Ahead of the upcoming European Council meeting, to be held on 14-15 December, FoodDrinkEurope and the UK Food and Drink Federation would like to welcome the progress, the momentum it creates, and the positive tone that has been achieved in the negotiations that pave the way for Brexit talks to now proceed to stage two. We would encourage members of the European Council to follow the recommendation from the European Commission that there has been “sufficient progress” to now proceed to the next phase of negotiations.

The food and drink industry on both sides of the Channel now calls on policy makers for swift progress on both future trade relations and the transition period to generate more certainty, as negotiations enter the next phase. This means keeping the 'status quo' for as long as necessary, allowing existing trade and customs arrangements to continue largely unchanged until a new trade agreement enters into force.

As the organisations representing the leading manufacturing sector in the EU, FoodDrinkEurope and the UK Food and Drink Federation will be looking forward to contributing further to the negotiations, as well as examining the areas which will need clarification in this next phase.

Note to the editors:
FoodDrinkEurope is the organisation of Europe’s food and drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector and leading employer in the EU and a key contributor to its economy (289 000 companies, 99% SMEs, 4.2 million employees).
www.fooddrinkeurope.eu 

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector. For more information about FDF and the industry we represent visit: www.fdf.org.uk 

Press contacts:
FoodDrinkEurope
Florence Ranson, Director of Communications
f.ranson@fooddrinkeurope.eu – Tel: +32 2508 1028

FDF
Ted Woodward, Media and Campaigns Manager
ted.woodward@fdf.org.uk – Tel: +44 20 7420 7140

Brussels, 13 December 2017

The European Parliament today backed two reports on the Common Security and Defence Policy and on the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Following the positive vote in the plenary, S&D vice-president Victor Boştinaru MEP said:
 
“A strong co-operation in the context of the CFSP/CSDP is the best answer to the complex internal and external security challenges the Union is facing today and to the expectations of our citizens, partners and allies. The report welcomes the important progress made in the past years towards the building of a credible European defence, including the European Defence Fund and the recent establishment of an inclusive and ambitious Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Meanwhile, our strategic and complementary partnership with NATO remains essential.
 
“A credible enlargement strategy for the Western Balkans remains crucial for the security and stability of the Union and is a key priority for the S&D’s, and therefore has been clearly stated in both reports. Thus we emphasised the necessity for all candidate countries to align themselves with the foreign and security policy of the EU and encourage the opening of chapter 31 for all Western Balkans countries as soon as possible."

S&D Group shadow rapporteur on the Common Security and Defence Policy, Croatian MEP Tonino Picula, said:
 
“Thanks to a few initiatives and achievements during this year, such as PESCO, Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is becoming more and more extensive. It is not about militarisation of a European project or creating a common army, it is about meeting the expectations of more than two thirds of our citizens who prioritize security as a priority. We have been duplicating our actions for too long and spending resources in an uncoordinated manner.
 
“I also want to take this opportunity and stress the importance of continuing the credible enlargement process as the best security guarantor on the southeast borders of the Union, but as well within the EU.”

Knut Fleckenstein MEP, S&D spokesperson for foreign affairs, stated:
 
“The annual report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy puts the essence of the foreign policy in a nutshell: it’s a question of a combination of effective multilateralism, joint soft power and credible hard power. That is exactly what is at stake here. The combination of soft power and hard power. Europe can be proud of its soft power. In future, we need to continue to develop both: soft power and hard power.
 
“In these times of uncertainty, we cannot rely on the US alone. We have to take security within Europe and our neighbourhood into our own hands. That is not only fair to the US but also necessary as it seems that the US is currently developing from a security guarantor to a security risk.”

MEPs INVOLVED

BOŞTINARU Victor

victor.bostinaru@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 58 32

+33 3 88 17 58 32

http://victorbostinaru.ro

PICULA Tonino

tonino.picula@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45948

+33(0)3 88 1 75948

http://www.toninopicula.com/hr/

FLECKENSTEIN Knut

knut.fleckenstein@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 55 48

+33 3 88 17 55 48

http://www.knut-fleckenstein.eu/home.html

S&D PRESS CONTACT

KOMODROMOS, Dimitris

dimitris.komodromos@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 17 46 98

+32 2 283 14 59

Strasbourg, 13 December 2017

S&D MEPs have called for Bulgaria and Romania to be admitted to the Schengen passport-free area as soon as possible. They also insisted that Croatia should join as soon as it meets the technical criteria for doing so. The call came during a debate requested by the S&D Group in the European Parliament on strengthening the Schengen area.

S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:
 
“We called for a debate today to make clear our commitment to enlarging Schengen to include Bulgaria, Romania and, as soon as they meet the relevant criteria, Croatia. Contrary to other groups, we have always been in favour of enlarging the Schengen area rather than supporting discriminatory half-way measures. The Commission and member states have made commitments on this and they must now respect them.
 
"Romania and Bulgaria are ready to join and we will continue to press member states to stop blocking their accession. We wrote to President Tusk to urge him to act on this, but so far his response has been vague and elusive. We cannot accept this. President Tusk and the Council must stop postponing matters due to selfish national interests and let Romania and Bulgaria join immediately. Europe must stand by its promises.
 
"The Schengen area is the largest free travel area in the world and one of the biggest achievements of the European Union. It makes citizens’ lives easier, boosts our economies and enhances mutual trust and security cooperation between its members.  
 
“Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia are already successfully protecting the EU’s South Eastern borders. Their entry into Schengen could boost Europe’s economy by facilitating easier access to some of Europe’s biggest southern freight ports. This would be an important achievement for a stronger and more prosperous EU and a good counterbalance to national populism.”

MEPs INVOLVED

PITTELLA Gianni

gianni.pittella@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 51 59

+33 3 88 17 51 59

http://www.giannipittella.eu/

S&D PRESS CONTACT

ALLAN, Tim

tim.allan@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 283 41 82

Strasbourg, 13 December 2017

In the aftermath of the Social Summit which took place in Gothenburg on November 17, where EU leaders endorsed the Proclamation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Parliament asked the European Commission and Council to participate in a plenary debate in order to explain how they will proceed with the implementation of the Social Pillar.

The Socialists and Democrats have for many years campaigned for a Social Pillar and put pressure on the Juncker Commission to build a fairer Europe and strengthen the social dimension of the European Union. S&D Euro MPs welcomed the declaration in Gothenburg, but insist that the Commission and EU leaders now follow-up on their commitment and deliver concrete solutions for their citizens.

S&D Group vice-president and European Parliament’s rapporteur on the European Pillar of Social Rights, Maria João Rodrigues MEP, said:

“To deliver on the promises made, we call for a Social Action Plan, outlining clear measures and tools for each of the Pillar’s twenty principles. To combat precarious work, the Social Action Plan must include a full revision of the Written Statement Directive and updated social legislation. All workers, no matter what type of job they have, should be guaranteed two basic rights: a clear and decent labour contract and full access to social protection through their life.

“We need new legislation in order to enforce more ambitious social and labour standards. But it is not enough: we must continue the efforts to redirect economic policies towards more investment and job creation, backed by proper financial means. This is why we need to use the Social Pillar to make the European Semester a process to upward social and economic convergence to be supported by stronger financial instruments in the public budget at national, European and Eurozone levels.”

Agnes Jongerius MEP, S&D spokesperson on employment, added:

“The proclamation of the Social Pillar must be the beginning of better protection for working people who suffer from the ongoing race-to-the-bottom between European countries trying to attract multinationals by cutting taxes and reducing the protection of workers. The EU is still working too much in favour of the economy instead of working for the people. This has to change. The Social Pillar must now be translated into concrete measures to make it work and deliver for citizens.

“The most striking gap in the Pillar is the lack of a Child Guarantee, which would help protect millions of children living in poverty. We will continue to push for our proposal of a Child Guarantee to ensure that all children in Europe have the right to free quality education, childcare and health care, as well as good food and housing.

“We will continue to fight until all European citizens have good working conditions and a decent wage. I will hold Juncker to his promise to make Europe a good place for all workers.”

MEPs INVOLVED

RODRIGUES Maria João

mariajoao.rodrigues@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 58 63

+33 3 88 17 58 63

http://www.mariajoaorodrigues.eu/UK/

JONGERIUS Agnes

agnes.jongerius@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45699

+33(0)3 88 1 75699

https://agnesjongerius.pvda.nl/

S&D PRESS CONTACT

PELZ, Silvia

silvia.pelz@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 17 81 64

+32 2 284 87 12

Strasbourg, 13 December 2017

After 18 months of investigation, hearings and fact-finding missions on the Panama Papers, the European Parliament today has presented over 200 strong concrete recommendations to fight international tax avoidance, tax fraud and money laundering. They include many progressive proposals such as to abandon the unanimity rule decisions in tax matters and the introduction of sanctions for those dealing with tax havens. The Socialists and Democrats regret however that their proposals to draw up a list of EU tax havens in the EU similar to the list approved by the EU finance ministers for third countries, and to introduce a minimum effective corporate tax rate, did not go through due to the opposition of right wing MEPs.

S&D Group vice-president and co-author of the Panama Papers’ inquiry committee report, Jeppe Kofod said:
 
“The Panama Papers revealed that a global corrupted elite of politicians, celebrities and big businesses can put themselves above any tax laws. A lot of these people have used tax advisers to avoid paying tax, hide money or to partake in money laundering and other criminal activities.
 
“This is fundamentally detrimental to our democracy and to the trust of the people. We need to act on behalf of our citizens to clean up the mess that we have seen with the Panama Papers. Our conclusions are clear. The EU legislation on anti-money laundering has not been properly implemented by member states, or enforced by the European Commission. Moreover, The EU is caught in a sick race to the bottom on taxation and lack of implementation of our own EU legislation.
 
“We need to see more tax transparency and end secrecy and tax havens. The Council of finance ministers must open up their closed and secretive working groups. They should be held accountable for their actions - and lack thereof - to the people. Countries blocking tax progress must be named and shamed. Tax advisers must face real sanctions if engaged in illegal activities.
“Now is the time to act.  We want an end to the tax race to the bottom in the EU. This Parliament is however split on the means to achieve progress in tax policy. For instance, the proposal to introduce a minimum effective corporate tax rate was lost as a result of a very tight vote.”

S&D Group spokesperson on the Panama Papers inquiry committee, Peter Simon MEP, added:
 
“Our work shows that the list of shortcomings is long and includes issues such as the insufficient co-operation between EU member states, chronic underfunding and the lack of human resources of the supervisory authorities, as well as deficient implementation and application of laws and sanctions. These shortcomings have to be eliminated as soon as possible.
 
“The final report is only a snapshot of today’s situation and new cases and developments in money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance are constantly arising. These cases should also be properly investigated. Therefore, we welcome that the other groups also share our call for a special committee on the Paradise Papers and, in the long run, for a permanent structure which would allow for continuing investigations and keeping up the pressure on member states.”

Main S&D recommendations:
 

• public country-by-country reporting (CBCR) as transparency is a key element to fight tax avoidance and ensure responsibility and accountability from multinational companies
• a full Common Corporate Consolidated Tax Base (CCCTB) to ensure that profits are taxed where the economic value is created
• to end the unanimity principle, which blocked many tax reforms in the EU and the use of ordinary legislative procedure via the utilisation of Article 116 (Lisbon Treaty) or clause passerelle
• an EU list of tax havens with strong and deterrent sanctions
• a reform of the Code of Conduct Group to ensure transparency and efficient scrutiny of EU MSs tax policies
• stronger regulation of intermediaries, including the withdrawal of business licences if a company or a law firm is proved to be involved in tax evasion, tax avoidance or money laundering
• protection of whistle-blowers and investigative journalists
• public registers of beneficial owners
• stronger anti-tax avoidance rules - including a switch over clause
• strengthened international co-operation via a global summit and a UN tax body
• a swift implementation of the common VAT system since 50 billion euros are lost each year in taxes due to cross border fraud

Watch S&D's video Panama Papers | Our Story on YouTube.

MEPs INVOLVED

KOFOD Jeppe

jeppe.kofod@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45463

+33(0)3 88 1 75463

http://www.socialdemokraterne.dk/default.aspx?site=jeppekofod

SIMON Peter

peter.simon@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45558

+33(0)3 88 1 75558

http://www.peter-simon.eu

S&D PRESS CONTACT

HÉLIN-VILLES, Solange

solange.helin@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 17 47 79

+32 2 283 21 47

Mountain View, California & Brussels, Belgium – December 13 2017– Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions, and the World Employment Confederation (W.E.C.), the authoritative voice of the employment industry, have today announced a global alliance.

The new alliance brings together key data and insights from across the workforce solutions ecosystem and extends engagement with stakeholders and labor markets worldwide through the advancement of thought leadership. The combined scope of activities, initiatives, events, advocacy and research covered by the partnership allows both organizations to broaden and deepen their global reach and  deliver additional benefits to their members.

“The World Employment Confederation looks forward to building and strengthening this mutually beneficial partnership. SIA’s insights and research combined with the W.E.C.’s policy work reflects our complementarity in research and advocacy respectively”, says Denis Pennel, Managing Director of the World Employment Confederation. “As the global voice of labour market enablers that represents the interests of the employment industry vis-à-vis international policy makers, I believe this collaboration will help develop a better understanding of the reality of our industry and gain recognition for is positive contribution to better functioning labour markets.”

The alliance calls for an ongoing exchange of ideas, knowledge and activities to collectively address current and future challenges and opportunities in the continually dynamic and evolving world of work.

“The positive role the World Employment Confederation plays in facilitating work, adaptation, security and prosperity is vital to our industry, as well as for businesses and economies at large,” said Barry Asin, President of SIA. “I am very pleased to welcome the World Employment Confederation as a collaborative and innovative partner, and look forward to working closely together to deliver greater levels of insight to the global workforce solutions ecosystem.”

About the World Employment Confederation
The World Employment Confederation is the voice of the employment industry at global level, representing labour market enablers in 50 countries and 7 of the largest international workforce solutions companies.

The World Employment Confederation brings unique access to and engagement with international policymakers (ILO, OECD, World Bank, IMF, IOM, EU) and stakeholders (trade unions, academic world, think tanks, NGOs). It is striving for recognition and for the positive economic and social role played by the employment industry in enabling work, adaptation, security and prosperity. Its members provide access to the labour market and meaningful work for more than 50 million people around the world and service to around 5 million organisations on an annual basis. Members of the World Employment Confederation cover a wide range of HR services, including agency work, direct recruitment, career management, RPO and MSP.

Media Contact
Sotiris Gassialis, Communications Manager, World Employment Confederation
sotiris.gassialis@wecglobal.org | +32 2 421 15 87 | www.wecglobal.org

About Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)
SIA is the Global Advisor on Staffing and Workforce Solutions
Elevating the Workforce Solutions Ecosystem
Founded in 1989, SIA is the global advisor on staffing and workforce solutions. Our proprietary research covers all categories of employed and non-employed work including temporary staffing, independent contracting and other types of contingent labor. SIA’s independent and objective analysis provides insights into the services and suppliers operating in the workforce solutions ecosystem including staffing firms, managed service providers, recruitment process outsourcers, payrolling/compliance firms and talent acquisition technology specialists such as vendor management systems, online staffing platforms, crowdsourcing and online work services. We also provide training and accreditation with our unique Certified Contingent Workforce Professional (CCWP) program.

Known for our award-winning content, data, support tools, publications, executive conferences and events, we help both suppliers and buyers of workforce solutions make better-informed decisions that improve business results and minimize risk. As a division of the international business media company, Crain Communications Inc., SIA is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in London, England.

Media Contact
Jennifer Arcuni, Communications Director, Staffing Industry Analysts
jarcuni@staffingindustry.com | +1 650-390-6171 | www.staffingindustry.com

The associations representing the European and British life science industry (AESGP, ABPI, BGMA, BIA, EBE, EFPIA, EUCOPE, EuropaBio, Medicines for Europe, PAGB, Vaccines Europe) have today launched a joint policy document on the potential impact of the United Kingdom’s exit the European Union.

Today, organisations representing the life science industry in the EU and the UK have called for medicines to be a priority in phase 2 of the Article 50 negotiations.

Setting out their priorities in advance of the European Council taking place on 14-15^th December in Brussels, the sector has sent a clear message that the regulation, trade and supply of medicines must be a priority for the second phase of negotiations. 

Whilst being encouraged by the breakthrough in phase 1 of the negotiations so that the second phase can now begin, the sector states that focusing on the framework for transitional arrangements and future relations with the UK must be a priority for negotiators.

The organisations are of the opinion that the agreement of transitional arrangements after March 2019 will be critical in ensuring there is minimal disruption to patients receiving medicines after the UK leaves the EU.  Such a period will be essential in allowing companies to make the necessary changes to marketing authorisations and to their supply chains and ensure patients experience no disruption to their access to medicines. As such, negotiators should include access to medicines and the implications of Brexit for patients across the EU in the second phase of negotiations and be agreed in both the future agreement and in transitional arrangements. 

The publication of this joint policy paper shows that the integrated nature of the supply chains for medicines across Europe, alongside a shared regulatory framework, means that patients in both the UK and EU need an early agreement on the future of medicines in phase 2 of the negotiations.

Among several key priorities, the joint paper sets out the following:

• Patient access to medicines must be a primary consideration for phase two of the Article 50 negotiations.
• Close cooperation in the regulation of medicines, including mutual recognition of regulatory activities and quality testing, is essential in ensuring that patients in the EU and the UK can continue to access medicines.
• Trade between the UK and EU will ensure that medicines are able to continue to move between both regions, ensuring that both UK and EU patients can continue to access medicines.

Provided the UK remains in the single market or in a new legal arrangement with the EU based on consistency of regulatory frameworks, the EU and the UK IP systems should remain aligned in order to avoid uncertainties for industry.

Hubertus Cranz, Director General, Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP), stated:

“Self-care products are often the first choice when European citizens face a health issue. Phase two of the Brexit negotiations should make sure that the availability of non-prescription medicines and self-care medical devices is not put in danger. This requires an open minded, pragmatic approach concerning the transitional arrangements, but also for the long-term relationship between the UK and the future EU27. Concrete proposals have now been put on the table and we are confident that they will make a constructive contribution to the further negotiation process. The current EU regulatory network should be kept intact as much and as long as possible to avoid disruption to the supply of all kind of self-care products.” 

Mike Thompson, CEO, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) said:

“As we look forward to confirmation of sufficient progress between the UK and the EU in Brexit talks, securing the best possible deal in phase two of the negotiations is now our focus.

“In phase two it is crucial that the regulation and supply of medicines for UK and EU patients is prioritised. A cooperation agreement between the UK and the EU on medicines is the best way to ensure that there is no disruption to 500 million patients receiving the medicines that they need.

“This agreement, alongside a single-step fixed-term transition period that allows companies to make any necessary changes to the supply chain, will be critical. Protecting public health in the UK and Europe must be a priority.”

Warwick Smith, Director General of the British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) and the British Biosimilars Association (BBA), said:

“We welcome the progress in Brexit talks but urge that in the second stage clarity is prioritised for the pharmaceutical sector. We have consistently stated that the existence of a single European regulatory system for medicines has generated considerable benefits for patients, the NHS and the industry. Both sides in the Brexit negotiations must find a way of maintaining these benefits in the interests of their citizens.”

Steve Bates, CEO, UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), said:

“The complex issues surrounding medicines regulation and supply chain need to be front and centre in the second phase of talks and industry needs a realistic transition period to ensure that the supply of lifesaving and life extending medicines to patients in the UK and across Europe is not affected. The life sciences industry stands ready to lend its expertise to the negotiating teams to ensure that there is no negative impact on public health and health security due to Brexit.”

Nathalie Moll, Director General, European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) said:

“The joint agreement announced last week between President Juncker and Prime Minister Theresa May provided a welcome breakthrough towards phase 2 of the negotiations.  It is critical that this is confirmed by the European Council, and discussions move on as soon as possible to agreeing cooperation between the UK and the EU on the regulation, trade and supply of medicines.  Health security must be a priority in this next stage of negotiations, alongside securing a transition period beyond March 2019.  This is critical for patients in the UK and Europe.” 

Alexander Natz, Secretary General, European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE)

“Small and mid-sized companies are an indispensable factor for innovation in the healthcare and life sciences sector, and are catalysts of growth and competitiveness in Europe. To ensure that Europe and its patients continue to benefit from this, it is imperative that their capacity to operate is protected through the Brexit negotiations by minimising uncertainty and ensuring as much continuity as possible in the regulatory process between EU-27 and the UK.”

John Brennan, Secretary General, European Association for Bioindustries (EuropaBio), said:

“The simple facts are these: Many, many, European medicine approvals and European medicinal supply lines run through London and the UK. No matter how fast the Biotech industry and European drug approval authorities work together, we cannot succeed in adapting all drug approvals and all drug supply lines in time and by the 29th March. So the question to the negotiators is this: Do you want to prioritise medicines and allow an adequate transition, or do you want to risk interruption in the supply of life saving medicines to EU and UK patients?”

Adrian van den Hoven, Director General, Medicines for Europe said:

“We warmly welcome the important developments being achieved in the Brexit negotiating process. The recent compromise on the three key issues of phase one of the talks paves the way for discussions on the technical aspects of the future agreement, including public health.

In this regard, patient access to medicines should be of primary concern for negotiators as phase two of the talks begins. This encompasses a wide range of activities, including facilitating workable trade and customs mechanisms to ensure continued circulation of medicines between the UK and future EU27, as well as legal and regulatory provisions which enable companies to continue to supply European and British patients. This is particularly pertinent for the generic, biosimilar and value added medicines industry, which currently supplies the majority of medicines to patients in the European region.”  

John Smith, Chief Executive, Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), comments:

“PAGB also welcomes that both parties have agreed the principles that goods on the market before withdrawal can continue to freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need for product modifications or re-labelling. Thereafter, PAGB believes it is vital that appropriate mutual recognition agreements are put in place to allow over-the-counter and self-care products manufactured in the UK to continue to be exported to the EU and vice versa.”

For more information please contact Giuliana Pennisi

gpennisi@medicinesforeurope.com

Strasbourg, 14 December 2017

The transport sector is responsible for almost a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. This is why the European Union must make an irreversible shift to a low-emission mobility if we want to seriously reverse climate change and comply with the UN Paris Climate Agreement.

Today, we defeated the conservatives in the European Parliament in a vote which calls for an ambitious strategy to achieve a low-emission mobility based on three pillars: improving efficiency of the transport system, scaling up the use of alternative energy and moving towards zero-emission vehicles. 

S&D spokesperson on transport, Ismail Ertug MEP, said:

“Changing our transport system is crucial to move towards a sustainable economic and social model. It is feasible, but it requires a long-term strategy, with specific incentives and new legislation.

“One of the overall goals is to encourage a behavioural change in the use of transport, which must be accompanied by less pollutant options. Therefore, alternative fuel infrastructure must be deployed: hydrogen, natural gas, and also improving accessibility to charging if we want electric cars to be an option for drivers.

S&D spokesperson on this file, Karoline Graswander-Hainz MEP, said:

“We believe that two principles should apply in any upcoming legislation: the polluter pays and the user pays. It is only fair that the price for any choice of mobility reflects the consequential cost it entails for society and our environment. In short, this report calls once more for a level playing field for different transport modes. As socialists we emphasise that a well-functioning and affordable public transport system must become a cornerstone of sustainable transport accessible to everyone.

“Technology and innovation provide for alternatives of which the EU and its citizens can benefit: digitalization in sustainable mobility and intelligent transport systems are only two examples.

“Lastly, we want a more ambitious proposal for the combined transport directive to promote efficient freight transport and a shift towards rail and inland waterways: the report re-instates the importance of modal shift goals referring to ambitions already formulated in the Commission's transport white paper of 2011 and Parliament's respective resolution of 2015.”
"We see how cities are struggling with pollution and traffic, and it is clear that more needs to be done to promote clean public transport. We must encourage innovation to support them and also contribute to a clean air strategy in their mobility plans.”

MEPs INVOLVED

ERTUG Ismail

ismail.ertug@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 55 47

+33 3 88 17 55 47

http://www.ertug.eu/

Karoline GRASWANDER-HAINZ

karoline.graswander-hainz@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 54 36

+33 3 88 17 54 36

https://spoe.at/person/karoline-graswander-hainz-0

S&D PRESS CONTACT

MARTIN DE LA TORRE, Victoria

victoria.martindelatorre@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 16 42 98

+32 2 284 30 81

ECR MEPs' call for an inter-governmental summit to end the ongoing persecution of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims was backed today by the European Parliament.

Over 600,000 Rohingyas have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh and at least 6,700 Rohingya were killed in August alone. The crisis has been called a textbook example of ethnic cleansing by the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Today's resolution follows an extraordinary debate on the crisis in the European Parliament this week which was secured by ECR MEP Amjad Bashir's impassioned plea to Parliament President Antonio Tajani. Mr Bashir hopes that an inter-governmental conference would guarantee the safe return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar, restore their citizenship rights and set up an inquiry into all allegations of crimes against humanity.

Mr Bashir said: "Inaction is simply unacceptable in the face of such cruel persecution and such human disaster. I am pleased colleagues from across the European Parliament joined ECR MEPs today in calling for the international community to act to end the ongoing crisis."

"I believe there is now real momentum, a growing international consensus that the world cannot stand by and watch as a whole people are wiped out and driven abroad."

Pope Francis felt unable to even mention the Rohingyas by name in a speech in Myanmar last month as the situation is so delicate. Instead, he only referred to the Muslim minority as he encouraged the country to "respect the rights of all who call this land their home".

ECR MEP Sajjad Karim, who has also campaigned for an end to the persecution of the Rohingyas, said: "For many, many years now Member after Member of the European Parliament have stood in this chamber and highlighted the plight of the Rohingya. It seems that those calls have fallen on deaf ears and today we arrive at a situation where even the Pope cannot go there and call these people by their true identity.

“It is clear that whilst there is much that is being done by the European Union today, unless and until we insist on a regularisation and status for these people, they are going to continually find themselves in this position time after time. I hope today's vote offers the Rohingya a chance and spurs on the international community to act."

ENDS

Press officer to contact: Cameron Smith, cameron.j.smith@europarl.europa.eu, +44 7769 833605

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration. It is the third largest group in the European Parliament with 74 MEPs from 18 EU states.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu

Brussels, Wednesday,13^th December: Current RED 2 proposals would see oil's share of transport sector energy increase and represents a "phase in" of oil to "phase out" biofuels a consortium of biofuel trade associations and leading producers from 6 Central Eastern European member states say in a joint submission to the European Council.

“Greenwashed oil would be the major beneficiary of RED 2. Even if the most optimistic forecast of 280 million electric cars on the world’s roads by 2040 is realised, this would still represent less than 1% of global CO₂ emissions, so other tools should also be taken into account to reduce the GHG emissions significantly”, Danail Kamenov from Almagest, Bulgaria said.

“There is abundant (and sustainable) biomass potential in the V4+. Bioenergy and biofuels, are an avenue that can be mobilised”, Adam Stępień from the Polish biofuels association said.

“They can help close the yield gap with Western Europe and help stop current tragic rates of abandonment of agricultural land. They can bring abandoned and degraded land back into production and bring dignified sustainable jobs to suffering rural areas. V4+ farming would be hurt seriously by limiting the demand from conventional biofuels,” Zuzana Jakubičková from the Slovakian biofuels association said.

‘We should strike the right balance among the pace of the technological development, the stability of the agricultural markets, and meeting with the Paris goals in order to reach a sustainable growth and maintain jobs in each and every EU Member State. Sustainable European biofuels are just the best available tool for it,’ Ferenc Hódos from the Hungarian Biofuel Association.

The joint statement calls on the Council to equally treat biofuels based on actual GHG saving and to promote actual use of renewable energy instead of virtual achievements via multiple counting.

A 12% minimum level of actual (not multiple counted) renewable energy in the transport sector in 2030 should be part of the RED II. Under the Presidency's draft, a 2030 actual RES-T mix of 1.8% RES in electric vehicles and 3% RES from advanced biofuels would (due to the application of multiple counting) result in a nominal 12% RES-T achievement. That 12% would be comprised of 4.8% actual renewable energy and 7.2% oil. That would make "greenwashed" oil the major beneficiary of the RED II.
 

For further information contact: 

Zuzana Jakubičková 
email: zuzana.jakubickova@lehnert.sk

The advent of permanent structured cooperation in defence is a clear example of European solidarity, with countries voluntarily accepting both the responsibilities and the benefits of defence cooperation. This was the view of Party of European Socialists prime ministers at their coordination meeting ahead of the European Council today.

The assembled prime ministers jointly praised the work of Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign & Security Policy and a member of the socialist family, in securing the historic agreement.

Leaders also discussed migration, where they reiterated their solidarity with EU countries such as Italy and Greece which find themselves the first port of call for migrants crossing the Mediterranean, as well as expressing their support for solidarity in addressing the issue.

PES president Sergei Stanishev, chairing the meeting, said:

“We utterly reject Donald Tusk’s proposal to annul the responsibility-sharing agreement for managing migration flows. The reason the current system has not yet succeeded in addressing the problem is that it has not been fully and effectively implemented.

“Migration is a Europe-wide challenge, and as such it needs a coordinated Europe-wide solution, with solidarity and humanitarian values at its core. It would spell disaster if Europe were to retreat into numerous uncoordinated and conflicting national approaches.”

Today’s European Council meeting is also the first since all 28 EU countries jointly proclaimed the European pillar of social rights in Gothenburg in November – a historic step forward under the leadership of Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfven, which was warmly welcomed by PES leaders.

Mr Stanishev added:

“After many months of pressure from our political family, we have finally achieved universal agreement on the need to put social issues on the agenda. Now, socialists and democrats expect Europe’s leaders to commit to concrete action and put the social pillar into practice. As a first priority, we need action on decent wages for all, investment in lifelong education and to close the gender pay gap.

“The same moral applies to eurozone reform, where the European Commission’s new proposals contain many welcome elements for which we have campaigned. It falls to us to keep up the pressure, so that promises are converted into action, and to go even further in areas such as democratic accountability, upward convergence and a specific eurozone budget.”

Leaders especially welcomed the appointment of Portuguese finance minister Mário Centeno as president of the eurogroup.

Brussels, 14 December 2017

9th edition of the popular conference, taking place in Brussels on 22nd of March, will focus on “Disruptive Trends in the Aftermarket”

Since 1999, EURACTIV’s mission has been to support stakeholders in their communication strategy and their reputation building, enabling them to be seen as an integral part of the EU policymaking process. We pay attention to the specific needs of our stakeholders, helping them to effectively reach their target audience and send their specific message using the best tools available and help them raise awareness of their policy priorities.

In order to better understand EU communications trends we established “Yellow Academy”, a series of workshops on EU Lobbying and Communication with a strong focus on case studies. The key concept of these sessions is to focus on sharing the latest trends and to illustrate them with concrete examples in order to generate interaction between participants. The seminars are presented by senior consultants from leading consultancies in EU affairs, and host more than 100 ‘learners’, from 80 EU industry associations or NGOs.

After seven successful years, we are happy to launch a fresh new programme for 2018. Trainers have been selected again from among the best consultancies in Brussels in order to spark vibrant interactions. The programme is a good opportunity to learn from experts, exchange with fellow stakeholders and share common challenges and issues in EU Communications and Lobbying.

EURACTIV is happy to team up with the following consultancies next year: acumen public affairs, FleishmanHillard , FTI Consulting, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Kellen, Red Flag and Rud Pedersen.

Contact: Kristina Lecloux, Senior Account Manager Tel. +32(0)2.788.36.91, kristina.lecloux@euractiv.com

by Dietmar Bartsch and Sahra Wagenknecht - Fri Dec 15 2017

Former Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Panama Papers Inquiry Committee and shadow rapporteur as well as coordinator for the GUE/NGL group on two subsequent LuxLeaks special committees, Fabio De Masi (DIE LINKE.), has been selected by the leading International Tax Review among the 50 globally most influential individuals, organizations and events in the field of taxation for the year 2017 (Global Tax 50).

Sahra Wagenknecht and Dietmar Bartsch, leaders of DIE LINKE. parliamentary group in the German Bundestag congratulate De Masi who recently moved from the European Parliament to the Bundestag to this achievement:

"Thanks to his relentless work for tax justice and against tax evasion, tax avoidance and money laundering in the European Parliament, Fabio De Masi very quickly gained a pristine reputation both internationally and in Germany. Left experts on international taxation matters are much needed in times where egregious scandals like the recent Paradise Papers have almost become routine. European Union Member States alone are losing hundreds of billions of Euros each year to tax dodging while public infrastructure in education, transport, health and other areas remains severely underfunded. As Left, we will keep up our fight against secrecy and tax havens and for a fair taxation of large corporations and the super-rich both in Germany and with our partners across Europe."

Next to De Masi, the Global Tax 50 this year features - amongst others - the British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the renowned tax experts Richard Murphy as well as the international Tax Justice Network, EU competition commissioner Magrethe Vestager and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which recently released the Paradise Papers.

Video: Fabio De Masi on his nomination: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwPfiQ6DGGY

Background: http://www.internationaltaxreview.com/Article/3773447/Global-Tax-50-2017.html

Following the conclusion of the European Council and EuroSummit meetings this Thursday and Friday, CEEP General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti commented:

On Social Europe: “For CEEP members, it is important for economic and social progress to go hand-in-hand. The explicit references to social dialogue in the Council conclusions is a clear signal, and we, as a cross-industry social partner, are ready and committed to play our role in reinforcing the Social dimension of the European project.”

On the steps to complete the Economic and Monetary Union: “We welcome the roadmap agreed by the EuroSummit for the next 6 months. Together with our members, we intend to support the proposed agenda, and to positively contribute to completing the EMU. Building a compromise on further strengthening the resilience of our economies is more than needed, and public services providers are well placed to know that resilience and stability are essential to avoid short-sighted solutions in times of crisis.”

On migration: “We support the proposal to create a financial instrument dedicated to stemming illegal migration in the post-2020 Multi-Annual Financial Framework. Finding future-proof solutions to the migration crises Europe has faced is a necessity: the proposed financial instrument is a part of the answer, and it will help to switch the focus away from the crisis and move it to the very necessary and more important discussions on the integration of migrants in our labour markets and society.”

For further information, please contact:
Maxime STAELENS, Communication Officer
Email: maxime.staelens@ceep.eu
Tel.: + 32(0) 2 229 21 40

To subscribe to our newsletter, please follow this link.
 

CEEP, European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services, is one of the three general cross-sectoral European Social Partners. It gathers public and private providers of services of general interest from across Europe. CEEP members contribute to more than 26% of EU GDP and employ 30% of the EU workforce.

Berlin, 18.12.2017

German MP Fabio De Masi (DIE LINKE.) and former Greek Minister of Finance Yanis Varoufakis sue the European Central Bank to gain access to the legal opinion titled "Responses to questions concerning the interpretation of Art. 14.4 of the Statue of the ESCB and of the ECB". The lawsuit was submitted to the General Court of the EU by Prof. Andreas Fischer-Lescano.

The lawsuit was preceded by a request for document access supported by more than 18.000 citizens from across Europe, Members of national parliaments and European Parliament as well as prominent academics from the US and Europe. Prominent supporters came from various political backgrounds including Social Democracy and the Greens and hold divergent views on the future of the EU and the Eurozone. Supporters included among others Jean-Luc Mélenchon (MP, La France insoumise, candidate for the French Presidency 2017), Sahra Wagenknecht (MP, Chair of DIE LINKE parliamentary group in the German parliament), Stefano Fassina (MP,  Sinistra Italiana, former Vice Minister of Economy and Finances Italy), and Zoe Konstantopoulou (former President of the Greek parliament, Plefsi Eleftherias).

Fabio De Masi comments on the case:

"Blackmail is not the job of the ECB. By restricting liquidity to the Greek banking sector to force cuts in pensions, tax increases and fire-sale privatizations the ECB overstepped its mandate. In its multiple roles as creditor, referee and lender-of-last-resort the ECB is faced with unresolvable conflicts of interest, which also cast doubt on its independence. If the ECB felt that its actions were legal, it should disclose the legal opinion it obtained rather than hiding it from the public eye."

The statement of the case (in German) is available here.

Kontakt:

Fabio De Masi

Deutscher Bundestag

Platz der Republik 1

11011 Berlin

Fabio.demasi@bundestag.de<mailto:Fabio.demasi@bundestag.de> 

Tel: +49 30 227 77012

Brussels, 18 December 2017

Speaking after the formation of a coalition government in Austria, where the far-right Freedom party will hold various key ministries, S&D Group President Gianni Pittella said:
 
"We are deeply concerned about the formation of an extreme right government in Austria. This could have very dangerous consequences, it is a leap in the dark that risks taking us back to the darkest times in our history. The S&D Group will keep a vigilant eye on every single act of the Austrian government that could jeopardize our European values and principles. Nothing can be predetermined but it must be clear that nothing is excluded either - even sanctions or infringement procedures if key EU values are threatened."

MEPs INVOLVED

PITTELLA Gianni

gianni.pittella@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 51 59

+33 3 88 17 51 59

http://www.giannipittella.eu/

S&D PRESS CONTACT

BERNAS, Jan

jan.bernas@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 16 43 69

+32 2 284 21 32