Brussels, 16 October 2017

The Socialists and Democrats succeeded in anchoring the principle of equal pay for equal work at the same place in the revision of rules on the posting of workers voted in the European Parliament’s employment committee today. This important victory comes after the S&Ds have pushed for many years to reform outdated rules on workers employed in one EU country but temporarily sent to work in another. Posted workers should be better protected from day one to ensure fair conditions and fair competition on the labour market.

S&D Euro MP and author of the report on posting of workers, Agnes Jongerius, said:

“Today’s vote is a victory for all workers and all companies that play by the rules. We want to ensure that all workers doing the same work at the same place receive the same pay and the same protections. The abuse of workers sent to work in other EU countries for lower salaries and with lower social protection than the local workforce – a practice which fuels social dumping – must be ended.
“With our proposal, adopted by the employment committee today, posted workers will be much better protected. We will put an end to the outrageous living conditions of workers posted abroad. Employers will no longer be able to make their employees pay for housing and transport out of their own pocket, but will have to cover these costs on top of their salary. Nor will employers be allowed to get away with paying the minimum wage when higher collective rates have been agreed. Everyone working in the same place will have the same payslips and the rules set by collective-bargaining agreements will become mandatory for posted workers in all sectors. Protecting posted workers from day one is the crucial issue, in effect much more important than the question of duration, as this will shut the door on abuse.
“I am glad that we were able to ensure that transport workers will also be covered by the new rules. Otherwise, transport workers would have been trapped in a legal vacuum until the Mobility Package enters into force.”

Udo Bullmann, S&D vice-president and MEP, added:

“We Socialists and Democrats have fought for years to make equal pay for equal work at the same place a reality. We pushed hard for the Posting of Workers Directive to be revised. It was an outdated law, no longer meeting today’s challenges. Over the years, the rules originally intended to prevent unfair competition, had been corrupted into a lucrative business model undermining wages and working conditions. It is high time the Posting of Workers Directive is set right again. I am proud that thanks to our endeavours better protection of posted workers is now within reach. 
“Today’s vote is a good start towards finally ensuring fair conditions and fair working competition on the European labour market. I call on all EU governments to follow our lead.”

Note to the editor: In March 2016 the Commission proposed a revision of the 1996 Directive on the Posting of Workers. After 18 months of work, the Employment Committee today voted on the text. Member states are expected to take their position in the Council on the 23 October. The bill will have to be agreed in negotiations between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission and be voted by the plenary of the European Parliament before it can enter into effect.

MEPs INVOLVED

JONGERIUS Agnes

agnes.jongerius@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45699

+33(0)3 88 1 75699

https://agnesjongerius.pvda.nl/

BULLMANN Udo

udo.bullmann@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45342

+33(0)3 88 1 75342

http://www.udo-bullmann.de/

S&D PRESS CONTACT

PELZ, Silvia

silvia.pelz@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 17 81 64

+32 2 284 87 12

• BHS, for their new single facer Modul Facer MF-A. FEFCO jury said this offered, “a solution to the ever-increasing complexity on flute changes. The Modul Facer MF-A makes it possible to change flute positions in a very flexible way, without losing all the advantages of the traditional module facer.” BHS’s Thomas Murr collected the prize.
• BOBST, for their introduction of the online gap control on bundled boxes. The FEFCO jury said Bobst, “was taking the request of our industry seriously to check the gap control on boxes after the counter ejector.” This could help the industry reach the goal of zero defect deliveries. Bobst’s Yves Bletterie picked up the award.

Member of the European Parliament Fabio De Masi (GUE/NGL)

Brussels/Berlin

Fabio De Masi (DIE LINKE.), Member of the European Parliament, deputy chair of the Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA) and coming Member of the Bundestag, comments the lethal car blast that killed the journalist Daphne Caruna Galizia this afternoon in Malta. Daphne Caruna Galizia used to be an interlocutrice to the PANA-Delegations:

“The terrible death of Daphne Caruana Galizia has to be fully clarified and the wire-pullers punished. We cannot tolerate critical journalists being murdered in the middle of the EU. I express my deep compassion to her family and friends.”

"The European Parliament should adequately appreciate the commitment of Mrs Galizia against corruption and money laundering. It is therefore all the more important that the Panama Papers Investigation Committee (PANA), without regard to individuals and political interests, is demanding tough laws against money laundering, tax fraud, corruption and terrorist financing."

Contact:
Office of Fabio De Masi
Member of the European Parliament
0032 228 45 667
0033 388 1 75667
fabio.demasi@ep.europa.eu
fabio-de-masi.de
@FabioDeMasi

DIE LINKE. im Europaparlament
Kontakt Presse:
Karim Khattab
+32 228 43 086
+32 470 64 80 58 (Belgium)
+49 151 72 82 56 40 (Germany)
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group
www.dielinke-europa.eu
@khk_EU
@dieLinkeEP

‘Paper or digital? How do citizens want to handle their financial data’? This was the title of a breakfast event in the European Parliament, hosted by European People’s Party MEP Heinz K. Becker on 12^th October. The event met great interest with 30 attendees from the European Parliament, European banks, London Economics, Better Finance, postal operators and industry.

Citizens are increasingly being pressured by governments and private companies, such as utility companies, banks and insurance companies, to communicate by electronic means often regardless of their willingness or ability to use these communication tools. The Keep Me Posted EU campaign was set up to promote and defend the citizen’s right to choose how they wish to be contacted, so as not to marginalise people who are significantly disadvantaged if everything is digital.

Hosting MEP Heinz K. Becker expressed his strong support for the campaign in his opening speech, recognising it as a pro-citizen’s choice campaign rather than an anti-digital campaign. “I defend the Pro-Choice Approach. Inclusiveness shall be a universal principle” he stressed.

James Suter from London Economics stated that receiving mail by post positively affects consumers’ understanding and management of their finances. This was the outcome of a behavioural comparative study among consumers receiving their bank statement digitally and on paper.

MEP Othmar Karas sent a message underlining the important role of the Parliament in current legislative dossiers at EU level, including cybersecurity and digitalisation of industry. He stressed the need for a balance between digital and paper. He is against a standardised model for all - the freedom of choice must be safeguarded.

Mag. Wolfgang Haunold from the Austrian National Bank provided interesting facts about cash and card payments, raising a trust issue as card payments allow traceability and access to personal information by third parties. He took a clear stand that a cashless society is not a positive model. “Consumers must maintain the possibility to pay in cash without being forced to do differently”.

Jean-Francois Junger, Deputy Head of Unit Public Services in the European Commission´s DG Connect stated that the digital transformation offers huge communication possibilities with citizens. However, Europe cannot afford to lose cohesion of society. “No EU citizens can be left behind” he said, adding that the public sector needs to be an inspiring model for inclusion. This is enshrined in two complementary key elements of the e-government action plan: `Digital by default – the possibility to interact with public administration´ and `Inclusiveness´– including 100% of society.

MEP Heinz Becker concluded the discussion thanking all speakers and participants and saying he was glad to see that the European Commission is a partner in defending European citizen’s right to choose .

Beyond the European campaign, national initiatives have been established in Austria, Spain, Belgium, Slovenia, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom. Watch the video for the campaign here.

Information and contact: www.keepmepostedeu.org;  info@keepmepostedeu.org

Brussels, 17 October 2017

Following the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:

“The murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has caused a wave of emotion and indignation across Europe. We strongly condemn this barbaric attack and express our condolences to her family and friends. Many members of our group working on the inquiry committee into the Panama Papers had the opportunity to meet and discuss with Caruana Galizia in Malta. Her unrelenting work as a blogger and an independent journalist to expose corruption was praised by all. As Socialists and Democrats, we stand firmly in support of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. We must do all we can to protect whistle-blowers and journalists working to shine a light on wrongdoing.

“Everything possible must now be done to find those responsible for this heinous crime.”

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

HÉLIN-VILLES, Solange

solange.helin@ep.europa.eu

+33 3 88 17 47 79

+32 2 283 21 47

ALLAN, Tim

tim.allan@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 283 41 82

Bridgetown, BARBADOS, October 18, 2017.  The global market for business process outsouring (BPO) is currently valued at USD $1 trillion with cross-border outsourced services trade between countries estimated at US$88.9 billion per year in 2015. The Caribbean is carving out its niche within this global industry with the number of BPO operators and jobs growing exponentially.  One company that’s thrived since outsourcing to the Caribbean is the Dutch owned company Cimpress (Vistaprint). 

Vistaprint Jamaica Ltd. began operations in Montego Bay in 2003 to provide contact centre services for Cimpress (Vistaprint), a company based in the Netherlands which specialises in the mass customisation of marketing materials and web-to-print systems. By 2008 Vistaprint Jamaica was the first subsidiary of Cimpress (Vistaprint) to have a dedicated graphic design services unit. Between 2010 and 2012 it had some 600 employees and had constructed a state of the art customer service facility worth USD$25 million.

With the growing trend to outsource business processes to nearshore markets, and, governments, business representatives and other stakeholders throughout the Caribbean are seeking to capitalize on on the potential economic benefits afforded by this sector.

Over 100 stakeholders will meet later this year in Jamaica to explore various avenues to secure BPO investment and to demonstrate to potential investors the advantages of doing business in the Caribbean. 

Caribbean BPO services providers, government officials, telecommunications firms and training institutions will come together at the first-ever Outsource to the Caribbean Conference (OCC) which will take place on December 6, 2017, at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Hotel in Montego Bay.  The Conference, which is organised by the Caribbean Export Development Agency in conjunction with the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) and the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) will be held under the theme “Leveraging the Nearshore Caribbean for Outsourcing Services”.  OCC2017 is being funded in part by the EU via the 11^th European Development Fund (EDF) and comes at a time when the Caribbean region is emerging as one of the most attractive destinations for BPO. 

Prime place for international companies to invest and outsource

Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Export, Pamela Coke Hamilton, explained why the Caribbean is the prime place for international companies to invest and outsource their services.  “The Caribbean is a reliable business partner; it has one of the lowest perceived risks in the Latin America - Caribbean region, is politically stable with well-functioning institutions, efficient government and low levels of corruption. The overall regulatory system is conducive to business activities.”

The President of CAIPA, Ms. Diane Edwards (who is also the President of JAMPRO) pointed out that the Caribbean’s geographic location makes the region a perfect gateway to markets in North, Central and South America.  “And with the growing need for mainland North American firms to outsource functions to a competitively priced and easily accessible destination, the Caribbean is well positioned as a nearshore solution.”

According to Edwards, the region is also well placed to offer services to not only North America, but also Europe and South America, given the strong multi-lingual talent pool in the region. Ms. Diane Edwards also posited that beyond the talent pool, companies outsourcing business to the Caribbean have a wealth of other advantages.  These include a supportive regulatory framework with many territories offering special economic zones where service providers can benefit from reduced tax benefits; low real estate costs and a cost efficient infrastructure, allowing for low operational costs. “The Caribbean,” she concluded, “has ably demonstrated, time and again, that it has much to offer.”

Impressive growth in BPO industry

For the past 15 years, the sector has grown exponentially thanks to the telecommunication liberalization in the early 2000s.  This accelerating growth is expected to continue over time, with Caribbean destinations attracting more BPO investment. 

Ms. Coke Hamilton noted that a 2015 study of nine selected countries in the region had revealed that the Caribbean BPO industry was comprised of more than 200 delivery centres and 74,000 agents, showing an increase of 44,700 workers in only five years.

“During this period the industry has grown at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17%. BPO and other professional services generated over US$2 billion in revenue in 2014 and research shows that companies in the region generate close to US$25 million in revenue for every 1,000 agents. Additionally, the level of profit is around 7% for call centres and close to 15% for non-voice, back-office shared services,” she noted.

Securing investment beyond voice-based services

Another BPO company which is steadily growing and attracting investment from international companies is the Barbadian software startup, Simplified Apps.  This business developed several web and mobile software applications for large organizations and for multiple markets and is focused on developing a cluster of software driven subsidiary startups that are able to strategically integrate and share resources. 

Chief Executive Officer, Curtis Padmore, explained that the business was successful in attracting large organizations as customers for the software developed by his teams, pointing out that one such satisfied international investor was BlackBerry.

Speaking to the importance of BPO in Barbados, he noted: “I believe the BPO that best fits (Barbados), is where the intellectual property is created and owned in Barbados [and then] monetized, targeting offshore customers.”  The young entrepreneur recently started another BPO company which will “allow Simplified Apps to structure as an umbrella company, leveraging its resources to accelerate the growth of the new startup.” 

Part of the OCC2017 strategy for attracting BPO to the region is to secure investment beyond the usual voice-based services like contact centres.  The focus will now also be on additional opportunities like Back Office Automation; Shared Services; Finance and Accounting; Human Resources; Legal Processes; Animation Services; Graphic Design; Web Design; and Data Entry Services. 

Senior Advisor, Investment Promotion, at the Caribbean Export Development Agency, Suzette Hudson, is of the opinion that business persons who work in those sectors should attend OCC2017.  “Participants will be able to network and gain some insight into regional offerings and the service possibilities available through an impressive programme of plenaries and one-on-one engagements,” she noted.

The Senior Advisor also discussed what persons attending the conference should expect.  Prior to the main event a welcome reception for participants as well as the Regional Investor of the Year Awards will take place on December 5.  The following day on December 6, activities will include a session on Outsourcing Trends for the Next Decade: Opportunities for the Caribbean; a discussion on the Caribbean Talent-pool; business-to-business meetings; and the sharing of Caribbean success stories.  On December 7 a tour of BPO facilities in Jamaica will be conducted.

#END#

About Caribbean Export

Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organisation of the Forum of Caribbean States (CARIFORUM) currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union  under the 11^th European Development Fund (EDF)  Caribbean Export’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective programme execution and strategic alliances.

More information about Caribbean Export can be found at www.carib-export.com.  Contact: JoEllen Laryea, PR and Communications, Caribbean Export Development Agency, Tel: +1(246) 436-0578, Fax: +1(246) 436-9999, Email: jlaryea@carib-export.com      

About CAIPA

The Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) is an umbrella organization of twenty three (23) investment promotion intermediaries in the CARIFORUM countries as well as the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) of the Dutch and the British in the Caribbean. The Association is dedicated to the strengthening of its members and the promotion of the region as an ideal location for investment. Caribbean Export serves as the Secretariat for CAIPA.

For further information on CAIPA, please contact Ms. Suzette Hudson at shudson@carib-exoport.com or visit the CAIPA website at www.caipainvest.org

Brussels, 18 October 2017

• The European Commission Public Consultation on the Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) Manufacturing Waiver is essential for pharmaceutical manufacturing in Europe.
• The SPC manufacturing waiver will create thousands of high skill jobs and open new opportunities for SMEs in Europe.
• The waiver will ensure that Europe maintains its technological leadership and capacity in the manufacturing and supply of essential medicines and contribute to more competition on medicine costs.

• Create 20,000 to 25,000 additional manufacturing jobs in Europe by 2025;
• Increase the net sales for the EU based pharmaceutical industry by €7.3 to €9.5 billion by 2025;
• Ensure faster entry of generic & biosimilar competition in the EU after SPC expiry – thus, improving access for patients;
• Enable savings in pharmaceutical expenditures of €1.6 to €3.1 billion thanks to competition;
• Generate, together with a broader Bolar exemption, additional EU active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) sales of €211.8 to €254.3 million by 2030 creating an additional 2000 jobs in that sector.

• The Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC), governed by Regulation (EC) No 469/2009, is a European incentive that extends the protection of patented medicines by up to 5 years to compensate the time lost in obtaining regulatory approval of the medicine. During this period, European manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines cannot produce their medicines in the EU.
• The Bolar exemption, provided for in Directive (2004/27), enables generic and biosimilar medicine developers to undertake R&D in order to obtain regulatory approval for their products.
• The SPC Manufacturing Waiver is a proposal to fix an unintended side effects of the SPC by allowing developers of generic and biosimilar medicines to produce during the SPC period in order to supply unprotected markets as soon as possible after protections expire.

EERL partners with UN Climate Change for COP 23

Press Release / 18. OCT, 2017

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Bonn, 18 October 2017–Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Bonn (COP 23, 6-17 November), Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd (EERL) and UN Climate Change have partnered to boost the deployment of biofuels in the transport sector.

Transport is the second biggest source of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions world-wide, and the sector is rapidly growing. Biofuels such as ethanol have a much lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels, and can be added to gasoline to reduce emissions.

Nick Nuttall, Director of Communications and COP23 Spokesperson at UN Climate Change, said: “The world has embarked on an unprecedented journey to a sustainable and more secure future - how societies power-up their lives, from homes and businesses to transport and agriculture - will be crucial to success and partnerships of all kinds will be an indispensable catalyst for positive momentum”.

Ethanol Europe Renewables Ltd recently founded the Climate Ethanol Alliance, designed to bring together bioethanol producers for the promotion of climate action and the accelerated transition of the transport sector towards low carbon. Supporters of EERL’s initiative as a European ethanol producer are Marquis Energy, a leading US producer, Growth Energy a US ethanol trade association and Almagest a Bulgarian ethanol producer.

At COP23 in Bonn, EERL will present the biofuel industry’s efforts towards the transition to low carbon in a special exhibition and in a side event jointly organized by the partners.

Eric Sievers, Investment Director of EERL said:“Biofuels are a potential solution for decreasing the carbon footprint of the fleet of gasoline burning engines, which is large and still growing. Until the transition towards a global carbon neutral vehicle fleet is completed, bridge technologies such as ethanol can contribute to a decrease in emissions of the transport sector in a significant way, and we are looking forward to showcasing what is possible in Bonn.”

About Partnerships between UN Climate Change and non-Party stakeholders

The collaboration between UN Climate Change and EERL is part of a series of partnerships between UN Climate Change and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, to support climate action. Partnerships will be formally recognized and given high visibility through the UN Climate Change website and social media channels, conference branding, and media engagement activities to reach a global audience. 

The partnerships for COP 23 promote the increased involvement of non-Party stakeholders as foreseen in the Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA).

The MPGCA was a launched at COP 22 by the Conference of the Parties, explicitly welcoming climate action of all non-Party stakeholders, including the private sector, to help implement the Paris Climate Change Agreement. All entities of society and business are strongly encouraged to scale up their efforts and support actions to reduce emissions, as well as to build resilience and decrease vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change.

About UN Climate Change

With 197 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep a global average temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.

About Ethanol Europe Renewables:

Ethanol Europe Renewables (EERL) operates Europe’s largest ethanol biorefinery through its subsidiary Pannonia Ethanol based in Hungary. The biorefinery is a multi-product facility focused on producing a wide variety of bioproducts from arable corn crops. Today it produces ethanol for liquid transport fuels, protein rich animal feed and corn oil. Bioproducts in the early stages of development or production include biochemicals, prebiotics, cellulosic ethanol, renewable replacement for plastic bottles, methane reducing cattle feed, prebiotics, fungal foods and algae fuels/chemicals. EERL is an Irish agribusiness company that commenced investment in renewables in 2010.  

Media contacts:

Nick Nuttall, UN Climate Change Spokesperson: +49 152 0168 4831, nnuttall(at)unfccc.int

Joe Murray, Communications Director, EERL, 00 353 1 498030, jmurray(at)eerl.com

See also: http://unfccc.int

Follow UNFCCC on Twitter: @UNFCCC | español: @CMNUCC | francais: @CCNUCC
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa on Twitter: @PEspinosaC
UNFCCC on Facebook: facebook.com/UNclimatechange
UNFCCC on LinkedIn: UNFCCC
UNFCCC on Instagram: @UNFCCC

Brussels, BELGIUM -- At a high-level working lunch on “Value Creation, Streaming Video and the Music Industry” organised today by the Lisbon Council, Senior public policy manager for CCIA Europe Maud Sacquet presented a new research paper, “Value Growth and the Music Industry: The Untold Story of Digital Success.”

This research paper shows how digital streaming services have enabled a healthy revenue increase for legacy music players, such as major labels and collecting societies, in addition to fostering creativity and choice. “In the first half of 2017, wholesale revenues [of the US record industry] increased by 14.6% to $2.7 billion. Retail revenues from streaming platforms grew from 48% to $2.5 billion, including revenues from ad-supported streaming platforms which grew 37% over the same period,” Sacquet wrote.

Digital music is also driving the growth of collecting societies’ revenues as, between 2010 and 2015, “close to half of the growth in collecting societies’ income came from digital”. This paper highlights as well that, in absolute terms, “Europe is the highest contributor to collecting society revenues globally”.

The following can be attributed to Maud Sacquet:

“Part of the debate over European copyright reform focuses on the idea of a so-called “value gap”. This research paper demonstrates instead healthy rises in revenue for legacy music players and that digital streaming services enable massive value growth”.

Contact:

Heather Greenfield hgreenfield@ccianet.org

Maud Sacquet msacquet@ccianet.org

About CCIA:

The Computer & Communications Industry Association is an international, nonprofit association representing a broad cross section of computer, communications and Internet industry firms. CCIA remains dedicated, as it has for over 40 years, to promoting innovation and preserving full, fair and open competition throughout our industry. Our members employ more than 750,000 workers and generate annual revenues in excess of $540 billion. For more, please go to: www.ccianet.org

Brussels, 18/10/2017

At the Tripartite Social Summit, in presence of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Council President Donald Tusk and Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas, CEEP Vice-President Milena Angelova and General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti presented the views of employers of public services on the future of the EU.

• “We need to reconcile EU’s economic and social dimensions. Public services’ employers will work with EU institutions and Member States to create a strong skeleton of modernised and high-performing public services to reconnect citizens and enterprises with the EU project. The Pillar of Social Rights contains strong elements for the development of public services, which we strongly support.”
   
• “CEEP also published today its Pulse of Public Services. Its main finding is that a strong investment policy is needed. Public services are strengthening the resilience of our economy. Investment in education is key element to foster productivity developments. Investment in healthcare will ensure that we properly mitigate the consequences of demographic ageing. And physical infrastructures are the one which enables businesses to evolve in a changing and competitive environment.”
   
• “On top of investment, one of the key condition to ensure to get back to stable and sustainable economic and social progress remains the swift completion of the banking, economic and political union. Nothing less than the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union will structurally lift Europe out of the crisis. And we should not lose sight of the agenda set up by the Commission for the future of Europe.“

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

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.

Brussels, 18 October 2017

An end to the unanimity rule on tax decisions at EU level, a shift from secrecy to transparency, the establishment of an EU scrutiny mechanism on newly introduced harmful tax measures, a ban on letterbox companies,  a shared list of tax havens and sanctions for those dealing with them: these are some of the key recommendations adopted today by the European Parliament’s inquiry committee on the Panama Papers (PANA) under the leadership of co-rapporteur and S&D Group vice-president Jeppe Kofod.

After the vote, S&D Group vice-president and co-rapporteur Jeppe Kofod MEP said:
 
“After a year of investigations, interviews and research, the PANA committee’s work has shown that some member states have bent – and in some cases outright broken – the rules, laws and treaties that make up the foundations of our European Union.
 
“We point directly towards the clear maladministration of EU legislation by member states when it comes to the Anti-Money-Laundering Directive.
 
“After today’s vote we say with a strong voice that it’s time to end the culture of secrecy that has made international tax evasion and avoidance possible in the first place. We will no longer accept that at least 8% of the world’s financial private wealth is held unaccounted for and offshore.
 
 “We are calling for a global summit, to be hosted in Europe, to end the secrecy that fosters tax avoidance, tax evasion and money laundering. Only if we work together internationally, can we hope to put an end to this disease.
 
“This committee's work has shown that there is much more work to be done. While the Panama Papers have revealed the unprecedented depths of corruption and illegal activities in Europe and the world surrounding tax evasion and money laundering, there is much that we are still in the dark about."

S&D Group spokesperson for the Panama Papers inquiry committee Peter Simon MEP added:
 
"The list of shortcomings is long and includes issues such as a lack of co-operation between EU member states, chronic underfunding and a lack of human resources for the supervisory authorities, as well as deficient implementation and application of laws and sanctions. Furthermore, a fairer common tax policy is forestalled by the fact that member states have to agree unanimously to pass laws in the area of taxation. All in all, this creates the ideal breeding ground for money laundering, tax evasion and avoidance.
 
"The Socialists and Democrats were aiming for clearer messages on several points, but the conservatives and liberals prevented this. Those who claim that Europe is not home to tax havens are blindly ignoring the facts. Change cannot be achieved if we don’t admit these facts. Only by putting our own house in order, we can achieve something on a global level.
 
"The final report is only a snapshot of the situation today and new cases and developments in money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance are constantly arising. These cases should also be properly investigated and therefore a permanent structure is needed in the European Parliament, which allows for continuing investigations. By doing so we could, together with the public, keep up the pressure on the member states. The last few years have demonstrated that this works well because after decades of standstill in the battle against money laundering and tax evasion finally some progress has been made towards a fair and common tax policy regime. But we still have a long way to go."

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

Brussels, 19 October 2017

The European Parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee today backed a fundamental change to the EU’s asylum rules. Under the current system, in most cases, the asylum seeker would be the responsibility of the member state where they first arrived in the EU. This placed a huge burden on frontline countries. The new rules replace this first country principle with a centralised relocation system that shares responsibility for refugees in a fair and transparent way between all member states.

The S&D Group has long been calling for this change and played an instrumental role in improving the proposal originally put forward by the European Commission. The Group now urges national governments to take the steps necessary to finalise this legislation as soon as possible.

Following the vote, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella said:

“It has been clear for years that our current asylum system is not fit for purpose. It leaves countries on Europe's borders, such as Italy or Greece, to face the bulk of asylum cases alone and allows other countries to shirk their humanitarian responsibilities. This is not sustainable; we are turning a manageable situation into a crisis.

“Increased migration is not a temporary occurrence – demographic changes, poverty, climate change and instability in North Africa and the Middle East mean that large numbers will continue to seek a better life in Europe. As Socialists and Democrats, we want to manage this new migration reality effectively and protect the fundamental rights of both refugees and European citizens. 

S&D Group negotiator for the report, Elly Schlein, added:

“We need a complete departure from the current Dublin system, replacing it with a truly European one. Our Group has pushed hard to delete the first country of entry principle and replace it with a permanent and automatic mechanism of relocation in which all member states have to participate. As well as creating a centralised relocation system, we have ensured that meaningful links – such as having a family member, previous stay or an academic link in a particular country – are taken into account when asylum applications are made. This would work alongside a new procedure to fasten family reunification if an asylum seeker already has family in an EU member state. We have also significantly strengthened the guarantees and safeguards for applicants, in particular for children, ensuring they are provided with the information they need and are swiftly appointed a guardian.

“We replace the harsh sanctions originally proposed by the Commission with a mechanism of incentives to comply and disincentives for secondary movements. We also removed the Commission proposal for mandatory inadmissibility checks to be done by first member states entry, which would again place an unfair burden on front line member states and undermine the right to claim asylum. We will now push hard in the negotiations to ensure we finally have an asylum system reflecting the principles of solidarity and equal sharing of responsibilities as enshrined in the EU treaties.”

“The ball is now in the Council's court and we urge them to act so that we can finalise these proposals. Our Group is clear, only a truly European asylum system is acceptable - we will not back any agreement that does not replace the first country of entry principle.”

MEPs INVOLVED

PITTELLA Gianni

gianni.pittella@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 284 51 59

+33 3 88 17 51 59

http://www.giannipittella.eu/

SCHLEIN Elly

elly.schlein@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45762

+33(0)3 88 1 75762

http://ellyschlein.it

S&D PRESS CONTACT

ALLAN, Tim

tim.allan@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 283 41 82

Fabio De Masi (GUE/NGL), Member of the European Parliament - Brussels/Berlin, 19/10/2017

"The ongoing tax and money laundering scandals of multinationals, the rich and the powerful call for tough measures. We also owe this to murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. In yesterday's committee vote we managed to fend off a watering down of already existing Parliament positions. This is a success, but no reason to be euphoric", comments MEP Fabio De Masi (DIE LINKE.), Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's 'Panama Papers' Inquiry Committee (PANA), on the committee vote on the final report. The recommendations of Parliament to the Commission and the Council, which were also voted on yesterday, also have to be passed by Parliament's Plenary in December. For the Plenary vote, further amendments can be tabled, which means that the end result can still change significantly.

"Together with experts, GUE/NGL proposed modern and effective measures to combat the tax and money laundering cartel. To appease the European People's Party, foul deals were made beforehand. GUE/NGL's successful amendments made sure, however, that existing Parliament positions don't get watered down.

The report, for example, calls for a reform of the Council's Code of Conduct Group, a secretive group in which member states have been meeting for years to discuss harmful tax practices and where countries like Malta have blocked any meaningful progress. Also calls for strengthening Parliament's inquiry powers by for example introducing the right to summon witnesses and for a permanent committee of inquiry have been heard. We could furthermore strengthen the link between money laundering, organised crime and terror finance through the banking system.

The report also confirms demands our group secured in the EP's position on the revision of the anti-money laundering directive. These include publicly accessible beneficial owner registers for companies and trusts, the creation of land and real estate registers and the call for tough sanctions for tax and money laundering crimes, including the withdrawal of licences to operate.

The Commission's proposal on a common corporate tax system runs the risk of lowering the effective tax bills of multinationals, as Member States would not be allowed to go beyond the anti-tax avoidance rules laid down in the insufficient Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD). Our critique of ATAD was partially accepted. This includes demands for stricter controlled foreign company rules which would entail a broader tax base and more effective taxation.

A significant success of our group was that we pushed through our demand for withholding taxes on financial flows to tax havens," concludes De Masi.       

Contact:
Office of Fabio De Masi
Member of the European Parliament
0032 228 45 667
0033 388 1 75667
fabio.demasi@ep.europa.eu
fabio-de-masi.de
@FabioDeMasi

DIE LINKE. in the European Parliament
Contact Press:
Karim Khattab
+32 228 43 086
+32 470 64 80 58 (Belgium)
+49 151 72 82 56 40 (Germany)
European United Left / Nordic Green Left
European Parliamentary Group
www.dielinke-europa.eu
@khk_EU
@dieLinkeEP

Brussels, 19 October 2017

The Socialists and Democrats in the environment and health committee in the European Parliament today voted on a resolution to phase out glyphosate within three years. This substance is the most extensively used herbicide in the world and it is potentially carcinogenic and has hormone-disrupting consequences, according to the World Health Organisation.
 
Currently, 76% of glyphosate use worldwide is in agriculture, but it is also widely used in forestry, gardens and city parks. Glyphosate and its residues have been detected in water, soil, food and drinks, and non-comestible goods, as well as in human urine.

S&D spokesperson on health and the environment, Miriam Dalli MEP, said:
 
“Glyphosate is a matter of concern for us all, who believe that public health is a major priority. Conflicting evidence on the effects of glyphosate coupled also with serious allegations of industry influence enhance our resolve to work harder for this substance to be replaced by less harmful pesticides. This Parliament has already asked the Commission to act on this issue and we will stick to our position all the way through.
 
“Today we didn’t get into the controversy on whether Monsanto, the multinational which developed glyphosate, influenced legislation through intense lobbying. Today we looked for a pragmatic solution to protect our citizens’ health. We need impartial and independent scientific reports by our EU agencies to help us take political decisions based on objective evidence and conclusions without any shade of doubt over their veracity. The Monsanto Papers scandal puts the conclusions the EU agencies arrived at in serious jeopardy and this undermines the credibility of our agencies. A situation which is totally unacceptable."

Pavel Poc MEP, the S&D spokesperson on this file, added:
 
“We could not call for a total ban right away, because right now glyphosate is so prevalent that a complete ban would create uncertainty for EU farmers. We have to give them time to adapt. So we accept a three-year renewal of the licence.
 
“However, we also call for the immediate ban of glyphosate for non-professional uses and uses in public parks, gardens and playgrounds. The three-year timeframe chosen corresponds to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reform after 2020.”

MEPs INVOLVED

DALLI Miriam

miriam.dalli@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45635

+33(0)3 88 1 75635

http://miriamdalli.com

POC Pavel

pavel.poc@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45411

+33(0)3 88 1 75411

http://www.pavelpoc.cz/

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

Sofia, Bulgaria -- The Computer & Communications Industry Association is leading a delegation of tech companies to meet with Bulgarian Ministers, regulators, and startups this week ahead of the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. CCIA Europe will also present tech industry’s recommendations to the Bulgarian EU Presidency while in Sofia.

Bulgaria will take over the Council Presidency from Estonia on January 1 and will chair negotiations on key EU legislative files, e.g. copyright, telecoms and ePrivacy.

The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe Vice President Christian Borggreen:

“The Bulgarian Presidency comes at a critical time when many EU proposals unfortunately are drifting off course from the original ambition of achieving a thriving EU Digital Single Market.  We encourage the Bulgarian government to bring back focus on achieving one set of EU rules conducive to investments, competition, innovation and online rights.”

About CCIA:

The Computer & Communications Industry Association is an international, nonprofit association representing a broad cross section of computer, communications and Internet industry firms. CCIA remains dedicated, as it has for over 40 years, to promoting innovation and preserving full, fair and open competition throughout our industry. Our members employ more than 750,000 workers and generate annual revenues in excess of $540 billion. For more, please go to: www.ccianet.org

Brussels, 19 October 2017

A coalition of right-wing groups today voted against proposals designed to give citizens more control over how their confidential information can be used online. The S&D Group was disappointed by the failure of the right-wing EPP and ECR Groups to put citizen’s concerns ahead of the interests of business lobbyists. The Group urges them to reconsider and stop delaying this important update to laws governing citizens’ sensitive information.

Parliament negotiator for the e-privacy legislation and S&D Group MEP Marju Lauristin said:

“The proposals voted on today would put citizens back in control of how their confidential information can be used or shared online. It covers areas such as things said in private emails or WhatsApp conversations. A clear compromise had been reached but at the last minute, the EPP Group pulled out of this. Rather than listening to citizens’ concerns, they gave into demands of an aggressive lobbying effort by multinationals and specifically German big business.  The EPP Group believes that what people write in their private email exchanges or WhatsApp conversations should be fair game for advertisers or multinationals. We will never support this and will now fight strongly so that citizens’ right to confidentiality is protected.
“Even more cynically the EPP Group are now attempting to muddy the waters by presenting their cowardly decision as a way to protect people from sexual exploitation online. This is a barefaced lie. This law applies to how private companies can use information and clearly excludes law enforcement – which is a decision for national governments. The EPP is engaging in the most cynical type of fake news to cover the fact that they are yet again in the pocket of big business. It is as shameful as it is transparent and we urge them to drop the act.”

MEPs INVOLVED

LAURISTIN Marju

marju.lauristin@ep.europa.eu

+32(0)2 28 45474

+33(0)3 88 1 75474

S&D PRESS CONTACT

ALLAN, Tim

tim.allan@ep.europa.eu

+32 2 283 41 82