European & International News

International news globe All the latest news from the European Union, its member states, and beyond.

European & International News
Posting of workers: Parliament and Council negotiators strike a deal

Posted on 26 February 2014 |

[Press release from the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 28 February 2014] Workers posted abroad temporarily to provide services would be better protected by a draft law informally agreed upon by Parliament and Council negotiators on Thursday. Parliament’s negotiators strengthened the draft to clarify rules for companies, by distinguishing genuine posting from attempts to circumvent the law, but also gave EU member states some flexibility in carrying out compliance inspections.
The new text (...) Read more
European & International News
One Billion Rising14: Europe dances for justice!

Posted on 21 February 2014 |

[Brussels, 20 February 2014] All over Europe, EWL members rose and danced for justice to end violence against women.
In Czech Republic, they chose to dance to denounce cyber-violence targeting women. This phenomenon reminds us that internet is not a safer than other areas. As it occurs in every other spheres, violence is gendered, and part of its manifestation touch specifically girls and women because of their sex. The consequences can be as traumatizing as in the so-called “real world”. (...) Read more
European & International News
MEPs launch a pledge in favor of sexual and reproductive health and rights

Posted on 14 February 2014 |

[Brussels, 13 February 2014] The European Parliament Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS and Development (EPWG) has launched a pledge to ensure that the new Parliament is in favor of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
In collaboration with Brussels based NGOs, the Chair of the EPWG, MEP Sophie In’t Veld (ALDE, The Netherlands), developed a pledge to ask her fellow MEPs to confirm their support for SRHR in the next five years.
The pledge will be launched on 8th (...) Read more
European & International News
Eve Ensler, founder of One Billion Rising : ’We should be hysterical about sexual violence’

Article The Guardian, Friday 7 February 2014

Posted on 14 February 2014 |

The Vagina Monologues playwright survived childhood abuse and cancer, and now runs One Billion Rising, which aims to end sexual violence against women. But first she has some very personal advice.
The last time Eve Ensler and I met, she was sporting a sleek black bob and shiny boots, and had Jane Fonda on her arm. It was 10 years ago, when Hollywood actors were falling over themselves to perform her hit play, the Vagina Monologues, in front of audiences who got a thrill out of hearing (...) Read more
European & International News
European Parliament asks for EU LGBTI roadmap in landmark report

Posted on 14 February 2014 |

[Press Release of the EP’Intergroup on LGTB Rights) Brussels, 4 February 2014] Today, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding recommendation for a future EU roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Roberta Metsola and Ulrike Lunacek MEPSThe report adopted today “strongly condemns” homophobia and transphobia in the European Union. MEPs ask the European Commission, Member States and EU agencies to ”work jointly on a comprehensive (...) Read more
European & International News
The EU leaders have spoken: EU has to step up its work on LGBTI equality

Posted on 14 February 2014 |

[Press Release of ILGA-Europe, Brussels, 12 February 2014] Participants of a debate organised by ILGA-Europe on 12 February 2014, which brought together high-level representatives from the five main European political parties, agreed that the current EU’s efforts to ensure LGBTI equality are not enough and highlighted specific steps the European Union need to make.
The panellists included:
> Guy Verhofstadt, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party’s candidate to the European (...) Read more
European & International News
“Did you miss the European demonstration for the right to abortion? Watch some videos!”

Posted on 14 February 2014 |

[Brussels, 14 February 2014] The demonstration that took place on the 29 of February in Brussels to support abortion rights in Europe and Spain was a big success as it can be seen in the videos below. The demonstration was supported by more than 2000 people who gathered together in Brussels to protest against the new draft bill to restrict the abortion in Spain and demand access to abortion everywhere in Europe.
This video, made by PES Women, shows the very nice atmosphere of the (...) Read more
European & International News
EU elections 2014 - European Disability Forum Manifesto

Posted on 13 February 2014 |

[Brussels, 12 February 2014] On 11 February 2014, EDF presented its manifesto on the EU elections 2014 at the European Parliament. The event was organised in cooperation with the European Parliament Disability Intergroup and gathered a lot of MEPs; all of them expressed their full endorsement to the key priorities of EDF manifesto.
“Progress had been made on legislative level but due to the crisis, the real situation of persons with disabilities has got worse. We need the loud support of (...) Read more
European & International News
Ulrike Lunacek, Austrian MEP and Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group is Rising for Justice!

Posted on 7 February 2014 |

Ulrike Lunacek, Austrian MEP and Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, has already announced that she is Rising for Justice and tqking pqrt in the One Billion Rising (OBR) Global Campaign 2014, initiated by V-Day!
Find out more about what the European Women’s Lobby is preparing at the European Parliament and in the heart of Brussels following these links: 12.02.2014, 12h:OBR 2014 in the European Parliament: on February 12, decision makers are rising for (...) Read more
European & International News
Message of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, for International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

Posted on 6 February 2014 |

[New York, 6 February 2014] Today UN Women joins people around the world in calling for an end to female genital mutilation (FGM). We applaud the thousands of communities that have made public declarations to abandon this harmful practice.
While progress is being made, up to 30 million girls under the age of 15 remain at risk, and some 125 million girls and women have undergone the procedure.
FGM violates the basic rights of women and girls and seriously compromises their health. It poses (...) Read more