The way how Martin Selmayr was appointed puts the European institutions into disrespect. If this procedure was corresponding to the rules, the rules have to be changed. Not only in the Commission also in the Parliament open tenders should be used without exemptions. All positions should go to the best qualified not to the best […]
Tax avoidance: European Commission finally names and shames 7 Member States
The Greens/EFA group has welcomed a series of reports from the European Commission, naming and shaming seven EU member states for their role in facilitating tax avoidance. The Commission used today’s Member States reports – part of their EU semester package – to single out Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta and the Netherlands […]
Selmayr appointment: cloak-and-dagger operation needs examination in parliament
Surprisingly and at short notice, the EU Commission has appointed Martin Selmayr, the current Head of Cabinet of Jean-Claude Juncker as Secretary-General of the EU Commission’s General Secretariat. MEP Sven Giegold, rapporteur for transparency, accountability and integrity in the EU institutions, said: “The appointment of Martin Selmayr to the EU Commission’s most important post must […]
Corruption index 2017: Poor show for EU politics – corruption on the rise in some EU countries
Transparency International has now published its Corruption Perception Index 2017. The Scandinavian countries are in the lead. The best EU countries, Denmark (88) and Finland (85) rank right behind the best, New Zealand (89). On the other hand, Hungary (45) drops by 10 points (on a scale from 0 “highly corrupt” to 100 “very clean”), […]
Breakfast briefing: Sustainability and competition law – Thu 22 Feb, 8-9h
Dear Members, dear colleagues, dear journalists, We would like to invite you to join a breakfast briefing, provided by “Fair Trade Advocacy Office” on sustainability in competition law this Thursday, 22 February 8-9h in the MEP salon in the European Parliament, Brussels. Commissioner Vestager will rule soon on the Bayer-Monsanto merger as a question of […]
Proposals of the EU Commission: Election of the President of the Commission must not be returned to the back room – Council needs more transparency
Tomorrow, the European Commission will present a proposal for reform of the EU institutions. POLITICO reported today in advance that the proposal on the EU’s ‘Spitzenkandidaten’ envisages the candidate “who first obtains a majority in the European Council and then in the European Parliament in accordance with the Treaty” to be elected President of the […]