For months leading up to the long-awaited European elections in early June, farmers across Europe were leading protests in virtually every corner of the EU. Their core demands varied from state to state, but the messaging from farmer’s representatives in Brussels heard in 24 languages, was clear — the European Union severely overregulates the age-old practice of […]
In this week’s episode, we discuss the mayor of Barcelona’s measure to cut Airbnb licenses, we bring on Yaël Ossowski to explain Apple facing new potential fines for self-preferencing, and Chief Marketing Officer of Ryanair joins us to discuss their fight with Online Travel Agents (OTAs), and how his airline believes that consumers are being […]
A short video for Consumer Choice Center, watch below:
I joined Brad Ferland on WDEV’s Vermont Viewpoint to discuss House Bill H.706 which would ban the use of neonic insecticides in the state. The bill was vetoed by Governor Scott and is due for a veto override session mid-June. You can listen to the entire interview below:
Un nombre croissant de législateurs à Bruxelles hésitent à adopter des règles environnementales ambitieuses en raison de l’opposition des agriculteurs et des citoyens. L’Union européenne est réputée pour son approche peu pressée de l’élaboration des politiques. La roue de Bruxelles tourne lentement, les institutions marchandant chaque virgule dans un processus fastidieux appelé « trilogue ». Il est […]
I was quoted by Dairy Business about the veto by Governor Phil Scott in Vermont on the neonics legislation:
I was quoted by the Rutland Herald on the bill that bans neonics in the state of Vermont: Veto urged A “global consumer advocacy group,” Consumer Choice Center, has urged Gov. Phil Scott to veto H.706, which would ban the use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds in Vermont. According to a news release, “The ban would be […]
I was interviewed by Illinois Farmer Today on the European agricultural system and its differences with the American one. “The European Union subsidizes farmers a lot more than the U.S. does,” Wirtz says. However, Europe has more regulations than American farming and a more bureaucratic system with more paperwork, Wirtz says. “Running a farm has […]
The European Union is known for its unhurried approach to policymaking. The wheel of Brussels turns slowly with institutions haggling over every comma in a tedious process known as the ‘trilogue’. This made it all the more surprising that in a vote last week, the European Parliament voted in favor of a deregulation reform of the Common Agricultural […]
This week I have some audio from last weekend’s FDP party convention in Berlin, as well as stories about probes in Meta for disinformation tracking, and Bulgaria’s new gambling ban. May 2, 2024 Follow ConsEUmer wherever you get your podcasts: Apple: https://apple.co/2HR4TLTSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3l3GZdxGoogle podcasts: https://bit.ly/3fyyzto
Bill Wirtz 