GUE/NGL (European United Left/Nordic Green Left)

11-01-2012 Predatory land deals questioned by MEP Matias

Following a recent report from Oxfam on 'Land and power: The growing scandal surrounding the new wave of investment in land', MEP Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL) has made inquiries to the Commissions actions to fight land grabbing. Read more »

28-11-2011 Privatisation of water resources incoherent with MDGs according to MEP Mélenchon

Under the pressure of the World Bank, the IMF and the European Commission, there has been a world wide increase of privatising water recourses. The aim was to encourage sustainable development, mainly in developing countries, and to have the costs increasingly covered. However, as a consequence the prices of safe water access have risen, since water has been turned from a public good into a commodity in countries where water resources have been privatized. Due to this, many people in developing countries have decreased or no access to safe drinking water. Read more »

28-11-2011 EUs policy on biofuels questioned by MEPs

On behalf of the DEVE committee, Michèle Striffler (EPP) posed a question to the Commission on the EU biomass policy and its impact on development. Referring to the targets for renewable energy that the EU has set to have by 2020 a 20% share of energy from renewable sources in the EU final consumption of energy and a 10 % share of energy from renewable sources in each Member States transport energy consumption, she expresses her concerns on the possible negative environmental impacts of these targets, like deforestation. She therefore asks the Commissions what measures will be taken to ensure sustainable biomass production, to protect forests and to prevent negative climate, environmental and social impacts from the use and production of biomass for energy. Read more »

10-10-2011 MEP Meyer calls subsidies and incentives for biofuels into question

In 2009, the European Parliament and Council adopted a renewable energy directive (RED). This directive states that 10% of transport fuel used in the EU should come from biofuels by 2020, which comes down to a doubling of the current biofuels consumption. By setting this target, the EU encourages the growing of crops for conversion to biofuels. Consequently, this means there is less land to grow crops for human consumption, leading to a reduction in food production. This in turn causes a rise of food prices as well as a rise of the number of people going hungry. 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 »

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 »

24-02-2011 MEP Marisa Matias questions biofuels

Biofuels are on the agenda of many MEPs, luckily, because many questions are to be asked on the effects for developing countries. As one of the largest economies, the EU plays a key role in stimulating the use of alternatives to fossil fuel.  Biofuels were thought to combat the climate change due to CO2 reduction. The production of biofuels are thus highly subsidized and benefit from tax exemption. Fair Politics questions the coherence between the Renewables Directive promoting biofuel production on one hand and the development objectives by the EU on the other hand. Read more »

24-02-2011 MEP Ferreira questions commission on IUU

To combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing more transapancy is needed. Lack of transparancy undermines the quality of descision making processes, it stiffles political voice among marginalized stakeholders and it contributes to the problem of corruption and illegal fishing. As the fisheries sector could have a significant role in combating poverty as described by the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) it is very important to combat IUU. Currently, the PECH committee in the European Parliament is working on a report on combating IUU fishing all over the world. 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 »

12-01-2011 ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly calls for PCD

Between November 30th and December 4th Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) met with parliamentarians form African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Resolutions on free and independent media, on technology transfer, new technologies and technical capacity building with regard to climate change, on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on food security, and on the security problem in the Sahel-Saharan region were adopted in the 20th session. Read more »

12-01-2011 Biofuels under attack from MEPs

A decade ago, biofuels were seen as the answer to scarce and polluting fossil fuel sources. The European Union (EU) jumped on board of this idea, aiming at a 10% share of renewable energies in transport fuels by 2020. Biofuels were to provide at least half of the share, and therefore the EU provided subsidises to increase production. However it soon became clear that the benefits of biofuels were smaller than the damage it was causing. In general, biofuels are not sustainable since they do not produce less CO2 than fossil fuels. In November 2010 the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) published a report about this, called Anticipated Indirect Land Use Change Associated with Expanded Use of Biofuels and Bioliquids in the EU An Analysis of the National Renewable Energy Action Plans. 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

26-05-2010 MEPs bring IPR to the Attention of the Commission this Spring

Thijs Berman (S&D), Maria Eleni Koppa (S&D), Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL) and Joao Ferreira (GUE/NGL) all separately asked parliamentary questions concerning Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and access to affordable medicines. Read more »

07-05-2010 MEP Meyer concerned with Spains Arms Export

According the Willy Meyers (GUE/NGL) sources, Spain is one of the leading arms-and heavy weaponry exporting countries in the world and the main purchasers include the United States, Israel and developing countries. This is problematic and incoherent with EU policy on different levels and therefore Meyer is right in raising his concerns on the matter. 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 »

27-01-2010 A Special Day for PCD: INTA Draft Opinion

In the meeting of the European Parliaments Committee on International Trade (INTA) that took place Wednesday the 27th of January 2010, Policy Coherence for Development  was on the Agenda. This was without a doubt a special occasion for Fair Politics, because the INTA Committee had never discussed the subject this seriously before. Read more »