The Constitutional affairs committee was supposed to vote today, Monday 12 September, on my report including more lobby transparency and stricter rules for the integrity of Members of the European Parliament. The draft compromises included a ‘legislative footprint’ and empowering the ethics committee of the European Parliament which so far had no effects. The conservatives […]
Goldman Sachs hires Barroso: Longer ‘cooling-off period’ for EU Commissioners urgently needed
Goldman Sachs announced today that it has hired former EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso as an advisor and non-executive chairman of its international business. MEP Sven Giegold, Rapporteur in the European Parliament for the Initiative Report “Transparency, accountability and integrity in the EU institutions”, commented: “These shameful revolving doors between politics and business […]
First success against Bayer Monsanto Deal: Commission assures thorough assessment
Dear colleagues, In the light of the planned acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer, already more than 36,000 EU citizens demand of the European Commission that: “The instruments of European merger control must be applied fully, and thoroughly.” The European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager has now responded to our letter to her and promised […]
No new state aid to banks in the Brexit turmoil
The current attempt of the Italian government to push through new state aid to banks (inter alia for Banca Monte dei Paschi) is commented by MEP Sven Giegold, financial and economic policy spokesperson of the Greens/EFA group: “It is audacious to misuse the Brexit turmoil in order push through new state aid for banks. The […]
18 months imprisonment or bankruptcy due to LuxLeaks? Proclamation of sentence of Antoine Deltour, 29 June at 3pm in Luxembourg – invitation to press briefing
On Tuesday, 29th of June at 3pm, the Criminal Court of Luxembourg will pronounce its sentence in the case of the LuxLeaks whistleblowers Antoine Deltour, Raphael Halet and Edourd Perrin. The public prosecutors demand 18 months, possibly suspended, imprisonment. An example is being made of Antoine Deltour, in order to silence future whistleblowers who do […]
Taboo on debt relief broken but Eurogroup must stop sidestepping
Commenting on the outcome of the Eurogroup meeting on the Greek bailout programme, Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts said: “We welcome the decision to release a new tranche of rescue loans to Greece, which is essential to stanch the persistent deterioration of the Greek economy. However, as the IMF has made abundantly clear, without debt relief […]