Barnier's concerns about speculation

A peculiar pro-biotech event took place in Brussels. A 'farmers network' gave Brussels the chance to sample some genetically modified (GM) cuisine at an event in the upmarket Renaissance Hotel on 28 June, just across the road from the European Parliament. Lucky Brussels? [Update: later it became known that this event was sponsored by EuropaBio. See following blog: http://www.corporateeurope.org/agribusiness/blog/nina/2010/07/13/gm-food...)

--- by guest blogger Christine Pohl, Friends of the Earth Europe

Today, 28 September 2011, the European Parliament votes on six legislative acts on "economic governance", also known as the "six-pack on economic governance". Corporate Europe Observatory, together with other European public interest organisations and trade unions calls on MEPs to reject the six proposals, and to join forces with social movements in our attempt to set Europe on a new course, a course of democracy, welfare and social rights.

Brussels/London/Amsterdam, Tuesday 8 March - Supermarkets across the EU are being urged to boycott products containing soy labelled as "responsible" ahead of the introduction of a new EU-wide labelling scheme. A coalition of environmental and civil society groups have written to supermarkets and food companies across Europe including Unilever, Sainsbury’s, Carrefour and AHOLD, highlighting the reasons for their opposition to the Roundtable on Responsible Soy's plans [1].

The European Commission's new proposal on Corporate Social Responsibility reporting has been weakened by industry pressure to the extent that it is now virtually meaningless. Business lobbies, with very active support from the German government, have successfully pushed for voluntary reporting with non-binding requirements that can be selectively interpreted and would not be enforceable.