Estonia's EU Presidency welcomed

EFA President Josep-Maria Terricabras on Estonia's EU Presidency

President of the EFA Group in the European Parliament, and Greens/EFA Vice President Josep-Maria Terricabras has welcomed the start of Estonia's six-month Presidency of the EU Council during a special debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. During the debate, Estonia's Prime Mini...

From remainers to retainers – Brexit's impact on culture and education

EFA - Culture committee considers Brexit

The implications of Brexit for culture and education were the focus of a hearing of the European Parliament's Culture Committee this week. MEPs heard evidence from a number of expert speakers including Eluned Haf, Head of Wales Arts International, invited at the initiative of Plaid Cymru MEP ...

Possibilities for keeping EU citizenship after leaving EU set out in new report

Press release from EFA MEP Jill Evans (Wales)

As formal negotiations get underway in Brussels, Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans is publishing a new report that explores how UK citizens could retain EU citizenship after the UK's withdrawal from the EU. The study was launched in the European Parliament on Tuesday, and the researchers will present t...

Transparency and accountability vital to avoid misuse of European funds

Debating the future of European Political Parties

Greens/EFA Vice President, and President of the EFA Group in the European Parliament, Josep-Maria Terricabras, has voiced support for greater transparency and accountability in order to counter any possible misuse of European funds. Terricabras was speaking on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group in a ...

"Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state in the form of a Republic?"

EFA MEP Jordi Solé on Catalonia's plans for an independence referendum on 1 October

The Catalan government has announced a referendum on independence which will take place on 1 October 2017. EFA MEP Jordi Solé from Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya took the floor at the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week to inform MEPs from across Europe of the Catalan government...

Europe's Languages Charter – 25 years later

25th anniversary of the adoption of the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages

To mark the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages by the Council of Europe, diverse MEPs intervened in the European Parliament's Strasbourg Plenary session in their own native languages. The MEPs included President of the EFA Group in the ...

LGBTi Rights - "Progress is reversible"

EFA MEP Alyn Smith (Scotland) speaks out on LGBTi rights

EFA MEP Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party) has spoken out in the European Parliament, in Strasbourg over the alarming situation of LGBTi rights and the EU guidelines to protect and uphold them, particularly in the aftermath of the revelations of LGBTi “purges” in Chechnya, Russia. T...

Call for early agreement on protecting citizens' rights in Brexit talks

Quote from EFA MEP Alyn Smith (Scotland)

Speaking in this morning's European Parliament debate on the Brexit negotiations with EU Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Scottish National Party MEP Alyn Smith said: "I'd pick up on Guy Verhofstadt's point about how Eurosceptic...

MEP calls for Syria war crimes tribunal

EFA Press Release from Jordi Solé MEP (Catalonia)

  MEP Jordi Solé (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) has called for the EU to support the establishment of a Syrian war crimes tribunal to ensure crimes against humanity committed during the conflict do not go unpunished. The MEP – a member of the EFA Group in the Europea...

Tackling food waste

EFA Press Release from Jill Evans MEP (Wales)

Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament in favour of binding food waste reduction targets. MEPs are calling for an EU waste reduction target of 30% by 2025 and 50% by 2030 compared to the 2014 baseline. Plaid Cymru has previously called for large food retailer...