Nieuws van de afdeling

29 November 2017

Permanent War? Not in my name!

Foto: SP

The War on Terror has failed. Yet despite everything, it continues, and with the support of the Netherlands. This must stop.

The War on Terror began in 2001 with the invasion of Afghanistan. There then followed Iraq (2003), Libya (2011), and Iraq once more, together with Syria (2014). Over the same period secret wars have been launched in a number of countries, including Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia.

Contrary to what was promised, these large-scale military attacks have not led to a reduction in terror. Attacks and threats have instead increased. More than a million people have died and millions more have been forced to flee their homes. Tensions between different population groups have intensified.

28 November 2017

Stop deportations to Afghanistan now

Because of the extreme insecurity which prevails in the country, a stop must for the time being be put to deportations to Afghanistan of persons refused refugee status, according to SP Member of Parliament Jasper van Dijk. On Wednesday, Van Dijk accepted a petition from the 18-year old Afghan Haroon Rezaie.

24 November 2017

EU Social Pillar: a chocolate fireguard?

It seems that the EU would rather decide for itself on what rights its inhabitants are granted.

21 November 2017

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong supports agreement on consumer protection

Foto: Marco Verch

Today the vote was held in the European Parliament on new rules governing consumer protection in relation to digital content. Products involved include software, DVDs and apps, as well as online services such as those stored in the cloud. Explaining why he voted in favour of the new measures, SP Euro-MP Dennis Dennis de Jong said: “Normally the SP is very reluctant to approve total harmonisation of consumer law, because it means that in the Netherlands we can't agree any laws which deviate from the EU norm, even if this would represent an improvement for the consumer. The outcome of the long negotiations in the European Parliament is, however, so beneficial to Dutch consumers that I was able to vote in favour. With these regulations, as drawn up by the EP, everyone will know what his or her rights are, wherever in the EU they bought their software. That's a gain, especially when you consider that these products are often bought and sold online, when international borders play less of a role.”

21 November 2017

Medicines should be affordable for all

Medicines should be available at normal prices. That's why the SP today joined the Green Left and Labour Party (PvdA) in endorsing a plan to break the power of the pharmaceutical industry, as SP Member of Parliament Nine Kooiman explains: “ It's high time that we restricted the power of Big Pharma,” she insists. “Prices are sky-high, which puts the accessibility of medicines under pressure. At the same time ridiculously high profits are being made by the industry on drugs developed with public money. That's why our three parties are making a number of common proposals aimed at pegging back the power of the pharmaceutical industry, creating greater transparency and giving the state a bigger role in order to make medicines once again more affordable for everyone.”

21 November 2017

Commission draws misleading conclusions on arbitration

Foto: Tamaki Sono

The European Commission is misleading EU member state citizens by representing public support for arbitration in much too positive a light. That was the conclusion drawn by a collective of social organisations following an in-depth study of the Commission's research. The SP is asking the Commission to redo its work.

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