Open letter to the College of Quaestors

It is now 16 months since the cash-for-influence scandal rocked the European Parliament and led to the resignation of two MEPs (Ernest Strasser and Zoran Thaler). A third MEP, Adrian Severin of Romania was sacked by the Socialist group but refused to resign from the Parliament.

Despite well-publicised concerns about the damaging social and environmental impacts of large-scale agrofuel production, the European Union continues to provide incentives to promote their development, including through public funding for research. This article highlights how industry is now benefiting from research funding, having helped the EU write its Strategic Research Agenda, setting the criteria for research.

EFSA has claimed CEO got its facts wrong in the article about conflicts of interest. EFSA's response to CEO shows that the agency is failing to properly deal with conflicts of interest. Perhaps EFSA needs to read its own guidance on what its panel members need to declare?

This report, compiled by ASEED Europe, Base Investigataciones Sociales,Corporate Europe Observatory, Grupo de Reflexión Rural and the Rain Forest Action Network, looks at the impacts of soy production in Latin America ahead of the third Round Table on Responsible Soy conference, and warns that rather than promoting more sustainable production, the Round Table is legitimising the existing environmentally and socially destructive practices within the soy industry.

Climate stole the agenda at the European Business Summit's opening press conference in Brussels, after organisers were forced to invite a representative from Greenpeace onto the platform, following their blockade of the event.

The annual lobby forum, which this year has attracted 10 Commissioners, including Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, seems to be giving the climate far less priority this year.