Latest news with #RobertaMetsola
Euronews
a day ago
- Business
- Euronews
EU Parliament snubs Amazon from hearing over representative dispute
Unions and lawmakers called for more measures on top of Amazon's access restriction to the European Parliament after the US tech giant failed to deliver a senior manager before the Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) committee for a grilling on workers' conditions on Thursday. The Parliament has made the hearing a precondition for Amazon regaining access to its premises, after the tech giant's access badges were withdrawn in February last year because the company failed to attend a series of hearings and factory visits in 2021 and 2023 related to workers' rights. Amazon previously said it would send two Europe-based vice-presidents based on their expertise, rather than Senior Vice President Russell Grandinetti, who the committee had asked to see, as Euronews reported. The committee refused to accept the change of speakers and therefore the hearing went ahead without Amazon. An Amazon spokesperson said the company was 'disappointed' by the committee's decision. 'We were ready and willing to share information about our operations in the European Union and our efforts to set the standard for a safe and modern working environment in the logistics industry,' the statement said. In a letter seen by Euronews, Amazon wrote to the President of the Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on Monday suggesting setting up a meeting with Senior Vice President for Global Affairs & Legal, David Zapolsky, in Washington, to 'discuss broader policy issues of interest' to the Parliament. EU contracts UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig said at the hearing that 'Amazon must face consequences for such uncooperative behaviour towards our democratic institutions.' The union called for making public all the EU institutional contracts with Amazon and its subsidiaries, and 'to suspend them pending a review of their compatibility with EU procurement laws and ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and terminate those found in breach.' Lawmaker Liesbeth Sommen (Belgium/EPP), also called for the ban to continue. 'We should keep it, it's not OK that the management is not here, there is no respect for our house.' Laila Chaibi (France/GUE-NGL) said more action is needed and called 'to put an end to any contract with Amazon'. Tougher measures are also demanded by NGO's, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), LobbyControl and SOMO. 'Amazon's repeated disregard for democratic scrutiny should get alarm bells ringing. It is clear the company should not regain its lobby badges, but MEPs should also stop meeting with a company which clearly does not want to play by the rules,' said Bram Vranken, a CEO researcher. Euronews reported earlier this week that, despite the access badges being revoked, Amazon managed to secure at least 66 meetings with lawmakers to discuss technology legislation.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Amazon no show in European Parliament ires EU lawmakers, unions
Unions and lawmakers have called to increase measures on top of Amazon's access restriction to the European Parliament after the US tech giant failed to deliver a senior manager before the Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL) committee for a grilling on workers' conditions on Thursday. The Parliament has made the hearing a precondition for Amazon regaining access to its premises, after the tech giant's access badges were withdrawn in February last year because the company failed to attend a series of hearings and factory visits in 2021 and 2023 related to workers' rights. Amazon previously said it would send two Europe-based vice-presidents based on their expertise, rather than Senior Vice President Russell Grandinetti, who the committee had asked to see, as Euronews reported. The committee refused to accept the change of speakers and therefore the hearing went ahead without Amazon. An Amazon spokesperson said the company was 'disappointed' by the committee's decision. 'We were ready and willing to share information about our operations in the European Union and our efforts to set the standard for a safe and modern working environment in the logistics industry,' the statement said. In a letter seen by Euronews, Amazon wrote to the President of the Parliament, Roberta Metsola, on Monday suggesting setting up a meeting with Senior Vice President for Global Affairs & Legal, David Zapolsky, in Washington, to 'discuss broader policy issues of interest' to the Parliament. EU contracts UNI Europa Regional Secretary Oliver Roethig said at the hearing that 'Amazon must face consequences for such uncooperative behaviour towards our democratic institutions.' The union called for making public all the EU institutional contracts with Amazon and its subsidiaries, and 'to suspend them pending a review of their compatibility with EU procurement laws and ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and terminate those found in breach.' Lawmaker Liesbeth Sommen (Belgium/EPP), also called for the ban to continue. 'We should keep it, it's not OK that the management is not here, there is no respect for our house.' Laila Chaibi (France/GUE-NGL) said more action is needed and called 'to put an end to any contract with Amazon'. Tougher measures are also demanded by NGO's, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), LobbyControl and SOMO. 'Amazon's repeated disregard for democratic scrutiny should get alarm bells ringing. It is clear the company should not regain its lobby badges, but MEPs should also stop meeting with a company which clearly does not want to play by the rules,' said Bram Vranken, a CEO researcher. Euronews reported earlier this week that, despite the access badges being revoked, Amazon managed to secure at least 66 meetings with lawmakers to discuss technology legislation.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China premier's ‘Summer Davos' speech, Trump oil comment clarified: SCMP daily highlights
Catch up on some of SCMP's biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend next week's Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, marking his first-ever absence from the gathering of leading emerging economies, the Post learned from multiple sources. US President Donald Trump's declaration on Tuesday that China 'can now continue' to buy Iranian oil did not signal a change in Washington's policy on banning such trade, the White House said. European Parliament members have for years engaged in running battles with Beijing. Photo: dpa Correspondence obtained by the Post reveals President Roberta Metsola's efforts to normalise ties with Beijing in recent months, after four years of estrangement. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the recent history, not everyone is pleased.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
From blacklist to backchannels: inside the European Parliament's unlikely China reset
No EU institution has clashed more often – or more loudly – with China than the European Parliament. While others tiptoe around thorny issues, its members have for years engaged in running battles with Beijing, taking aim at everything from human rights and trade to Taiwan and foreign meddling, sometimes sending the broader EU-China relationship spiralling. In recent months, however, a remarkable reset has been under way, led by President Roberta Metsola, who has sought to normalise relations with Beijing after four years of estrangement. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the recent history, not everyone is pleased. The extent of the detente is revealed in previously unseen correspondence obtained by the South China Morning Post and conversations with parliament insiders, which helps piece together an improbable thaw that virtually nobody expected six months ago. 'I believe this is an opportune moment to reset relations between the European Parliament and the National People's Congress ,' Metsola wrote to Chinese ambassador to the EU Cai Run, in a letter dated March 12. 'Our discussion marked a significant step toward re-establishing constructive parliamentary relations and revitalising our legislative dialogue,' she said, referring to a meeting held with Cai in the parliament on March 3 – the first of two face-to-face encounters between the pair.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
MEPs vote for Parliament to sue Commission over €150bn defence scheme
The European Parliament's legal affairs (JURI) committee on Tuesday recommended that the institution takes the Commission to court for bypassing MEPs to set up a €150 billion loan programme to boost defence spending across the bloc. The motion was approved in a secret vote with 20 out of 23 votes in favour. Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, now has to decide whether to follow JURI's recommendation. Euronews has contacted Metsola's cabinet for comment. Metsola had in early May warned her counterpart in the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that a lawsuit could be pending if the EU executive didn't amend the legal basis it used to set up the SAFE programme The Commission has invoked Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to set up SAFE which allows member states to directly approve a Commission proposal "if severe difficulties arise in the supply of certain products" or if a member state is "seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control". Despite the threat, the Commission stuck to its argument and member states approved the SAFE regulation later that same month. A spokesperson for the Commission reiterated in a statement to Euronews that it stands firm in its belief that it has chosen the right legal basis because "Europe faces an unprecedented security threat". "The Commission will always be available to explain why Article 122 TFEU has been chosen as the appropriate legal basis," Thomas Regnier added Under the programme, the Commission will raise up to €150 billion on the market to then loan the money to member states for defence investments. It is a key plank of the Commission's 'Readiness 2030' proposal that aims to see hundreds of billions of euros invested into defence across the EU before the end of the decade, when some intelligence agencies believe Russia could be in a position to attack a European country. In her letter to von der Leyen, Metsola had stressed that "the European Parliament is not questioning the merits of this proposal for a regulation," but is instead "deeply concerned" that its adoption without a proper legal basis would be "putting at risk democratic legitimacy by undermining Parliament's legislative and scrutiny functions". Article 122 was previously used by the Commission to react swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic and to speed up the permits for renewable energy during the height of the energy crisis. To access SAFE, member states now have to work on and submit plans detailing their projects. To be successful, they need to submit projects involving at least two member states (or a qualifying third county), while a European preference whereby two-thirds of the value of the project must be manufactured in Europe also applies. Funding for SAFE is expected to start in early 2026.
