Nieuws van de afdeling

12 May 2011

Greece out of the euro - and break up the banks

If Greece left the euro, it could deal with its debts and make itself more attractive to investors.

11 May 2011

European Parliament votes to support compulsory labelling of fur

The European Parliament today voted in favour of compulsory labelling of fur and leather in clothing. A similar proposal from the SP was recently adopted by the Dutch Parliament, but the government refused to implement the plan. SP Member of Parliament Henk van Gerven said that he was delighted by the vote in the EP. ‘With both the SP motion carried in The Hague, and this proposal adopted by the European Parliament, the government will have to stop beating about the bush. Consumers will now be enabled to avoid contributing any longer to the unnecessary suffering of animals.'

11 May 2011

European Parliament avoids public debate on EU Economic Governance

Today saw a debate in the European Parliament on the package of crisis measures designed to save the euro, with the European Commission and the Council of Ministers (which directly represents the member states) participating. Nothing was said, however, about the negotiations which have already opened, in secret, on the formation of a European Economic Government. 'It’s usual before negotiations open to first offer the chance to debate the parliament’s starting position and vote on it during the plenary meeting in Strasbourg,’ says SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong. ‘This new, extremely radical step towards giving Brussels more powers over the economy should not be taken without a public debate after which all MEPs should have the chance to vote.’

11 May 2011

De Jong: European Parliament must refuse access to unregistered lobbyists

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong describes the outcome of the negotiations between the European Parliament and the European Commission on a common register for lobbyists as ‘a symbolic first step’, but emphasises that things must not stop there. ‘I want to see an obligatory regime under which unregistered lobbyists are denied access to the Parliament,’ he says. ‘I’m pleased with EP president Jerzy Buzek’s statement today in response to my request, in which he said that today’s vote would not be the last word on the access of lobbyists to the European Parliament.”

11 May 2011

Multinationals advise EU on how to tackle their own tax evasion

SP Member of Parliament Farshad Bashir has asked the government for its comments on reports that the European Commission is exclusively consulting advisers to, and representatives of, multinationals regarding its approach to tax avoidance. 'So Europe is going to ask corporations how we can best tackle their lucrative tax avoidance,’ says Bashir. ‘We should be demanding that the advice group not be restricted to multinationals. Only then can something be done about the billions lost by European countries to these multinationals’ tax evasion.’

6 May 2011

European trade unions’ warning on economic governance

The new rules for economic governance mean that Europe is going in the wrong direction, said outgoing president of the European Trades Union Council (ETUC) this week. In common with the SP, ETUC is resisting the current austerity feeding frenzy.

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