Eastern and Central European companies may be forced out of the western market should their competitive advantage related to cheaper labour cease. In the opinion of MEP Csaba Sógor, Romanian companies that conduct business abroad could be adversely impacted by recent efforts to level services prices, which are becoming increasingly visible within the European Union and in some Member States.

European policy makers participated at a Transylvanian wine and beer tasting in Strasbourg at the event organised by the European Parliamentary Association (EPA) following this week’s plenary session of the European Parliament. 

Reports of the European Union focus more on the recently arrived migrant communities than on the autochthonous national minorities of  Europe – stated Csaba Sógor during the hearing of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2015. During the public hearing organised on June 16^th in the European Parliament, several documents were under discussion: the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights’s (FRA) 2016 report and the European Commission’s 2015 report on the application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The European Parliament aims to discourage unfair trading practices, affecting micro-, small and medium sized enterprises on the European market. SMEs, which make up over 90 percent of the EU’s economic structure, should benefit from a better protection in the food supply chain - concluded the MEPs during the June 6^th-9^th June Strasbourg plenary session the European Parliament.

Illegally smuggled cigarettes and tobacco products cost the member states of the European Union an estimated ten billion Euros per year in lost revenues. In addition to the economic losses, smuggling also undermines public health policies and violates the EU regulations on tobacco manufacturing, distribution and sale - said MEP Csaba Sógor.

The anti-Roma manifestations that took place on International Romani day in Romania are not worthy of a European Union Member State, and we cannot allow for these acts of open discrimination to become socially acceptable.

Drug abuse, just like alcoholism is social problem that is treated as a taboo in Hargita County. Even though the phenomenon is not a pervasive social problem in the region, it no doubt has an increasing tendency, concluded the specialists during a discussion organised on the 30^th of March at the County Council. The discussion was preceded by an exhibition on the subject, which can be currently visited in Csíkszereda/Miercurea Ciuc. The exhibition was organised by the Áradat Association and sponsored by EPP MEP Csaba Sógor. 

It would disadvantage the competitiveness of European companies if the bill proposed by the European Commission on the posting of workers is adopted – argue some members of the European Parliament. The proposal would modify the directive in force since 1996.   In the opinion of MEP Csaba Sógor the Equal work for equal pay principle proposed by the Commission would adversely affect not only entrepreneurs who have activities abroad but also Europe's competitiveness in general. This is the reason for which the proposal divides MEPs.

Freedom of speech is one of the fundamental values of democracy; therefore there cannot be taboo or uncomfortable subjects in the European Parliament that we are forbidden to speak of – stated Csaba Sógor in response to last week's incidents late at night on March 7^th during the Strasbourg plenary session.

A vehement protest action preceded a conference hosted in the European Parliament’s building in Brussels by RMDSZ MEP Csaba Sógor on the Turkish minority in Greece. Right before the start of the conference entitled Freedom of association in Greece - a loophole in European minority rights standards MEPs of the Greek far-right tried to disrupt the conference by using violent language and claiming that there is no Turkish minority in Greece - a fact, which according to Csaba Sógor only demonstrates how real the problems of ethnic minorities are in Greece.