EU

The combined wealth of EU billionaires increased by more than 400 billion euros in just six months this year – the equivalent of over two billion euros a day. That is according to Oxfam’s new report, “A European Agenda to Tax the Super-Rich” which comes ahead of EU Finance Ministers meeting to discuss ways to finance the EU’s budget.   

Responding to the EU’s proposed reform of pharmaceutical regulations, Piotr Kolczyński, EU Health Policy Advisor at Oxfam and the People’s Vaccine Alliance, said: "Reducing the exclusivity of data is a step towards improving access to medicines within Europe, but it is total hypocrisy for the EU to protect the right to health in their own borders while undermining it elsewhere. 

Europe currently wastes land the size of Ireland on crops for biofuels which is an obstacle to tackling the climate crisis and food security, a new study shows. The study commissioned by T&E shows that this land could be used to feed 120 million people or, if given back to nature, could absorb twice as much CO2 as is supposedly saved by powering cars with biofuels. Using an area equivalent to just 2.5% of this land for solar panels would produce the same amount of energy.

The European Commission has launched an infringement procedure against Greece about how they treat people arriving in Europe to seek asylum and the asylum process. This could result in the Commission taking Greece to court. Oxfam has been advocating for this for years due to Greece's systematic breaches of EU asylum law. This includes launching a joint legal complaint with other human rights groups.

Today, European justice ministers agreed on a proposal for a law to make companies accountable for the damage they cause to people and the planet.

Today, EU finance ministers agreed on the reform of the mandate of the Code of Conduct Group, the body within the Council of the EU that assesses harmful tax regimes and is responsible for the EU tax haven list. This reform updated the definition of harmful tax regimes in EU countries. No progress was made on updating the criteria for the EU tax haven list.  

Today, European finance ministers updated the EU tax haven list. The update includes the blacklisting of three additional countries (Anguilla, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos) and the complete delisting of two countries (Bermuda and Tunisia). 

Across Europe and the world, people are facing rising energy bills and inflation driven by the Ukraine war and the aftermath of the pandemic. Meanwhile, big business in every sector, not just energy, are raking in extremely high and excessive profits.

Today, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, proposed the introduction of a cap on revenues of companies producing electricity with low costs and a solidarity contribution from fossil fuel companies. The revenues from these unexpected profits will be directed to people and businesses to help them adapt to the recent increase in energy prices as well as to invest in clean home-grown energy sources.

Ahead of the EU foreign affairs ministers meeting on Monday, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza, said:  

“This fragile ceasefire is a start, but it is not the solution. For families in Gaza, words on paper mean very little unless aid reaches them, and not in symbolic trickles. What happens next and how the EU responds will be a defining test of Europe’s moral compass and political credibility. The EU cannot roll over into a policy of appeasement or take its leverage off the table. It cannot be a payer without being a player. Europe must use every diplomatic and political tool it has to rebuild lives and restore rights, or it risks being remembered as a bystander to realpolitik rather than a broker of principled peace.”