Nine million European women, equivalent to the whole Austrian population, have suffered some form of sexual violence; and one in five (22%) acknowledged that their partner, or previous partner, perpetrated violence against them. These findings were published this week by the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency and the European Council, to highlight International Women’s Day. The […]
Last Talks Before Troika Findings Established
“Don’t blame the fire brigade for fire damage”, ECB Exective Board member Benoît Coeuré urged Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee MEPs at a hearing held on Thursday to assess the economic crisis recovery work of the ECB/EU Commission/IMF “Troika”. This followed a committee debate on Wednesday about which findings to flag up in the Troika […]
MEPs May Withhold TTIP Consent If NSA Snooping Continues
The European Parliament should withhold its consent to an EU-US trade deal unless it fully respects EU citizens’ data privacy, says an inquiry report on US National Security Agency (NSA) and EU member states surveillance of EU citizens, approved by the Civil Liberties Committee on Wednesday. It adds that data protection rules should be excluded […]
Digital Travelers Get Tougher Consumer Protection
The internet has revolutionised the way we travel. Many people now prefer to book online through individual travel service providers rather than opt for ready-made packages. On 12 February the consumer protection committee approved new rules to ensure travellers know their rights and are aware of who is responsible for the services provided. We discussed […]
Schaake Calls For New Internet Governance Debate
Dutch liberal MEP, Marietje Schaake, has called for a debate in the European Parliament on internet governance and what the EU’s strategy should be. “Safeguarding the open internet faces more and more challenges and must be a priority for the EU. Decisions and responsibilities are increasingly in the hands of a diverse group of governments, […]
Ska Keller & José Bové To Lead Greens’ Election Fight
Ska Keller and José Bové have been selected to lead the Greens in their upcoming European campaign. The two MEPs won the unique Green Primary, the first ever Europe-wide open online process to select leading candidates for the European elections. Bové and Keller will be the figureheads of the third common Green European campaign, and lead the united Green parties of […]
Tougher Criminal Punishments For Food Fraud
Recent food fraud cases, including the sale of horse meat as beef, should prompt the EU to review the functioning of the food production chain, step up checks and revise labelling legislation, says a non-legislative resolution approved on Tuesday. The European Parliament voices concern at the growth in food fraud, which it says exploits structural […]
Greek Presidency Gets Rough Start Over Economic Fears
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras presented his country’s priorities for its six months at the helm of the EU to MEPs. The presidency, which started on 1 January, will focus on boosting growth and jobs, the banking union and an immigration policy based on more solidarity. Mr Samaras said there was a clear need for […]
EU Firms Get Boost For Third Country Contract Bids
Plans for a tool to allow EU countries to prevent non-EU firms from bidding for public procurement contracts worth €5 million or more unless their home countries reciprocate by allowing EU firms to do likewise were approved by Parliament on Wednesday. The proposed tool, which could be used only with European Commission approval, should strengthen […]
Climate 2030 – EP Calls For 40% CO2 Emissions Reduction
The EU needs to curb its emissions of greenhouse gases by 40% by the year 2030, says the European Parliament’s Environment Committee. This is a major leap forward compared to the current target of a 20% reduction by 2020. Today’s vote on a Resolution drafted by Anne Delvaux MEP represents the Parliament’s input to the proposal […]