Rebecca Harms

On the occasion of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, which takes place today at Palazzo Chigi, and in view of the Italian Presidency, which begins July 1, Monica Frassoni, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, and Rebecca Harms, Co-Preisdent of the Green Group at the EU Parliament, reaffirm the importance of a straight forward action by the Italian government in the next six months to come.

“The outcome of these European elections underlines the growing appeal of Green policies across the EU. The European Green family will have a wider geographic representation, following breakthroughs by Greens in new EU member states and renewed European Parliament representation in other member states. Our Green message is striking a chord with a wider European audience and this gives us a solid platform to push for the implementation of our policies at EU level."

The Greens oppose the terms of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agenda. To demonstrate the dangers of TTIP being used to lower standards across the EU, a public action was held this morning in the heart of Brussels during the EU-US Summit, with our Green leading candidate Ska Keller, and her fellow Green MEPs Ulrike Lunacek (AT), Bart Staes (BE), Philippe Lamberts (BE), Rebecca Harms (DE) and Sven Giegold (DE). The Greens had one message: TTIP must be on our terms. Standards that protect European citizens must not be put at risk.

The Greens are threatening to ask the European Parliament to officially censure the European Commission, if it continues to push for authorisation of a new GM crop variety. 19 different member states opposed the authorisation of GM maize 1507 on February 11 in the EU General Affairs Council. EU health and consumer policy commissioner Tonio Borg indicated that the European Commission would proceed with the plan nonetheless.

At 11h00 CET tomorrow, we will announce our two leading candidates for the upcoming Green European election campaign. This duo will head our campaign across the EU, and present our vision for Europe's future. Europe needs Green change, and the change we will bring is a more sustainable, fairer and democratic EU.

The four contenders in the Green Primary will be taking part in two separate debates this week, in Rome and Paris. The Rome debate, hosted by Green Italia – Verdi will take place on Monday 20 January. The Paris debate, hosted by Europe Écologie - Les Verts will take place the next day, on Tuesday 21 January.

As populist parties push an anti-immigration, anti-European, eurosceptic message, along with driving the reemergence of nationalism across Europe, these Green Primary debates are a vital opportunity to show that the Greens reject this philosophy and have a better, more coherent and inclusive vision for Europe's future. Europe isn't just a group of separate nations - We Are Europe.

The four contenders in the Green Primary will be taking part in two separate debates this week, in Prague and London. The Prague debate, hosted by the Czech Green party Strana zelených will take place on Friday 17 January. The London debate, hosted by the Green Party of England and Wales, will take place the next day, on Saturday 18 January.

The four Green Primary contenders are debating across Europe, to make sure people make an informed decision when they vote. The 5th debate took place in Berlin on January 10 was the 5th, with five more primary debates to go until the eventual winners emerge as the Green Leading Candidates.

At the Green Primary debate in Madrid on Wednesday December 18, Jose Bove, Monica Frassoni, Rebecca Harms and Ska Keller launched a pleas for more solidarity in Europe, and an end to austerity that has had a devastating effect on countries in Southern Europe.

On Sunday 15 December, the first Scandanavian Green Primary debate was held in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was watched by a live audience of enthusiastic Young Swedish Greens. This was a unique event where Contenders also debated three European candidates from Miljöpartiet de gröna, the Swedish Green party.