Another environmental disaster: In December 2023, over 26 tons of plastic pellets fell into the sea off the Spanish coast! In the fight against microplastic pollution, I voted with my colleagues in the Industry and Energy Committee on an EU regulation on this issue. It aims to reduce the pollution of the environment by plastic pellets and...
Today, the Environment Committee in the European Parliament voted on the reform of detergents and cleaning products (Detergents Regulation). The report was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 68 votes to 1, with MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP - Die Naturschutzpartei), the chief negotiator responsible for the report, expressing her...
Our farmers are the backbone of our food supply. They work tirelessly to provide us with fresh food every day. But our current system has become unbalanced: While large agricultural corporations and supermarket chains are making billions, many farmers are struggling to survive. Many family businesses and farms are disappearing. Farmers have...
For 6 years we have been discussing a law to overcome legal and administrative barriers to improve the lives of Europeans living in border regions. After all, that's more than a third of the EU population! In my home region, the Saarland, we experience on a daily basis what European...
This week, large farmers' protests have taken place outside the EU Parliament and across Europe. It is remarkable to see how the very parties that are involved in the farmers' protests are fighting for free trade agreements such as EU-Mercosur, supporting big food companies and voting in favor of patents and genetic engineering. The unclear course is also not expedient...
Today, the European Parliament voted by 307 votes to 263 on the Commission's legislative proposal on genetically modified plants (New Genomic Technics, NGT for short). The parliamentary position was whipped through Parliament in just two months, with a majority of right-wing populist, Christian Democrat and liberal groups ensuring that the...
In the evening, the photo exhibition "Saarland presents itself" was opened in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Parliament staff and visitors were able to get a picture of the "most European" of all the federal states in the Parliament's exhibition area.Manuela Ripa MEP (ÖDP), in cooperation with the Saarland government, invited visitors to the opening ceremony....
As part of World Cancer Day, I asked EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides in the European Parliament's Health Committee what the Commission plans to do in principle to prevent cancer. I also wanted to know from her what specific steps the EU Commission is taking to reduce the consumption of foods that are...
As Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur for the Soil Monitoring Directive, I was delighted to have opened a webinar on reducing soil sealing, organized by the German Environment Agency and the Öko-Institut! It is alarming that 70% of our soils in Europe are in poor condition. We must therefore act urgently! This...
Yesterday evening, the negotiators of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission reached a provisional political agreement on the composition, designation and labeling of certain breakfast foods. For the Greens/EFA group, MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP - Die Naturschutzpartei) was responsible for the revision as shadow rapporteur. The...