Consumers on the March, 1960s to 1990s

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Battleground Brussels: the EU and the regulation of multinationals

Who followed the news in recent weeks might get the impression that a change is afoot in attitudes towards multinational corporations. In the Netherlands, an environmental organization won a lawsuit against Shell, forcing it to start reducing its carbon emissions with immediate effect. Last month, the leaders of the G7, the world’s richest states, agreed…

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1971 demonstration against the Mansholt Plan

Fighting for food: European consumers and the Common Agricultural Policy

The largest farmers’ demonstration in postwar European history, in protest against reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, turns 5o today. Alessandra Schimmel argues in this blog that it prompts us to consider other groups’ criticism of this policy as well. Since the early 1970s, European consumer groups have repeatedly raised their concerns about the Common Agricultural Policy, addressing its failure…

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Why comparisons between the corona vaccine and thalidomide do not hold: a historical take on public health scandals and the regulation of drug safety in Europe

As tests for several vaccines against the corona virus enter their final stages, sceptics raise concerns about the vaccine’s safety. They argue that the unprecedented speed with which the vaccines have been developed and the commercial interests that are at stake may come with risks to public health. In this context, one historical scandal continues…

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