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CIAA welcomes Parliament consent on EU-South Korea FTA

FoodDrinkEurope

(Brussels, 17 February 2011) The CIAA (Confederation of the food and drink industries of the EU) today welcomes the consent by the European Parliament to the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Speaking following this development, CIAA President, Jesús Serafín Pérez commented:

Russia's continued disregard of human rights and Rule of Law is bound to have a negative impact on relations with the EU. Tunne Kelam MEP

EPP Group in the European Parliament

"A crucial indicator of the situation of the Rule of Law in Russia is the fact that tens of independent journalists and civil activists have been murdered - to name just a few Anna Politkovskaya, Natalya Estemirova, Sergei Magnitsky - and yet not one crime has been solved and not one murderer has been brought to justice", said Tunne Kelam MEP.

"By its unwillingness to bring about justice and transparency, the Kremlin can be seen as complicit in these crimes."

MEPs furious at Commission over shady expert groups

GUE/NGL Group in the EP

Speaking in a heated debate in plenary on Commission expert groups during which Commissioner Šefčovič failed to answer any questions from MEPs on achieving balanced representation and transparency in such groups, Dutch MEP and initiator of the debate, Dennis de Jong called for transparency and an end to the domination of big business.

 

GUE/NGL MEPs to join anti-Nazi protest this weekend in Dresden

GUE/NGL Group in the EP

Speaking ahead of a counter-protest against Europe's biggest neo-Nazi rally this Saturday in Dresden, GUE/NGL President Lothar Bisky said his group strongly supports the counter-protest and called on the people of Dresden to take part.

 

"This weekend we will show our opposition to historical revisionism and far-right ideology," he said, and "we are especially happy to welcome international guests to support the blockade of the annual march" where Neo-Nazis will publicly deny Germany's liability for World War II and the holocaust.

U-turn on North African dictators reveals incoherencies of neighbourhood policy; human rights must come first

GUE/NGL Group in the EP

Addressing the European Parliament today on the situation in Egypt Spanish GUE/NGL MEP Willy Meyer slammed recent EU flip-flopping on its attitude to dictators in North Africa.

 

"The EU has a very serious problem with its neighbourhood policy" he explained, criticising an overnight u-turn "from a relationship of cooperation and collaboration with the dictatorships of Mubarak and Ben Ali, to denouncing the regimes and seeking to control the revolutionary processes".

 

EU-Russia relations - Greens unite with Russian opposition leader Nemtsov to call for stronger EU role promoting democracy in Russia

THE GREENS/EUROPEAN FREE ALLIANCE

Russian democratic opposition leader and former deputy prime-minister Boris Nemtsov today met with members of the European Parliament and spoke at a press conference organised by the Greens/EFA group. The meeting took place ahead of an official visit by Russian prime-minister Vladimir Putin to Brussels next week (24 February). The press conference focused on the need for the EU to do more to promote democracy, pluralism and fair elections in Russia, with elections coming up in 2011 and 2012.

Media Law in Hungary: successful negotiations. Joseph Daul MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group

EPP Group in the European Parliament

"The consultations on the media law between the Hungarian Government and the European Commission successfully came to an end today. The clarifications on the criticised items have been made, and the Hungarian Government will carry out the requested modifications in the coming days. The Commission announced that the modifications would ensure that the act complies with the aspects of EU law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights", said Joseph Daul, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

Falsified medicines in the EU: putting an end to the silent epidemic. Françoise Grossetête MEP

EPP Group in the European Parliament

"The adoption of the draft Directive on the fight against falsified medicines is a first step towards guaranteeing the origin and quality of medicines available in the European Union", said Françoise Grossetête MEP, the EPP Group's Rapporteur on the dossier, following the adoption of the Report by an overwhelming majority (569 in favour, 12 against and 7 abstentions) today in the plenary session of the European Parliament.

Iceland passes bill to repay Icesave losses to Britain and Netherlands

ALDE - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

The Icelandic Parliament has approved a bill which will lead to the repayment of British and Dutch depositors who lost funds when the Icesave bank collapsed.

Croatia must overcome final hurdles in accession process

ALDE - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

ALDE have given its full backing to the 2010 progress report on Croatia today during a vote in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.  Reform of the Judiciary, press freedom and protection of minorities including the return of exiled Serbs were all highlighted by ALDE as being important reforms prior to Croatia's accession to the EU.

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