First comitology challenge of the new Parliament

I was not expecting to start so quickly on following the environment committee’s challenges to the comitology decisions. Yesterday, the Environment committee backed two challenges to implementing acts on GMOs and pesticides. The size of the majority is substantial. Pesticides ENVI objects to the extension of approval period for pesticides flumioxazine (47/22/1) and chlorotoluron Rapporteur: … Read more

Whither the Commission’s Rules of Procedure?

It is useful to have rules and to follow them. The EU is a rules-based system. There is no shortage for them. The Commission has lots of them. They have hidden most of them out in plain sight. For example: President’s Political Guidelines – https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/political-guidelines-next-commission_en.pdf Work Programme – https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/2019-commission-work-programme-key-documents_en Working Methods – https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/the_working_methods_of_the_european_commission_2014-2019_november2014_en.pdf Commission’s Rules of Procedure – https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:02000Q3614-20111116 … Read more

Environment Committee discuss chemicals legislation

This morning (4 September) held an exchange of views with the Commission on the findings of the Fitness Check of the most relevant chemicals legislation (excluding REACH) and identified challenges, gaps and weaknesses. If you missed the hour-long exchange, you can watch it again here.   An amazon generated transcript of the exchange is below. Wow, … Read more

Environment Committee elects new leadership

Chair: Pascal Canfin (Renew, FR) 1st Vice Chair: Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, NL) 2nd Vice-Chair: Seb Dance (S&D, UK) 3rd Vice Chair: Cristian-Silviu Busoi (EPP, RO) 4th Vice Chair: Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL, NL)