digital Transition” high level conference
The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) is organizing, in digital format, this Thursday, February 11, 2021, a high-level conference on the theme of “the metamorphosis of intellectual property in the era of transition digital ”. The conference, energized by the Ministry of Justice and the National Institute of Industrial Property, […]
The Bailout Business. Who Profits?
The Bail Out Business, a new report published by the Transnational Institute (TNI), reveals how rescue packages for EU banks have become a business benefiting a small group of audit and financial consultancy firms. According to EU data, bail out packages have led to losses of more than 200 billion euro up to 2017. TNI […]
UNHCR “Takes Note” Of EU Migration Summit Failures
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees wasn’t super happy with Europe’s big migration Summit. With the calm reflex of a seasoned stock broker watching the market crash, UNHCR said it “has taken note of the Statement of the EU Heads of State and Government of Turkey last night and we are concerned with some […]
UNHCR Concerned By Refugee Border Build-Up
UNHCR is concerned by recent restrictive practices adopted in a number of European countries that are placing additional undue hardships on refugees and asylum-seekers across Europe, creating chaos at several border points, and putting particular pressure on Greece as it struggles to deal with larger numbers of people in need of accommodation and services. On […]
Tsipras “Optimistic” On Sustainable Greek Solution
New Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited the European Parliament today where he was welcomed by EP President Martin Schulz. After the meeting Schulz said: “Mr Tsipras is battling for European cooperation, not only seeking a solution for Greece. He has my full support.” He also stressed the need for a framework for “constructive dialogue […]
Hills Says Pension Funds Could Get Two Year Clearing Exemption
The European Commission has published a report recommending granting pension funds a two-year exemption from central clearing requirements for their over-the-counter (OTC) derivative transactions. The report, which is based on an extensive study requested by the European Commission, concludes that central counterparties (CCPs) need this time to find solutions for pension funds. At the same time, […]
‘Invest for Growth’ vs ‘More Structural Reform’ – New Tune?
As parliamentarians across the EU discussed economic governance in the EP this week, French socialist Ms Pervenche Berès, responsible for an EP report evaluating the EU’s economic governance framework, and EP vice president, Finnish liberal Olli Rehn, said they believe in a mixture of structural reforms and investment to help boost the economy. “The euro area […]
Paris Roadmap Gets Its Bearings With Cañete
The roadmap to the 21st UN climate conference, in Paris (France) in December, was debated by MEPs, the Latvian Presidency and Commissioner Arias Cañete on Wednesday. The conference of parties (COP21) to the UN Convention on Climate Change aims to deliver a worldwide climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol. During the debate, MEPs emphasized […]