Greens/EFA (the Greens/ European Free Alliance)
11-01-2012 DEVE committee content with fisheries agreement EU Guinea-Bissau
In a recently adopted opinion, drafted by MEP Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA), the DEVE committee has expressed its content with the new Protocol agreed between he European Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, setting out fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the two parties currently in force. Read more »
28-11-2011 INTA adopts report on Trade and Investment Barriers
The committee on international trade (INTA) of the European Parliament has adopted a report on Trade and Investment Barriers, drafted by rapporteur Robert Sturdy (EPP). The main point made in the report is that removing or reducing non tariff barriers (NTBs) should be one of the key regulatory priorities of the new EU trade policy under the Europe 2020 strategy. Although in the draft report there is not much attention paid to development, several amendments have been written that take development into account. Read more »
10-10-2011 DEVE report: Assisting developing countries in addressing food security
On behalf of the DEVE committee, Gabriele Zimmer (GUE/NL), wrote the report: EU policy framework to assist developing countries in addressing food security. The achievements towards the MDG hunger target have shown to be insufficient. The number of hungry people, estimated by the FAO, has decreased after 2009, but is still greater than in 2008; food prices have been indicated as a factor leading to food insecurity. In this report some important calls are made, some of which are listed here: Read more »
28-06-2011 Raw Materials discussed thoroughly in the European Parliament!
On behalf of the ITRE committee, Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens/EFA) wrote 'an effective raw materials strategy for Europe' as the European industry is facing an increasingly difficult situation with regards to the supply of raw materials. This is particularly the case for the 14 critical raw materials, which the European Commission identified. Increasing global demand coupled with a lack of supplies due to long lead-times in the mining industry and the increased use of export restrictions by resource-rich countries, are not only pushing prices to record heights, as is the case with copper, but are also leading to potential supply shortages. Read more »
01-06-2011 Opinion DEVE on the external dimension of social policy
On behalf of the DEVE committee Catherine Grèze (Greens/EFA) wrote an opinion on the report: on the external dimension of social policy, promoting labour and social standards and the European Corporate Social Responsibility by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL). In this opinion Grèze expresses the disappointment that the social provision of EU preferential trade agreements are presented as objectives to be achieved rather than legal commitments to be enforced; as the core labour standards (CLS) and ILO are essential to achieve the MDGs. Next to this, Grèze deplores the fact that FTAs contain few references to social standards, and urges the EU to incorporate a social clause into all EU external trade agreements, including those coming from the WTO. Also, MEP Grèze insists that trade negotiations pursued within the WTO must not jeopardise social development. Read more »
31-05-2011 A new trade strategy, report by INTA committee with an opinion by DEVE.
On behalf of the INTA committee, MEP Daniel Caspary (EPP) wrote the report: a new trade strategy for Europe under the EUROPE2020 Strategy. In this report he states that this modern trade policy should take account of other policy areas among which the EUs development policy. In the report it is stated that, the European Parliament supports the Commission in its goal to promote sustainable development, international labour standards and decent work, for example by negotiating EPAs, which are to combine European and ACP interests. According to MEP Caspary, the Commission should withdraw GSP benefits in the event of a GSP beneficiary country making use of unfair trade practices, as this would undermine other policies such as environment, development, research and foreign affairs. Read more »
12-05-2011 Will the CAP towards 2020: meet the food, natural resources and territorial challenges of the future?!
On behalf of the DEVE committee, MEP Arsenis (S&D) wrote an opinion in which he points out the concerns on the negative impact of CAP on developing countries. They regret that the Commissions communication on the CAP towards 2020 does not mention such impacts and calls for the new CAP to include the principle of do no harm to developing countries as a core objective. They call for the post-2013 CAP to eliminate all export subsidies and to decouple direct payments from production, so as to create a level playing field between EU and developing countries agricultural products. Read more »
12-05-2011 Raw Materials and transparency hot topic among various MEPs
The Raw Materials Initiative set up in 2008 leads to many discussion and questions among MEPs. In the first place this initiative could lock resource-rich developing countries in a situation where they have no choice but to remain net exporters of raw materials, instead of being given the chance to develop their own downstream industries and move up the value chain. This outcome conflicts sharply with EU developments objectives, as to better integrate developing countries on the world market. In the second place, the raw material industry is subject to many financial scandals. Read more »
12-05-2011 AFET report on migration flows
On behalf of the AFET committee in the EP, MEP Fiorello Provera (EFD) wrote a report on migration flows arising from instability. The main causes for these migration flows are wars, armed conflicts, ethnic tension, natural disasters, the lack of proper economic and democratic structures; which are a challenge for the European Union. The tension that these migrations cause are not only in the country of origin, but also between the countries of origin and the countries of transit. In order to meet this challenge effectively, the EU must implement a policy of prevention, employing the most appropriate foreign policy instruments in order to address the causes of instability directly so that emigration becomes an opportunity and not a necessity. Read more »
04-03-2011 Successful student proposal
Last Monday, the 28th of February, the winning group of the Student Symposium, World of Plenty organized by the EVS last November, came to our office in Brussels to present their proposal. The symposium provided different master classes on the topics: water, food, land, energy, biodiversity, minerals and finance. The winning group, which was on renewable energy, won a trip to the European Parliament to present their ideas to MEPs Thijs Berman (S&D) and Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA) who were very enthusiastic about the ideas and seemed willing to cooperate. Read more »
24-01-2011 MEPs worry about implementation of FLEGT
The European Parliament has been discussing two new Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with Cameroon and the Congo Brazzaville under the Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. MEPs Yannick Jadot on behalf of Greens/EFA, Catherine Bearder on behalf of ALDE, David Martin on behalf of S&D, Joe Higgins on behalf of GUE/NGL, and Daniel Caspary on behalf of EPP have expressed concerns about the implementation of the FLEGT. Also they wonder how the Commission is going to ensure the rights of local populations and how the EU is going to finance these schemes in the upcoming year. Lastly the MEPs want to know if the Commission will create more legislation to end deforestation. Read more »
24-01-2011 FTA negotiations India pose threat for migrants and patients, according to MEPs Falbr and Smith
The European Commission is negotating a Free Trade Agremeent (FTA) with India. There have been several MEPs who already expressed concerns about these talks in the past. Recently MEP Richard Falbr (S&D) asked the Commission in a written question if India is insisting to include Mode 4 in the FTA. Mode 4 is part of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). This would create a new way for temporary labour migrants coming from third countries as part of trade agreements instead of immigration policies. It could be argued that this would create a chance for migrants, yet they would not be protected by the International Labour Organisations conventions. Moreover Falbr is wondering if the talks between India en the EU are done in secrecy, and only made public after an agreement is reached. Read more »
12-01-2011 European Parliament annoyed by delay in GSP reform
The Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) is being discussed by the European Commission and the European Parliament, because the current scheme will end on 31st of December 2011. The Commission is preparing a new legislative proposal, however the policymaking process is expected to finish in the summer of 2012. In order to overcome this gap between the two agreements, the Commission proposed to extend the current GSP and GSP+ scheme. Read more »
25-11-2010 A coalition on Country-By-Country reporting between Greens and ALDE?
Tax evasion is a large threat to development, because Multinational Corporations (MNCs) are not adequately paying their taxes, which local governments could use to enhance developent. A solution for this problem would be the introduction of Country by Country (CBC) reporting, which would oblige EU listed companies to disclose their financial reports. This would make tax evasion more difficult. MEPs of both the Greens (Pascal Canfin, Sven Giegold, Eva Joly, and Philippe Lamberts) and ALDE (Sharon Bowles and Louis Michel) asked questions about CBC. Read more »
10-11-2010 The European Parliament on human rights and social and environmental standards in international trade agreements
Policy Coherence for Development strives for more coherence of European policies in order to have a positive impact on development. This means that while creating new policies, every Committee in the Parliament and every Directorate General within the Commission should pay attention to development. The International Trade Committee tried to achieve this goal by writing a report on human rights and social and environmental standards in international trade agreements. They attempted to point out what the most important provisions should be. It goes without saying that the Development Committee wrote an opinion about this topic. On behalf of his colleagues in this Committee, Filip Kaczmarek (EPP) pointed out what the most important standards are. Read more »
10-11-2010 EP recognises tax evasion as threat to development
On behalf of the Development Committee, MEP Eva Joly (Greens/EFA) wrote an own-initiative draft report on Tax and Development Cooperation with Developing Countries on Promoting Good Governance in Tax Matters. Fair Politics is pleased to see this report, since we are planning to launch our own policy case study on Fair Taxes soon. Read more »
11-10-2010 The VPAs with Cameroon and DRC, MEP Eva Joly gives her opinion
The European Commission is currently conducting negotiations on Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) with both Cameroon and the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade in timber and derived products to the European Union (FLEGT). On behalf of the Development Committee within the European Parliament, MEP Eva Joly (Greens/EFA) wrote two opinions on the reports written by the International Trade committee. Read more »
17-06-2010 EU Policy Coherence for MDGs
The parliamentary report by MEP Michael Cashman (S&D) on progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): mid-term review in preparation of the UN high-level meeting in September 2010 was adopted in Plenary on the 15th of June, 2010. In this report the DEVE Committee highlights that policy coherence for development (PCD) is one of the tools for making progress towards the MDGs. Read more »
07-06-2010 Debating the Future of the CAP
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is momentarily under review because it will be reformed in 2013. The Civil Society, Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament therefore try to get as much of their opinions on the matter heard. MEP George Lyon (ALDE) member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development was responsible for drafting up an own initiative report on the Future of the Common Agricultural Policy. Although his draft was well written with concerns for growing world population, food security, financial crisis, growing oil prices, climate change and unfair trade, it was hardly critical on the negative effect the CAP has had on developing countries and their agricultural sectors. Many amendments on the other hand give hope that the report will lead to more EU Policy Coherence for Development. Read more »
31-05-2010 MEPs Concerned about Unfair Migration Policies
At the heart of both migration and development are human beings who are entitled to human rights. The right to emigrate is a fundamental right embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. MEPs Helene Flautre (Greens/EFA) Ana Gomes (S&D) Rui Tavares (GUE/NGL) Gabriele Zimmer (GUE/NGL) and Sonia Alfano (ALDE) are concerned for the human rights of migrants that are violated by and in Europe. Read more »
31-05-2010 Bio-fuels vs. Food: Concerns by MEP Tremopoulos
Member of European Parliament (MEP) Michail Tremopoulos is concerned about the predicted steep increase in food prices. This increase, predicted in the UN FAO report, will be due to the increase in oil prices pushing up the costs of imports and due to the growing demand for bio-fuels. Bio-fuels have been proven to be a more sustainable source of energy, but does use a lot of land and water. Bio-fuel production replaces food production in developing countries and is not more environmentally sustainable. Read more »
27-04-2010 DEVE Submits Amendments on PCD Report
On the 26th of April the DEVE Committee came together to vote on the Amendments submitted by the different members of European Parliament (MEPs) to the Report on EU Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) and the 'Official Development Assistance plus (ODA+) Concept.' Although there were 120 amendments to the report that Franziska Keller drafted as rapporteur, most amendments concerned rephrasing and additional concrete examples of incoherence, making the report stronger. A long list of MEPs contributed to those improvement. Read more »
01-04-2010 MEP Joly concerned about Migration
The EU recognizes migration as one of the nine prime areas to act in order to combat poverty. It is also one of the five priorities to tackle when it comes to Policy Coherence for Development. Despite this promised focus, illegal migration and brain-drain are usually the subjects of efforts. We praise Eva Joly (Greens/EFA) for seeing the bigger picture and looking beyond brain-drain for problems in this area. Read more »
23-03-2010 The Parliament Discusses Climate Change
In the post-Copenhagen months the European Parliament heavily discussed the White Paper on Adapting to Climate Change: Towards a European Framework for Action by the European Commission. The Environment, Public Health and Food Security (ENVI) committee was responsible for reporting on the reactions of the parliament with opinions from the committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Fisheries, Legal Affairs, Regional Development and Transport and Tourism. Although developing countries are and will be the biggest victims of climate change and have been the least responsible for its causes, little attention was given to them in the process. Read more »
09-03-2010 MEPs Submit Amendments to INTA Opinion on PCD
On the 2nd of February the amendments on the INTA Draft Opinion on EU Policy Coherence for Development and the Official Development Assistance plus concept by Joe Higgins were due. On the 23rd of February, these amendments were voted on. All in all the amendments were a reflection of the never ending debate on neoliberalism and the international capitalist system within the committee on international trade; the EPP and the ECR versus the Greens and S&D. Some really good amendments were written, with references to incoherences that Fair Politics has also tackled like TRIPS and access to medicines, biofuels, agricultural subsidies, migration issues and partnership agreements with ACP countries. Despite this, some of these amendments were not adopted and amendments that were less progressive towards PCD, were. Read more »
01-03-2010 MEP Guerrero Salom Drafts Report on the Effects of the Financial Crisis
Developing countries are not the root or cause of the financial crisis, yet the effects of it have shown to be devastating for the poorer countries. It has become an economic, social, development and humanitarian crisis. Every field of activity has been effected. Unemployment levels have increased, there has been more migration and therefore brain drain, drop in prices of raw materials, decrease in development finance, greater debts and especially a drop in trade. The EU has increased its trade restrictions to protect its own market and has cut back on all development efforts. Within the Development Committee (DEVE) of the European Parliament, an own initiative report was taken up on this subject, with Enrique Guerrero Salom as rapporteur. Read more »
22-02-2010 Keller Presents her Own-Initiative Report on PCD
In the meeting of the Committee on Development of the European Parliament on the 22nd of February 2010, Franziska Keller, from the political group of the Green (Greens/EFA), presented her own-initiative report on Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) and the Official Development Assistance plus (ODA+) concept. For her efforts to enhance PCD, as presented in the draft report, Ska Keller is in the race to become the Fair Politician of the parliamentary year! Read more »
02-02-2010 ECON: Promoting Good Governance in Tax Matters
In February a Report on Promoting Good Governance in Tax Matters by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, was adopted. Improving tax governance is extremely important for development efforts. Tax revenue has proven to be the most predictable, sustainable and safe source of financing for development. Yet developing countries loose up to seven times the amount of the total development aid in illicit financial flows, tax evasion and avoidance. Leonardo Domenici (S&D), rapporteur of the report, introduces the sense of urgency to promote good governance in tax matters in his draft, but focuses on issues within the EU itself and fails to mention the effect of translucent banking and taxing systems have on developing countries. Read more »
27-01-2010 CFP in Review: Parliaments reactions to Commissions Green Paper
In January the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) adopted the report on the Green Paper on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). There are serious flaws in the current CFP, many of which concern the external relations (Fisheries Partnership Agreements, FPAs) and effects on third countries. The Commission recognizes these flaws and therefore published a Green Report on which reactions were welcomed, in preparation for the necessary reform of the CFP in 2012. The PECH Committee in the Parliament therefore reported their reaction and appointed Maria do Céu Partrao Neves as rapporteur. Read more »
18-12-2009 ACP-EU JPA Question by MEP Rivasi on Subsidies
Although not part of one of the Fair Politics case studies, Michele Rivasi (Greens/EFA) raises a legitimate question concerning milk export subsidies and the incoherence between the alleviation of poverty and the commercial interest that is causing poverty in African Countries. Read more »
18-12-2009 ACP-EU JPA Question by MEP Joly on Illicit Financial Flow
The EUs policies on tax has made the taxes incredibly difficult to follow and transparency is hardly in place. Multinational corporations find loop wholes to avoid taxes and secrecies of banks make tax evasion a possibility. Not only are taxes escaping the EU or its member states because of this, but also illicit financial flows from developing countries are a reality. Tax income for developing countries are extremely important for the development, especially in terms of social welfare, security and the protection of human rights in general. Read more »
14-12-2009 The Second Revision of the Cotonou Agreement
The Cotonou Agreement which was signed in June 2000, between the African, Carribean and Pacific (ACP) Countries (most of them former colonies of Europe) introduced some radical changes in the past ACP-EU cooperation. The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) were one of those changes. Within these partnership agreements there are incoherencies with the EU development policy that are harming the development process of third countries (see case study). Article 95 of the Agreements states that the agreements itself needs to be reviewed every five years. Therefore the European institutions, including the parliament have been giving their opinions on the matter. Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Eva Joly, chairwoman of the Development Committee (DEVE), was responsible for drafting the report titled "the second revision of the Partnership Agreement ACP-EU." Read more »
28-10-2009 Green concerns on logging and climate change
MEP Raul Romeva I Rueda (Verts/ALE) quotes a Greenpeace reports that states that the EU is in favour of financing the timber industry through its donations as a mechanism for climate change mitigation. Read more »
14-10-2009 Patent demands of EU also a farmers and Greens concern
MEP Carl Schlyter (Verts/ALE) has written a question to the Commission in which he explains the issues with patents on seeds and hybrid plants that can negatively affect biodiversity. They are also a direct concern to small farmers, such as in Latin America, that use and trade these (traditional) seeds and now face limited access in an increasingly monopolised seed market. Read more »
14-09-2009 The crisis does not only affect us...
While Europe is facing and trying to mitigate the consequences of the global financial and economic crisis, we tend to forget that there are many countries in the developing world that are much less responsible, yet much more vulnerable and affected by the crisis. On behalf of the Committee on Development, MEP Eva Joly, highlights this issue to the Commission in a question that was taken to the plenary session in Strassburg this week. Read more »
03-09-2009 EP Development Committee concerned about FPA with the Republic of Guinea
Last December, the European Commission and the Republic of Guinea agreed upon a Fisheries Partnership Agreement. This controversial agreement was made without any parliamentary consultation. Only now - about 9 months after the agreement was reached - the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament is producing a report under the consultation procedure, with possible input from the Development Committee. Fair Politics was very pleased to read the critical opinion drafted by the rapporteur new chairperson of the Development Committee in the Parliament Eva Joly (Greens - EFA). Read more »
05-08-2009 Greens concerned about Zimbabwean diamonds
Whereas Zimbabwe - like the EU - is party in the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) for rough diamonds that is to prevent trade in wrong diamonds, strong human rights violations in its diamond fields have been reported. Judith Sargentini (Greens/EFA) is asking the Commission whether they should not be pushing for suspension of Zimbabwe from the KCPS and/or halt trade in Zimbabwean diamonds in the EU. For raising this incoherent and unfair issue in her question, we hereby monitor Sargentini as Fair Politician. Read more »
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