Greens/EFA
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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