Today, the European Parliament’s employment committee made a big step towards a European directive for minimum wages, which both strengthens and safeguards the different social models in Europe, by approving the report tabled jointly by S&D MEP Agnes Jongerius and EPP MEP Dennis Radtke. The Socialists and Democrats’ family has spearheaded the campaign for a European Directive for Adequate and Fair Minimum Wages for many years. Commissioner Nicolas Schmit presented this much awaited proposal in October 2020.

Today, the European Parliament will adopt a law on public country-by-country reporting (pCBCR), which will compel large multinationals to financial transparency and publish in which countries they make their profits and where they pay their taxes. The new law includes the obligation for companies to publish how many full-time employees they have, their turnover and taxes paid, as well as all profits and losses they have in each country they operate in, inside the European Union and in tax havens.

The European Parliament has called for action that brings an end to the widespread practice of abusive lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists and civil society.

In today’s plenary vote with 444 votes in favour, MEPs demanded EU-wide anti-SLAPPs legislation, as well as clear rules on the jurisdiction of defamation cases, to stop a rising phenomenon that threatens media freedom and freedom of expression in the EU.