On 9 May, we celebrate the “Schuman’s Declaration” of 1950, which laid the foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), and ultimately brought to the creation of the European Union. Since then Europe experienced the longest peacetime and has seen its economy grow continuously, whilst becoming the world’s largest common market.

 

Following a wave of massive protests in Armenia, linked to a perceived attempt by the hitherto political elites to continue ‘business as usual’ through major constitutional change from a presidential to a parliamentary system, the country’s National Assembly elected today the opposition leader, Nikol Pashinyan, as the country's new prime minister. The S&D Group praises the people of Armenia for the peaceful transition of power and expresses its support for their aspirations to build a prosperous and democratic country.   

 

Following a two-day PEST committee facts-finding mission to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) headquarters in Parma, the S&Ds can assess with no doubts that EFSA is dramatically under staffed and poorly funded. This could affect the capability and the efficiency of the controls over possible noxious substances on human health, the food chain and on the environment.