To mark the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 75th anniversary of the Basic Law and the European elections in 2024, the German Embassy in Brussels organized a workshop for schoolchildren on the topic: Democracy - what's it to us? Together with Martin Kotthaus, the German ambassador to Belgium, and...
On the occasion of the hearing of the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare, the Animal Welfare Group of the European Parliament organized an exhibition together with the animal welfare organizations GAIA and the Eurogroup for Animals. In this context, we also presented the Commissioner's tasks in the field of animal welfare in the form of a letter...
Donald Trump's re-election as President of the United States of America is pushing democracy in the USA to its limits. Trump has already shown in his first term how little he respects independent institutions and the political system. Now, in a second term in office, he will be even more...
Hearing of the new e-Commissioners From November 4 to 12, 2024, the hearings of the designated EU Commissioners will take place in the European Parliament. We will ask the candidates questions about their suitability. Only when the Parliament gives its OK can the Commission begin its work....
This week was the European Parliament's constituency week and I had appointments in Saarland, including a meeting with the Lord Mayor of Saarbrücken, Uwe Conradt, where we agreed that we need to strengthen border regions like Saarland! I was also very pleased to receive the book about my...
MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP) expresses concern about the expansion of border controls in the EU Ripa: "The spirit of the Schengen Agreement is being increasingly eroded" After Germany has already been carrying out checks at the borders with all nine neighboring countries since mid-September, France has now also announced that it will...
Today I spoke with Stefan Rauber, CEO of Dilinger Hütte and Saarstahl, about the future of the European steel industry. For me, it is important to support and maintain the domestic steel industry. The steel industry is under enormous pressure, partly due to cheap imports from third countries....
At the Bioland e.V. state delegates' meeting, we discussed the future direction of agriculture, including with Jan Plagge, President of Bioland. The organic farmers of Bioland produce regional organic food from sustainable organic farming. It is clear to us that nature conservation and agriculture are...
The 16th UN Conservation Summit (COP 16) begins today in Colombia, and in view of the general crisis overload and the doubts about the effectiveness of such conferences, one could say that it is taking place under difficult conditions, which makes the success of the summit all the more important!
Let Our Voices Be Heard! This is the demand of our children and young people in Europe. The EU and SOS Children's Villages have launched a project to strengthen the rights of children and young people in crisis situations such as Covid-19. During the pandemic, their needs were often...