A QUICK LOOK AT THE S&D AND WHERE IT STANDS ON KEY POLICY AREAS

As of April 30, the S&D (Socialist) party would have 208 seats in the forthcoming European Parliament's elections, just 5 seats behind the EPP.

Here below is where the S&D stands on key policy areas:

Institutional Affairs: Enforcing the subsidiarity principle, providing the EP with more legislative, budgetary and control powers.

Economic, Financial Affairs and Taxation: Ruling out any further Troika missions and favouring another model which acts within the framework of the Treaties and is democratically socially responsible and credible; mutualising responsibility and rights in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); putting in place a real coordination of economic and fiscal policies in the eurozone that understands social effects and that is subject to democratic control by the European Union and national parliaments; managing public debt with new instruments; implementing adequate firewalls between commercial and investment banking; capping bankers' bonuses; speeding up the introduction of the Financial Transaction Tax; creating an independent and public European credit rating agency; cracking down on tax havens and ensuring transparent tax rules; fully implementing, increasing in budget, and extending to all people under the age of 30, the Youth Guarantee; linking research to econiomy and jobs by prioritising innovation, research, training and smart reindustrialisation.

Justice and Home Affairs: Putting in place effective respobses to breaches of fundamental rights; democracy and the rule of law; promoting more integration in migration and asylum policy; promoting cooperation and sharing the responsibilities among member states; protecting citizens' personal data and access to information.

Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Welfare: Protecting Europeans' right to enjoy safe food, safe products and a safe living environment; recognising the stratgeic role of agriculture and fisheries in European society; promoting a sustainable and thriving rural development policy.

Energy and Transport: Supporting clean technology and environmentally friendly production; in favour of binding targets on the reduction of carbon emissions, the increase use of renewables and improved energy efficiency; financing green investments through project bonds; taking measures to tackle energy poverty and safeguard minimum access to energy; reducing energy prices and consumers' footprint; promoting EU global leadership in the fight against climate change.

Innovation and Research: Promoting innovative green technologies; prioritising innovation, research, training and a smart reindustrialisation policy so discoveries can lead to more jobs.

Telecoms and Information Societry, Education, Sport and Audiovisual: Investing in education, student mobility and lifelong learning.

Foreign Policies, Defence, Trade: All trade agreements, including the one currently under negotiation with the United States, must be bound to the protection of human and social rights, decent work, environmental standards, culture as well as corporate social responsibility and fair trade; The European Union must carry the universal principles of democracy, peace and respect for human rights, including women’s and children’s rights; The EU should be an effective agent of peace and an efficient promoter of defence cooperation; Supporting the Eastern Partnership; Having strong relations with the Mediterranean region; Supporting European enlargement; Fighting global imbalances and poverty