Presse

Cleaning plastic litter is a matter of survival for our oceans, say S&Ds

Mercredi 24 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

Plastics are killing our marine life and environment and Socialists and Democrats are committed to change the existing culture of disposable products. As part of the Waste Package and Circular Economy, the S&D Group called for specific legislation to tackle the impact of certain plastic products in the environment.

Today, S&Ds backed a Directive targeting the main sources of macro-plastics found in Europe’s seas and beaches, which account for 70% of marine litter. This includes ten single-use plastic products, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear.

S&D spokesperson on this issue, Massimo Paolucci MEP, said:

“Plastic has become a plague for our planet, with 8 million tonnes being thrown to the oceans every year. We all need to take responsibility, and we are pushing for Europe to do its part a soon as possible.

“We have adopted a whole battery of measures to reduce the production and use of single-use plastics and also to increase recycling. Here the development of innovative alternative materials is also crucial.

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It’s now or never – both consumers and farmers need us to get on with completing an EU law to stop unfair trading practices in the food

Mercredi 24 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

Following the request from a group of MEPs to have a vote in the Plenary on the Unfair Trading Practises (UTPs) report, S&D co-rapporteurs on the file Paolo De Castro and Marc Tarabella stated: 
“It’s now or never. No hesitation, no bowing to last minute pressure from lobbies opposed to approval of the EU law against unfair trading practices in the food supply chain.  A law that has been eagerly requested by our farmers and consumers for more than ten years would harmonise the 20 national legislations currently in force. A clear and broad majority of MEPs is more than keen on completing the Parliamentary procedure by the end the current Parliamentary term.

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The populist government sells out Italian’s future for cheap electoral gains and jeopardise the needed review on the Stability and Growth Pact

Mercredi 24 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

S&D euro MPs are calling on the Italian authorities to engage in constructive dialogue with the EU in order to present a budget for 2019 aiming at improving the living conditions of Italian citizens.

Hence, in an unprecedented move, the European Commission yesterday rejected the budget plan presented by the populist government led by Giuseppe Conte.

S&D group vice-president responsible for economic and monetary affairs, Mercedes Bresso, stated:

“The Italian government has deliberately opened a conflict with the EU institutions on the budget for 2019. They try to picture a fight with Europe against Italy for electoral purposes, but this is a deception.

“The proposal of the Italian government will be harmful to the most vulnerable Italians, starting with workers, families and SMEs. That is why the real fight will be about the future we want for Europe. In this, progressive forces must come together and propose an alternative vision for the future of Italy and Europe.”

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S&Ds support the right to clean drinkable water for all

Mardi 23 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

The European Union is finally updating its Drinking Water Directive, which was initially drafted in the 1980s. Today, the Socialists and Democrats in the European Union have backed a legislative proposal to include the demands of the European Citizens Initiative petition, which called for a Right to Water, as part of this Directive renewal.

The petition was signed by 1.8 million people from all 28 member states, and the S&D Group wants the Commission to take meaningful, practical action to widen access to clean, safe drinking water for vulnerable and marginalised groups.

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S&Ds call for urgent investigation of CumEx files scandal, biggest theft of the century, and an end to the hypocrisy of member states’ not cooperating

Jeudi 18 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

55 billion euros have been stolen from EU coffers in the past 15 years and in several member states by an organised group of bankers, according to a research of 19 European media outlets published today. In light of the shocking revelations, S&D Euro MPs are calling for immediate investigation of the scandal, transparent exchange of information and enforcement of the tax and financial regulation. In addition to this, MEPs Jeppe Kofod and Peter Simon requested today a hearing in the TAX3 committee in the European Parliament.

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S&Ds blame the conservatives and the liberals for rejecting ambitious reforms to end blind austerity

Jeudi 18 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

The S&Ds criticised the conservatives and the liberals for rejecting, by a tiny majority, progressive proposals on economic policies for the Eurozone. The report drafted by Costas Mavrides signalled the S&D’s opposition to blind austerity, cohesion funds cuts and the prioritisation of financial markets over EU citizens and it reaffirmed the need for a consistent implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

S&D MEP Costas Mavrides, Parliament’s negotiator on the Economic Policies of the Euro Area file, said:

“Today, it was the day for each political party to show its responsibility towards EU citizens and their true commitment to this European project. By voting against the report, EPP, ECR and ALDE proved today on whose side they stand, and for what. They are ardent supporters of austerity, despite public statements or any social nuances. By rejecting the report they have shown their true colours.

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Golden visa schemes put at risk the EU’s integrity and security and should be banned, say S&Ds

Lundi 15 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

Today, during a hearing in the financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance committee, S&D MEPs called for more EU wide action to tackle money laundering linked to golden visa schemes in the EU. The S&Ds examined, together with experts from the OECD and Global Witness, the possible money-laundering risks posed by the practice of golden visa programmes.

Four EU member states sell passports and 12 grant residence, mainly to non-EU citizens, in exchange for investment. In the last decade, over 6,000 passports and almost 100,000 residency permits have been issued through golden visas schemes offered by a number of EU member states.

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Why it is important to review the ESAs

Lundi 15 octobre 2018
Interview parue dans Politico
Q and A with Pervenche Berès, ECON’s whip for Socialists and Democrats
— By Philip Kaleta
What are the main challenges the ESAs file faces?
The reason why I am eager to get on with this file … is related to Brexit … We have been negotiating for years now to make sure we have a solid [piece of] EU legislation. The problem is the implementation. The reasons for this are the decisions made at the board of supervisors at the ESAs, where national competent authorities (NCAs) sit at the table. They are making side deals … People are complaining that the ESAs don’t use their full power. But they don’t have the structure to use their power if there is a self-blocking mechanism like the board of supervisors installed, which is very dear to the Germans.

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S&Ds successfully push for raising the EU climate target for 2030 to 55% goal

Mercredi 10 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

Today, Socialists and Democrats led a cross-party majority in the environment committee in favour of a more ambitious goal for the EU in greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The adopted resolution on the UN climate summit in December, co-drafted by S&D MEP Jo Leinen, calls for an increase of the EU’s 2030 climate target from current 40% to 55% and for a net zero carbon economy in the Union by 2050. The resolution will be put to the vote for the entire European Parliament during the upcoming plenary session in Strasbourg.

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Udo Bullmann and Pervenche Berès: we will not accept to go back to austerity policy

Mercredi 10 octobre 2018

Communiqué de presse du groupe S&D

Following today’s publication of the annual report by the European Fiscal Board (EFB) severely criticising the European Commission’s role in the development and implementation of the EU fiscal policy, S&D Group president Udo Bullmann stated:

“We regret that the last EFB annual report is strongly criticising the changes the European Commission applied to its fiscal policies from 2015 onwards in order to mobilise investments and lend support to the recovery of the EU economy. These innovations, which make use of the flexibility in the existing fiscal rulebook, were instrumental in fighting the economic and social crisis in Europe and a key request from the S&D Group. We continue to consider that it has been the right choice to end austerity in the EU.”

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