Priority

Plane spraying field — Oregon Department of Agriculture (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

ECHA opinion doesn't answer all the questions on glyphosate

Glyphosate

There remain a range of reasons as to why glyphosate is at odds with a healthy and sustainable agriculture. Not only does the chemical target the weeds it is supposed to kill, but it also harms surrounding plants and wildlife, making it a real threat to biodiversity. The issue of pesticide-resistant crops also poses increasing problems for animals and the environment.

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Streamlined legislation will help improve consumer confidence

Food controls

New regulations on the official controls of food and feed law will help to ensure the uniform application of agri-food chain rules across the EU. The changes are in part a response to the horse meat scandal, in which the Greens/EFA group was instrumental in helping to bring any future wrongdoing into the open.

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New rules will protect vulnerable and put an end to dangerous storage

Trade and use of mercury

The European Parliament has approved new legislation on the regulation of mercury. The new law will reduce the trade and use of mercury, the risk of contamination, and bring legislation in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury signed in 2013

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Twisted Gun Sculpture UN — Dan Nguyen (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Closing loopholes will improve public safety

Gun control

Improvements to the firearms directive backed by the European Parliament include the prohibition of certain semi-automatic firearms and converted firearms, better measures for deactivation, tracing and storage of weapons, and more information exchange between EU countries.

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Food and consumers © Don Bayley — © Don Bayley

Radioactive contamination of water and food

EU protection rules still decided behind closed doors

Many of the current nuclear reactors in the world are the result of technological choices of people who are not necessarily alive anymore. Yet the consequences of those choices affect people today all around the world, as well as generations to come, far beyond political borders and timeframes.

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European Parliament sets out plans for improved access to life-saving drugs

Access to medicines

The European Parliament has backed a report calling for improved access to medicines. At present, many vital drugs are overpriced due to abuse of patent rules by pharmaceuticals and the imbalance in the negotiating powers of pharmaceutical companies and Member States. The report sets out a number of proposals to counter these problems.

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Serious shortcomings from both EU Commission and Member States

Dieselgate inquiry

The European Parliament committee set up to investigate the Dieselgate scandal has voted on its final report. The report makes clear that both the EU Commission and Member States should have acted on emission fraud sooner and makes recommendations for future action.

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Employment committee backs strengthened regulations

Limiting exposure to carcinogens

The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs committee has today backed the draft report on the amendment to a directive designed to protect workers from risks of exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work.

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EU Commission must create a legal framework

Robots and artificial intelligence

The European Parliament has opened an urgently needed debate on creating an ethical and legal framework for the development and use of autonomous and intelligent machines. The European Commission must act and develop concrete legislative proposals.

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Conservative and Liberal alliance fails to prevent damaging food and commodity speculation

MiFID II

"The watering down of limits on food speculation will have tough consequences for the people and farmers in developing countries," said Greens/EFA economic and finance spokesperson, Sven Giegold.

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Commission proposal would do little for accountability or public health

Comitology

The European Commission has published its long-awaited proposal for the reform of the comitology process, used to approve or renew products, such as GMOs and pesticides.

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