Members of the European Parliament’s Environment committee today voted to adapt EU legislation on mercury, to bring it in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury signed in 2013. The new regulation aims to ban mercury in dentistry by December 2022. Green member of the environment committee Bas Eickhout said: “Mercury is a highly toxic substance […]
Retail financial services: European Parliament makes a strong call to advance green finance and simple products
The European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) voted this Tuesday on its proposal for the EU’s future work on retail financial services, such as insurances, investment products or payment services (the so called “Green Paper on Retail Financial Services”). This Green Paper sets the stage for the EU’s measures and legislative initiatives to […]
Petition to increase lobbying transparency and stop revolving doors
There are more lobbyists around the EU institutions in Brussels than in any other European capital. The quick move through the revolving doors by former EU Commission President Barroso to Goldman Sachs, or the undeclared offshore company held by former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes, have stirred public distrust around the independence of individual EU politicians. […]
Letter to the EIB on financial intermediaries and tax havens
Please, find here the letter as a PDF-file: 2016_10_11 – Greens-EFA Letter to the President of the EIB – Financial I…
Low interest rates: turning a blind eye is not a solution either
Low interest rates are having an increasingly dramatic impact on insurance policies. In early August, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) published up-to-date figures on the solvency of German life assurers. Twenty-five percent of the firms concerned now do not meet Solvency II’s capital requirements. Four of the 84 firms examined have no or […]
Vana/Giegold: “Courageous European Parliament needed for protection against one-eyed austerity”
Since 2014, resources from the European Structural and Investment Funds can be suspended in case a Member State does not comply with the deficit criteria. In July 2016, for the first time, this sanction mechanism was triggered by the Council against Spain and Portugal. On Monday evening, Members of the European Parliament partook in […]