Cécile Barbière
Fair taxation: A mixed bag of results for the Juncker Commission
Since the LuxLeaks scandal, the fair taxation agenda has made some headway. But resistance from member states has also blocked many measures during the Juncker Commission mandate. EURACTIV France reports. What conclusions can be drawn from the Juncker Commission’s fair...
Benoît Hamon’s movement launches European election list on its own
Having failed to bring the French left together with his plans for citizen voting, Benoît Hamon presented the first 30 names on the list of the Génération.s movement. EURACTIV France reports.
France’s ‘Rana Plaza’ law delivers few results
France wants to be at the forefront of efforts to regulate multinationals’ responsibility towards workers in developing countries, but is having difficulty enforcing its own law on duty of care, according to a report published on 21 February. EURACTIV France reports.
French people make ‘social Europe’ proposals in workshops ahead of EU elections
When consulted at a workshop on the future of “social Europe” after the European elections, French people were ambitious on social issues. EURACTIV France reports.
French debate on setting migration quotas reopened
The question of setting migration quotas in France has come back to the forefront through the 'great debate' initiated by Emmanuel Macron. EURACTIV France reports.
MEPs want less EU money going to intensive farming
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's environment committee have voted for a reduction in subsidies going to intensive farming under the common agricultural policy as of 2021. EURACTIV France reports.
Women try to find their feet in French agriculture
Women, the great forgotten group of agricultural policies, represent a quarter of French farmers. In Brittany, the “agriculture au féminin” network is attempting to push forward the issue of gender equality in the farming sector. EURACTIV France reports.
French left struggles to find unity for European elections
There are increasing calls for unity within the French left, which is divided like never before. But with less than four months to go until the European elections, attempts to bring left-wing groups together are struggling to gain traction. EURACTIV France reports.
‘Yellow vests’ cause diplomatic crisis between France and Italy
A meeting between the French ‘yellow vests’ and the Italian labour minister, Luigi Di Maio, has lit a fuse between Paris and Rome. The relationship between the two countries has deteriorated in recent months. EURACTIV Frace reports.
Increasing number of ‘yellow vest’ lists for European elections
With the announcement of a third ‘yellow vest’ list for the European elections, the movement seems to be divided. However, it has managed to make taxation one of the central issues of the May 2019 vote for French people. EURACTIV France reports.
Meetings between MEPs and lobbyists to be made public
A revision of the European Parliament’s rules of procedure, which was adopted on 31 January, increases transparency obligations for meetings between elected officials and lobbies, despite the EPP’s attempts to scupper the amendment. EURACTIV France reports.
MEPs to decide whether to make lobbying meetings public
MEPs are set to decide on Thursday (31 January) whether to make their meetings with lobbyists public. The centre-right has secured a secret ballot on this issue. EURACTIV France reports.
Ten-day minimum paternity leave to be rolled out across EU
In an effort to promote gender equality, the European institutions have approved establishing a ten-day minimum paternity leave for the whole of the EU, which represents a step forward for most countries. Although this leave already exists in France, it will be made more flexible. EURACTIV France reports.
Macron’s LREM wants to turn EU elections into duel with Rassemblement National
Unlike other groups, LREM is allowing itself until the start of March to reveal who will lead its list for the European elections, hoping it will therefore have the time to mobilise its political partners at the European Parliament. EURACTIV France reports.
‘Energy sobriety’: A disruptive notion catching on in France
The idea of reducing – or altogether avoiding – energy consumption is starting to catch on among French local authorities. But the concept struggles at European level because it directly challenges our economic growth model. EURACTIV France reports.
France reopens carbon tax debate that fuelled ‘yellow vest’ protests
The 'yellow vest' movement showed that French people will reject the carbon tax if the proceeds are not allocated to the energy transition. But the government seems reluctant to acknowledge this. EURACTIV France reports.
Palm oil no longer considered ‘biofuel’ in France
In a rare revolt against the government, the French National Assembly has passed a bill explicitly saying palm oil "is not a biofuel" and won't be eligible for tax breaks as of 1 January 2020. In Europe, a decision is expected in the coming weeks. EURACTIV France reports.
European Court of Auditors calls for NGO definition
The EU delegates 1.7% of its budget to NGOs, while no common definition exists in Europe. This is a shortcoming which complicates the monitoring of projects. EURACTIV France reports.
Macron wins partial victory on eurozone budget
For the first time, the 19 eurozone countries agreed in principle on creating a dedicated budget for the single currency area. However, it will lack the stabilisation mechanism sought by Paris, a cornerstone of Emmanuel Macron’s original plan. EURACTIV France reports.
European Parliament brings ‘social Europe’ a step forward
EU social security coordination will make it easier for EU citizens looking for work to seek employment in another member state. EURACTIV France reports.
How YouTube makes users lobby in-house against copyright directive
The #SaveYourInternet campaign is mobilising YouTubers against the European directive. But by defending a free Internet, the campaigners are, above all, protecting the platform’s profitability. EURACTIV France reports.
A double failure for France in creating European taxes
In the middle of the “yellow vest” crisis, France has failed to unblock tax proposals on financial and digital transactions. These two measures for fiscal justice had been advocated by Paris for a long time. EURACTIV France reports.
Trade secrets called into question in ‘Implant Files’ investigation
The French transposition of the European directive on trade secrets has hindered access to certain documents required for the “Implant Files” investigation. EURACTIV France reports.