PlenaryApril 02, 2009

Equal treatment of persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation

Speech by Kathalijne Buitenweg

"The result could have been even clearer. I am disappointed that after reaching hard-won compromises with the Christian Democrats, they nevertheless reneged on their agreement and voted against the report. "

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PlenaryMarch 12, 2009

EU must support Tibet dialogue

Speech by Raùl Romeva

Green MEP Raül Romeva said that while Tibetans have been consistently open to dialogue, the Chinese authorities have obsessively blocked and derailed all attempts for meaningful talks. He called on the EU to respect both parties, but to recognise the imbalance in positions and the oppression by Chinese authorities of the Tibetan culture and language.

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StatementMarch 16, 2009

Committee approves Buitenweg anti-discrimination report

Speech by Kathalijne Buitenweg

Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg expressed relief that the civil liberties committee adopted her report on extending anti-discrimination legal protection beyond the workplace. Currently discrimination grounds of age, religion, disability and sexual orientation are not covered for goods and services: a situation that the new legislation aims to remedy.

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Press ConferenceMarch 16, 2009

Press briefing Recovery plan

Speech by Rebecca Harms

Jahr für Jahr wurden im Parlament die selben Fehler gemacht: Die Erfolge der Lissabonresolution und die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung in der EU wurden unehrlich bilanziert. Kommission und Rat haben Probleme und auch die heraufziehende Krise ignoriert.

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Press ConferenceMarch 11, 2009

Press briefing

Speech by Daniel Cohn-Bendit

Greens/EFA Co-presidents Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Monica Frassoni outlined key issues for the Greens in their press briefing. They referred to their letters to Commission President Barroso and political group presidents about a conditional motion of censure for the Commission regarding its aggressive stance in favour of authorising GM crops.

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PlenaryMarch 11, 2009

The charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructure

Report: Saïd El Khadraoui

Speech by Eva Lichtenberger

It's time to make road pay for its real costs. Green MEP Eva Lichtenbeger welcomes long overdue legislation that provides for Member States to impose road charges for so-called "external costs" relating to pollution. She however regrets the lack of political will to support specific climate impact charges.

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PlenaryMarch 11, 2009

Lisbon Strategy

Speech by Rebecca Harms

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StatementMarch 03, 2009

New thought for Food - Food for Thought

The Science of Sustainable Agriculture: An Innovative Paradigm

Speech by Hammerstein David

Green MEP David Hammerstein explains how the "Food for thought" conference called for a shift away from the current model of mass produced food, which is bad for both the environment and employment. He welcomed that scientists in the agricultural field gave their thoughts on how EU policies can be altered to favour sustainable organic production.

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StatementMarch 05, 2009

GMOs

Speech by Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf

The decision by the EU environment ministers is good news for the environment, farmers and consumers. It is also a shot in the arm for the many regions in the EU that want to become GM free

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PlenaryFebruary 16, 2009

Joint Parliamentary Forum

Speech by Rebecca Harms

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StatementFebruary 19, 2009

Who wants to control the internet?

How the Medina report and the Telecom package can affect the internet

Speech by Eva Lichtenberger

While some companies dream of being able to manipulate access in order to restrict or give preference to certain services and websites, so as to block access to their competitors, this hearing aims at revealing what is really at stake behind the complexity of several European Directives up for consideration by the European Parliament in the coming weeks.

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StatementFebruary 11, 2009

Video statement on urbanisation

Speech by Margarete Auken

Excessive urbanisation on the Spanish coastline has not only caused environmental degradation, it has violated the property rights of small landowners. Margrete Auken responded to the call of over 15,000 petitioners, drafting a highly critical report that was approved by the European Parliament petitions committee, despite opposition by some Spanish MEPs.

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StatementFebruary 12, 2009

Video statement on patients' rights

Speech by Jean Lambert

UK Green MEP Jean Lambert sees the Commission proposal for cross-border healthcare as a confused piece of legislation. Greens will fight to reduce the scope of the proposal so that it does not overstep into issues relating to healthcare providers and workers. The main challenge will however be to balance Member States' aims to run adequate health systems and patients rights to travel for treatment, especially since there is a risk money will move from the public to the private sector.

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PlenaryFebruary 11, 2009

Joint debate Guantanamo/CIA

Speech by Kathalijne Buitenweg

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PlenaryFebruary 11, 2009

Feed for animals

Speech by Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf

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PlenaryFebruary 10, 2009

Second Strategic Energy Review

Laperrouze report

Speech by Rebecca Harms

Green MEP Rebecca Harms has criticised the Second Strategic Energy Review, warning that an EU strategy based on nuclear energy and fossil fuels will lead to a dead-end. Greens will continue to press for a strategy to reduce the EU's dependence on oil and support more efficient use of gas.

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StatementJanuary 29, 2009

Seasonal workers' rights

Speech by Jean Lambert

Jean Lambert MEP comments on a Greens/EFA co-hosted conference which has exposed appalling conditions faced by some seasonal workers in Europe. Workers are not only denied their rights - there have even been cases of unexplained and uninvestigated disappearances of workers in southern Italy. Upcoming legislation appears set to be inadequate to tackle these problems.

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StatementJanuary 27, 2009

Sound Copyright: New approaches are needed

Which way for the EU?

Speech by Helga Trüpel

Helga Trüpel, a Green MEP and member of the EP Culture committee, reports from a Greens seminar on sound copyright. In a digital age, she emphasises that an extension of copyright from 50 to 95 years fails to benefit artists. New approaches are needed.

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PlenaryJanuary 27, 2009

Sound Copyright: Copyright should have its limits

Speech by Hammerstein David

Spanish MEP David Hammerstein highlights the fact that the money raised from extending sound copyright would go to fill the pockets four giant music companies, not the artists. Copyright should have its limits, he concludes.

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StatementJanuary 22, 2009

Improving EU energy security after the gas crisis

Speech by Claude Turmes

In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute and its repercussions on the EU, Green MEP Claude Turmes explains how poorly prepared some European countries were and what the EU needs to do to improve its energy security in future. In particular, he calls on the European Commission to propose a revision to the gas security directive, for more investment in energy efficiency and accelerated action on expanding use of renewable energy.

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StatementJanuary 26, 2009

Follow-up on census of Roma people in Italy

Speech by Els de Groen

Green MEP Els De Groen was a member of the European Parliament delegation to Italy in 2008, which looked into the census of Roma people including fingerprinting. She explains some of the technicalities of civil liberties committee voting on this issue and exposes some of the discriminatory aspects of this action.

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PlenaryJanuary 14, 2009

Conflict in the Gaza Strip

Speech by Daniel Cohn-Bendit

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PlenaryJanuary 14, 2009

Emergency action plans to ensure gas solidarity

Speech by Rebecca Harms

Rebecca Harms has called for Europe to set up emergency action plans to ensure gas solidarity between EU countries in order to be better prepared for situations such as the current dispute. She has strongly criticised Slovakia for using the gas crisis as a pretext to restart an unsafe, Soviet-era nuclear reactor. This is unnecessary for its electricity needs and a flagrant violation of its EU accession agreement.

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PlenaryJanuary 14, 2009

Council Statement

Presentation of the Czech Presidency 's programme

Speech by Monica Frassoni

Monica Frassoni responded to the Czech EU Presidency's presentation of their programme by criticising their outdated, neoliberal vision of business and markets. She called for reinforced social policies, the 20% 2020 energy savings target to be made binding and for the Czech Republic to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.

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PlenaryJanuary 13, 2009

Biometrics in travel documents

Coehlo report

Speech by Tatjana Ždanoka

The European Parliament votes in Strasbourg on rules for biometric data in travel documents. The Greens/EFA Group have opposed compulsory biometric information for children under the age of 12. Latvian MEP Tatjana Ždanoka comments on the report.

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PlenaryJanuary 14, 2009

Chemical ban

Carl Schlyter report

Speech by Carl Schlyter

Swedish Green MEP Carl Schlyter comments on his report regarding a ban on diochloromethane, a highly toxic and carcinogenic substance used in certain paintstrippers.

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Press ConferenceJanuary 13, 2009

Press briefing pesticides

Speech by Hiltrud Breyer

On 13 January 2009, the European Parliament voted in favour of new rules for the authorisation of pesticides in the EU. Commenting on the decision, German Green MEP Hiltrud Breyer, who was the European Parliament draftswoman for the regulation, said: "The decision to phase out highly hazardous pesticides sets a new milestone for environment and health protection."

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PlenaryJanuary 12, 2009

Outlawing dangerous pesticides

Strasbourg plenary

Speech by Hiltrud Breyer

Hiltrud Breyer is a German Green MEP and draftswoman of the European Parliament report on authorisation of pesticides. She hails the agreement, to be voted by the EP on 13 January, as a milestone in consumer and environmental protection. The pesticides legislation will not allow renewal of authorisation for pesticides that are harmful to health, specifically that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction or endocrine-disrupting.

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EventDecember 18, 2008

Working time demonstration

Speech by

On 16 December 2008, thousands of workers took part in a demonstration regarding the Working Time Directive. The day after, the European Parliament voted to keep the maximum average weekly working time to 48 hours.

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StatementDecember 19, 2008

Toy directive

Statement

Speech by Hiltrud Breyer

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PlenaryDecember 16, 2008

French Presidency concludes

Speech by Daniel Cohn-Bendit

Daniel Cohn-Bendit challenges Nicolas Sarkozy on an energetic, but inconsistent French presidency of the EU which ends on 31 December.

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PlenaryDecember 16, 2008

Organisation of working time

Speech by Jean Lambert

Jean Lambert defends working time rules allowing an average 48 hour week permit that flexible working arrangements, while protecting the health and safety of workers. The European Parliament subsequently voted in favour of phasing out opt-outs on the legislation.

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PlenaryDecember 16, 2008

Toy directive

Speech by Heide Rühle

Green MEP Heide Rühle speaks on a directive aimed at imporiving toy sfaety standards in Europe. She opposed the rushed fast-tracking of this vote.

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PlenaryDecember 16, 2008

Energy produced from renewable sources

Speech by Claude Turmes

Claude Turmes, rapporeur on the renewables directive, looks forward to renewables legislation that will give a massive boost to this clean energy.

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PlenaryDecember 04, 2008

Arms export: Calling for a binding code of conduct

Speech by Raùl Romeva

Raül Romeva speaks regarding the European Parliament resolution in favour of a binding code of conduct for EU arms exports. Council later adopted this position.

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PlenaryDecember 04, 2008

EU needs real strategy to improve situation of Roma

Speech by Daniel Cohn-Bendit

The Greens/EFA Group co-president says that EU policy is tokenistic while the Roma minority continue to be marginalised in most societies in Europe. He calls for the EU to create an official statute for the Roma minority and a detailed strategy to imporve their situation. The framework must be developed together with organisations representing the Roma themselves, not a top-down paternalistic approach from the EU.

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