News from the European Parliamentary Labour Party

Trainee position in European Parliament

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The position is to work with the secretariat of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D Group), the political group which all Labour MEPs sit with in the European Parliament.

The position is based in the European Parliament in Brussels from 11th September 2013 to 14th February 2014 (5 months) with expenses of 1300 Euros a month.

Information on who the S&D Group are and what they do can be found on their web site www.socialistsanddemocrats.eu. Information on what the secretariat does can be found here.

Application is by CV and covering letter of no more than two A4 pages by email to

mark.simpson@europarl.europa.eu

Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 24th May 2013

To qualify candidates must in principle:

be a national of one of the Member States of the European Union or EEA (European Economic Area)

be a member of the Labour Party or be willing to join the Labour Party or a party which is a member of the Party of European Socialists

be university graduates or have successfully completed three years' (at least six semesters') study at a university or equivalent institute of higher education

have perfect knowledge of one official language of the European Union and good knowledge of a second

Interviews will take place in London on Friday 14th June 2013. Unfortunately we are not able to respond to every application we receive and therefore if you do not hear from us by Friday 31st May, your application has been unsuccessful.

Labour MEPs welcome a victory for common sense over oil jug ban

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

After pressure from Labour MEPs the European Commission announced they would not be adopting the legislation which was due to come into force from January 2014.

In a statement today the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos confirmed that the Commission would not adopt the rules as it was clear the moves did not have widespread support from consumers.

Labour MEPs had written to the Commission earlier in the week saying that the initial decision represented a completely disproportionate response to the problem of fraud in the marketing of olive oil, and asked what the Commission planned to do to rectify the situation.

Brian Simpson MEP, Labour Party spokesperson on Agriculture in the European Parliament said: "Today's announcement from the Commission answers the questions we put before them at the beginning of the week."

"This was clearly an ill-thought through decision, and today's u-turn is definitely a victory for common sense."

Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, also welcomed today's announcement saying: "The decision made last week was clearly a bad one, so the Commission decision today is very welcome."

"However, questions do need to be asked as to why the UK government abstained on this legislation when the issue first arose."

"Labour MEPs have worked hard to put pressure on the Commission and block these disproportionate measures, if only UK government ministers had been more alert to the problem then we wouldn't have had to rectify the problem."

Labour MEP leads vote on reinstating trade preferences to Burma

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's Trade spokesperson in the European Parliament, David Martin MEP, today welcomed the Parliament's endorsement of his report approving EU trade preferences to Burma with strict labour standards included.

EU trade preferences to Burma were suspended in 1996 when the International Labour Organisation (ILO) assessed forced labour in the country was "serious and systematic". The EU subsequently suspended preferential access to the EU market for Burma.

Following a reassessment from the ILO David Martin recommended to the Parliament this week that the EU reinstates preferences.

"Progress in Burma remains fragile and it is important that the measures adopted today will contribute to a sustainable peace and a positive development," Mr Martin said following the vote.

Labour's European trade spokesperson also called for strict corporate social responsibility (CSR) provisions including a requirement that European businesses disclose their trading practices in Burma and centrally report their ethical trading practices.

"I was disappointed that the conservative majority in the Parliament, including Conservative and Liberal Democrats, did not follow my recommendation and called for a centralised reporting of business practices in Burma." Mr Martin added.

"Nonetheless it is vital that European investors apply strict Corporate Social Responsibility measures to their operations in Burma and there is a high level of transparency and reporting, in order to encourage best practice amongst businesses moving into Burma"

Mr Martin also called for the Burmese government to continue talks to bring an end to the ethnic violence in the Rakine state.

"No-one is arguing that Burma is perfect. There are still problems with forced labour and ethnic violence but the country is moving in the right direction and the EU must now give its full support for the reforms in Burma to continue."

Euro MPs vote for EU wide domestic abuse protection orders

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour’s Spokesperson on Legal Affairs, Euro MP Arlene McCarthy said: “We are all too familiar with the statistics on domestic abuse in the UK. One in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime. One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute and on average, two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.”

“Behind these statistics are real women and children suffering the huge impacts of domestic abuse.”

“With over 1million British citizens living in other European countries it is vital that we are able to respond to the threat of domestic abuse across European borders.”

Arlene added: “This new multilingual certificate available online and easily transferrable between European countries will be a life saving measure for some victims of domestic abuse.”

“Victims of stalking, harassment or domestic abuse will also be guaranteed information and support in their own language.”

“This law is an example of the European Union working at its best to protect citizens.”

Labour MEPs question Commission on olive oil rules

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs are calling on the European Commission to explain publicly whether new EU rules will ban the use of olive oil dishes and jugs in restaurants, labelling the idea "as out of step with common sense".

They have vowed to table a formal parliamentary question demanding answers on whether the reports, which have appeared in various newspapers across Europe, are true.

Brian Simpson MEP, EPLP agriculture spokesperson, said:

"On the face of the reports this weekend, proposals to ban reusable and refillable olive oil containers appear to be out of step with common sense.

"This decision seems to originate from a desire to boost the ailing olive oil sector. But for the Commission to take this decision of agricultural ministers and turn it into a consumer protection issue is bizarre."

Glenis Willmott MEP, EPLP spokesperson on food standards, added:

"I have long supported honest food labelling, but if these reports are true then this is a step too far.

"Of course restaurants should be stopped from passing off cheap products as high-quality goods, but if this means a blanket ban on dipping bowls and table jugs, then that is an overreaction.

"We need the European Commission to explain whether this really is the case, or whether it is the latest in a long line of euro-myths.

"It has been reported that the UK government abstained on these proposals. Ministers should confirm what position they have taken on this matter"

Labour MEPs have vowed to table parliamentary questions to put pressure on the Commission to confirm whether restaurants will be stopped from serving olive oil in jugs and dipping bowls.

Labour Euro MPs back strong action on tax dodgers

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour Euro MPs today voted for strong proposals to tackle tax dodgers, calling for action to stem the 1 trillion Euros (850 billion pounds) lost to public finances due to tax fraud and avoidance.

Labour's Economic affairs spokeswoman, Arlene McCarthy MEP said: "It is time to get tough on those intent on avoiding tax. To those big businesses who say stop the talk on tax avoidance we say stop trying to find ways around paying your fair share of tax.

"According to HMRC figures, in the UK alone £9billion is lost every year which could pay for the construction of more than 600 new schools or over 50 new hospitals or pay the annual salaries of over 330,000 police officers.”

In a European Parliament vote today Labour Euro MPs backed a range of proposals, including calls for:

•   naming and shaming those sheltering tax evaders by creating a EU wide black list of tax havens,
•   companies avoiding tax not to be awarded public contracts,
•   more resources to be delivered to tax authorities to tackle tax dodgers and
•   an end to aggressive tax planning by companies trying to avoid paying tax.
•   an obligation on companies to publish a single figure for the amount of tax paid in each EU country.

Conservative MEPs refused to back proposals to bring greater transparency to multinationals' tax affairs by requiring them to publish a single figure for the tax they pay in each country. This would help to shed light on the practice of companies using their international operations to avoid paying their fair share of tax such as the recent high profile cases involving Google, Amazon and Starbucks.

Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, called on the British government to use tomorrow's (Wednesday) European summit to take international action to tackle tax avoidance and evasion:

"We call on David Cameron to match his words with tough action. The UK Government claims that tax avoidance is a key priority for their presidency of the G8 yet their lack of action shows it is all rhetoric.

"We've made it clear today that there are cross-border solutions that can be used to tackle companies that don't want to pay their fair share. Here's an issue on which international cooperation is essential, but with Cameron under pressure from his backbenchers, will he deliver anything but warm words?"

Arlene McCarthy MEP added: "As for UKIP, Nigel Farage claims to be "free thinking" but he is instead encouraging free loading by tax dodgers. Today he could have backed proposals to crack down on tax evaders and avoiders - but his colleagues voted against the proposals and he left before the end of the vote."

Labour welcome for EU action on potential oil price fixing

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Responding to yesterday's raids by the European Commission of several large oil companies' premises on allegations of price fixing, Arlene McCarthy, Vice President of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Committee and draftswoman on the EU Market Abuse rules said:

"In July I wrote to EU Competition Commissioner Almunia urging him to look closely at the IOSCO work on allegations of cartels price fixing in oil and gas markets. I remain very concerned that benchmarks in key indices, interest rates and commodity are subject to manipulation.

"These prices have a knock on effect for households and businesses bills as well as the price of petrol at the pump. People are paying more while companies are booking high profits on the basis of alleged manipulated prices.

"There is a serious lack of transparency in the price setting system which means we have no idea if the prices are fair and honest or whether they are a true reflection of the wholesale price.

"The lack of action by UK regulators means it is vital for the European Commission to investigate potential abusive practices in these markets.

"Should consumers be the victim of overcharging then I want to see companies redress the situation and consumers that have been ripped off compensated.

"What is clear is that we need urgent reform to introduce stronger, independent rules on commodity benchmarks."

Vacancy: EPLP Communications Officer

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP) is looking for an experienced Communications Officer to work with Labour MEPs in the European Parliament.

The successful candidate will have experience in dealing with the media and excellent writing and editing skills. They will be responsible for producing high quality written materials, for publication online and in print, with the objective of raising the profile of Labour MEPs and their work.

They will be able to explain complex ideas simply and coherently and will have the political awareness needed to offer expert advice on EPLP communications.

The successful candidate will be based in the European Parliament in Brussels but will also be required to work in Strasbourg and in London.

Full details can be found in the job description and application process by selecting the links below

Job description
Application process

The closing date for the receipt of applications is Monday 13 May, 9am UK time.

Tobacco packaging should be in Queen's speech, say Labour MEPs

Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have criticised the government's decision to remove new laws on standardised tobacco packaging from the Queen's speech.

Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour MEPs and spokesperson on health, said, "We have to call the government's commitment to public health into question. They are willing to forge ahead with their disastrous reorganisation of the NHS, but will not take the simple measure of standardising tobacco packaging, which will greatly reduce the attractiveness of tobacco for the next generation."

"Tobacco kills half of all its regular users, and the pack itself is the last place the industry has left to advertise its wares. Some packaging designs are clearly aimed at young people, with young girls targeted by thin, pink, flowery boxes that look more like lipsticks. Standardised packs would put an end to these marketing tactics."

Linda McAvan MEP, the European Parliament's Rapporteur on the Tobacco Products Directive said, "The EU is revising its rules on tobacco and Labour MEPs want to introduce standardised packaging across Europe. We are also pushing for large pictorial health warnings and a ban on flavourings."

"Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the UK, the EU and across the world. Australia, one of the world leaders in tobacco control, has already implemented standardised packaging and the UK is falling behind in the fight against tobacco. We are disappointed the UK government has backed down, but Labour MEPs will continue to push for standardised packaging at EU level."

Labour MEP welcomes pesticide ban

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission has decided to go ahead with a two year restriction on three pesticides found to be harmful to bees, as EU countries fail to reach a consensus.

Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour MEPs and spokesperson for health and food, welcomed the news.

"The UK government was wrong not to support restricting these harmful pesticides and I'm glad that the ban will go ahead," Mrs Willmott said.

“Many of my constituents are rightly concerned that the bee population is in crisis worldwide. In the UK bees have declined by 30% since 2007. As around three quarters of crops are reliant on pollination by bees, this is something we have to take very seriously.”

“Labour MEPs have been pushing for action on this for years. This January the European Food Safety Authority stated that three types of neonicotinoid pesticides are harmful to bees, and their use should be restricted. Now we must take urgent action.”

“The European Commission was right to push EU countries on this. Clearly the British government has listened more to the lobby of the big pesticide companies than to the concerns of their own constituents."

"The only way we can have a real impact on saving collapsing bee colonies is by working together at EU level. Labour MEPs will be closely monitoring the implementation and effects of the restriction to see whether further action is needed."

EU OPT OUT "PUTTING THE SAFETY OF BRITISH CITIZENS AT RISK"

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"If the Tory government ignore today's report, they are putting at risk the safety of British citizens, and they are sending a chilling message that the UK will go it alone on crime and justice." said Labour's Claude Moraes MEP responding to a House of Lords Report.
The House of Lords EU committee today confirmed that any decision by the UK Government to opt-out of EU police and crime measures could have "negative reprecusssions" for UK internal security.
The Tory-led Government has faced overwhelming opposition from influential groups including the UK Police Force, the Law Society of England and Wales and a pressure group called 'Justice Across Borders' who have pleaded with them to re-think their strategy at a time where cross-border crime is on the increase.
Claude Moraes MEP, who speaks on behalf of all Labour MEPs on Justice and Home Affairs, gave evidence to the House of Lords Committee. He argued that the Government Ministers failed to make the case for an opt-out and underlined the harmful effects of abandoning years of police cooperation with the EU.
"Under the guise of repatriating powers back to Britain, real evidence shows that a UK opt out from the EU Justice and Home Affairs co-operation could have devastating effects on our criminal and justice system," he said.
"Time and time again we have heard evidence that a decision to opt-out of police and judicial cooperation will weaken the UK's ability to fight against cross border serious crime and terrorism," he continued.
"Today's damning report by the House of Lords confirms these fears and goes even further saying that such a decision would have serious implications for the UK's internal security."
"A decision to trigger the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA )opt-out would mean that the UK Government pulls out of over 130 EU police and judicial cooperation measures which are vital in the fight against crime in the UK."
"Included in this decision is the European Arrest Warrant, which - despite needing urgent reform - has made it possible for British victims to get justice by reducing extradition times from several months to 48 hours. The UK will be forced to revert to slower, less efficient agreements with individual countries making it more difficult for the UK police force to do their job."
"Today's House of Lords report said that very little research had been done on the negative effects before Home Secretary announced the Government's intention to trigger the opt out at the end of last year."
"This is a major blow for the Home Office who have refused to listen even to the advice of senior police officers."
"We now live in a world where crime, especially terrorist crime, is global and the need for law enforcement agencies to cooperate is constant," he said.
Claude Moraes MEP is the Socialists and Democrats Spokesperson on the JHA Committee in the European Parliament.

ENDS

Any queries to David Poyser (Mobile): + 32 479790053

Notes to the Editor
House of Lords EU Select Committee: EU police and criminal justice measures: The UK's 2014 opt-out decision http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldselect/ldeucom/159/159.pdf

Discharge for the European Parliament for 2011, and the Discharge for the Commission expenditure in 2011

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The plenary session of the European Parliament today voted for the Discharge for the European Parliament for 2011, and the Discharge for the Commission expenditure in 2011.

Commenting on the European Parliament's 2011 discharge, Derek Vaughan, Labour MEPs' spokesperson on budgets, said

"The European Parliament takes the scrutiny of its own budget implementation very seriously. It is especially important to ensure the effectiveness of European Parliament spending at a time when national budgets are being reduced throughout the EU. By voting in favour of this report, MEPs granted discharge to the Parliament's expenditure for 2011. This report focuses on all areas of expenditure and includes a number of important issues for British Labour MEPs. I voted in favour of all amendments in this report as it called for transparent use of the MEPs' General Expenditure Allowance. My British Labour colleagues and I want to see the rest of the European Parliament follow our lead in having their General Expenditure Allowance independently verified by an auditor. I am pleased that the amendment calling for Member States to revise the issue of the European Parliament's seats - thus ending the wasteful trip to Strasbourg - was adopted by Plenary. Having only one seat for the European Parliament would bring significant savings and set a better example on environmental issues.

Commenting on the European Commission's 2011 discharge, Derek Vaughan, Labour MEPs' spokesperson on budgets, said

I voted in favour of granting discharge to the European Commission's expenditure for 2011. While the error rate for EU funds remains quite high, at 3.9%, the Commission is focused on implementing preventative and corrective measures that aim to reduce the error rates in payments. It must also be noted that 'error', which includes mistakes such as filling a form in incorrectly, is not the same as 'fraud', which is subject to strict legal and recovery measures. 80% of EU spending is administered at Member State level, therefore I welcome the report's focus on the shortcomings identified at national level. At this time of cuts to national and regional budgets, increased efforts must be made to focus on the effective spending of EU funding through implementing better control and management at EU and Member State level.

Tory MEPs defy Cameron in EU carbon market vote

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Tory MEPs were instrumental in a vote to reject support for the EU's carbon market - a central plank in both EU and British Government climate policy.

"In a tight vote in the full session of the Parliament in Strasbourg, most Tory MEPs chose to side with climate sceptics once again and undermine their own government's climate strategy," said Labour's Linda McAvan, who leads for Labour MEPs on the Environment.

News agencies and observers confirmed that Members of the European Parliament voted 334-315 against the measure. After the vote, the EU carbon price immediately fell 44 percent to a new record low of 2.63 euros ($3.44) a tonne.

"These Tories ignored a lobbying campaign from their own Ministers in London. It's yet another case of the coalition setting themselves up as the 'greenest government ever' while their MEPs in Brussels vote against environmental measures," she continued.

"Even as former Tory Ministers who worked closely with Mrs Thatcher said publicly that she was the first head of government to recognise the science of climate change and would have warmly welcomed the free market solution offered by the EU's emissions trading scheme (ETS), Tory MEPs blithely voted not to support the pan-European solution."

"They put their fanatic euro-scepticism ahead of British jobs and our environment," she said.
The cost of carbon trading permits in Europe's emissions trading scheme (ETS) has sunk due to the economic crisis. Today's vote was to allow a targeted intervention in the auctioning timetable to release fewer permits for auction in the short term to try to get the price back up again.

Linda McAvan added "this vote is a catastrophe for the environment."

"The UK carbon floor price for the power sector came into force at the beginning of this month, so UK electricity providers are currently paying an extra £4.94 per tonne of carbon they emit. This is more than double the current ETS price for carbon, and it's set to rise to five times the projected ETS price by 2015."

"Most Tory MEPs chose to side with climate sceptics against their own government and the majority of the CBI," she said.

A long list of businesses and business associations asked for unforthcoming Tory MEP support on the vote including Shell, Philips, Tesco, Unilever, Kingfisher, Johnson & Johnson, SSE, E.ON, UK Energy, UK Green Building Council and the UK Corporate Leaders Group.

Labour backs bankers' bonus cap

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Euro MPs today voted through a new package of rules that will make banks safer, more accountable and help them to focus on their essential role of lending to the real economy, in plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg today.

Labour Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy, Vice President of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and Labour's Economic Affairs spokesperson in the European Parliament, who was responsible for rules on bankers’ bonuses agreed in 2010 said:

“In 2010 the EU put in place rules ensuring bonuses were deferred and could be clawed back, and also that cash bonuses were limited. The banks were told to introduce a ratio between fixed salary and bonus elements. The banks failure to put their own house in order has resulted in these tough new rules”

“It is the failure of banks to self regulate on bonuses or to exercise restraint that has now resulted in a bonus cap with a 1:1 salary to bonus ratio - or 1:2 if agreed by shareholders- which aims to put an end to the excessive risk culture which lead to taxpayer bail-outs and bank collapses.”

“These rules will put an end to an unsustainable banking model where the UK bank RBS which is 84% taxpayer owned, while suffering £5.2 billion losses, £1.1 billion fines for miss-selling for payment protection insurance and £390 million fines for Libor-fixing, were still paying over £600 million in bonuses. This is neither ethical nor sustainable.”

Arlene McCarthy said: “This is a Government that is happy to cap public sector pay in times of austerity but reject a cap on bankers pay. These new rules will still allow a trader earning £236,000 to take home a total annual salary of two times their basic pay of £708,000. Whilst Government cuts mean that an estimated additional 230,000 people in my region, the North West, will have to access food banks in 2013.”

“Tories yet again failed to support reform in bankers’ bonuses, demonstrating that they continue to stand up for, and defend, pay and salaries of 1% while the 99% of ordinary working people pay the price for banks excessive risk taking.”

"A recent poll found that 76% of people supported a cap on bankers’ bonuses. The UK Government is yet again isolated and out of touch. It is Labour Euro MPs who are delivering a more responsible sector and bonus reform in line with the public demand for restraint.”

EU horsemeat tests highlight need for 'country of origin' food labelling

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"We urgently need to put EU rules in place on 'country of origin' labelling for meat in processed foods," said Glenis Willmott, food and health spokesperson for Labour MEPs, reacting to today's European Commission announcement revealing the results of EU-wide DNA-testing

"It's only this kind of regulation which will force manufacturers to get a grip on their supply chain," she continued.

"It's shocking to see how widespread the horsemeat scandal is.

"In 2011 the European Parliament supported my proposals for country of origin labelling for meat in processed foods but my plans were blocked by EU governments, including the UK government. I insisted that this was a serious issue, and obliged the European Commission to look into it and report back by the end of this year."

"I was always told that the supply chain for meat in processed foods was too complex to allow for labelling. Now we've seen what those complexities can hide."

"It's time we had a truly transparent system so that consumers know what they're eating and where it's come from."

"Many EU countries are currently cutting back on food safety inspections, which are vital for preventing fraud in the food chain."

"If the EU doesn't put in place a better inspection system there will be similar cases in the future."

"We also have to seriously look at the issue of the banned anti-inflammatory horse drug "phenylbutazone" - known as "bute" - in the food chain, which is a public health concern," Glenis Willmott said.

ENDS

Note for Editors

For more information on today's European Commission statement, including a breakdown of results by Member State:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/horsemeat/tests_results_en.htm

Any queries to David Poyser (Mobile): + 32 479790053

UK Government must not block action to save bees

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

While experts met in Brussels today to discuss a possible EU ban on the use of some pesticides to save collapsing bee colonies, Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, attacked the UK government’s position.

"Owen Paterson is leading the call to vote against this EU measure to restrict the use of pesticides which harm bee populations," Glenis Willmott said. "From the meeting today it seems he's been successful in dividing opinion with other big EU countries such as Spain and Germany now following the UK government’s line."

"Clearly the government has listened more to the lobby of the big pesticide companies than to the concerns of their own constituents."

Bee populations are in decline across the world. It is estimated that since 2007 the number of bees in the UK has fallen by 30%. As around three quarters of crops are reliant on pollination by bees, this is a serious problem.

"It has long been suspected that some neonicotinoid pesticides are harmful to bees, and I asked the European Commission in 2011 whether they planned to take any action. At the time they said there was not enough scientific evidence," Glenis Willmott added.

This January the European Food Safety Authority said that three types of these pesticides are dangerous to bees and should not be used on flowering crops. EU countries were scheduled to vote on the proposals in February, but the final vote was postponed until April because of the divergence of opinions.

"Other European countries have already taken action, with France and Italy already restricting the use of certain neonicotinoid pesticides. However we have to work at a European level if we are going to make a difference to the worldwide decline in bee numbers," said Glenis Willmott.

"Now we have the scientific evidence we must act. Mr Paterson says he wants to wait and see until the UK has carried out more research, but we have waited long enough. The bee population is in crisis and if the Tory-led government blocks this crucial measure now, the consequences could be dire."

ENDS

Any queries to David Poyser (Mobile):+32 479 790053

Labour MEP leads initiative to remove asbestos from the EU

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

A British Labour MEP has been successful in getting a new initiative on removing asbestos from public buildings in the EU overwhelmingly accepted by the European Parliament by a large majority (558 votes in favour - 51 against).

The 'own initiative' report by Labour's MEP for the North East, Stephen Hughes, called for the removal of asbestos from all public buildings and buildings requiring public access by 2028, an EU-wide model for screening and registration of asbestos, and a roadmap for its removal.

"Around 4,000 people die every year in the UK due to asbestos related illnesses, making it the county's single greatest cause of work-related death," said Stephen Hughes who has campaigned on the issue for thirty years.

"I'm calling for the EU to work for a global ban on asbestos. Dumping asbestos on developing countries is a scandal, so I'm calling for the EU to use its weight as the world's largest economy in international forums such as the WTO to put an end to this.

"Governments must now recognise the dangers of white asbestos (chrysotile) as well as blue and brown asbestos," he said.

The vote was passed overwhelmingly by MEPs on Wednesday (March 13th), with only the rump of extreme eurosceptic politicians in the EFD Group of UKIP and its allies voting against the measure.

Richard Howitt MEP, employment spokesperson for Labour MEPs, said "UKIP are isolated claiming white asbestos is 'harmless'.

"In my constituency, they were taking out sensationalist ads in local papers against Labour's initiative which is based on a consensus view among scientists.

"They are totally isolated. It's not a pro or anti Europe issue, it's matter of the number of people dying in the UK from asbestos-related diseases," Richard Howitt concluded.

EU takes action on dangerous chemicals

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs today supported EU action to ensure that chemicals found in everyday household products including food packaging, skin care products, cosmetics, building materials, certain electronic goods, furniture and floorings are safe in the future.

An overwhelming majority of MEPs, voting in a full session in Strasbourg, supported further research leading to regulation on so-called 'endocrine disruptors'.

An endocrine disruptor is a substance which alters the function of the body's hormone system and then causes adverse health effects.

"Children are regularly in contact with some of the products where these chemicals are found," said Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP speaking on behalf of Labour MEPs.

"Consumers should be able to expect the highest possible safety standards for everything we buy on the European Single Market."

"There are alarming trends linking a number of diseases and exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals."

"Current chemicals legislation is insufficient for establishing whether a substance has endocrine-disrupting properties. More research is still needed and tough EU action needs to be taken," she said.

Today's legislation would
(1) Ensure the criteria for endocrine disrupting properties are based on comprehensive hazard assessments using the latest science, taking into account potential combination and long-term effects;
(2) Ensure the European Commission reviews all relevant legislation by June 2015 with a view to reducing human exposure, especially among vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children, to endocrine disrupting chemicals;
(3) Set no 'safe upper limit' for endocrine disruptors unless manufacturers can provide scientific evidence that there is a threshold under which no adverse effects occur;
(4) Ask the European Commission to develop research methods which minimise animal testing.

Labour MEPs vote against calls to reject the MFF budget

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Following the vote in the European Parliament today on the Multi-Annual Financial Framework (the EU seven year budget), Glenis Willmott, Leader of the MEPs said-

"Labour MEPs today voted against calls to reject the MFF budget deal. Instead we supported the view that restraint needs to shown in the current financial climate."

"Although we fully support measures to boost jobs and growth by focusing spending on research and development, infrastructure and combating youth unemployment , we believe this must be done through efficient and effective spending. "

ENDS

�Swap fags for swag'�urge Labour MEPs

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs are encouraging smokers to ‘swap fags for swag’ by quitting smoking.

They are supporting the British Heart Foundation's annual health campaign, which shows how smokers could treat themselves to all sorts of ‘swag’ - if they quit for a day they could save £7, or for a week with no fags saving £49, which would mean £210 a month and £2,555 saved when they have quit for a year.

Glenis Willmott, Health spokesperson for Labour MEPs said: “Stopping smoking is not just one of the best things you can do to boost your health but it’s great for your bank balance as well. Quitting can be difficult, but there's lots of local support available from organisations like the British Heart Foundation and working out what you could afford to buy is a great motivator.

"I’d encourage everyone to give it a go and join thousands of others trying to quit on the day.”

Labour MEPs are leading on the Tobacco Products Directive currently going through the European Union. Their aims include restricting all additives and flavourings such as vanilla and menthol, and standardising packaging to remove all branding to put an end to long, thin, flowery packet designs in light pink and purple that are clearly aimed at young women.

Nearly one in five UK adults smoke. But UK figures show two thirds of them want to quit.

Labour MEPs supported the campaign to make Wednesday 13th March 'No Smoking Day'.

The campaign is now in its 30th year. It helped more than 760,000 people quit smoking last year and inspired another 1.5 million to seek out information to help them quit in future.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Above statistics are taken from ASH fact sheet. Facts at a glance - smoking statistics. July 2012
2. For more information on the benefits of quitting as well as top quit tips, visit http://www.wequit.co.uk/ , an online hub with information and tips on how to quit. It also includes a forum where people can chat with more than 15,000 other quitters about the issues they face
3. No Smoking Day merged with the British Heart Foundation in 2011. The annual No Smoking Day campaign, which is now in its 30th year, inspires and helps smokers who want to quit, and is supported by an alliance of UK health bodies and charities. For more information about the No Smoking Day campaign visit http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/ or for more on the BHF visit http://www.bhf.org.uk/

Labour MEPs welcome greater CAP transparency but 'extremely disappointed' by overall lack of radical reform

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"We welcome greater transparency on agriculture spending but would have liked to see much more radical reform overall," said Labour MEP Brian Simpson following votes in the European Parliament on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) today.
The CAP accounts for nearly 40% of the EU budget and MEPs voted to determine how these funds should be spent in the period from 2014 to 2020.
In the run up to the vote, Labour worked with MEPs from across Europe to put forward ambitious environmental proposals, with a better deal for UK farmers and rural communities in Britain.
Mr Simpson said "Farming is a vital industry in the UK and the EU as whole, so Labour MEPs want to see an agricultural policy that is environmentally friendly, sustainable for rural communities and fully fit for the future.
"I'm delighted that we have been able to achieve reforms in some key areas, including on the controversial issues of transparency.
"We believe that there should be full disclosure on how CAP money is being spent, so we proposed that information on the beneficiaries of European agriculture funds should be published and we are delighted that the majority of MEPs supported our stance.
"However, we're extremely disappointed that other crucial reforms were rejected by MEPs in favour of sticking with the status quo."
Labour called for a greater focus on rural development and an end to unfair, inefficient spending. Labour MEPs also highlighted a crucial need for Europe's agriculture policy to be greener, so proposed stronger environmental protection requirements that farmers must meet in order to qualify for funding.
Mr Simpson added "We wanted to see reforms that would improve the competitiveness of rural areas, protect biodiversity and ensure that the CAP gives farmers the support they need whilst benefiting society at large.
"Unfortunately these reforms were rejected by the Parliament, leaving us no option but to vote against the current CAP proposals as they stand."
EU negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy will continue in the coming months, with MEPs expected to vote on updated proposals from the European Commission in June or July.
Mr Simpson added "A competitive and productive agricultural sector is more important than ever and Labour will keep pushing for the radical reforms that will deliver real public benefit.
"Our priority is making sure that agriculture practices in Europe are green and sustainable, to protect the environment and guarantee the future of Europe's food production."
ENDS

Any queries to David Poyser (Mobile): + 32 479790053 or (landline)+33 (0)3 88 173622

Lets make Fair Trade Fortnight another step towards global justice," says Linda Mcavan

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"Britain is leading the world on Fair Trade. In the past year, we drank 2 billion cups of Fairtrade coffee, 3.2 billion cups of tea and ate 1.3 billion bananas. And Fairtrade sales are up 19%, despite the downturn. This shows that the public has developed a keen appetite for products which give farmers a fair deal for their products , " said Linda Mcavan MEP marking the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight (25th February – 10th March).
Labour MEPs want the government to translate this public support for trade justice into concrete policies to support small farmers when David Cameron hosts the G8 Summit of world leaders in June this year.
The Fairtrade Foundation is marking Fairtrade Fortnight by launching a campaign calling for urgent action to support the 500 million smallholder farmers who produce 70% of the world's food but who themselves often go hungry and live in poverty. Campaigners want David Cameron to use his influence at the G8 Summit to get a better deal for these smallhold farmers.
Labour MEPs are urging constituents to back the online petition in support of this campaign: www.fairtrade.org.uk/jointhemarch "We want to see the best possible deal for smallhold farmers in world trade, and supporting Fair Trade in the shops is a way we can support the campaign in our daily lives in the UK."
"Over 10,000 people have signed the online petition so far," she said.
The final petition will be delivered to David Cameron at World Fair Trade Day in May before the G8 meeting the following month.
ENDS

For further information about the Fairtrade Foundation please visit http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

George "Johnny-come-lately" Osborne fails to impress EU partners

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Responding to George Osborne's statement at today's ECOFIN European Finance ministers meeting in Brussels today, Arlene McCarthy MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Committee and draftsperson of the Parliament's 2010 rules on bankers' bonuses, said:
"Yet again, we have an example of the government's failure to proactively engage in and influence EU policy in Britain's national interest. Why has the UK Government failed in the last eighteen months to put an alternative proposal on the table, and waited until the last minute to raise objections?"
"This Government needs to take a crash course in finding friends and influencing EU partners. Time will tell whether George Osborne can pull the rabbit out of the hat and ditch the cap on bonuses".

ENDS

EU deal signals end of 'broken' bank bonus culture

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"It's a shame that the UK government has sought to defend the broken bankers' bonus culture by acting as the trade union for a minority of highly paid traders. The Coalition government says they want reform of the banking sector yet they are the only member state to defend the status quo by maintaining the current flawed bonus culture," said Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP.

Arlene McCarthy was responsible for the 2010 rules on bankers' bonuses in the European Parliament, and is currently Vice President of the Economic and Monetary affairs Committee and Labour's Economic affairs spokesperson in the European Parliament.

She added "I welcome the a deal reached last night to toughen up bankers' bonuses rules. In 2010, the EU put in place rules ensuring that bonuses were deferred, that they could be clawed back and that cash bonuses were limited. The banks were told then to introduce ratio between fixed salary and bonus elements."

"The failure of banks to self regulate on bonuses or to exercise restraint has now resulted in a bonus cap with a 1:1 salary to bonus ratio which aims to put an end to the excessive risk culture which leads to taxpayer bail-outs and bank collapses."

"These rules are designed to make banks safer, more accountable and to ensure they focus on lending to the real economy. It will put an end an unsustainable banking model where banks bailed-out with £5.2 billion losses, banks who had paid £1.1 billion fines for mis-selling, banks who had paid £390 million fines for Libor-fixing, were still in 2012 paying over £600 million in bonuses!

"This is neither ethnical nor sustainable. The industry has had two years to sort this out and their failure to tackle the culture has resulted in these tough rules," Arlene McCarthy concluded.

Labour MEPs welcome today's Europe-wide 'Youth Guarantee'

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"At last - a glimmer of hope for Britain's lost youth," said Glenis Willmott MEP, Leader of Labour MEPs, on hearing today's news that an EU-wide ‘youth guarantee’ was agreed by government ministers at the Employment and Social Affairs Council (EPSCO).

The youth guarantee will ensure that all young people under the age of 25 get an offer of good quality employment, continuing education, apprenticeship or traineeship after an extended period unemployment or leaving formal education.

"I call on the British government to follow today's vote and use theUK's share of the six billion euro Youth Guarantee funds to save a generation of youth," Glenis Willmott added.

"Tory MEPs were almost alone in the European Parliament back in December last year as MEPs from across the political spectrum were united in our calls for a guarantee to unemployed youth to get a job for a fixed period," she said.

Glenis Willmott started a campaign for a Youth Jobs Guarantee in a speech at last year's Labour Conference, and followed it up with a week-end Event in Nottingham, where unemployed youth from across the EU met with employers, Labour Leader Ed Miliband and EU politicians to discuss different approaches to youth unemployment.

In December last year, Labour MEPs supported the TUC's 'Charter for a Future That Works' whose aims also included calls for guaranteed paid work or training after a period of unemployment for unemployed youth.

Glenis Willmott added “In Britain, there are a million young people who are unemployed. AcrossEurope, it's over five million. This is devastating for the young people themselves, but also a huge waste for our economy, with potentially disastrous implications for the future.”

"Thanks to the Irish Labour Party, tackling the issue of youth unemployment has been one of the top priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The scheme, inspired by experience inAustriaandFinland, has been recently implemented inLuxembourgand it is at the centre of the political debate in France."

”We now need to ensure that any scheme set up in the UK as a result of today's vote actually creates real employment."

-ends-

Notes to Editors

Since February 2012, all Party of European Socialists Member Parties have been active in the ‘Your Future is My Future’ campaign to establish a European-wide Youth Guarantee.
More information on the TUC Charter is on http://www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/371/tuc-charter.pdf
The EU heads of state and government today decided to allocate €6 billion in EU funds (€3 billion from the European Social Fund, €3 billion from a new budget line). The funds will particularly enable those countries worst hit by the crisis to finance a youth guarantee.

The overall bankers' bonus 'pot' must be reduced and remuneration should be linked to long term stability

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Arlene McCarthy, Labour MEPs' spokesperson on banking, said:-"In the absence of sufficient restraint by the banks when issuing bonuses, the European Parliament has been forced to take a tough line by demanding a cap on all variable remuneration. Only yesterday (Monday 18th Feb 2013) we heard that executives at Barclays, which was at the centre of the Libor scandal, will get over 17 million pounds in bonuses. It is important that this measure is effective and does not lead to a rise in fixed salaries to compensate for the cut in bonuses. The overall bonus pot must be reduced and all remuneration should be linked to long term stability."

Too many results from clinical trials are misleading, biased or missing

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

“Too many results from clinical trials are misleading, biased or missing" said Glenis Willmott MEP, rapporteur ("lead legislator") for the revision of the European rules on clinical trials, on the eve of the first debate at a European Parliament Committee in Brussels tomorrow (Tuesday).
"It's time that all pharmaceutical companies and researchers made the full results of studies on new and existing drugs publicly available," she added.
Tomorrow's Environment and Public Health Committee of the European Parliament will be discussing proposals put forward by Glenis Willmott, Labour’s spokesperson on public health. The proposals require greater transparency of the results of all clinical trials.
Glenis Willmott is calling for a pan-European database, with full publication of trials, and financial penalties for those who delay.
Numerous academic studies have found that around half of all trials are never published, usually those with negative or disappointing results.
“For too long unflattering studies have gone undisclosed,” said Glenis Willmott. “It's vital that we know about negative outcomes, otherwise trials can be conducted repeatedly before it becomes public knowledge that they are ineffective or even dangerous.
“I’ve consulted widely with medical researchers and a variety of health organisations over my amendments and I hope they will receive support from other MEPs, when we discuss them in the Committee meeting tomorrow," she said.

ENDS
Further enquiries to David Poyser 00 32 479 790053 (Brussels) or Paddy Caswell 0115 922 9717 (UK)

NOTES
Ø Glenis Willmott wants to see comprehensive results from clinical trials published on a public database, and is proposing that a full clinical study report is published. This is the same document that companies must submit to regulators for approval of their medicine, and therefore contains a full account of how the clinical trial was conducted and what the results were.
Ø She also wants to see financial penalties imposed on those that do not upload their results on time.
Ø Her full report can be found here:http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML%2BCOMPARL%2BPE-504.236%2B01%2BDOC%2BPDF%2BV0//EN
Ø The report will be voted on in the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment and Public Health before Mrs Willmott begins negotiations with EU governments.
Ø The original proposal from the European Commission can be found here:http://ec.europa.eu/health/human-use/clinical-trials/index_en.htm#rlctd
Ø Research on problems with the US law can be found here:http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.d7373
Ø Research about unpublished results can be found here:http://www.hta.ac.uk/fullmono/mon1408.pdf

Tory MEPs chose to side with climate sceptics again and undermine their own government's climate strategy

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Tory MEPs Martin Callanan MEP (Leader of the ECR Group of MEPs) and Marina Yannakoudakis MEP, today voted to reject an important proposal to support the EU's carbon market which is central to EU and British climate policy.

Linda McAvan, Labour MEPs' spokesperson on the environment, said "luckily the Tory votes were in the minority and we won the day in the environment committee.
"This is yet another case of the Tories in London saying one thing, and setting themselves up as the 'greenest government ever' while their MEPs in Brussels vote against environmental measures over and over again.

"This was a critical vote, but Tory MEPs chose to side with climate sceptics again and undermine their own government's climate strategy," she said.

The cost of carbon trading permits in Europe's emissions trading scheme (ETS) has sunk due to the economic crisis. Today's vote was to allow a targeted intervention in the auctioning timetable to release fewer permits for auction in the short term to try to get the price back up again.

ENDS

EU Commission's response to horsemeat scandal "totally inadequate"

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"The European Commission's response to the horsemeat scandal has been totally inadequate," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, after a high-level meeting in Brussels scheduled by Labour MEPs to discuss the horsemeat scandal today.

"The horsemeat scandal should result in a Europe-wide comprehensive legislation on 'origin labelling' for all meat in processed foods, and a better EU enforcement procedure," Glenis Willmott added.
MEPs sent an urgent summons to senior representatives from the European Commission and the European Food Safety Agency to discuss the widening horsemeat scandal across Europe at the European Parliament's Environment and Food Safety Committee.
"EFSA and the European Commission just gave us reassurance that the EU has the best system in the world, when what we need is a commitment to better traceability," said Glenis Willmott.

"It's scandalous that leading food manufacturers and retailers have been selling us food containing horsemeat without our knowledge," said Glenis Willmott who originally proposed comprehensive EU rules for country of origin labelling for meat in processed foods in 2011."

Glenis Willmott's proposals were supported by the European Parliament, but opposition from the UK coalition government in the EU Council of Ministers forced the Parliament into a much weaker compromise.
"It was clear the UK government wanted to kick the issue into the long grass. I insisted that the European Commission should come forward with a report on labelling meat in processed food by this year rather than wait until the end of 2014. Ironically Owen Paterson is now calling for an 'acceleration' of this report," she said.

"If companies are obliged to specify to their customers the origin of the meat they use, industry would have to keep a much tighter grip on their supply chain. This would make it less likely that illegal meat of unknown origin gets on to our supermarket shelves.

"Sadly, it's taken a crisis for ministers across the EU to wake up to the fact that we must change the way the food industry works.

"It's interesting that Britain's Owen Paterson, one of the most eurosceptic Tory Ministers, is now advocating EU legislation as a solution to the current crisis. It's simply common sense that a problem in the meat supply chain, that has so far affected 16 EU members, needs EU-wide measures to combat it," Glenis Willmott concluded.

ENDS
Further enquiries to David Poyser 00 32 479 790053 (Brussels)

Willmott " I hope Owen Paterson will stay true to his word and support Labour MEPs in our on-going battle for honest food labelling for consumers"

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Speaking after yesterday’s emergency meeting of EU ministers on the horsemeat scandal, Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour MEPs and spokesperson for the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament on food labelling, said:

"Owen Paterson is now saying that he wants country of origin labelling for meat in processed foods. However, when the European Parliament backed my comprehensive proposals for EU-wide legislation on country of origin labelling in 2011, the UK government opposed my plans and forced us into a much weaker compromise. I insisted that the European Commission come forward with a report on meat in processed foods by the end of this year, and I hope Owen Paterson will stay true to his word and support Labour MEPs in our on-going battle for honest food labelling for consumers. We have to force the food industry to get a grip on their supply chains to ensure that consumers can trust what is written on the food label."

ENDS

further enquiries to David Poyser 00 32 479 790053 (Brussels) or Paddy Caswell 0115 922 9717 (UK)

The Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott MEP , said yesterday �The Labour Group of MEPs will be voting for the European Budget deal agreed at the European Council Summit last Friday�

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott MEP , said yesterday “The Labour Group of MEPs will be voting for the European Budget deal agreed at the European Council Summit last Friday”

HORSE-MEAT SCANDAL TO BE DISCUSSED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The illegal horse-meat found in burgers, lasagnes and spaghetti Bolognese, without any labelling, shows that there are loopholes in the EU legislation and in the food traceability chain, say Labour MEPs.

Two leading MEPs have requested that the European parliament committee on the environment, public health and food safety discusses this issue in its meeting next Monday. Labour MEP Linda McAvan is spokesperson on food safety for Socialist and Democrat Group - one of the two large blocs controlling the European Parliament - and she has joined up fellow Labour MEP, Glenis Willmott, who leads on food labelling for the S&D group.

They jointly welcomed the decision of EU ministers to hold a special meeting tomorrow (Wednesday), but criticised the Council of Ministers for its short sightedness during the earlier negotiations on Food Labelling. In July 2011 the Parliament had to accept weak legislation imposed by the Council, but S&D MEPs announced they would continue with a "campaign for honest food labelling".

Linda McAvan said: "This scandal raises serious questions about the traceability of food, and the integrity of the meat supply chain.

"We ask farmers to double tag their cattle, so that animals can be traced between farms and abattoirs. Beef is then supposed to be labelled so that it is traceable betweenabattoirs and manufacturers or retailers. So the systems are in place, but all this effort is wasted if the food manufacturers are not checking their suppliers properly."

During the negotiations on the EU Food Labelling Regulation, Glenis Willmott, S&D spokesperson on food labelling, proposed that there should be mandatory country of origin labelling for processed meat products like burgers and lasagnes, but member states did not support the proposal.

Glenis Willmott said: "Back in 2011 the Council of Ministers agreed to the S&D request to include 'country-of-origin' labelling for fresh lamb, pork, goat and poultry, just as we already had for beef, fish, fruit and vegetables.

"We also pushed the Council to accept that the Commission would produce a report and possible legislation on the origin of meat in processed food within two years. So the Commission's report should be almost ready and we will call for specific legislation to avoid misleading information for consumers. We will ask the Commission at what stage the report and legislative proposals are.

"If companies were forced to specify which country the meat in their lasagnes and other dishes comes from, they would have to keep a much tighter grip on their supply chain - and it would be much less likely that illegal meat of unknown origin creeps in," she said.

ENDS

Further queries to David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

UKIP falsely claims that 'EU is behind same-sex marriage'

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

On Tuesday 5 February, UKIP claimed that David Cameron's decision to introduce marriage equality was 'driven by the EU', which Labour MEPs have today shown to be false.

UKIP alerted the public to a report, supposedly due to be 'voted through the EU Parliament this November', which would require EU Member States to recognise existing civil partnerships and marriages. Nigel Farage claimed that a paragraph in the report would "establish an EU-wide right to same-sex marriage". UKIP leader Nigel Farage also claimed the report was behind French plans to legalise same-sex marriage.

UKIP's claims show they completely fail to understand how the EU works, and are two years behind what actually happens in the European Parliament.

The report they refer to, drafted by Italian Socialist Luigi Berlinguer, was voted by MEPs in November 2010. The report made no changes to the law, but merely recommendations. Paragraph 40 stressed that when Britons travel in the EU, their civil partnerships and marriages must be recognised elsewhere.

Without these changes, some British families travelling to Germany or Romania would find it impossible to prove they are next-of-kin, or prove they are their child’s parents, for instance when making life-or-death decisions in a hospital.

Labour supported these suggestions, while Conservative and UKIP MEPs opposed them.

Labour MEPs' Legal Affairs spokesperson, Arlene McCarthy, explained: "It’s clearly in our families’ interests to make sure they remain a family in the eyes of the countries they visit, live in or travel to. UKIP and Nigel Farage completely fail to realise where the interest of British families lies—and a full two years after the actual vote!

"We should let UKIP and its MEPs know that Britain joined the EU 40 years ago, they might need to be updated on that too," shesaid.

Labour MEPs' equality spokesperson, Michael Cashman, added: "As usual, Nigel Farage is too busy playing petty politics to realise what’s going on in the Strasbourg chamber. Maybe if he and his colleagues paid more attention, they would be able to make real proposals.It's clear they do not even understand the English language!"

Currently, Member States of the EU do not automatically recognise official documents from British administrations, including marriage and civil partnership certificates.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

- UKIP press release 5th February 2013 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2010-0426&language=EN&ring=A7-2010-0252

- Berlinguer report on Civil, commercial, family and private international law aspects of the action plan implementing the Stockholm Programme http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2010-0426&language=EN&ring=A7-2010-0252

- European Parliamentary Labour Party press release 23rd November 2010 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2010-0426&language=EN&ring=A7-2010-0252

Further queries to David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour MEPs say no to secret ballot on the MFF

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"Labour MEPs do not support the idea of a secret ballot on the MFF as proposed by Martin Schulz. We believe that a vote as important as this should be conducted in the most transparent way possible.

"Labour MEPs welcome some of the savings that have been made in these negotiations so far. However, we still believe this is a wasted opportunity to really reform the EU's budget.

"It looks likely that David Cameron has failed to secure a budget that will be most effective in tackling the consequences of the economic crisis and creating jobs and growth.

"Labour MEPs will look at the details of th e deal and decide whether or not what is on offer is satisfactory in the current climate."

End of Statement

further enquiries to David Poyser, 00 32 479 790053

EU businesses must restore trust through Corporate Social Responsibility

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is integral to the restoration of trust, which is essential if confidence is to return to the European economy as a whole," claims a report widely expected to be adopted by the European Parliament today.

Labour's Richard Howitt MEP, who is the European Parliament's Rapporteur (lead legislator) on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), proposed in today's report that the EU should become more active in promoting the responsibility of business through :-
•   advancing a new legal proposal requiring companies to publicly report on their sustainability
•   championing a new mechanism for corporate accountability in the United Nations
•   formally signing up to the internationally-recognised OECD Guidelines on Multinational Enterprise.

Today's report challenges business on how it can restore confidence after the economic crisis. It says industry has to address environmental challenges if there is to be a sustainable economic recovery.

The report also calls directly on European businesses to take action to combat the social consequences of the current crisis, by taking action on youth job creation, occupational health, the sustainability of pensions, and by tackling exploitative labour practices in company supply chains and by promoting new markets in socially useful and environmental products and services.

The report invites the European Commission to 'show leadership' by reporting on the sustainability of its own organisation, introducing ethical management of its pension investments, and supporting schemes where Commission staff volunteer in social and environmental projects.

Richard Howitt MEP, who has served continuously as CSR rapporteur in three successive terms of the European Parliament, and who represents European interests in global CSR initiatives in the OECD and the UN, said "the European Commission nearly dropped their commitment to the Communication, wrongly seeing CSR as a cost to business, when in reality it is a route out of the crisis.

"There can also be no retreat from the crucial commitment to transform the European and the global economy to a low-carbon future. There will be no sustainable economic recovery without sustainable businesses," he continued.

"Today's parliamentary vote will send a strong signal of support to the European Commission to advance a new proposed law on non-financial reporting by business.

"Short-term thinking in Brussels, which focuses exclusively on the transparency, responsibility and accountability of financial markets alone, would also repeat the very same mistakes which those responsible for which the banking collapse is accused.

"Transparency is essential for all larger businesses to be able to manage their social, environmental and human rights impacts. If the proposed EU law is based on reporting integrated in financial accounting and not additional to it, I am confident that it will prompt the 'scaling up' of responsible business that business itself says it wants."

ENDS

EDITOR'S NOTE

The European Parliament's vote on Corporate Social Responsibility will take place today Wednesday (6 February) before 13.00 UK time.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+REPORT+A7-2013-0023+0+DOC+WORD+V0//EN

Fish campaigners win EU 'discard' vote

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

New measures to stop 'discards' (the process of throwing overboard unwanted fish, frequently dead or dying, back into sea), allied to a commitment to restore fish stocks to sustainable levels, were agreed at a full session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg today.

A campaign led by TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who has presented MEPs with a petition of over 800,000 signatures, called for serious reform of the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy) that ended discards and made European fishing sustainable.

Linda McAvan MEP, who speaks for all Labour MEPs on fishing, said "all Labour MEPs supported today's changes. We're thrilled."

"It's estimated that over a million tons of discarded fish have been dumped back in to our seas which is a shocking and wasteful reality," she said.

"With over 60% of fish stocks being overfished, there's a real danger that the amount of fish available for the dinner tables will be depleted in the not too distant future.

"It's no wonder that European citizens wanted to see a real change in how we manage our fisheries. With luck, today's vote means we can now deliver that change.

"Now we need EU governments to back the changes we agreed on. This vote is the first step to getting a new, sustainable European fisheries policy," she said.

Today's vote marks the beginning of a period of negotiations between MEPs and Ministers from the EU's 27 member states in the European Council. Final approval of the new fisheries policy is expected later this year

For the first time in the history of the Common Fisheries Policy, MEPs in the European Parliament now have an equal say to Government Ministers in the Council on fisheries policy

ENDS

www.eurolabour.org.uk
For further information, please contact David Poyser, communications officer for Labour MEPs, on 00 32 479790053

Today's Equal Marriage vote is a crucial step towards full equality for same-sex couples

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"Just one year after all the Labour MEPs supported the Equal Marriage campaign, we're very pleased to welcome today's vote in the House of Commons. It's a crucial step towards making the UK the next EU Member State to recognise same-sex marriage," said Michael Cashman MEP, who speaks on behalf of all the Labour MEPs on marriage equality.
"Today, the vote in the House of Commons means we will join several other EU Member States in this progressive legislation.
"Already Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and soon France, have established same-sex marriage and we can learn from their positive experience, and reassure some of our critics that in none of these countries has the sky fallen in," he continued."We're very proud that, thanks to Labour's overwhelming support, the Same-Sex Marriage Bill will be allowed to progress to the next stage in the Commons."
"The institution of marriage has undergone repeated reform and modernisation over hundreds of years. I would like to see the current legal bans lifted on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships," said Cashman, the co-Chair of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights.
ENDS

For more information please call David Poyser on +32 479 790 053

Labour MEP leads drug trials transparency drive

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"Too many results from clinical trials are misleading, biased or missing," said Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's health spokesperson in Europe and Leader of the Labour MEPs.

Glenis Willmott is the European Parliament rapporteur, or lead legislator, for the revision of the European rules on clinical trials. Her report, calling for wide-ranging transparency measures, was released today.

"It's time that all pharmaceutical companies and researchers made the full results of studies on new and existing drugs publicly available," said Mrs Willmott.

"I want to see comprehensive results from clinical trials published on a public database. A summary of the results is not enough. Summaries written by those that carried out the research can be biased, and make a medicine sound more successful than it really is. Independent researchers need access to the results of the trial in order to verify the sponsor's claims."

Mrs Willmott is proposing that a full clinical study report is published. This is the same document that companies must submit to regulators for approval of their medicine, and therefore contains a full account of how the clinical trial was conducted and what the results were.

"I also want to see financial penalties imposed on those that do not upload their results on time," said Mrs Willmott.

The law in the US requires all trial results to be uploaded within a year, but a 2012 audit found that 80% of trials had failed to comply. "If we're serious about openness in medicine then we have to levy fines on those not following the rules."

Numerous academic studies have found that around half of all trials are never published, usually those with negative or disappointing results.

"For too long unflattering studies have gone undisclosed," said Mrs Willmott. "It's vital that we know about negative outcomes, otherwise trials can be conducted repeatedly before it becomes public knowledge that they are ineffective or even dangerous.

"When a patient makes the decision to take part in a clinical trial, they do so to help advance medicine, to improve treatment for themselves and for those in a similar situation. They do not do it to help a particular company promote a particular drug."

ENDS

Further queries to David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

www.labour.org.uk

Notes to Editors:
•   Glenis Willmott's full report can be found here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML%2BCOMPARL%2BPE-504.236%2B01%2BDOC%2BPDF%2BV0//EN
•   The report will be voted on in the European Parliament's Committee on Environment and Public Health before Mrs Willmott begins negotiations with EU governments.
•   The original proposal from the European Commission can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/health/human-use/clinical-trials/index_en.htm#rlctd
•   Research on problems with the US law can be found here: http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.d7373
•   Research about unpublished results can be found here: http://www.hta.ac.uk/fullmono/mon1408.pdf

"Stress should be placed on 'safety first' to avoid another Fukushima"

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"Whatever your feelings about nuclear energy 'no more Fukushimas' has to be the slogan we operate by," said Labour's Peter Skinner MEP after the EP voted to continue to support the 'stress tests' for nuclear power stations.

The European Parliament's Industry Committee, where Peter Skinner is the leader for Labour MEPs, today voted to adopt a resolution supporting the efforts of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) to conduct a 'peer review' of different countries' safety standards, and national action plans for safety, in the wake of the earthquake and the tsunami at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan in March 2011.

The resolution supports the efforts of the European Parliament to push for even higher standards of safety at all nuclear power stations in Europe.

"I welcome today's vote. While we have a very good UK regulator for nuclear safety, we must use all the tools at our disposal to help ensure that nuclear safety never stops improving at home and abroad," Peter Skinner, who is drafting plans on EU nuclear research, added.

"It's of course good news that the UK and European plants can already point to a high-level of safety, but we must never stop seeking to improve upon what we have," he said.

The motion for resolution will now go forward from the committee to the European Parliament's plenary in the coming weeks.

ENDS

For further queries please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

Cameron should start rebuilding the bridges he has burnt down

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"If David Cameron is serious about reform in the EU, he should start by rebuilding the bridges he's burnt down in the past," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour's MEPs, responding fromBrusselsto David Cameron's speech this morning.

"He says in his speech today that the European Union needs to change with the times, and that's exactly why Labour MEPs have successfully worked hard to build alliances and work with colleagues to try and reform areas of the EU like the Budget and CAP," she continued.

"Of course the EU isn't perfect, but talking about referenda just creates uncertainty and costs British jobs - it doesn't help reform the EU."

"All Mr. Cameron has achieved is to put the needs of the Tory party before British jobs and what is in the British interest," she said.

ENDS

Further queries to David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Cameron's speech was a nothing more than a jumble of contradictions

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Glenis Willmott MEP for Public Service Europe

http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2997/cameron-has-too-many-eu-enemies-to-renegotiate-uk-status

After almost unprecedented dithering, delay and hype, Mr Cameron's much vaunted speech about Britain's relationship with the EU was nothing more than a jumble of contradictions laced with a string of hypotheticals. He must outline clearly and honestly what the British public will be voting on in his 2017 referendum.

If David Cameron is serious about reform in the EU, he should start by rebuilding the bridges he has burnt down in the past. If he does not win friends in European capitals, he cannot hope to influence people. Here at the centre of the EU, believe me, his party is marginalised. Under David Cameron, the Conservative Party's attitude towards the EU has been epitomised by their withdrawal from the mainstream centre right group, the EPP, into the fringes with their own almost irrelevant grouping, the ECR.

Since that day, Conservative MEPs have taken up a role not as alliance builders or reformists, but as troublemakers, determined to disrupt proceedings at every turn. With this they have been egged on by a Prime Minister who is more determined to appease the eurosceptics in his own party than to find allies amongst European leaders. We only have to look at his performance at past European Heads of Government Summits to see this with walk-outs and phantom vetoes - in fact every tactic has been used to distanceBritainfrom the mainstream of EU decision making.

The Conservative Party under David Cameron has systematically looked to make enemies wherever it has gone in the EU, and this is why I believe the Prime Minister's calls for reform will by and large be met by the cold shoulder fromEurope's leaders.

Cameron rightly says that the European Union needs to change with the times, and that is exactly why Labour MEPs have successfully worked with colleagues to try and reform areas of the EU like the budget and CAP.

However, if he had used the last few years as Party Leader of one ofEurope's largest political parties to build an alliance to create reform, then he would hold a much stronger hand than the does now. Instead, David Cameron has squandered his opportunity and is now stuck promising a referendum that will do nothing other than create uncertainty. As business leaders have said, this could cost vital investment inBritain, because firms do not want to invest in a country that may not be part of the world's largest trading block in years to come.

Mr. Cameron talks loosely about releasing the burden of European employment legislation on business, while this might be possible if he created political alliances in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, he should also talk about the rights and safeguards that British public could lose ifBritainwere to leave the European Union. Many of my constituents appreciate their paid holidays, maternity leave and paternity leave to name but three.

In contrast, there are other areas where Cameron complains about what the EU has not done. He briefly mentioned completing the digital single market. I don't know of anybody inBrussels who would disagree with this. In fact this reform is already high on everybody's political agenda. A more constructive British prime minister would be someone who championed the cause and pushed the reforms through using political alliances to achieve this end.

Mr. Cameron needs to quickly spell out what is on the table in his renegotiation or the confusion will only grow, which will not help Britain's standing in the EU or in the world.

I remain unconvinced that David Cameron is serious in his desire to see a modern, flexible European Union withBritainat its heart. The actions of his party have not been the actions of reformers, but instead the actions of wreckers. The people David Cameron will now need to help him in his quest to modernise the EU will not have forgotten this.

All we saw today is that David Cameron is a weak Prime Minister who has been backed into a position by the rabid euro-sceptics in his party, those same people he has courted since he first ran for leader of the Conservative Party.

All Mr. Cameron has achieved is to put the demands of the Tory party before British jobs andBritain's interests.

MEPs vote for stronger measures to tackle VAT fraud

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

MEPs unanimously voted to establish a Quick Reaction Mechanism (QRM) against VAT fraud in a key vote in the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee today (Tuesday).

The vote is seen as a first step in the fight against tax fraud and evasion with a further "own initiative" report on tax fraud due in a matter of weeks.

Vice Chair of the Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP commented: “With the Amazon and Starbucks tax evasion scandals fresh in our minds, this is a timely and much needed proposal.”

“We all know that time is money when it comes to VAT fraud. In order to be one step ahead of the fraudsters we must be quicker in tackling schemes designed to rob the public purse.”

Today's vote coincides with a speech today by the Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, Keir Starmer, who is due to outline how the Crown Prosecution Service will dramatically increase the number of big tax avoidance cases it takes on.

“At a time when public funds are severely stretched we need to take action against such fraud which is unfair to honest businesses that are paying their taxes,” added Arlene McCarthy who speaks for Labour MEPs on this issue.

“The current process to block fraud schemes is long and protracted and can take up to eight months to work through."

"This is a welcome reform which has come about as a result of EU countries working together for positive change. The new mechanism would enable the UK to quickly implement emergency measures when it is faced with serious cases of sudden and massive fraud.

"The QRM would allow the European Commission to grant an immediate 'derogation' reducing the time to just 1 month, ensuring countries can block schemes quickly and limit losses,” she said.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Examples of VAT Fraud in UK:

Paul Hackney a student at Manchester Metropolitan University masterminded a £1.5 million VAT fraud. He set up a string of companies that falsely claimed VAT refunds for international exports of construction equipment that had never taken place. He then banked the money in off-shore havens in Zurich, New Zealand, Curacao, Somalia and China. Hackney, was jailed for six years after admitting conspiracy to cheat the revenue and conspiring to launder money, and has been barred from serving as a director for 10 years.

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1590917_manchester-metropolitan-university-law-student-jailed-for-15m-vat-scam

Thomas Scragg a businessman who masterminded a £34 million VAT scam was jailed for 17 years and convicted of leading one of the biggest scams in British fraud history.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2243343/Businessman-34m-VAT-fraud-ordered-pay-just-1m-blowing-rest-lavish-champagne-lifestyle.html

Background:

VAT fraud costs the EU and national budgets several billion euro every year. In some serious cases, vast sums are lost within a very short timeframe, due to the speed at which fraud schemes evolve nowadays. For example, between June 2008 and December 2009, an estimated €5 billion was lost as a result of VAT fraud in greenhouse gas emission allowances.

This is the EU's first concrete proposal in the framework of stepping up EU action against tax fraud and evasion. The new mechanism would make it possible for EU Member States faced with serious cases of sudden and massive fraud to quickly implement emergency measures. At present, EU member states wishing to tackle such cases with measures outside the remit of the current EU VAT law have to obtain derogation from the VAT directive. This involves a request to the European Commission, an internal process which can take up to 8 months and a green light from the Commission and Council. Under the QRM, the procedure would be much faster. The Commission would be able to grant a derogation within a month of a request.

For more information contact Suzanne Richards 0161 909 5107 / 07811 175617 or David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

UK roads are no place for 'mega trucks' say Labour MEPs

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"I'm yet to see a convincing argument for the use of what can only be described as 'travelling warehouses', which hurtle along highways increasing carbon emissions, contributing to congestion, while raising serious questions about road safety," said Labour's Brian Simpson MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's Transport Committee.

In a debate in the European Parliament last night (Tuesday), Mr Simpson raised concerns over the possibility that 'mega trucks' may soon be used to transport goods in the UK.

He reiterated his opposition to any increase in the use of mega trucks in the EU, arguing that the current rules should be upheld so that the UK is able to maintain its present weight and length limits for lorries.

Weighing up to 60 tonnes and reaching 25 metres in length, 'mega trucks' can currently be used in some European countries under very specific conditions but are not allowed to cross national borders. Mr Simpson is fighting to keep mega trucks off British roads, by arguing that British roads and associated infrastructure could not cope with such large lorries.

"I'm extremely concerned about the implications for the environment and road safety posed by these monstrous trucks to more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, as well as the dangers to motorists in general," he said.

"Investigation into the dangers of mega trucks is ongoing, but it's not difficult to imagine who'll come out worse off in a collision between a bicycle and a 60 tonne lorry."

"Road users in Britain deserve a system that is not only safe but also environmentally sound, which means getting freight off the roads and onto rail."

"Gas-guzzling mega trucks are completely incompatible with a greener, more sustainable transport infrastructure," he concluded.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

For images of mega trucks in urban setting

http://www.freightonrail.org.uk/photos2.htm

http://www.freightonrail.org.uk/photos1.htm

(you must copyright allianz pro schiene if you use these photos or reproduce them anywhere)

Further queries to David Poyser 00 32 479790053

Labour MEP calls on Edinburgh Woollen Mills to uphold safety standards after deaths in Bangladesh fire

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

After 111 people died in a fire in the Tazreen factory in Bangladesh last year, a Labour MEP has called on a leading retailer, which sells clothing from the factory in 500 shops across Britain, to end their refusal to meet workers' representatives. He also urged the European Commission to bring forward 'long-awaited' proposals on transparency in the supply chain which can help prevent such tragedies in the future.

Speaking in the full session of the European Parliament meeting before MEPs vote to back the call later today (Thursday), Labour's Richard Howitt MEP (who is 'rapporteur' or lead legislator on Corporate Social Responsibility in the Parliament) condemned top High Street chain Edinburgh Woollen Mills, alongside Wal-Mart, Gap and C&A who are all refusing to meet trade unions representing injured workers and bereaved families from the factory.

Richard Howitt told the parliamentary debate in Strasbourg: "I share the grief of the families whose relatives died from burns and suffocation as they were trapped behind window grilles or blocked fire escapes.

"Edinburgh Woollen Mills, a British chain that is supplied by the Bangladesh factory, must now meet the workers' unions and respond to their demands. Despite being urged to do so, they have not yet done this," the MEP said.

"Bangladesh relies on clothing for 80% of its exports, and their Ambassador herself told me companies have shared responsibility for what happened.

"Business must listen to the people in Bangladesh, and accept its own responsibility to avoid such a tragedy ever happening again," he said.

European Commissioner Michel Barnier also replied to Richard Howitt MEP at the end of the European Parliament debate, confirming he will bring forward a draft EU law for companies to report on their supply chain in the first quarter of this year. Richard Howitt has campaigned for this law, saying transparency will help stop companies breaching labour and human rights.

Some British groups have held protests outside branches of Edinburgh Woollen Mills.

ENDS

Further queries to David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Conservative MEPs fail to back reforms of credit rating agencies

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

MEPs today voted on changes to EU law regulating credit rating agencies (CRAs), which are a first step towards greater transparency in the financial sector.

Vice Chair of the Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy said: "Credit ratings agencies played a key role in the financial crisis. They rated many unstable global banks as a triple AAA and rated certain "junk" financial instruments as safe products.

"Today Labour Euro MPs supported new rules that will make credit rating agencies more responsible, more transparent and more democratic. Conservative Euro MPs, on the other hand, failed to back these stricter rules and opted for business as usual."

On conflicts of interest, Arlene McCarthy said: "Despite the clear evidence that the business model of CRAs creates a conflict of interest by encouraging financial issuers to choose the agency they know will give them a good rating, Conservative MEPs failed to back reforms that are the first step towards truly independent ratings agencies. How can you fairly rate an institution that you are financially connected with?"

On increased competition in the CRA market, Arlene McCarthy said: "The new rules aim at reducing the dominance of the big three credit rating agencies (Standard and Poor's, Moody's Investor Services and Fitch Ratings) which account for 95% of the world market, by injecting much needed competition into the market. Conservatives preach the benefits of competition yet today failed to support tough action to break the 'triopoly' of the big three."

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Key elements of the new regulations include:

· Consideration of sovereign debt rating as a specific rating with specific requirements

· Inclusion of provisions to avoid conflicts of interest - shareholders cannot be members of both CRAs and owners of the financial instruments being rated.

· Rotation of CRAs for complex financial products and strict requirements on mergers

· Reduction of over-reliance of credit ratings in EU legislation

· Better quality and more transparency

· Stronger liability for CRAs

Tory MEPs fail to back youth guarantee schemes

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Tory MEPs were almost isolated today in the European Parliament as MEPs from across the political united in their calls for a guarantee to unemployed youth to get a job for a fixed period.

"MEPs today backed Europe-wide scheme for internship offers after four months' unemployment, yet British Tories and their allies failed to vote with the rest of us," said Stephen Hughes MEP, who speaks for Labour MEPs on Employment.

"It's shameful how the Tories voted. They are isolated. The money for this could come from the European Social Fund," Mr Hughes said.

"MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of new plans to help young people, urging employment ministers in the member states to agree to introduce the schemes in all member states.

"Yesterday the Chancellor of Austria was in the European Parliament, and they already have a good scheme there," he said.

Glenis Willmott, Labour’s Leader in the European Parliament, added: “In Britain, there are a million young people who are unemployed. Across Europe, it's over five million. This is devastating for the young people themselves, but also a huge waste for our economy, with potentially disastrous implications for the future.”

“Labour MEP and our colleagues in Europe have been campaigning for youth guarantee schemes for some considerable time now, and I’m delighted that a majority in the Parliament have supported us today. The European Commission has also agreed that this is the way forward.

“It’s now up to the governments - the UK Employment Minister and his counterparts from the other 26 member states will meet in February. Young people will expect action from them,” she said.

Glenis started a campaign for a Youth Jobs Guarantee in a speech at last year's Labour Conference, and followed it up with a Conference on the subject in Nottingham, where employers, experts and politicians from across the EU combined to discuss different approaches to the problem of youth unemployment.

Notes for Editors

For the resolution in full go to http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B7-2013-0007&language=EN

The resolution makes clear that:
• A youth guarantee is not a job guarantee, but an instrument ensuring that all young EU citizens and legal residents up to 25 years old and recent graduates under 30 receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education or apprenticeship, after four months of unemployment.
• Youth Guarantee schemes should be eligible for EU funding, e.g. from the European Social Fund, especially in member states with the highest youth unemployment rates

Labour MEPs support more accountable, transparent and competitive credit ratings agencies

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT

"An opinion of one of the three dominant global credit rating agencies can influence the entire financial system without any checks or balances. Ratings are viewed as an indication of a country's economic health and so they must be free of influence from the very banks they are rating," said Arlene McCarthy MEP, Vice Chair of the Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee.

"At the moment there are three dominant global credit rating agencies, the so called ‘Big 3’, Standard and Poor's, Moody's Investor Services and Fitch Ratings who combined account for approximately 95% of the world market,” she added.

The European Parliament is to vote tomorrow (Wednesday 16th January) on changes to EU law regulating credit rating agencies (CRAS), which are a first step towards greater transparency in the financial sector.

“Before the economic crisis, CRAs had given many unstable banks a triple AAA rating and rated certain "junk" financial instruments as safe products. When these institutions collapsed the agencies refused to accept any responsibility arguing they were only giving an opinion. Yet these opinions concealed the underlying weaknesses of the financial system,” Arlene McCarthy continued.

“Credit Rating Agencies have evolved over recent years from an information service into quasi regulators with enormous influence over market activity. The way they are regulated needs to reflect the power they wield. ”

"Only this weekend all of the big three credit rating agencies have put the UK's triple AAA rating on a negative outlook."

"My views are informed by research from the Think Tank Infrangilis as well as research by the European Central Bank who both found that quality of ratings by CRAs had been compromised by conflicts of interest. Infrangilis ‘rated the credit rating agencies’ and concluded that there needed to be more competition in the CRA industry, with the obligation to use ratings in EU Financial Regulation removed and a ban on those who hold shares in both the CRAs and the firms they are rating.”

On the issue of whether the payment of fees can create a conflict of interest, Arlene McCarthy commented: “The CRAs' business model encourages issuers of rated financial products to choose the agency they know will give them a good rating. Because CRAs rely on fees paid by those who are being rated rather than by those who use ratings, there are huge potential conflicts of interest. This is the first step to reducing these conflicts of interest but ultimately we need to remove any conflicts of interest and move towards a system of ratings that is fully independent. ”

On concerns about the accuracy of CRAs, Arlene McCarthy commented: “Recent ratings of many sovereign debts have been subsequently proven to be inaccurate. Clearly the rating of sovereign States has far greater consequences than the rating of individual companies, so the rating of states and the rating of companies should be based on clearly differentiated criteria. The CRAs' rating models for sovereign states need to take into account economic growth, job creation and long-term solvability independent of business cycles.”

ENDS

For more information contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

Notes for Editors:

Key elements of the new regulations include:

Consideration of sovereign debt rating as a specific rating with specific requirements
Inclusion of provisions to avoid conflicts of interest - shareholders cannot be members of both CRAs and owners of the financial instruments being rated.
Rotation of CRAs for complex financial products and strict requirements on mergers
Reduction of over-reliance of credit ratings in EU legislation
Better quality and more transparency
Stronger liability for CRAs
The vote follows an agreement reached between the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission in late November 2012.

The new rules include changes to how credit rating agencies rate sovereign state debt, to reduce conflicts of interest caused by agencies rating their clients and decrease the dominance of the big three agencies.

For a copy of the report by Infrangilis see: http://infrangilis.org/2012/05/30/negative-outlook-for-sovereign-credit-raters/

For a copy of the ECB report see: http://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp1484.pdf

Labour MEPs vote to increase animal welfare by limiting animal transport journeys

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Brian Simpson, Labour's spokesperson on agriculture in Europe, has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament today which recommends an 8 hour limit on journey times for live animals being transported for slaughter.

Mr Simpson said "Many animals are subjected to days of transportation, often in overcrowded vehicles and with no breaks for rest, food and water.

"Labour MEPs are committed to improving animal welfare practices, and in this day and age such inhumane transportation methods are completely unacceptable.

"We believe that animals should not be transported for more than 8 hours and we hope that today's vote will put pressure on the European Commission to reduce the limits by law."

Labour's support for limiting journey times is backed by the latest scientific evidence from the European Food Security Authority, and has also been welcomed by animal welfare charities.

Mr Simpson said "Many people have written to me asking for transport times to be limited, and the '8 hours' campaign has collected the signatures of over 1.1 million people from across the EU.

"I'm delighted that the European Parliament has listened to its citizens and voted in favour putting animal welfare first, by limiting journey times to 8 hours."

Further information about the 8hours campaign is available on http://www.8hours.eu/

For more information on the above please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

Labour MEPs sign Charter for jobs for youth

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"I'm very proud to sign the TUC's 'Charter for a Future That Works'," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour's MEPs.

"If the government doesn't do something urgently to stop youth unemployment from spreading, then generations of young people may face a dismal future," she added.

"Labour MEPs launched a campaign at the Labour Party Conference, we followed it up with an alternative EU summit in Nottingham at the beginning of this month where our Leader Ed Miliband and our political allies from across the EU met local unemployed youth and projects to create work, and now we're signing the TUC's youth unemployment Charter."

The Charter's demands include a call for guaranteed paid work or training after a period of unemployment, a requirement on all public bodies to commit to recruiting a set number of apprentices each year, and good quality work experience that includes a guarantee of both quality training and a job interview at the end for Britain's youth.

"The coalition's austerity-only course has failed - one million young people are already jobless. Aside from a few token gestures, we see no change of course, no new ideas, and no leadership," she added.

"We need action now where employers, unions, councils and the national government get together nationally and regionally to make sure that there is a future worth looking forward to for young people," she said.

ENDS

Note to Editors

More information on the Charter is on this web-site http://www.tuc.org.uk/tucfiles/371/tuc-charter.pdf

For more information on the above please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

Labour MEP's budget report wins European Parliament's approval

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament today approved the EU's budget for 2013. Derek Vaughan MEP, the report's co-author, said he was delighted to have been able to play a part in such an important decision.

Derek was responsible for the 2013 budget for EU institutions including the European Parliament's own budget.

Derek was able to restrict the Parliament's increase in its own budget to 0.6% for 2013 (which is a large real terms cut). This figure was reached despite the Parliament now having extra powers and also an extra member with Croatia joining the EU. This real terms cut was achieved by freezing all MEPs' allowances, cutting travel budgets and reducing spending on buildings.

During talks over the last few months, Derek also agreed real terms cuts to the budgets of most other EU institutions.

Following the vote in Strasbourg, Derek said "During these tough economic and financial times, Members of the European Parliament and other EU institutions must show responsibility."

He continued "It's important that some savings are found in the EU Budget in order to find extra money for important structural funds, rural development and research and development projects, all of which bring huge benefits to Wales. While Euro-sceptics talk, I have been able to deliver savings that can be re-focused on creating jobs and growth."

For more information on the above please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

2012 - Reviewing the Year in the European Parliament

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

2012 in the European Union began with the fall out from Cameron’s phantom veto and the year ends with the Tory party even more divided over Europe. Meanwhile in the European Parliament, Labour MEPs have been getting on with the real job of standing up for Britain. Here’s a run down of what Labour MEPs have delivered through 2012.

- Better spending:
Labour MEPs championed budgetary reforms at all levels of EU spending, calling for restraint in Brussels at a time of restraint across Europe
Labour MEPs voted against the long term EU budget
Labour victory in trimming EU budget

And changes to freeze the European Parliament budget and scrap the Strasbourg seat
Governments must end the travelling circus
Labour MEP calls for EU institutions budget freeze
Majority of MEPs vote to end the Strasbourg farce

Labour MEPs also highlighted the level of errors in the EU’s accounts
Level of errors in EU spending is still too high

- Responsible capitalism:
Labour MEPs continued to work on new laws to prevent future financial collapse and to ensure an appropriate regulatory framework is put in place to protect taxpayers and savers

Shed light on shadow banking say Labour MEPs
Labour backs new rules to toughen up on market abuse regulations
Labour MEPs fight to end abusive speculation on commodities

Labour MEPs campaigned for consumer protection
Labour MEPs urge government not to undermine investment protection
Labour MEPs call for action on great gas rip off
Labour backs strong transparency rules for oil, gas, mining and logging

Labour MEPs campaigned for banking reform after the Libor scandal
Labour MEPs back jail term for Libor cheats
Labour MEPs respond to Libor and EuroLibor
Labour MEPs call for banks and regulators to answer questions on Libor

Meanwhile Tory MEPs continued to duck chances to clamp down on tax evasion
Tory MEPs dodge action on tax evasion

- Protecting and improving health:
Following the breast implant scandal, Labour MEPs campaigned to improve regulation of implants and medical devices
EU system for tracing breast implants
MEP calls for UK Action on Breast Implants after European Commission Report
Breast Implant Crisis 'could have been prevented' says MEP

Labour MEPs also led on EU-wide legislation to protect patients
Labour leads on new EU rules to enforce drug safety

Labour MEPs continued our campaign for clearer food labelling, leading MEPs in voting down misleading nutritional claims. Labour MEPs support a traffic light system that allows customers to easily identify and compare unhealthy products. Meanwhile Tory MEPs voted against their own government’s support of traffic light labelling
"Don't mislead consumers" says MEP
Labour MEPs welcome government's "green light"

- Cleaner politics:
Labour MEPs believe public funds need to be spent wisely and publish quarterly statements of accounts, including information relating to our staffing complement, and travel and subsistence claims
Transparency Statement

Labour MEPs helped secure stricter requirements for funding of political parties at an EU level, ensuring that public money cannot be used by political parties which fail to support human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights
Labour MEPs welcome change to EU political funds to prevent far-right funding
Labour takes action on party funding

Labour MEPs supported the Single Seat campaign to scrap the costly monthly trek to Strasbourg and continue to campaign for an end to wasteful and unnecessary spending
While public spending cuts are hurting working people, governments must end the "travelling circus"

- Putting consumers first:
Labour MEPs backed further reductions in mobile phone roaming charges, also voting this year to bring down roaming charges for data downloads, as well as calls and texts
MEP victory on mobile phone charges this summer
Your EU holiday rights this summer

Labour MEPs campaigned for safer cars
"eCall" Crash system could save lives

Labour MEPs campaigned for transparent and clear labelling requirements for fresh fish
Labour backs consumer campaign for honest fish labelling

Labour MEPs campaigned for better animal welfare
Reform to hen cages is right and necessary, says Labour MEP

- Cleaner environment:
Labour MEPs supported legislation to reduce shipping emissions, ensuring that coastal cities will be less affected by pollution
Labour supports plans to clean up air quality on our coasts

Labour MEPs called on the UK government to implement safeguards before “fracking” (hydraulic fracturing) of shale gas takes place
Labour MEP victory on fracking

Meanwhile the Tory led government held up the passing of the Energy Efficiency Directive
Coalition holds up EU Energy Efficiency Directive

And the government failed to make it easier for consumers to get rid of used electrical products
MEP calls on government to make recycling electronic waste easier

The coalition government also dithered over the issue of tar sands, failing to take the environmental lead in the EU that the Labour government had taken when it was in power
"UK should get off the fence over tar sands" says Labour MEP

Labour MEPs were able to continue their proud record in supporting animal rights
Labour MEPs welcome "shark finning" ban on board vessels
Labour MEPs join guitarist Brian May to stop "unnecessary badger cull"

- Better employment:
Labour MEPs won a major victory to help individual employees who whistleblow against malpractice
Labour MEPs win assurances on blacklisting of trade unionists

Labour MEPs fought to ensure that when public authorities hire private companies through open tenders, those contracts are not simply awarded to the lowest bidder
No more race to the bottom public contracts say MEPs

Labour's Leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, called for a Youth Jobs Guarantee to ensure that every young person who has been jobless for a year is offered a job, further education or work-focused training, and welcomed the European Commission plans for a Youth Employment Guarantee
Willmott calls on the EU to fund youth jobs
The alternative EU summit
Willmott supports youth unemployment guarantee

-Meanwhile:
Tory MEPs failed to stand up for equality for all, voting against binding measures to address the gender pay gap, and refused to support minorities in Europe and around the world
Labour MEP lambasts Tories and UKIP's votes on rights for women
Tory MEPs fail to support LGBT rights- again

Splits in the coalition were evident when the Lib Dems voted against calling the 6.8% proposed increase in the EU budget 'irresponsible and unrealistic'. They were criticised by their coalition partners for 'letting down' the taxpayer, for voting against a Tory amendment to freeze the longterm budget
Lib Dem MEPs let down British taxpayers

One Tory MEP defected to UKIP, showing how close some Conservative MEPs are to the party Cameron once called "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists"
Conservative MEP Roger Helmer joins UKIP

UKIP MEPs paid back £31,000 in misused allowances after an investigation found that parliamentary assistants were being paid to do political work for UKIP, and were widely criticised for their absence from the European Parliament and their poor work rate
Ukip MEPs misused EU allowances to fund party's UK work
Nigel Farage gets a taste of his own medicine
Where have UKIP's absent MEPs really been?

UKIP MEPs spent most of the year peddling euromyths, half truths and utter nonsense, leading to reprimands from the Federation of Small Businesses and the Ministry of Defence
Small Businesses condemn Nuttall
Politician’s tax claim branded ‘nonsense’ by MOD

Labour MEPs continue to campaign on the issues that matter, engaging constructively to get Europe working and make sure the EU works better for Britain.

EU patent - a �passport to creativity and growth�

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

“The establishment of an accessible and affordable EU wide patent system will be a passport to creativity and growth across the European Union,” Arlene McCarthy MEP, Legal Affairs Spokesperson for Labour MEPs, said today.

MEPs meeting inStrasbourg are expected to agree on a historic package of measures to set up an EU-wide patent system which will allow both individuals and companies to apply for a single patent valid throughout the European Union in a vote later today.

“The current system is too expensive and bureaucratic for inventors, and therefore it isn't competitive," added Arlene McCarthy.

“If you wanted EU-wide protection today you would have to get your national patent translated and validated in each of the 27 EU countries, which costs about €32,000 - that's fifteen times the cost of aUSpatent,” she said.

When today's proposals are adopted by the European Parliament, as is widely anticipated, it will mean that from January 2014 applications could be submitted in any EU language; and the 'unitary patent' would be automatically valid throughout the EU member states participating in the scheme (ItalyandSpainhave currently opted out).

Arlene McCarthy added: “If we're serious about driving forward jobs and growth inEuropethen we have to support our innovators. This deal finally gives inventors the protections they need to develop their products and build their businesses across the EU.”

“We've simplified patent procedures and reduced costs for SMEs, Universities, individuals and not for profit organisations, which should foster much needed EU competitiveness during this time of economic uncertainty,” she said.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

The debate and vote will take place today (Tuesday , December 11th)
The new provisions will order to enter into force by January 2014.
The rules also establish a European patent court to deal with litigation and increase legal certainty.

For more information contact Suzanne Richards on 0 0 44 161 909 5107 / 0 0 44 7811 175617 or David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

Oppression of trade unionists leads to Labour's rejection of trade agreement

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs today voted against a Free Trade Agreement withColombia and Peru because of the human rights situation for trade unionists in Colombia.

Colombia has been described by Amnesty International as 'the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists', last year alone 35 union members were assassinated there.

"It's unacceptable to conclude a trade agreement when the human rights situation remains so dangerous" said David Martin MEP, Labour spokesperson for International Trade.

"The Colombian government is desperate to show its commitment to protecting human rights defenders and prosecute perpetrators, but we have yet to see serious changes on the ground," he said.

The Free Trade Agreement was ratified by the European Parliament this afternoon and will come into effect after it has been endorsed by each Member State national government.

"I regret that the Parliament gave its consent to this agreement now" said David Martin. "Our trade relations should never be at the expense of human rights."

At the initiative of the Socialist and Democrat Group, of which Labour MEPs are a member, the Colombian and Peruvian governments have submitted "Human Rights Road Maps" to lay out their proposals to improve the protection of human rights defenders.

"I welcome the Road Maps which will contribute towardsColombia's progress. However it would have been preferable to allow more time to chart its progress" said David Martin.

Richard Howitt MEP, who speaks for Labour MEPs on Human Rights, said "it's with a heavy heart that Labour would ever vote against trade agreements, as they help create economic growth in developing countries.

"We're usually able to vote with our Socialist Group colleagues inStrasbourg, but on this occasion as Labour MEPs and trade unionists we felt that we simply cannot support a trade agreement with a country that has such an appalling record on trade union rights.

"There's no way we could ever support an agreement with a country whose government has allowed such intimidation, threats and murder of trade unionists until we saw serious change.

"Labour MEPs simply voted to delay today's vote in order to giveColombiamore time to successfully implement its Road Map on human rights.

"Unfortunately our request was defeated, and sadly the European Parliament voted by a large majority to endorse the trade agreement," Mr Howitt said.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=15338

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

The alternative EU summit (article in Labour List)

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

http://labourlist.org/2012/11/the-alternative-eu-summit/

This weekend my constituency of the East Midlands will play host to an alternative EU summit, where young people from across the region, country and continent will be descending on Nottingham to talk to politicians, unions and business leaders about the direction they want to see the UK and EU take.

I hope this summit will be a fresh alternative to the events of last week. When I speak to colleagues in the European Parliament about the current deadlock over the EU’s budget, the mood is one of deep frustration.

Not necessarily because there is a fervent belief one way or another about the size of the overall budget, but because there is a sense of resignation. Resignation to the fact that whatever the outcome in the next round of negotiations, it will not produce the radical, flexible budget that the EU needs for job and growth creation.

Why? Because there is no real jobs and growth strategy.

Last week’s stalemate only serves to disguise the fact that the predominantly right-wing leaders in the EU are out of ideas. The austerity-only course has failed, but aside from a few token gestures we see no change of course, no new ideas, no leadership.

With this inability of Europe’s right to come up with a dedicated and coherent way out of the crisis, there is little wonder that we see a disconnect between the EU and its citizens. The crisis has hit all walks of society, from Warsaw to Walsall, with young people in particular having reason to be fearful.

Unless urgent surgery is performed to stop the disease of youth unemployment from spreading, we face the threat of generations being subjected to dire social and economic conditions. This won’t be just a problem for the likes of Spain and Greecewith their chilling 50% rates of youth unemployment, but also for the UK where one million young people are now jobless.

We need new ideas now, solutions today to a problem that will burden us for a long time to come.

That is why we want to seize this opportunity for the EU to reconnect, a chance to show people the real power of the union in creating and facilitating jobs through the single market. But it is those very elements of the EU budget that David Cameron wants to cut. Projects such as the Connecting Europe Facility which would see investment in transport and energy infrastructure in the UK. We need to prioritise investments such as these which would create new jobs, improve our competiveness as a region and make our economies sustainable for the future.

And alongside these longer term projects, we need short-term measures to help those young people struggling to get their foot in the door. That is why I have been calling forEurope’s leaders to come forward with proposals for a youth jobs guarantee scheme. This has been utilised with great success in Austria, guaranteeing every young person a job offer, further education or work-focused training after a period of unemployment. Unless we start putting some ideas into action the status quo will remain.

The Labour Party will be hosting the event this weekend in partnership with our Social Democratic sister parties, bringing hundreds of young people across the UK and EU to talk about the action we need at every level to tackle the youth unemployment problem.

The event will give those young people struggling to find work in the current jobs market a chance to discuss with political leaders like Ed Miliband and Hannes Swoboda, Leader of the S&D Group in the European Parliament, about the actions they want and need to be taken.

So whilst David Cameron scraps with the rest of Europe’s leaders, at least somebody will be talking about ideas that may help get our nations youth into work.

Willmott supports youth unemployment guarantee

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In her keynote speech at Labour Party Conference this year, the Leader of Labour's MEPs, Glenis Willmott, called for the European Commission to come forward with fresh ideas as to how to introduce an EU wide jobs guarantee scheme for unemployed youth.

Now it seems her wishes have come true, as the Commission today announced a package of measures to tackle the EU's crippling youth unemployment problem.

"It was only this weekend that the centre left parties of the EU held a joint summit in Nottingham, calling for a youth guarantee scheme, so it is pleasing to know that we are being listened to." said Mrs Willmott.

"However, even though I welcome today's announcement as a step in the right direction, we have to carefully examine the details of the Commission's proposals before we can get over-excited."

"There's no doubt that the scheme, which would ensure every young person gets a quality offer of employment or training after leaving school or becoming unemployed, could be invaluable in the current climate, but we need to make sure we develop a framework that helps countries like the UK tackle the problem without unnecessary burden," added Mrs Willmott.

The proposal will include guidelines to ensure the successful and rapid implementation of youth guarantee scheme, making full use of EU funding and in particular the European Social Fund.

"What the EU needs now is a real jobs and growth strategy. We don't seek any increase in EU spending, just a change of priorities in the way funds are currently spent," she said.

"The austerity policies being pursued by conservative governments across Europe, including theUKhave failed.

"Youth unemployment in theUKhas now reached over one million and beating this crisis will be critical to the future of a whole generation," she said

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

World Aids Day reminds us who we legislate for

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"News that the UK has hit its highest-ever diagnosis of HIV/AIDS among gay men reminds us that we should not be silent or, worse still, complacent, if we want to achieve an AIDS-free world " said Michael Cashman, who speaks for all Labour MEPs on LGBT issues.
"There are many good results globally, but there are still worrying trends as we just saw for UK gay men," Michael Cashman added, speaking before World Aids Day (tomorrow, Saturday 1st December).

"The European Union has always been at the forefront of the fight against HIV/AIDS," he said.

"In the European Parliament, we keep advocating for more commitments to be made by governments and international organisations to the fight against HIV/AIDS," added Michael, who organised a high-level conference in advance of World Aids Day on the role of the EU in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

"We give a voice to those who can't speak up. European governments must stand up against the discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS are faced with.

"Raising awareness continuously is key to the fight against HIV/AIDS. As MEPs, we legislate but we sometimes forget the people we are legislating for - World Aids Day enables us to think about what we do and who we do it for.

"It keeps the fight alive and human," he said while distributing red ribbons and condoms to mark World Aids Day to the staff of the European Parliament.

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

Labour MEPs welcome free trade negotiations with Japan

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Improved trading with Japan will boost European economies and create thousands of much-needed jobs across the EU," said Labour's David Martin MEP on hearing the announcement today that EU trade ministers will start negotiations towards a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Japan.

Speaking from a European Parliament Development Committee (Africa Caribbean and Pacific) meeting inSurinamtoday, David Martin added "this is fantastic news.

"The EU remains the world's largest economic bloc, giving the European Commission huge power in negotiations that will integrate two of the world’s largest economies.

"This will boost trade, economic growth, and political cooperation.

"Though the start of negotiations has been too slow in coming and the talks will take years rather than months, the European economies need the boost the deal will give them as soon as possible," added David Martin, who is spokesperson on trade for the Labour MEPs.

France and Italy have been worried about the impact on their car industries of an EU-Japan FTA. Today's deal was reached after Paris was given safeguards for French carmakers.

"Japanese car manufacturers in Europebuild most of their cars here, investing substantial amounts in research and development, and modern manufacturing plants. This means jobs for more than 100,000 Europeans, especially in the UK," the MEP added.

"The Japanese are unlikely to reduce this investment when the tariffs are scrapped - they've built expensive, state-of-the-art car factories inEurope," he concluded.

Japan is the EU's third-largest trading partner after the United Statesand China, accounting for 150 billion euros a year in trade in goods and services.

The European Commission has been given the mandate to carry out the negotiations by the EU trade ministers. These negotiations were overwhelmingly endorsed by the European Parliament in October, which will now be responsible for the final ratification of any deal withJapan.

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

Labour MEPs welcome "shark finning" ban on board vessels

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

EU fishing vessels were banned from cutting off sharks' fins on board vessels, in a plenary session vote in the European Parliament meeting today in Strasbourg.

Shark 'finning' is the practice of cutting off a shark's fins while discarding the rest of the carcass back into the sea. Sharks' fins are then exported to Asia to meet the demand for shark's fin soup, an East Asian dish traditionally served at weddings and New Year celebrations.

"Though shark finning was banned by the EU nearly a decade ago, in practice special technical exemptions remain making the ban impossible to properly enforce and too easy for the horrific practice to go on unnoticed" said Linda McAvan, Fisheries spokesperson for Labour MEPs.

"We voted to put this right and supported an un-equivocal ban on shark finning. After today's vote, sharks' fins must be naturally attached when vessels land on shore.

"In the UK we have already ended this wasteful and unethical practice, the new EU law will bring the rest of Europe in line with UK rules" added Linda McAvan MEP.

"Today's vote is tidying up a loophole in previous legislation, under the previous system of controls the legal loophole meant that it was extremely difficult to detect if 'finning' had occurred illegally. Special permits could be given so that shark fins and bodies could be landed in separate ports. Under the new rules, all sharks will have to be landed with their fins naturally attached.

"Today we saw a victory for Labour and our allies against the European right wing parties who wanted the loophole to remain," she added.

Vessel owners will now have to hire an independent body to carry out controls in the ports where local authorities are unable to do this, and freezer vessels will have to keep detailed records on their catches.

The governments of the European Union have already supported this proposal, so the European Parliament and council will now go into brief negotiations and the law is expected to take effect in 2013.

Willmott welcomes Miliband EU speech to CBI

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Ed Miliband's speech to the CBI has placed a clear dividing line between Labour and the Tories on Europe," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs.

"Whilst Cameron is desperately trying to placate the europhobic fringes of his party, theUKis rapidly losing influence inEurope. In yesterday's speech, Ed Miliband made it clear that the Labour Party believes in positive engagement, making the EU fit for the future, and a leading role forBritainin the globalised world.

"Many investors seeBritainas the gateway toEurope, but we are in danger of losing that position if Cameron continues to lead us towards the exit door."

ENDS

Link for those wishing to read the text of Ed's speech

http://www.labour.org.uk/one-nation-in-europe

Today's EU vote will help prevent two wheel deaths

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Mopeds, scooters, motorbikes, all-terrain vehicles and quads currently account for only 2% of traffic, but 16% of fatal accidents on Europe's roads.

Labour MEPs today supported proposals for more stringent safety and emission standards for future vehicles in these categories.

Labour's Catherine Stihler MEP, who leads for Labour MEPs on the European single market, said "riders will still be able to customise and modify the bikes they already own, so long as they don't affect safety or the environmental performance of the vehicle.

"This legislation will make sure that all new motorbikes will comply with higher safety standards.

"Every single dead motorcyclist is one too many. Raising safety standards is our main concern.

"Also, new emission reduction measures will result in much more efficient, cleaner vehicles entering the market.

"Manufacturers will benefit too, as there will be one new regulation replacing the 15 existing directives. Some motorcycle groups are also in favour of it.

"Over 30 million vehicles labelled as L-category (covering mopeds, two-or-three-wheeled motorcycles, quadbikes and mini-cars) circulate around Europe and their drivers face a much higher risk of fatal or serious injuries than drivers of cars or trucks.

"Modifications for disabled people will still be allowed, as will parts for dual use road and racing,

"I'm sure this will result in fewer road deaths," Catherine Stihler concluded

Shed light on shadow banking say Labour MEPs

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs today voted to reduce shadow banking's systemic risks without stifling its benefits to the economy.

Arlene McCarthy MEP, who is Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, said: “Shadow banks such as hedge funds or trading houses institutions account for up to 30% of the global financial system, worth over €50 trillion in 2011. They play a key role in providing credit to people and businesses that otherwise cannot get it and so fund the real economy.”

“However, if they make bad investments they have no protection, because they do not hold deposits and have no access to central bank liquidity. Shadow banks do not exist on their own. They are interconnected with regular banks, which often use them to circumvent capital and accounting rules. If they collapse, they can cause a domino effect across other financial institutions and across borders, bringing down regular banks and ultimately its taxpayers who have to come to the rescue.”

Arlene McCarthy, who speaks for Labour MEPs on the Economy, added: “We need stronger monitoring and supervision of shadow banking to reduce the systemic risks they pose without cutting of the benefits that they provide to the real economy.”

“There are key ways we can reduce identified systemic risks, such as extending capital requirements to all unregulated entities, imposing limits on the complexity of financial products or considering whether shadow banking entities linked to a bank should be included in the bank's balance sheet.”

Labour MEPs call for tough action on great gas rip-off!

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Responding to shock claims that Britain’s £300 billion wholesale gas market may have been manipulated by the big power companies, Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP has called for action including a full EU wide investigation into energy market manipulation.

Arlene McCarthy is Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic & Monetary Affairs committee and has been leading the European Parliament’s calls for tougher EU laws to combat market abuse following the Libor scandal.

Arlene ´McCarthy said: “Following the revelations on the Libor crisis this is another case of apparent market abuse and manipulation in gas prices, which demonstrates the culture of chasing short term profits and gains in financial and commodity markets has not changed.”

“For some time I have feared there's an extensive cartel culture of market rigging and price fixing in the commodities markets. Companies guilty of abuse must face the full force of penalties and sanctions and jail for criminal behaviour.”

“The FSA must take action but as UK gas is the benchmark for gas traded at EU level I will be asking European Commissioners Almunia and Barnier to take urgent action on cartels and price-fixing and introduce tough rules on the setting of benchmarks and indices in the commodities markets.”

“Only last week Barclays were fined $470 million for alleged rigging of US wholesale energy markets. We must now ask the question has this also taken place in Europe?”

On the impact on consumers, Arlene added: “It would be cynical and callous if energy companies cite the rise in wholesale prices as the reason for retail price increases and in the end wholesale prices are being manipulated to increase the profits of the energy companies. Consumers will end up the victim of this great gas rip-off.”

“When 6.5 million UK consumers are experiencing fuel poverty and families have seen gas and energy prices rise by between 6% and 9% this year adding on average £200 to their bills energy bills, this type of market manipulation is abuse which must be urgently tackled.”

“Centrica, the parent company for British Gas, saw its operating profits for its domestic heating and power division rise by 23% in the first half of this year. Yet fuel poverty caused by escalating fuel prices and the squeeze on household budgets will mean pensioners are at risk of losing their lives from hypothermia this winter,” she said.

Following the release of the European Court of Auditors' annual report on the 2011 EU budget today in Brussels, Derek Vaughan MEP said

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Following the release of the European Court of Auditors' annual report on the 2011 EU budget today inBrussels, Derek Vaughan MEP said

"The level of errors is still too high, especially in rural development and research. It needs to be reduced and we need to make sure that EU money is spent more effectively.

"The Court of Auditors has detected an overall error rate of 3.9% on the expenditure of the 2011 EU budget. Although this is a similar figure to previous years it is the 18th time that the Court has passed a negative judgement on the way EU money is spent.

"According to the European Commission 86% of errors are detected in spending atMemberStatelevel. Therefore national authorities must commit themselves to a better management of EU funds. "

"We will keep looking for improvements in the future" he concluded.

ENDS

Labour MEPs vote against EU Budget

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs voted against the EU budget for the years 2014-2020 (the 'MFF').

Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, said "the European Union's spending must prioritise job creation and growth, it should reform agriculture spending and put a stop to harmful export subsidies."

"In a time of crisis, when public authorities across the EU are cutting vital services, it seems that for Brussels it's still business as usual," she continued.

"Why are we still planning to subsidise tobacco farming? Why do we continue to pay for the costly monthly trips to Strasbourg?

"The priority right now is to cut waste, go for growth and deliver a real term freeze in the Budget.

"The EU must now start a root and branch reform of its agricultural spending (CAP). Action and not words are now needed.

"It isn't acceptable that the EU is threatening to abolish the UK rebate, before it has undertaken what we consider to be essential house management.

"Where Labour MEPs take the lead, we make savings, and maintain services at no extra cost. Labour's Derek Vaughan is the lead legislator ('rapporteur') on the European parliament's budget for its own spending, and he's done just that. In real terms, the European parliament will do more for less money," she said.

In a separate vote, Labour MEPs also voted against the European Commission's EU budget proposal for next year (2013).

Labour Euro MPs warn ConDem Government not to undermine UK RDR miss-selling ban

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Following a key vote in the European Parliament today, Labour Euro MPs, led by Vice Chair of the Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee Arlene McCarthy, have warned former investment banker Conservative MPs not to try and undermine the UK's strong investor protection.

Arlene tabled an amendment to today's vote for a full EU-wide ban on the use of commissions and inducements for investment advice. The amendment failed to gain a majority with the right and liberals voting against it.

On investor protection Arlene said:

“It is a blow to consumer protection that the European Parliament has failed to back my amendment for a full EU-wide ban on the use of commissions and inducements for investment advice. I warn the Tory investment bankers turned Conservative MPs not to use the lack of an EU ban as an excuse to revoke the Labour Government's ban.”

"At a time of financial crisis and recession consumers and investors need to be protected. It would be cynical if the Conservatives were to use the loophole in EU law to undermine the high level of protection we have secured for the UK consumer in the sale of retail investment products.

"Across Europe consumers have been victims of miss-selling of investment advice because of an inducement system which creates a bias towards products paying the highest level of commission and away from the best interests of the investor. As a result of miss-selling nearly 1.7 million consumers have received compensation of £11.8 billion and are estimated to have lost a lot more.

"Disclosure and transparency does not work and the evidence is clear that consumers do not trust the independence of the advice if inducements are paid to push a product. A ban is the only way to remove this conflict of interest and give strong protection to the investor."

On commodity speculation Arlene said:

"I am disappointed that the Parliament including British Conservative MEPs did not back amendments to close loopholes in the law and toughen up position limits on excessive speculation on commodities."

"It is wrong that we have a situation where food aid is paid to bankers and traders while the world's poorest are trapped in hunger and poverty."

"Today’s vote is a blow to our campaign but we will continue to work with the World Development Movement and other NGOs to try and get Member States in their negotiations to close the loopholes in the text."

While public spending cuts are hurting working people, governments must end the "travelling circus"

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In a week when Labour MEPs voted against the EU budget, they took the lead in calling for restrained EU spending when Labour's Derek Vaughan led on a massive vote of MEPs (a majority of five to one) against continuing the "farce" where MEPs meet in both Brussels and Strasbourg.

"This week's vote sends a clear signal from a vast majority of MEPs," said Glenis Willmott MEP, Leader of the Labour MEPs in the European Parliament.

"The trouble is that it isn't the MEPs who decide - it's the governments.

"The wasteful monthly trip that MEPs make to Strasbourg was agreed by EU governments as part of a protocol attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam which came into force in 1997. It was previously agreed at the Edinburgh summit chaired by Tory John Major as British Prime Minister, and it has been included in Treaties ever since.

"We are calling on governments to get together and change this. Labour MEPs rejected the European budget this week because it was too much money, and this is no time for the EU to waste money.

"There's an expensive farce every month when the staff of the parliament put all their office material into trunks, and it gets sent from Brussels to Strasbourg.

Glenis Willmott said there are "three important reasons why we should now stop this farce,"

1. "Governments through the EU are setting up swingeing public sector cuts that are hurting working people everywhere," she said. Estimates say the cost of the Strasbourg parliament is over €200 million for the extra seat.

2. "Governments should be seen to practice what they preach. It is a scandal to cause this totally unnecessary carbon footprint," she said. The University of York have estimated a carbon footprint of an extra 20,268 tonnes of additional carbon dioxide caused by this move. The adoption of a single Seat in Brussels would be in line with the Parliament's plan to reduce its carbon "footprint" by 30% by 2020

3. "We only meet in Strasbourg for historic reasons. Strasbourg represented reconciliation between France and Germany after eighty years of different wars culminating in 1945. We are now the new Enlarged Europe and the significance of the end of Franco-German hostility is now consigned to history text books," she said.

Labour MEPs have worked with allies on the "Single Seat" campaign - which is why they had their photos taken in the symbolic Single Seat after the votes this week," she added.

Glenis Willmott concluded "Strasbourg is a truly fantastic city and there are endless uses for the revamped European Parliament building. It could perhaps be a centre for European Summits making use of its excellent interpretation facilities, or perhaps a new European University. There are a host of ideas. "

For more information on the campaign, please consult the web-site http://www.singleseat.eu/

Labour MEPs backing the fight against breast cancer

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs are backing the fight against breast cancer by taking part in Breast Cancer Campaign’s award winning fundraiser, "wear it pink day " – and they want everyone to join them in the campaign.

Now in its 10th year, wear it pink, on Friday 26 October 2012 will see supporters from all over the country in schools, colleges and businesses embracing the event’s new theme - superheroes. The theme stems from the charity’s belief that everybody who joins the fight – from people affected by breast cancer, to Breast Cancer Campaign scientists and all wear it pink participants – is a superhero.

Breast Cancer Campaign is asking everyone to put on something pink and donate £2.00, whether it’s a superhero cape, pink socks or pink pants you wear over your tights, you can help the charity achieve its target of raising £2 million, so they can continue to fund ground-breaking research.

Join the hundreds of thousands of people who take part in wear it pink every year. With your help Breast Cancer Campaign can improve survival rates for the one in eight women who experience breast cancer during their lifetime.

Glenis Willmott , Leader of the Labour MEPs, said “Every year over 330,000 women across Europe and around 48,000 women in theUKare diagnosed with breast cancer. This is why we all need to support wear it pink day on 26 October, so that Breast Cancer Campaign can continue to fund research which will one day lead to a cure.”

"By working together with our European partners we can carry out better research into breast cancer, have more data about the disease, and develop more effective treatments," she said.

To take part in the UK’s original and best pink day visit wearitpink.co.uk and register to receive your free fundraising pack now. Vanish is backing the fight against breast cancer for the third year running by raising an incredible £250,000 for wear it pink.

Notes to Editors

Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank, theUK’s first ever national breast cancer tissue bank is a unique collaboration with four leading research institutions to create a vital resource of breast cancer tissue for researchers across theUKandIreland. Visit breastcancertissuebank.org
The charity currently funds 102 research grants worth over £17 million in 35 centres of excellence across theUKandIreland.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in theUKand accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
In theUK, around 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 130 a day
Visit breastcancercampaign.org or follow us on twitter.com/bccampaign

Labour MEPs condemn trade upgrade with Israel

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs yesterday condemned the approval of a trade upgrade between the EU and Israel.

The European Parliamentary Labour Party, along with their Socialist and Democrat colleagues, voted against the proposed upgrade which would align trading "assessment standards" between European and Israeli products and boost trade for Israel, in a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday. The proposal was adopted by the right-wing majority in the European Parliament.

"Unfortunately the right wing groups in the Parliament voted to bring in this trade upgrade at a time when rewarding Israel through our trade policy is hugely inappropriate," said David Martin MEP, spokesperson for Labour MEPs on international trade.

ACAA (the Protocol on the Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products) will make it easier for Israelto export pharmaceutical products to the European Union. The European Parliament had previously challenged the European Commission on the checks to ensure goods from the OccupiedTerritoriescould not enter the EU under this Protocol.
"It's particularly inappropriate to give Israel easier access to the EU for pharmaceutical products while Palestinians are denied access to medicine under the blockade," said David Martin.
"Robust checks and accurate labelling are essential to ensure goods from the Occupied Territories are not imported under this agreement but regardless of this I'm opposed to any trade upgrade while Israel continues to flout international law.
"Israel's collective punishment of Gaza and the continuing expansion of the settlements are utterly unacceptable.
"Approving this Protocol is incompatible with recent European Parliament and EU declarations denouncing Israeli activity in the Occupied Territories.
"EU trade policy must be coherent with our human rights and foreign policy. We must never turn blind eye to human rights violations when considering trade upgrades," he said.

ENDS



Notes for Editors

The European Commission proposal is a Protocol to the existing Euro-Mediterranean Agreement which would eliminate technical barriers and align assessment standards for industrial products in the EU andIsrael. This would largely apply to pharmaceutical products.
The International Trade committee asked an Oral Question to the Commission in July on implementation of the agreement in relation to the OccupiedTerritories: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=0&language=EN&type=OQ&reference=O-2012-000129
The Socialist and Democrat 'rapporteur' (lead legislator) recommended a 2 year delay on the final consent vote: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bCOMPARL%2bPE-483.808%2b01%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN
The European Parliament debate was Tuesday 23rd October: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/ep-live/en/plenary/video?debate=1350999794337
The vote was held yesterday evening. The Protocol was adopted with 379 in favour and 230 against.
The European Parliament was required to give its consent before this Protocol could come into force.

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

www.eurolabour.org.uk

Labour MEPs welcome government's "green light"

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"I'm delighted the British government has gone against their own Tory MEPs and decided today to recommend the 'traffic light' system for food labelling to retailers and manufacturers in theUK," said Glenis Willmott MEP, Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party and health spokesperson for Labour MEPs.

"With obesity rates higher in Britain than anywhere else in Europe, we've got to make sure that consumers have clear and honest nutritional labelling which enables them to make healthier choices when they do their shopping," she said.

"Colour coding the information makes it easier for consumers to assess and compare products at a glance, and many supermarkets have been successfully using the system for years.

"It's just a shame that the Tory MEPs weren't so constructive when food labelling laws were being discussed in the European Parliament. I put forward proposals for traffic light labelling to be used on all processed foods, but these were vociferously opposed by Tory MEPs.

"My proposals were eventually defeated so now we're in the situation where theUKgovernment can't force manufacturers to use traffic lights without changing EU legislation.

"While the British government has successfully got supermarkets on board, so far they haven't made any headway with food manufacturers, who are still very reluctant to adopt the scheme.

"I will continue to push for red, amber and green "traffic lights" on all processed foods sold in the EU. Some of the big multi-national food companies will only change their ways when we say to them that in order to sell their food in the world's biggest trading bloc, they have to be honest about what is in it," Glenis Willmott concluded.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

1. Glenis Willmott led (as 'shadow rapporteur') on the Food Information to Consumers Regulation for the Socialist and Democrats group in the European Parliament.

2. The Regulation was officially agreed in October 2011 and will be gradually coming into force over the next few years.

3. Although Glenis Willmott was unsuccessful in getting mandatory traffic light labelling for all processed foods agreed by the European Parliament, the European Commission made a commitment to revisiting the idea in the near future.

Labour MEPs report Griffin tweets to Parliament

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour Members of the European Parliament have formally reported Nick Griffin's controversial tweets to the President of the European Parliament. The BNP leader faces possible sanctions under Parliament rules.

On Thursday last week, British National Party Leader Nick Griffin, MEP for the North West of England, tweeted the private address of a gay couple, inviting his supporters to 'give them a bit of drama.'Griffindisagreed with a county court ruling that refusing the couple to enjoy their B&B reservation because they were gay was discrimination.

The couple's house was placed under police protection, and Griffin's aggressive tweets are now investigated by the police.

Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour MEPs, said tweeting their private address toGriffin's "thuggish BNP supporters is an appalling example of homophobic incitement to violence."

"Inciting violence or even implying an invitation to mob justice is unacceptable from anyone, all the more so an MEP.

Michael Cashman MEP, who represents Labour on LGBT issues added: "I brought this to the attention of the President of the European Parliament, who should act swiftly and officially.

"Under European Parliament rules, MEPs' conduct 'shall be characterised by mutual respect, and be based on the values and principles laid down' in EU treaties, including respect for minorities' dignity. Nick Griffin certainly failed those values when he incited his followers to give a gay couple 'a bit of drama'.

"I do hope the Parliament will take serious action. This is a sad reminder of the homophobia and violence LGBT people still face," he concluded.

ENDS

LABOUR MEPs JOIN GUITARIST BRIAN MAY TO STOP "UNNECESSARY BADGER CULL"

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"The British government is ignoring the best scientific advice to stop badgers spreading TB to cattle," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs.

Dr Brian May, guitarist from Queen, joined up with a group of Labour MEPs today on his visit to the European Parliament as part of his campaign to stop the British government's badger cull.

Brian May, campaigning alongside the RSPCA and other animal welfare groups, came toBrusselsto get support for a ban on British farmers killing badgers, and to press for measures towards an EU approved vaccination.

A British government pilot scheme allowing certain farmers to "free shoot" badgers in prescribed areas was set up on Monday 17th September

Glenis added "I fully understand the desperation of farmers affected by this devastating disease. TB in cows is a terrible disease that needs to be controlled, but this cull isn't the way to do it.

"Vaccination rather than shooting has already been shown to significantly reduce the disease in the badger population. It's more sustainable and humane. Even the former coalition government Defra minister said that vaccination is the best long term approach to tackle the disease.

"There's been recent British research on cattle vaccines and Labour MEPs will work hard to put pressure on the European Commission to speed up the process to allow the use of new vaccines.

Lord Krebs, theOxfordscientist who instigated the previous Labour government's scientific trial, has described the government's cull as "a crazy scheme."

"If the cull wipes out whole badger populations, this would put theUK in breach of the Berne Convention on wildlife protection as it is a protected species under both European andUKlaw," continued Glenis Willmott

"I completely support the campaigners on this issue and ask friends to join our campaign with Brian May online," Glenis Willmott concluded.

ENDS

Notes to Editors -Vaccination and the EU

TB vaccination of cattle has been prohibited across the EU since 1978. This is because the current diagnostic test cannot differentiate between cattle which actually have the disease and those that have been vaccinated so it is impossible to differentiate which herds are officially TB free. But this could soon be changed. British scientists have made a breakthrough by developing a test that can differentiate. If this test is used, in conjunction with a new cattle TB vaccine which is being developed simultaneously, it could bring the much-awaited solution. Both scientific advances will first have to be however validated for efficacy and safety. If they pass as fit for purpose, the EU will then be able to lift the vaccination ban.

At the moment BCG is the most suitable cattle TB vaccine candidate in the short term. Small-scale field studies carried out inEthiopiaandMexicoshowed that the protective effect of vaccination was between 56% and 68%. Although the vaccine is not 100% effective in preventing TB, it could be a valuable tool when used alongside other TB control measures. TB vaccination of cattle has been however prohibited across the EU since 1978. This is because some vaccines (such as above mentioned BCG) sensitise the animal to TB and this produces a positive reaction in an uninfected, vaccinated animal. The current tuberculin skin test, which is the only test approved by the EU, cannot therefore differentiate between cattle which actually have the disease and those that have been vaccinated so it is impossible to differentiate which herds are officially TB free. However this could soon be changed as British scientists have made a breakthrough by developing a DIVA (Differentiate Infected from Vaccinated Animals) test. This test can be used alongside the tuberculin skin test in vaccinated animals where necessary, to confirm whether a skin test positive result is caused by vaccination or TB infection.

Both will have to be however validated for efficacy and safety - the vaccine at EU level and the test on international level (it has to be validated and certified by the OIE). If they pass as fit for purpose, the EU will be able to lift the vaccination ban.

The previous Labour government policy to TB and badgers

The previous Labour government used a scientific method to restrain TB in cattle. It set up the randomised badger culling trial (RBCT) which concluded that badger culling would make no meaningful contribution to controlling TB in cattle.

Localised culling significantly increases the TB risk in neighbouring herds due to what is called the "perturbation" effect, when traumatised badgers move out of cull areas and spread the disease, particularly in the first two years.

Labour MEPs believe this cull could actually make TB worse. Although the new cull will use "hard boundaries", such as roads and rivers that badgers find hard to cross, the RBCT found that the perturbation effect still occurred when hard boundaries were in place.

Labour believes there is no proper mechanism in place to measure whether the culling makes things worse or better, and that the "pilot scheme" in Gloucestershire which got the go-ahead last month is in no sense a scientific test of policy.

The RBCT used cage trapping and shooting, but the new cull will use 'free shooting' as it is cheaper. Labour believes free shooting has therefore never been tested and is not supported by the science.

Useful links for further background and how to join the campaign

http://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaigns/wildlife/stop-the-cull gives further background, and advice for any readers how to join the campaign
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/18/badger-cull-shot-in-the-dark gives further background on Labour's policy
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/tb-control-measures/100915-tb-control-measures-annexe.pdf The government's report referred to above
http://www.facebook.com/StoptheCullCampaign
http://www.badger.org.uk/content/home.asp The Badger Trust web-site
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/vaccine-breakthrough-may-mean-no-more-badger-culls-8201315.html the most recent scientific research on vaccinations

For further enquiries, please contact David Poyser on 0032 479 790053

European Parliament backs jail terms for Libor cheats

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament's Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee today backed Vice Chair Arlene McCarthy's report on new tougher market abuse rules.

Labour Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy said: “The vote is a clear signal that the EU is not a soft option or safe haven for perpetrators of market abuse. For the first time we're introducing EU wide criminal sanctions including jail terms for those intent on committing market abuse.”

“The Libor scandal has demonstrated that the culture in the financial sector hasn't changed and that they cannot be trusted to self regulate. Our vote today has extended the law so that all benchmarks and indices fall under market abuse rules to cover all possible and future manipulation,” she said.

The strong stance from MEPs on criminal sanctions for market abuse was also today shown to have wide public support – 89% of Europeans questioned in a survey launched by the campaign group Avaaz.

According to their figures released today, the overwhelming majority of people polled in France (90%), Germany and the UK (89% each) believe that bankers responsible for fraud or manipulating markets should face criminal sanctions such as jail sentences.

Avaaz today presented Arlene with a petition, signed by over 720,000 people, calling for such sanctions.

ENDS

For more information (or a photo of Arlene McCarthy with the Avaaz "put bankers behind bars" petition) please contact either Suzanne Richards on 00447811 175617 or the Labour MEPs' Press Officer, David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

Notes for Editors

The Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee in the European Parliament voted TODAY on new rules to cover Market Abuse.
The Parliament will now start negotiations with the Council of Ministers under the Cypriot presidency to gain a first reading agreement. The aim is to finish the legislation by the end of 2012 with implementation foreseen for 2013 - 2014.
A full background Q&A on the draft law is available on request.

Labour MEP to lead on clinical trials rethink

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

European rules on how clinical trials are authorised and carried out are set to be rewritten over the coming months. Glenis Willmott, Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party and spokesperson for Labour MEPs on health, has been named as the rapporteur, or lead MEP, for the job.

"I'm delighted to be steering this crucial piece of legislation through the European Parliament, and negotiating the final text with EU governments," Glenis said.

"There couldn't be a better time to be changing these rules. If we get them right they could create many skilled jobs in theUKandEurope, as well as leading to new life-saving treatments and drugs.

"We all know that we desperately need to stimulate economies acrossEuropeby creating new jobs. Europehas traditionally dominated the medical research field, but over the last few years there has been a decline in clinical trials in the EU, partly due to failures in the existing rules and partly due to competition from emerging markets.

"Simplifying the rules will encourage more European trials, not just by pharmaceutical companies but also by medical research charities and academic institutions, and that means more jobs and opportunities for British researchers."

An increase in the amount of clinical trials carried out will hopefully lead to new and better treatments for a whole range of diseases and conditions. One of the most pressing problems with the current rules is the administrative burden of carrying out a trial in a number of different countries, and this will be a core issue for Glenis in the revision.

"I have been working with children suffering from rare cancers who have no tried and tested treatments available to them. If we get these rules right, research will be more easily carried out across European borders. This is vital for rare diseases, where there simply aren't enough British patients to make a trial feasible in theUKalone.

"It's a clear case whereBritainis better off working together with our European neighbours. In this case better European co-operation could actually save lives."

ENDS

Notes to editor:

The current Clinical Trials Directive dates back to 2001.

The European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Clinical Trials Regulation in July 2012 which can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/health/files/clinicaltrials/2012_07/proposal/2012_07_proposal_en.pdf

The revision will first be debated and voted on in the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, which Glenis is a member of, before being voted on by the whole Parliament. Glenis will then use this mandate to negotiate the final text with the governments of EU Member States.

Labour MEPs support union rights in North Sea oil and gas platforms

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Proposals that would give direct control of oil and gas platforms to the European Commission were today opposed by Labour MEPs.

In today's vote in the European Parliament's Industry Committee, Labour voted to ensure a better role for elected safety representatives, a greater voice for trade unions in the preparation of safety reports and better protection for whistleblowers.

Labour's Peter Skinner MEP said "Today, we saw off the European Commission's attempt to take over the regulation of offshore oil and gas safety.

"I opposed proposals from the European Commission for them to impose their own direct control fromBrusselsover oil and gas platforms. Instead, we supported better, safer drilling under the well-established system we have on British off-shore platforms" continued Peter Skinner, Labour's representative on the European Parliament's Industry Committee.

"In strengthening the role of whistle-blowers and trade union representatives, the new Directive should help reduce the likelihood of the fatalities such as last year's oil spill in theGulf of Mexicoand the Piper Alpha Disaster in 1987," he said.

As well as Unite and the RMT, Mr Skinner has been supported so far by both the UK government and the oil companies in opposing the Commission who wished to create a Regulation (giving it direct control over regulation of the platforms) rather than a Directive (where national governments will decide how to apply the legislation).

The European Parliament's Environment and Legal Committees have already supported the proposal for an EU Directive rather than an EU Regulation. After today's vote, the proposed legislation will go to a plenary session of the European Parliament later this year and from there to agreement with the governments of the member states of the EU.

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

The end of euro-apathy and euro-antipathy in the Labour Party?

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

http://labourlist.org/2012/10/the-end-of-euro-apathy-and-euro-antipathy-in-the-labour-party/

For years now, Labour's MEPs have come to Conference expecting apathy or even antipathy towards the EU. Those days are now over.

Europe is now in the news all the time, and more and more Labour activists are very keen Europeans and interested in the EU. Our fringe meetings are packed.

You only have to look at UKIP and the Tory euro-sceptics to see part of the reason why. Many of them have dinosaur attitudes to smoking in public, women, climate change - you name it. Their Brussels allies are often also homophobic and xenophobic.

Labour's natural home is critical support for the EU. We work with our EU allies where it is in the British interest to achieve our goals through international co-operation. Unlike Tories, we do not let some form of misguided British nationalism cloud our judgement. On the other hand, we do not support waste, whether it means paying for an unnecessary parliament building in Strasbourg, or unnecessary agricultural subsidies.

The week began with the European victory at the Ryder cup. If golfers can see they are stronger working together as a single European golf team, why is it that euro-sceptics cannot see the sense of working together on the environment, trade negotiations and workers' rights at a European level?

When I was called to make a speech from the floor, Conference cheered when I said that Cameron's talk about ‘repatriation of powers from Brussels’ is actually about taking away the basic workers' rights that are guaranteed by EU legislation.

The fact that Labour delegates understand this may explain why all the EPLP (European Parliamentary Labour Party) meetings were packed this year. Over 900 people came to listen to Ed Miliband praise the EPLP's work on Europe. They cheered the Socialist Group Leader, Hannes Swoboda MEP, who came over from Brussels. The evening was rounded off by Eddie Izzard getting a good laugh with an unashamed pro-European rallying call. People there said we had created our own Obama-style rally for Europe.

Now is not the time to apologise for being pro-European. Labour delegates could see that many of our problems are international with international solutions, and it is best to ignore the endless carping from the sidelines in the popular media with its steady drip drip drip of 'euromyths.'

Businesses too held meetings about Europe. At the Business for New Europe fringe, attended by a mainly business audience, with both pro and anti EU speakers, an amazing 97% of people there voted to stay in the EU, while just 3% wanted the UK to pull out. Businesses know that leaving the EU would cost the UK dearly in both investments and jobs (and incidentally costs an estimated £3,500 per household). The Eurozone has been in the news a lot over the last year, but businesses understand that we need a strong Eurozone as they buy half our exports. In a separate vote, 74% of those present voted not to have an "in-out" referendum. Elsewhere, a “Peoples’ Pledge” campaign meeting calling for a referendum could muster only thirty attendees - and many of those were simply curious pro-Europeans.

Our campaign does not stop at Conference. This week, we called for unspent EU funds to go on job creation and training to counter-act the scandal of Europe-wide unemployed youth. We are now continuing this campaign with a Conference in Nottingham in two months' time where youth from all over Europe will work together to campaign together to reverse the pan-European austerity measures that are ruining the hopes of a generation across Europe.

Glenis Willmott's 2012 conference diary

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

http://www.endeavourpublicaffairs.co.uk/glenis-willmott-meps-labour-party-conference-diary

As a previous Labour Prime Minister once said, a week is a long time in politics. Before getting to Conference, our UK news has been full of questions about Ed Miliband's leadership, and British apathy and antipathy to the EU. Well, in just seven days, many many more Brits finally 'got' both Ed's personality and his Prime Minister potential, and also throughout this Conference, there was an amazingly positive reception for the EU everywhere I went.

Saturday Kicked off the week with a packed Labour Women's Conference. It's a great chance to say hi to old friends in a wonderful atmosphere. It's the first chance I get to promote Europe. We want to have a quota of women on Boards across the EU. Some large companies say it would put them at a competitive disadvantage if a national government 'imposed' a quota on just one country, but if every large company in Europe has the same rules, it would then work well. It already works well in Scandinavia. Ideally, large companies across the EU would have women on their Boards in large numbers by now, but after years and years of failed persuasion, it seems legislation is now the best way forward.

Sunday Conference Centre filling up today, and in the evening the EPLP (my lot - the "European Parliamentary Labour Party") have a great fringe meeting on Europe. We had Kevin Maguire, the Daily Mirror's politics person, to chair it using his journalism skills to stop speakers falling into jargon, and a panel of leading Labour Europeans. Relieved when my first speech of the week went down well but more importantly, the meeting was full. Europe's cool for the first time in years.
Came back to the hotel and there was another great victory for Europe - our European golfers won the Ryder cup! When will sceptics realise that some things are better done at a Europe level (such as golf, the environment, trade negotiations) and some are best done at a national level (Olympic teams, education, taxation)? I decide to begin tomorrow's Conference speech with a quip about the Ryder cup.

Monday In my EPLP Leader Speech to Conference, I launched our campaign to get the EU to invest its underspend in pan-European schemes to help unemployed youth.
I managed to get another speech in from the floor later on about minimum rights for workers. As a proud former trade union officer, I'm really pleased to get cheered by our Conference Delegates when I say that when David Cameron talks about 'repatriating rights' from Brussels what he really means is taking away the basic rights British workers get as a result of the EU.
Day finished well with a packed EPLP meeting where over 900 people listened to Ed Miliband praise the EPLP's work on Europe. We fully support EU co-operation but we fight against waste wherever we see it, whether it is a totally unnecessary parliament building in Strasbourg, or subsidising tobacco farmers. Socialist Group Leader, Hannes Swoboda MEP, has come over from Brussels. He ‘gets’ where the Brits are coming from and his speech receives a roar of applause. The evening is rounded off by Eddie Izzard getting a good laugh with an unashamed pro-European rallying call. No "euro-apathy" here. I really hope Eddie stays in European Labour politics. We have created our own Obama-style rally, and it's all about Europe. Fantastic!

Tuesday Chaired a breakfast with Douglas Alexander, our hugely supportive Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Hannes Swoboda. Once again, Hannes has got the tone just right.
My Conference highlight today. I feel tremendously proud as one tiny part of a completely united massive Conference Centre, cheering Ed Miliband as he makes it clear that we are the One Nation party. Of course he affirmed his support for Europe and internationalism but what I liked was the way the speech came from his heart - without any notes. I supported him as our Leader from the start. I feel convinced I am looking at a future Prime Minister of our country. He's more than just a bright guy, he is a passionate Leader. I don't remember standing ovations during a Leader's speech before.
Later on, Business for New Europe hold a packed fringe meeting for a business audience. I debate "Europe In/Out" with veteran anti-Europe MP Austin Mitchell and others. Austin’s arguments don't seem to have changed since the 1975 referendum when he campaigned against British common market membership. I'm over the moon when an amazing 97% of people there voted to stay in the EU, while just 3% want the UK to pull out. In a separate vote, 74% vote not to have an "in-out" referendum. This referendum issue could be just a "Westminster village" obsession.

Wednesday Meet up with Breast Cancer Care charity to discuss the kind of drugs that can be used as a preventive for at risk groups. Health legislation is one of my areas of responsibility in the European Parliament, an area of interest which dates back to my previous job as an NHS lab scientist inMansfield.

I spend most of the day meeting up with trade union colleagues from UNISON, the GMB, and UNITE. There's concern about Tory plans to withdraw from European workers' rights legislation.

Meet with campaigners and activists preparing for the 2014 European Elections.

In the early evening a very emotional Labour NEC meeting (the governing body of our party). My dear colleague Michael Cashman MEP ends his year as Chair and decides to step down from the NEC after 14 years brilliant service. Michael has also announced that he will not seek re-election to the European Parliament. He is of course a great campaigner and champion for equality and LGBT rights, but to me he will always be a good and trusted friend and a wise counsel.

Thursday Leave Conference for theEast Midlands, exhausted but happy in the knowledge that Labour with Ed is back on the road to No 10.

Willmott calls on the EU to fund youth jobs

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

“We call on the European Union to bring forward plans to fund a Youth Jobs Guarantee,” said Glenis Willmott, Leader of Labour’s MEPs, in a speech to Labour’s Conference in Manchester on Monday.

“I’m not arguing for any increase in the EU budget. This fund can be paid for initially by using 10 billion euros in unused European Social Funding,” she added.

In her speech, Glenis Willmott called for an end to the “Camerkozy” Europe that had created widespread European youth unemployment, and led to a widespread feeling of “worthlessness” among Europe’s unemployed youth.

“The fund should be fully flexible – to allow countries like the UK to develop a programme specific to our own needs,” Glenis Willmott continued.

“Let’s be clear, at the same time, we’re battling to reform the European Budget – to cut any wasteful spending and focus it instead on supporting an innovative economy and creating decent jobs,” she said.

ENDS

Note to Editors

The initial aim of Labour MEPs would be to allow EU countries to ensure that every young person who has been jobless for a year to be offered a job, further education or work-focused training.

Full text of Glenis Willmott’s Speech, delivered 10am Monday 1st October can be found here

Tory EU threats would hinder future Megan teacher arrests

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

“If Tory threats to pull us out of European police co-operation were carried through, this would prevent future arrests using the European Arrest Warrant,” said Labour MEP Glenis Willmott speaking at a fringe event at Labour’s Conference in Manchester today.

French police were able to use the European Arrest Warrant when they arrested Jeremy Forrest, Megan Stammers’ teacher, near Bordeaux last week.

The European Arrest Warrant is one part of a raft of EU police and judicial co-operation legislation where Britain has negotiated a possible opt-out beginning in 2014.

Many Tory euro-sceptics, with support from Prime Minister Cameron in Brasilia last week, have seen using this opt-out as “low-hanging fruit” in their battle for the UK to leave the EU.

“If we opt out of EU police and judicial co-operation, it would be an insecure prime-minister putting Tory party unity before the interests of the British people,” said Glenis Willmott.

“The European Arrest Warrant has been widely used for awful crimes committed in Britain, for example Italian police used it to arrest a suspect from the failed 2005 London bombings.

“Right across the EU, police support this co-operation, and that includes the British police. It makes their jobs a lot easier,” she said.

The Lib Dems oppose the British opt-out from European co-operation.

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu

MEPs welcome major report on trans and intersex people

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A Europe-wide report on trans and intersex people ordered by the European Commission was today welcomed by MEPs of all political parties inBrussels.

Leading LGBT campaigner, Labour's Michael Cashman, who co-chairs the European Parliament's LGBT Intergroup, said "This report is a great piece of work, and I am really proud as a UK MEP thatScotlandis the only area inEuropethat has enacted legislation protecting both trans and intersex people against bias-motivated violence.

"However, this report must become an impulse for real change on the ground, legal commitments, and a binding strategy for LGBT rights in the EU. This requires decisive political leadership, and we must seize this opportunity to end the everyday discrimination experienced by trans and intersex people in the EU. I turn to the European Commission, and hope it will wait no longer to issue proposals in this direction."

The report was written by by two experts, one from ILGA-Europe and the other from UniversityofLeideninHolland.

The full report is publicly available online (http://www.non-discrimination.net/content/media/Trans%20and%20intersex%20people.pdf )

Cases mentioned in the report include:

In March 2011, The Equality Tribunal in Ireland ruled on the employment discrimination case of Louise Hannon, who was dismissed following her revelation of her true gender identity to her employer and the subsequent process that she undertook towards living in accordance with it fulltime (including presenting herself as a woman
at work). While the employer had originally agreed to the transition, he eventually told her that she had to revert back to her former male identity and wear male clothes when seeing clients.
In 2008, the Cologne District Court decided on the case of Christiane Völling against her surgeon who had removed her female genitalia without her consent 30 years before. Ms Völling was born with indeterminate external genitalia and was raised as a boy, however, as a child she identified as a girl.
In theNetherlands, the Equal Treatment Commission covers discrimination against all trans people without distinction under the ground of sex. In a case that was referred to it by an anti-discrimination agency (ADB), the Commission was asked for its opinion as to whether a hotel’s cancellation of a room booking on the basis that “Providing a cross-dressing party is not in keeping with the character of [the] hotel” since it caters for “a family atmosphere” constituted sex discrimination.

ENDS

Labour MEPs fight to end abusive commodity speculation and protect consumers from mis-selling practices

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In a key vote in the European Parliament's Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee today, Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy fought to ensure a higher level of investor protection and an end to abusive speculation in commodity markets.

On food speculation, Arlene McCarthy, Vice Chair of the Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, said:

“Financial Markets have changed radically over recent years but the current law has not managed to curb their excesses. Speculation on commodity markets causes food price spikes which ultimately is putting the poorest people in the developing world at risk.

"These price spikes also put pressure on household budgets from the fuel in your petrol tank to the food in your shopping basket. According to the World Bank, food prices globally soared by 10% in July. In the face of intense lobbying by the industry we have voted in favour of mandatory position limits on speculation. We are committed to putting a brake on excessive food speculation and speculating giants profiting from hunger. We need to put an end to these practices which only serve the interests of profiteers. It is immoral that when there was a famine in the Horn of Africa in February, organisations like the World Food Programme paid £50 million from UN aid to Glencore for wheat funnelling vital food aid to commodity traders.

"It is a shame that the Tories could not back our amendments for tougher limits to end the situation where food aid is being paid to commodity traders, condemning the world's poorest to hunger and poverty.

"We must ensure that the full Parliament vote in October closes any potential loopholes covering speculative contracts to ensure this legislation effectively limits speculation on food prices.

On investor protection, Arlene said:

“The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee did not back an EU-wide ban on all commissions from product providers to advisers despite the fact that the UK and the Netherlands already have a ban and other EU countries are considering banning this anti-consumer practice. We have however preserved the UK's national ban in order to ensure that UK consumers have access to real independent financial advice. Research conducted by the UK regulator, the FSA, shows that commission leads to sales, product and provider bias as well as numerous mis-selling cases. Not only will this benefit consumers as they will have better advice but the industry who will no longer have to pay out massive compensation claims which have amounted to 10 million in the recent PPI scandal.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

MIFID

The (revised) Markets in Financial Instruments Directive & Regulation, is the most wide-ranging EU law regulating trading venues and practices in the financial services sector.

The law provides harmonised regulation for investment services across the 30 member states of the European Economic Area (the 27 Member States of the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein).

The main objectives of the revision are:

· More robust and efficient market structures.

· To take into account technological innovations.

· Increased transparency.

· Reinforced supervisory powers and a stricter framework for commodity derivatives markets.

· Stronger investor protection.

Commodity Speculation:

United Nations' figures estimate that investment in food commodities by banks and hedge funds has risen from $65bn to $126bn (£41bn to £79bn) in the past five years which has pushed prices to 30-year highs and caused sharp price fluctuations that have little to do with the actual supply of food. Speculative investment in agricultural commodities in 2011 was 20 times the amount spent by all countries on agricultural aid. Profits of large financial players have skyrocketed as a consequence with Goldman Sachs, the largest player in the agricultural commodities market, earned £600m from food speculation in 2009, and Barclays Capital, the world's third-largest player and largest British bank in this market, earned up to £340m in 2010 (Better Markets Report).

High prices for basic foodstuffs, combined with the global economic slump, have pushed 115 million more people into hunger and poverty since 2008, bringing the total number of hungry people in the world today to 925 million. In the last six months of 2010 alone, more than 44 million people were driven into extreme poverty as a result of rising food prices.

Next Steps:

The full Parliament will vote on the text in October after this the Parliament will start negotiations with the Council.

For more information:

http://www.wdm.org.uk/food-speculation

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTPOVERTY/Resources/336991-1311966520397/Food-Price-Watch-August-2012.pdf

For more information please contact Suzanne Richards on 00 44 161 909 5107 / 000 44 7811 175617 or David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053

Euro-Labour response to Libor and Euribor

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Comment on the

European Public Hearing

Tackling the culture of market manipulation - Global action post Libor/Euribor

to be held on

Monday 24 September 2012, 15:00 - 17:30

in the

European Parliament, Brussels, room JAN 4Q1,

Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy, Vice Chair of the European Parliament Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, said:-.

“The extent and gravity of the Libor interest rate rigging scandal has led us to this urgent hearing of our Committee, to call in the banks and regulators to answer for their failures and manipulation. ”

“The fact that we have Gary Gensler, Chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), who exposed the Libor scandal in the US, and both European Commissioners Barnier and Almunia giving evidence to the hearing, reflects the gravity of the situation and the need for urgent reform.”

Arlene McCarthy, who is the European Parliament’s lead legislator ("rapporteur") on the draft EU law on Market Abuse added: "It's important that we learn the lessons from this crisis and ensure we have a robust legal and regulatory framework to prevent future manipulation or abuse and its potentially devastating consequences for the European and Global economy and the continued crisis of confidence in banks and financial markets.

"We’ve moved swiftly to take action by amending the current market abuse rules widening the scope to cover key interest rates such as Libor and Euribor and other systemically important benchmarks and indices.

"The culture of the banking industry has not changed and this culture was aided and abetted by regulatory failures.”

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 www.eurolabour.org.uk

Further details on the public hearing can be found at http://www.europarl.europa.eu/document/activities/cont/201209/20120918ATT51659/20120918ATT51659EN.pdf

EU to set up a level playing field to stop match-fixing

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament this week agreed plans to co-ordinate legal measures right across the EU as part of a Europe-wide legal clampdown on match-fixing and money laundering in sport.

"Under European criminal law there's no common definition of the crimes involved, so match-fixers engage in 'forum shopping.' They can move their business to those countries with low sentencing and low detection standards. We need Europe-level action to put a stop to it," said MEP Claude Moraes who sits on the European Parliament's Committee for Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering.

"Sport is a multi-billion euro industry but up till now there's been extremely limited scrutiny from public authorities. This has led to an increase in corruption. This is why we need a proper Europe-wide legal framework in the fight against match-fixing and corruption in sport," Claude Moraes, who leads for Labour MEPs on Justice and Home Affairs, continued.

"Match-fixing has become a major problem across all Member States of the European Union. High profile cases involving match-fixing are reported all the time."

The definition of match-fixing varies. Some EU member states impose minimum fines of 100 euros while others have a maximum prison sentence as low as four years.

"Over recent years, match-fixing has finally been high on the sport policy agenda. FIFA and UEFA are co-coordinating their work combating organised crime and match-fixing in sport," he added.

"Match-fixing violates the integrity and the ethics behind sport and should be recognised as a serious form of corruption. The EU can take the lead and allow for cooperation between individualMemberStates, sports organisations and betting operators and associations."

ENDS

For radio interviews, television interviews or queries on the above, please contact David Poyser onMobile/GSM 00 32 479790053

European Parliament backs ArleneMcCarthy�s report on strong transparency rules for oil, gas, mining and logging companies

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

''I'm pleased the committee has overwhelmingly backed my compromises for a strong law on transparency and disclosure for the extractive industries," said Arlene McCarthy, the European Parliament's rapporteur (lead legislator) on the Transparency law, after today's (September 18th 2012) vote in the legal affairs committee.

"We haven't given in to the pressure of industry and government lobbying for a weak transparency regime. We're insisting on project by project reporting with a low threshold of €80,000 for payment disclosure. We refused to accept exemptions which would create large loopholes in the law," added Arlene McCarthy.

"The vote was a clear rejection of the 27 EU Member States' weak proposals for disclosure of country by country payments and reporting in the extractive industries.

"Project-level disclosure is the only way in which local communities in resource-rich countries are able to expose corruption and hold their governments accountable for using revenues towards development. More importantly, these rules will enable citizens to expose corruption.

“In 2008, exports of oil, gas and minerals fromAfricawere worth almost 9 times the value of international aid to the continent ($393 billion as against $44 billion), yet many of these countries remain trapped in poverty. Developing countries around the world are being robbed of the chance to earn vital revenue from oil, gas and other mining resources.

Arlene McCarthy continued: “With today's vote we now have a strong negotiating mandate to force theMemberStatesand Commission to accept the Parliament's amendments, putting us on track to create strong global transparency standards, with equivalent rules in the EU and theUS."

“It was disappointing that Conservative Euro MPs in the Committee failed to back the compromise. This is another u-turn by Conservatives reneging on Prime Minister David Cameron’s call onEuropeto bring forth country and project reporting,” she concluded.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

The groundbreaking legislation would require all European listed as well as large private oil, gas, mining and logging companies to disclose the payments they make to governments around the world on a project by project basis.

For further queries please contact David Poyser on 0032 479 790053

"Asylum legislation must be improved to ensure fair reception conditions" - Moraes

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs today supported a raft of EU co-operation measures to support asylum seekers.

The agreement includes limiting the grounds for detention, better protection for the most vulnerable, free legal assistance and representation, and the right to apply for a job nine months after their demand for asylum.

The European Parliament's civil liberties committee, where Labour's Claude Moraes on this for all the centre left S&D Group, today voted to support the proposals.

"Lots of people from all over the world are desperate for asylum, and these proposals will guarantee common minimum reception standards in the EU, given that asylum regimes currently vary hugely across member states," said Claude Moraes

In 2011, EU member states registered 302,000 applications for international protection, an increase of 16.2% compared to 2010. Member states granted protection to 82,100 people in 2011 compared to 75,800 in 2010. Most of those requesting international protection came fromAfghanistan,IraqandSomalia.

"Legislation must be improved to ensure that we have an effective system which allows fair and just reception conditions," Claude Moraes continued.

"Over the years, the system established by the Dublin Convention proved to be inefficient and dysfunctional," he said.

The new European rules are part of the EU's 'asylum package'.

ENDS

Any queries to David Poyser 0032 479 790053

Labour MEP victory on "fracking"

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"We should make sure that strict regulation is in place before - and not after - shale gas development starts," said Labour's Linda McAvan after winning a vote in the European Parliament's Environment Committee today.

"Unlike in theUSA, where they went ahead without first making sure "fracking" would be safe, we need to ensure there are robust rules to protect health and the environment before we start fracking. It's already caused a minor earthquake in Lancashire.

"We want to make sure that any shale gas company which is looking to operate in the EU knows that they will have to meet the highest environmental standards.

"There should be a ban on fracking in sensitive areas, and all fracking should be subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment - which would also guarantee proper public participation in planning decisions made by local authorities.

"The industry should be forced to use the best available technologies - such as methane capture.

"We hope that the British Government will take our recommendations on board as they decide whether or not to give fracking inLancashirethe green light," Linda McAvan concluded.

ENDS

Any queries to David Poyser 0032 479 790053

Labour MEPs want to make sure that their regions continued to benefit from UK government schemes

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Commissioner Almunia met a delegation of Labour MEPs inStrasbourgon Tuesday 11th Sept

The MEPs lobbied the Commissioner about state aid rules which allow governments to provide incentives to attract businesses to declining industrial regions. They are working with the Industrial Communities Alliance

The present EU State Aid rules on regional aid expire at the end of 2013. Discussions are currently underway about the new rules for 2014-20 and Labour MEPs wanted to make sure that their regions continued to benefit fromUKgovernment schemes.

Labour MEPs welcome change to EU political funding rules that will keep funds from Far Right parties that do not "respect European values"

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs fully welcomed today's proposals from the European Commission stating that EU funds should only be granted to Europe-wide political parties that "respect the values on which the EU is founded." This will include the programmes and activities of its members.

"Funding Europe-wide political parties should never include groups of parties that foster racial hatred," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the British Labour MEPs.

"Earlier this year, there was a proposal to give funding to a Europe-wide federation of far right political groups, and we led an alliance of political parties to oppose this.

"If we're going to have state-funding for Europe-wide political parties, obviously it should include funding for all shades of democratic opinion, whether it's right, left, green or anti-European.

"The idea is to create pan-European thinking on issues that affect all Europeans at a political party level. But there's no way European taxpayers should fund parties that are dedicated to spreading racism.

"Today's proposals to ensure that the programme and activities of these Europe-wide political parties respect EU values are simple common sense. The tolerant don't always have to tolerate the intolerant," she said.

The Draft Regulation clearly states that a new European party "must observe, in particular in its programme and in its activities, and through those of its members, the values on which the European Union is founded, namely respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities" (Article 3.1.c).

The Socialist and Democrats Group, of which the British Labour Party is a lead member, also warmly welcomed today's new rules that were adopted by the European Commission on the initiative of Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.

The overall aim of the Commissioner's proposals is to strengthen the role of political parties and foundations in forming European political awareness and expressing the will of EU citizens. Today's proposals should increase the visibility, recognition, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of European political parties and foundations. Only parties that have representation in the European Parliament may apply for funds.

The main change is that the proposal provides a European legal status for European political parties and foundations based on EU law, which provides full legal recognition in all member states of the EU.

These new rules will allow the European Parliament to thoroughly check the internal democracy and the respect for EU values of the European political parties, and the parties that constitute them.

The current Regulation on political parties at EU level dates back to 2003 and was amended in 2007 to include 'policy foundations.'

Any queries to David Poyser 0032 479 790053

Labour MEP wins reprieve for poorest African, Caribbean and Pacific countries

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"I'm really proud that progressive members in this House together outvoted the Commission's proposals to unilaterally end duty free quota free access for goods from some of the world's poorest countries by 2014," said David Martin MEP who is steering the Market Access Regulation through the European Parliament.

The Regulation agreed today will now go to the governments of the EU for negotiations with the European Parliament - the British coalition government opposes the reprieve for the poorest nations.

"I call on the British government to reconsider their view, and particularly on the Liberal Democrats to push their Tory allies on this, to simply give the opportunity for a brief breathing space for some of the world's poorest nations," he added.

"The 2014 deadline the European Commission wanted to impose on ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries was not feasible, and my proposals passed today would now give some of the world's poorest countries another two years to negotiate trading deals with the EU.

"My report proposed extending the Commission deadline to 1st January 2016. To meet their 2014 deadline, countries would have to be finalising EPA negotiations this summer. Although negotiations are moving quickly, no region is in this position at the moment.

"Agreeing to the 2014 deadline would effectively be acknowledging that the preferences they currently enjoy in their trading agreements with the EU, the world's largest trading area, would simply be withdrawn. My 2016 deadline is a more realistic aim.

"Applying an unreachable deadline of 2014 is not the kind of trade and development relationship we should have with our ACP partners."

Since the old system of preferential access to developing countries finished in 2007, ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries have had duty free, quota free access to the EU market while negotiating separate 'Economic Partnership Agreements' (EPAs) with the EU.

Seventeen countries have not yet finished this negotiating process.

"It would be really difficult for some countries like Kenya, Botswana and Namibia to rigidly follow the deadline," said David Martin, a Labour MEP representing Scotland.

"No ACP country should be forced to sign an unsatisfactory agreement. Some African countries perceive the Commission's urgency as heavy pressure on them to accept unsatisfactory partnership agreements.

"The Commission can now focus on the conclusion of development-friendly Agreements in goods by 2016."

ENDS

For further queries please contact David Poyser on 0032 479 790053

Note to Editors

Further information and background is available from Traidcraft -

http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/campaign/campaign_news/epas/negotiations_or_ultimatums.htm

David Martin is "rapporteur" for the Market Access Regulations

Labour MEPs urge UK to stand up to eurosceptics and defend British victims of crime

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour Euro MPs will vote later today on a new law to protect victims of crimes committed in Europe in a key vote in the European Parliament.

The vote follows a long campaign by Labour MEPs who have been calling on the European Commission to strengthen the rights of victims of crime across the 27 Member States of the European Union.

The report includes victims of human trafficking, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, violence against women, terrorism, hate crimes and organised crime.

Claude Moraes MEP, who leads for Labour MEPs on Justice and Home Affairs said:-"This report guarantees a high level of protection and support to UK citizens who may find themselves victims of crime when travelling or working in another Member State in Europe. Victims of crime have been absent from legislation in the past with the focus leaning towards the rights of the suspects of a criminal offence."

"With this report victims will have the right to have access, through a dedicated office that will be created in each member state, compensation and practical resources like medical support, legal advice, interpretation and translation. The legislation ensures that all measures are taken to minimise the difficulties faced by UK citizens who become victims of crime," he continued.

The British Government is considering opting out of all EU policing and criminal law measures on 1 June 2014.

Claude Moraes added "If the Tories decide to opt out, British citizens would not have access to the crucial rights for victims of crime included in this report."

Arlene McCarthy, who is the Labour spokesperson on Legal Affairs, has called for EU action since the tragic murder of her Liverpool constituent Gary Dunne in Spain in 2006 left his family facing years of struggle to receive justice - justice which they are still fighting for.

Arlene said “Too often victims and their families are denied critical information and support. They are often too distressed to understand the complex procedures of another country's justice system.”

"We urgently need a fast and simple EU system which explains their rights, gives information in their own language and provides essential support to families and victims. This new law will help put this in place.”

Labour MEPs are also supporting campaigner Maggie Hughes who son was the subject of a vicious and debilitating attack in Green in 2008.

Arlene added "this law is a tribute to campaigners like Gary Dunne's parents and Maggie Hughes who have turned personal tragedy into a commitment that others won't face the challenges they did. I and my colleagues in the European Parliament will now ensure this new law lives up to the campaigners' calls."

The UK has until 1 June 2014 to decide whether to exercise its opt out from all EU policing and criminal law measures adopted prior to the Lisbon Treaty.

Arlene said: "This law provides vital protection for British victims of crime across Europe. It would be travesty if this Government for anti-European ideological reasons pulled out of this law. We need to continue to stand up and support our victims of crime."

ENDS

For any further queries, please call David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Labour backs consumer campaign for honest fish labelling

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs today voted to support an amendment that will enable shoppers to know the date their fish was caught, rather than the date it was landed. The right wing majority in the European Parliament voted down the amendment, however.

A recent survey conducted by the magazine "Which?" that shows that eight out of ten British consumers want to know the date their fresh fish is caught.

"Consumers like to know their fish is fresh, and the present rules only tell you when the fish was landed in port not when it was caught," said Labour's Linda McAvan who speaks for Labour MEPs on fisheries policy.

"We wanted to allow consumers to support the small-scale fishing boats in coastal communities, who go out on a daily basis and come back with their smaller, but fresher, catches.

"The rules agreed today only tell consumers when the fish was landed, but it doesn't help me when I go to my local fish market and I want to know how fresh the fish I'm buying is," she said.

The European Parliament's Socialist and Democrat Group, of which Labour is a part, put forward an amendment to improve fish labelling rules in legislation which is part of the Common Fisheries Policy reform going through the European Parliament today. Right wing groups, including the British Conservatives, voted against the amendment.

Labour and its allies supported the new legislation overall, but want to see the rules on labelling and consumer information improved.

"Labour MEPs wanted to see labels on fish in supermarkets that show the species name, the area the fish was caught or farmed, the production method and date of catch so consumers can make informed choices," Linda McAvan added.

"We fully support the new "ecolabel" which was agreed today, so from now on people will know more about the sustainability of the fish they are buying.

"Regardless of the high reliability of the technologies for preserving the fish as fresh, consumers want accurate information to inform their choices," said Linda McAvan.

ENDS

For any further queries, please call David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Labour supports plans to clean up air quality on our coasts

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Air pollution from shipping is currently estimated to cause 50,000 premature deaths a year across the EU. Labour MEPs today voted to support EU-wide legislation - agreed with the International Maritime Organisation - to reduce sulphur coming from ships.

Under the legislation, from 2015 ships will have to use fuel with a 0.1% sulphur content in waters which have already been designated Sulphur Emission Control Areas at the International Maritime Organisation (the IMO) - this includes the North Sea, the Channel and the Baltic Sea. In all other waters, the sulphur limit will be reduced to 0.5% by 2020.

"Ship fuel is currently one of the dirtiest fuels on the planet ," said Labour's Linda McAvan MEP, a member of the European Parliament's Environment committee. "Even after these regulations come in, the new fuel is 100 times dirtier in terms of sulphur than car fuel".

"This level of death from diseases like asthma, bronchitis, heart failure and other respiratory illness is completely unacceptable in 2012.

"The effect of worldwide agreement on sulphur will be to reduce sulphur emissions from ships, and consequently improve air quality in theUKas pollution from ships can travel long distances and far inland.

"The health benefits will be significant in terms of reducing respiratory illnesses and heart disease," Linda McAvan said.

Today's "Sulphurin Marine Fuels Directive" was set to pass its first reading with the votes of a majority of MEPs and support from the EU's 27 Governments.

The Directive incorporates into EU law the commitments that were agreed with the IMO. Back in 2008, theUKand all other member countries of the International Maritime Organisation agreed on the stricter limits for sulphur in shipping fuels.

For further information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour leads on new EU rules to enforce drug safety

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"With the thalidomide scandal back in the news after so many years, we have to say 'never again' when patients suffer because their prescribed drugs have not been properly tested and monitored," said Labour's Linda McAvan MEP who is steering new legislation to test for drug safety through the European Parliament in Strasbourg today.

"Good medicine needs drugs, and pharmacovigilance is about monitoring new medicines for their side effects. The same drugs are sold across Europe, so it makes sense for regulators to collect information on a Europe-wide basis from as many patients as possible so that problems can be picked up more quickly," she said.

MEPs are looking again at drug safety laws following a scandal in France last year with a diabetes drug called Mediator. This drug was not licensed in the UK but was widely available in a number of other European countries.

Commenting on Mediator Linda Mcavan said, "Potential safety problems were discussed at meetings of regulators at the start of the noughties and a drug safety study requested from the manufacturer Servier in 2000. But that study wasn't carried out in the one year time frame requested and the drug remained on the market until it was finally withdrawn in 2009. An estimated 500-2000 deaths have been linked to the drug and a court case is pending in France."

Under the new proposals, in cases where regulators have asked companies to carry out a safety study on a particular medicine, that medicine will now have to carry a black "warning" symbol on the packaging and on the patient information leaflet until the study has been carried out.

In addition, serious concerns about drug safety will trigger an automatic investigation by European regulators, instead of being left to the discretion of individual national regulators.

Linda McAvan has the support of other political parties in the European Parliament and EU governments to fast track today's legislation to get this it on to the statute books so the changes can be implemented quickly across the EU.

Vacancy - EPLP General Secretary

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Salary - £59,526-£66,425

We are looking for an exceptional individual who can make a real impact in helping our work towards creating a more effective EU.

You will assist us in ensuring that the EPLP is an effective organisation which achieves our objectives and long term strategy.

Responsibilities include:

The effective management of staff based in the Secretariat’s two offices in London and Brussels and ensuring that the Secretariat adds value to the work of the EPLP.
The formulation,monitoring and control of budgets.
Raising the profile of the EPLP delegation within the broad European agenda
Advising on and implementing a strategic plan for the EPLP delegation
Networking and maintaining strong relations with organisations and individuals to further the work of the EPLP

A person who has a proven track record as an effective manager is required. You need to be a credible and effective influencer, having integrity, resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude. High levels of financial and staff management skills are essential, as is evidence of the ability to deliver effective outcomes.

You must have evidence of working effectively within a political setting, achieving high levels of confidence and trust.

Support of the broad European agenda and sharing the values and vision of the EPLP delegation are also essential requirements.

The post is based in London and will require weekly travel to the European Parliaments in Brussels and Strasbourg during each Parliamentary session.

Details on how to apply can be found here and here. Closing date for the receipt of applications Friday 24th August at 10.00 UK time.

For a confidential discussion on this post please contact our advising consultant John Windle on 0771 252 6354

Arlene McCarthy MEP today welcomed proposals from the European Commissioner to toughen up the Market Abuse Regulation to penalise individuals

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Arlene McCarthy MEP, European Parliament "rapporteur" (draftsperson) on the new Europe-wide market abuse rules, today welcomed proposals from the European Commissioner Michel Barnier to toughen up the Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) to penalise individuals involved in rate fixing scandals like Libor and Euribor, following on from her campaign for criminal prosecutions.

Ms McCarthy, who is Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, said: “The European Parliament and Commission have moved swiftly, in response to the public outrage against yet another abusive practice by rogue bankers, to strengthen the Market Abuse Legislation and to make rate fixing a criminal offence”.

Arlene McCarthy, who has led calls for a full hearing of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) to grill banking chiefs over this manipulation and the apparent failure of national regulators, added: “During my recent visit to the US I met with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and we exchanged ideas on how we can toughen up our rules on this abuse. This is an international problem and we need to ensure we set tough rules in both theUSand EU.”

“LIBOR alone is used to set an estimated $800 trillion-worth of financial instruments. We are now seeing the Department of Justice in theUSmoving ahead with criminal prosecutions and we have seen small businesses seeking legal advice to get compensation for manipulation of interest rates.”

Ms McCarthy added: "I welcome Commission Barnier’s tough stance in his proposals today. The EU cannot be seen to be the soft option or a safe haven for what is clearly criminal behaviour.”

“We must ensure we have a robust legal and regulatory framework to prevent future manipulation or abuse and its potentially devastating consequences for the European and Global economy. Without this we will not end the continued crisis of confidence in banks and financial markets.”

Ends

Notes for Editors:

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Arlene McCarthy MEP is vice chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/econ/home.html

Arlene McCarthy MEP is currently drafting the market abuse rules for the EU and the new law on criminal sanctions for market abuse to be voted in committee on 19th September and in plenary in October or November: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/eu-libor-idUSL6E8IK7FZ20120720

Arlene has led calls for a full hearing of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON) to call in the banks to answer for their manipulation and regulators to account for their failures: http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2250/banks-and-regulators-to-be-called-to-account-on-libor-scandal

Your EU holiday rights this summer

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

It's always good to know before you go. With the school summer holidays in full swing, we've put together some key facts that could help if you're travelling to another EU country, including advice on travel rights and using your mobile while you're away.

Roaming (using a mobile, smartphone or computer when abroad)

Bills on mobile phone calls for travellers came down from 1st July this year as a result of a vote in the European Parliament. This will bring down not simply the cost of making calls from abroad and receiving calls from home, it will also bring down the charges for "data roaming" when holidaymakers want to download information from the net. The changes should see the cost of making a call drop this year from around 30p/min to 20p/min, and the cost of sending a text will fall to 7p.

Labour's Peter Skinner MEP, who helped take the measures through the European parliament said "The mobile phone companies have been ripping off holidaymakers for too long. The barrier charging different rates across national boundaries is totally artificial - phone signals don't know they've crossed an international border! It will be cheaper to make a call, send a text or check Facebook or the football scores online this summer.

"When you're travelling, you often want to download data, to find out about places to visit, for example. So there will be a dramatic reduction in prices particularly for internet use. Customers should also have 'bill-shock protection', set at 50 euros, so that customers are warned by text if they have spent a lot of money while travelling unless they have chosen another limit – higher or lower."

This link has a helpful video, and a breakdown of all the charges:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/roaming/index_en.htm

Flights - Key facts

If you're lucky enough to be flying off on holiday this summer, hopefully you won't face serious delays, but if you do then your airline is under a legal obligation to care for its passengers, including providing refreshments and accommodation if necessary.

* If your flight is seriously delayed then you have a right to support from the airline

* Depending on circumstances this can include phone calls, refreshments, meals and, where a delay results in an overnight stay, accommodation.

* Your airline is required to act after two hours for shorter flights or three or four hours for longer flights.

* Your airline must tell you about what you are entitled to. If you are delayed, ask about your rights under EU law.

* The EU rights apply to all flights departing or arriving in an EU country.

* As well as a right to care by the airline, compensation may be payable, particularly if your flight is overbooked and you are unable to fly.

* Always speak to your airline before taking any action.

* In extraordinary circumstances (such as the ash cloud crisis a couple of years ago), you might not be entitled to compensation, but the airline still has a responsibility to care for delayed passengers, including providing meals and accommodation.

Find out more information from the European Commission, for air, rail, coach and bus travel from:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passenger-rights/en/index.html

112 emergency calls

With any luck, you'll never have to dial 112, but if the worst does happen while you are away, then every second counts. That means it's worth remembering that in an emergency, wherever you are in Europe, you can speak to the emergency services by dialling 112.

Key facts:

* The 112 emergency number works in all European countries, including those not in the EU.

* Even outside of theEurope, your mobile phone should be programmed so that 112 will put you through to the local emergency services.

* A trained operator will answer the emergency call. They may transfer you to the relevant service, like inBritain, or deal with your call directly.

* Be ready to give your give your name, location and telephone number.

* Only use 112 for genuine emergencies - similar to those cases where you would dial 999 inBritain.

Find out more information from the European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/index_en.htm

Health Insurance

Before you head off on holiday to any EU country, make sure you apply for your European health insurance card. It will help cover the cost of emergency treatment if you fall ill while you're away.

It isn't a replacement for travel insurance, so you should still make sure you have adequate cover, but some insurers require you to have the European card.

Key facts:

* The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to access emergency health treatment on the same basis as a resident in the country you are visiting.

* This means that you may still be liable to pay some of the costs of your treatment.

* When using the EHIC card, always seek out state provided medical care, as using private providers could result in medical bills not covered by EHIC.

* You should still take out adequate travel insurance.

* The small-print of some travel insurance policies requires you to have an EHIC card.

* Some private companies charge for processing an application for an EHIC card, but they can be obtained free of charge from the NHS.

Find out how to get your EHIC card, and more information from the NHS:

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Introduction.aspx

and finally.........BBQs, a word of warning

Don't use your BBQ indoors, in a tent or any enclosed space. There's a risk of fatal carbon monoxide poisoning even when it's extinguished. Linda McAvan MEP is campaigning for compulsory clearer and safer labelling. She says: "Carbon monoxide poisoning can have fatal consequences that could so easily be avoided with clearer warnings on all packaging and instructions that accompany any products at risk of producing carbon monoxide fumes. These are simple changes that could have a drastic impact on the number of accidental poisonings occurring over the camping season."

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, colourless and tasteless toxic gas, which can be emitted from any faulty or misused heating or cooking appliance, petrol generator, or vehicle engine. Often referred to as silent killer, less than 2% of CO in the air can kill in two minutes.

With the summer holidays upon us, politicians, gas safety campaigners and representatives from the holiday industry are aiming to tackle the recent increase in deaths and injuries to campers from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of bringing barbecues inside tents and caravans. The NHS estimates that more than 50 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning every year in theUK, with a further 200 being seriously injured.

There's more background on the web-site of Linda McAvan's web-site:

http://www.lindamcavanmep.org.uk/latest-news/post/linda-takes-carbon-monoxide-safety-campaign-to-westminster

If you have any questions about your EU rights, get in touch with your MEP. You can find contact details for all Labour MEPs here <http://www.eurolabour.org.uk/Our_people> .

For further media queries, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

European Parliament Vice Chair call for banks and regulators to answer questions on Libor scandal

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Arlene McCarthy MEP, who is leading the EU's review of the market abuse rules, today called for a full European parliamentary hearing of the economic and monetary committee into interest rate rigging scandal.

Arlene, who is Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary committee, said, "Having met this week with US regulators who have led investigations into the interest rate rigging, the more information that comes to light on the extent and gravity of this scandal the more urgent it is for the European Parliament's Economic committee to call in the banks and regulators to answer for their failures and manipulation.

"We have moved swiftly to take action by amending the current market abuse rules widening the scope to cover key interest rates such as Libor and Euribor and other systemically important benchmarks and indices.

"The culture of the banking industry has not changed and this culture was aided and abetted by regulatory failures.

"We need to call the banks and regulators to come before our committee. It's important that we learn the lessons from this crisis and ensure we have a robust legal and regulatory framework to prevent future manipulation or abuse and its potentially devastating consequences for the European and global economy and the continued crisis of confidence in banks and financial markets."

ENDS

Notes for Editors
Arlene is Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Committee and the Parliament's 'rapporteur' on the EU legislation on market abuse.

For more information contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

MEP to meet with top US regulators on Libor interest rate scandal

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Arlene McCarthy, the MEP drafting the EU's rules on market abuse who has already called for tough sanctions on those involved in interest rate rigging, is in Washington DC this week to talk to US regulators.

Arlene said: “We're meeting to discuss how we toughen up our rules on this abuse, especially to ensure full disclosure of all relevant data and evidence.

“It's astonishing that it has taken years to get information and e-mails from the banks on the Libor fixing and that some banks are still not providing information on request.

“It was the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) that launched and pursued these investigations and I welcome the opportunity to have these high level meetings inWashington.

"It's vital that individuals are personally held to account for their actions - not just their institution,” she said.

Arlene McCarthy has written this week to Commissioner Almunia requesting firstly that he widen his investigation into possible cartel fixing of oil and commodity prices following revelations in the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) report, and secondly that he strengthens his investigation into the banks' cartel activity on Credit Default Swaps data that started 12 months ago.

Arlene McCarthy added: "The EU cannot be seen to be the soft option or a safe haven for perpetrators of market abuse.”

"If the US can conduct criminal investigations with large fines and custodial sentences of up to 14 years, then we too need to toughen the rules and make it a crime to transmit false information to the market.”

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Arlene will be meeting today (Tuesday 17th July) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

For more information David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour MEP calls for fair EU audit

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A British Labour MEP has formally asked the European Commission to conduct its own "parallel audit" of Britain's membership of the EU to balance out the Tory-inspired "audit" of the UK's EU membership announced yesterday (Thursday 12th July).

David Martin, who speaks for Labour MEPs on constitutional affairs, said:

"It's quite right that the British people should know about the impact of the EU, but that doesn't mean that a long drawn out Tory-inspired face-saver to keep Cameron's back-benchers quiet till 2014 is in the interests of the British people.

"The British people are entitled to make up their minds on the basis of fair information so I've asked the European Commission to conduct an audit as well so that British citizens can independently decide on the basis of both points of view - one audit inspired by William Hague, and the other from the experts in the European Commission.

"That way, the British people can make up their own minds fairly after seeing both points of view.

"An audit should be an impartial and fair review, and the one Hague announced today risks being a one-sided propaganda exercise.

"Cameron has party political problems at home with growing swathes of anti-European backbenchers, and he just wants this long drawn out 'audit' to put the EU issue in the long grass.

"But the EU is going through its greatest crisis since theUKjoined at this very moment. We need a strong eurozone as our economy is dependent on the EU for more than half its exports.

"What we really need is a statesmanlike response from theUKto the eurozone crisis, not a fudge aimed at Tory back-benchers" he concluded.

ENDS

For further information or an interview with David Martin please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour MEPs win assurances on blacklisting of trade union activists

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission has said that it will ensure that workers' health and safety reps are not put at a disadvantage by employer's in future Europe-wide legislation.

In answer to a question from MEP Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, the EU Commissioner for Employment, László Andor, said last Thursday (5th July) that as part of its upcoming review of health & safety legislation, the European Commission will ensure that EU law is being followed and that workers' health and safety reps are not being put at a disadvantage by employers.

However, Glenis has also called for a positive statement that the Commission will specifically address the extent of blacklisting in the EU.

Glenis Willmott explained: "The practice of 'blacklisting' – where workers may be refused employment by employers across the whole sector – still exists. The EU Commissioner for Employment, László Andor, admitted in an earlier answer to me that the Commission is aware that some employers continue to blacklist workers."

By 2015, the European Commission must carry out a review of the implementation of EU health and safety legislation across member states. In a Parliamentary Question, Glenis asked the Commission to confirm whether this review would look at blacklisting of workers' health and safety reps, a practice which is illegal under EU law.

Glenis Willmott added: "Commissioner Andor confirms that the review will address the issue of protection for trade unionists and workforce representatives who deal with health and safety on behalf of their colleagues."

"He also confirms that if the review does find that blacklisting remains a problem, then the Commission will ensure that national governments apply 'dissuasive, effective and proportionate penalties' to infringers."

"However, he only says that the Commission “may consider looking at blacklisting,” leaving himself room to backtrack on the issue. Given the abuses we have seen recently, I want an absolute commitment from the Commission that they will do all in their power to outlaw entirely the blacklisting of workers whose only crime has been to defend the safety of their colleagues in the workplace."

Glenis Willmott originally took up the issue of blacklisting on behalf of a constituent and member of the building trades union UCATT and has made some headway. At the end of 2011, the European Parliament demanded an end to the blacklisting of employees through tougher sanctions for offending employers.

ENDS

Notes

For further information or an interview with Glenis contact Paddy Casswell on 07973 736003 or David Poyser on 00 32 479790053
Glenis’ most recent Parliamentary Question can be found here and the recent response from Commissioner Andor can be found here.
Glenis' earlier question submitted in March this year can be found here, and the answer from the Commissioner here.
For further background to this story go to http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/another-step-towards-ending-blacklisting-of-workers-but-there-is-still-much-further-to-go/ and http://www.gleniswillmott.eu/a-step-in-the-right-direction-for-ending-blacklisting-of-workers/

Plain packaging on cigarette packets 'will save lives'

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs are calling on the government to introduce so-called plain packaging for cigarettes as soon as possible, joining with a number of health charities and NGOs to say "delays cost lives".

"Over the last few years the industry has been particularly targeting young women with super-slim, feminine packets which look more like boxes for lipstick or perfume than for a dangerous and addictive drug. Standardising packs would end this practice," said Glenis Willmott, Labour's Leader in Europe and health spokesperson for Labour MEPs.

"Two thirds of current smokers started smoking before they were 18 and 83% started before they were 20. Unlike regular smokers, young people who haven't yet tried tobacco are not drawn to it by a physical addiction. Instead they are attracted to tobacco solely by the image and the idea of smoking," she said.

The government consultation on standardising tobacco packaging; replacing all branding and colours with large pictorial health warnings, was due to close today (Tuesday). However the deadline has now been extended for another month.

"I hope people take advantage of this extra time to share their views with the government, who must take swift action once the consultation closes," she said.

"Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and kills one in two regular smokers.

"Tobacco advertising has been banned from billboards, TV, films, newspapers, radio, magazines, racing cars, sports wear and at the point of sale. Plain packaging would simply complete the ban," she said.

The government will be considering national legislation at the same time as the European Parliament revises the internal market rules on tobacco packaging. It is possible that plain packaging could be rolled out acrossEurope.

"Having the same rules across all 27 EU countries would simplify trade for retailers and manufacturers, and make the rules easier to enforce in the UK. Most importantly, however, it would protect 500 million European citizens from misleading tobacco marketing," she said.

For more information contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

www.eurolabour.org.uk

Notes for Editors

After many delays, the European Commission proposal for a revision of the Tobacco Products Directive is now expected in November 2012.
Glenis Willmott has been working with a number of health groups including Cancer Research UK, ASH and The SmokeFree Partnership
Figures are taken from the Office for National Statistics and the World Health Organisation

No more race to the bottom public contracts say MEPs

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Public contracts must become a way for the Government and local councils to advance social goals- that means granting contracts to bidders who offer high standards and quality, not racing to the bottom," said Labour's Glenis Willmott today after her amendments calling for changes were passed in the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) today.

Glenis Willmott, who is Leader of the Labour MEPs, said, "public authorities shouldn't simply grant major contracts to the cut-rate bidder. To get the best value-for-money for the taxpayer, they should take into account the social, economic, health and environmental impacts of each tender."

The amendments tabled by Glenis Willmott and others will remove the 'cut-price' option from the European Union's new procurement legislation. MEPs on the committee want social, economic and environmental criteria to be considered in all contracts - unlike the recent Thameslink deal, which was awarded on lowest price alone.

"We must ensure that, in future, authorities do not find themselves in a situation where they have to choose the cheapest option despite important social and environmental considerations. That can turn out to be costly in the long run," she said.

The UK's Conservative MEPs on the ENVI committee voted to reject these amendments and to continue to allow public contracts to go to the cheapest bidders.

"By opposing our amendments, the Conservatives have supported 'on-the-cheap' public contracting. They would enable Governments and local councils to exploit public contracts and ignore important social and environmental issues.

"The Conservatives' lowest-cost approach could also lead us to another Thameslink situation - where the Government chooses the cut-price bidder even when there are other important factors."

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Notes for Editors

Glenis' amendments will now go to a vote in the Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Affairs, and following this the proposal will be put to a final vote in the Parliament's plenary session, expected in December.

Last year, the Conservative-led Government chose to award the Thameslink contract to Siemens rather than Bombardier simply on the basis of lowest cost. 1,400 job losses followed at Bombardier's Derby site and many hundreds more were put at risk throughout the region.

The European Commission confirmed to Glenis in October that under EU law, the UK Government could in fact have restarted the tendering process with a more comprehensive set of criteria. Glenis' urgent question to the European Commission about the UK Government's decision on Thameslink can be found here, and the answer from the Commission here.

Amendments tabled to the EU public procurement legislation in the ENVI committee can be seen here. The voting on these amendments took place on Tuesday 10th July from 10:00 am (the video of this session will be available on the ENVI committee's homepage from tomorrow).

Other amendments submitted by Glenis included:

Glenis also tabled several amendments to ensure that a company is excluded from bidding for a public contract if they are in breach of any existing laws on employment, health, or environmental impact. However, opposition from centre-right MEPs meant that these amendments were rejected.

Glenis successfully added new recitals to the legislative proposal, ensuring that public procurement can be used for social and employment goals and for health goals.

A successful amendment by Glenis will ensure that public authorities may uphold 'ILO 94,' the International Labour Organisation's convention on labour clauses in public contracts.

Glenis' successful amendments are now submitted by ENVI to the Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Affairs (IMCO), which will put them to a further vote on 10th October. Following this, the proposal will be voted by the whole Parliament in December (expected). The proposal will then be considered by the Council of the EU, which represents the 27 Member State governments of the EU.

UK transport schemes set to benefit from EU funding

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The UK is set to benefit to the tune of over €16 million in transport grants from the European Union, after a number of UK schemes successfully applied for funding from the Trans European Transport Network Fund.

The grants include €5 million for the electrification of the Liverpool toManchesterrail link; €4 million for the building of two loop lines east of Ely to facilitate easier rail freight movement and €5 million for linking the Port of Southampton to the West Coast Mainline.

In addition, €2,875,000 has been allocated toNorthern Irelandto help replace track on theBelfastto Derry line and to improve connections to the port of Belfast.

UK Labour MEP and Chairman of the European Parliament's Transport Committee Brian Simpson welcomed Europe's commitment toBritain's transport infrastructure.

Mr Simpson said "I am delighted that these projects have successfully secured European funding. Each completed a vigorous assessment process and their success is a testament to the extremely high quality of the bids.

"Connecting theUK's infrastructure toEuropeis vital for economic growth and stability, a belief that is clearly shared by both the European Parliament and European Commission."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The funding is due to be authorised by Member States on Thursday 12 July 2012.

For more information please contact Brian Simpson's Brussels office on 0032 2284 5510 or contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Euro MP and EU bank chief commit to joint action in Libor scandal

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Arlene McCarthy MEP, Vice Chair of the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Committee, today called for tough sanctions for those involved in interest rate rigging.

Arlene, who is the Parliament's draftswomen on the new EU market abuse rules, raised the issue directly with Michel Barnier, the Commissioner in charge of financial services, in the Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee this afternoon said: "There's no doubt that the Libor scandal is market manipulation of the worst kind. Fines have proved ineffective and have not changed the greedy culture in the banking industry. The penalties for this rogue behaviour must be a custodial sentence.

"The EU cannot be seen to be the soft option or a safe haven for perpetrators of market abuse.

"If the US can conduct criminal investigations with large fines and custodial sentences of up to 14 years then we need to toughen the rules and make it a crime to transmit false information to the market.

"The new European rules should extend the scope to cover manipulation of Libor and Euribor rates.

"Following a high level meeting with Commissioner Barnier last week, I welcome his personal commitment for a joint Commission-Parliament amendment to close this loophole and toughen the rules to stop those intent on manipulating the market in order to increase their profits and minimise losses at the expense again of the investors or savers," she added.

End

Notes for Editors:

Arlene McCarthy is currently drafting the market abuse rules for the EU and the new law on criminal sanctions for market abuse to be voted in committee on 19th September and in plenary in October or November.

For more information contact Suzanne Richards 0044161 909 5107 (UK) or David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

www.eurolabour.org.uk

Labour MEPs call for Israel trade updates to be halted

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs warned the European Commission this week that any upgrade to trade relations with Israel is unacceptable while Israel continues to flout international law.

MEPs were responding to a Commission proposal to give Israel easier access to the EU market for its pharmaceutical products. The European Parliament asked the Commission this week for guarantees that products from Israeli-occupied territories would not benefit from this scheme.

Labour's European spokesperson for international trade, David Martin MEP, warned that any upgrade for Israel is premature.

"It's particularly inappropriate to allow easier access to the EU market for Israeli pharmaceutical products when Palestinians struggle for medical supplies under the Israeli-imposed blockade," he said.

"It's vital that products from the occupied territories do not enter the EU market under this agreement

"But even with these guarantees, it's inappropriate to grant Israel these preferences just now".

The Socialist and Democrat Group has proposed that the European Parliament delays a vote on the agreement for 2 years to give Israel more time to comply with international law.

"The collective punishment of Gaza is unacceptable" David Martin added.

"The EU cannot turn a blind eye to human rights violations when we sign trade deals."

ENDS

Notes for Editors

The Commission proposal is a Protocol to the existing Euro-Mediterranean Agreement which would eliminate technical barriers and align assessment standards for industrial products in the EU and Israel. This would largely apply to pharmaceutical products.

The International Trade committee asked an Oral Question to the Commission this week on implementation of the agreement in relation to the Occupied Territories: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=0&language=EN&type=OQ&reference=O-2012-000129

The International Trade committee is now due to vote on the proposal after the summer recess. The Socialist and Democrat 'rapporteur' (lead legislator) has recommended a 2 year delay on the final consent vote: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-%2f%2fEP%2f%2fNONSGML%2bCOMPARL%2bPE-483.808%2b01%2bDOC%2bPDF%2bV0%2f%2fEN

The European Parliament must give its consent before this Protocol can come into force.

For more information please contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Britain responsible for blocking legal challenge on war crimes

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Britain has been told it should stop 'sitting on the fence' and join international calls to immediately refer crimes against humanity taking place in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Labour's European Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Richard Howitt MEP told a European Parliament debate Britain was responsible for a call for reference to the ICC to be removed from draft conclusions at the last meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Council.

The Labour Euro MP also castigated Britain and other European Governments for withdrawing a resolution expected to call for referring Syria to the International Criminal Court at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week.

The Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesperson told the debate it was not "expedient" for Britain to do so, whilst the Cypriot Presidency replying to Richard Howitt MEP told him he didn't want "to cause controversy at this time."

Richard Howitt MEP said "After 16,000 deaths and in the week evidence has been published of widespread use of torture by the Syrian authorities, the time for delay has ended.

"Delay hasn't created the space for a negotiated end to the conflict, it has left a vacuum whereby huge violations have continued and intensified.

"Saying in speeches that those responsible will be held to account for their crimes has not been enough, and it is our responsibility to trigger the process for this to happen.

"Is the withdrawal of the resolution in Geneva because they don't really support the UN High Commissioner when she calls for the ICC reference?

"Six European countries have backed the Swiss initiative to support reference to the ICC and it is now time for Britain and every EU government now to do so too."

ENDS

For more information or to arrange to interview Richard Howitt MEP, please contact Brian Dawson in Richard Howitt MEP's office on +322 284 5477 or David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Labour MEP leads on rejection of ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement)

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"ACTA is now dead in the EU thanks to the European Parliament," said Labour's David Martin, lead legislator on ACTA, as the European Parliament went to vote.

The plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg is widely expected to reject ACTA today, which means that it will not now become law in the EU.

"This is the first time that the European Parliament has used its right under the Lisbon Treaty to reject an international agreement.," said Euro-MP David Martin, 'rapporteur' for the European Parliament on this issue which has attracted a petition of over two and a half million citizens opposing the agreement.

"I will always support civil liberties over intellectual property right protection in the EU," he continued.

"The treaty is too vague and is open to misinterpretation.

"The ACTA agreement is too vague and is open to misinterpretation.

"I'm very pleased that the majority of MEPs have told me they will follow my recommendation and rejected ACTA.

"This international agreement rightly defended intellectual property rights, which are the EU's raw material and are fundamental to the European economy, but it does not go far enough to defend individual freedoms in the internet age , " he said.

Six committees of the European Parliament separately considered this issue prior to today's vote.

Ends

For further queries please contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

The price of Cameron's isolationism is our own jobs and prosperity

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Article for Labour List by Glenis Willmott MEP, Leader of the Labour MEPs

http://labourlist.org/2012/07/the-price-of-camerons-isolationism-is-our-own-jobs-and-prosperity/

Cameron once again let down the UK at last week’s EU Summit. He has continued to preach austerity to a Europe that is more and more aware of the limitations of such a short sighted and ill judged policy. This is not a minor matter in an international game of “summitocracy” and meaningless prestige. It matters because the jobs and prosperity of the people of Europe are at risk and it matters because our own economic recovery, and incidentally that of countries around the globe, also depends on the economies of continental Europe returning to growth.

As Douglas Alexander, Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said after the summit, the EU Growth Compact was agreed:

“despite, and not because of, the efforts of our own Prime Minister. Cameron doesn’t accept the need for this at home and he has hardly been leading calls for it abroad.”

Douglas’s views are echoed by Charles Kupchan, lead U.S. National Security Council official for Europe under President Bill Clinton, who recently said:

“You have the G20 meeting: the euro zone is in trouble, Iran and Syria represent urgent challenges. And where is Cameron? He’s sparring with the Argentinians over the Falklands and upsetting the French. That’s really not helpful… What’s really striking to me is the extent to which Cameron seems to be taking the UK out of the game. London’s relevance on the world stage seems to have declined since he became prime minister. Part of that might be inevitable given the circumstances … but Cameron’s statecraft is also leading to self-isolation.”

Furthermore, the FT last Tuesday wrote that:

“The City of London has raised deep concerns over David Cameron’s strategy in Europe, warning that the prime minister’s wish list of “safeguards” in December could actually have damaged its standing as Europe’s financial centre.”

The eurozone is in a serious crisis, a crisis created in large part by the greed of bankers, exacerbated by a structural weakness in the creation of the single currency. Cameron and Osborne’s austerity have brought us a double dip recession at home, soaring youth unemployment, falling tax revenues and soaring government borrowing. Lecturing other EU countries to take the same medicine simply pushes the UK out of the game.

The real danger however is that Cameron’s head in the sand approach will permanently damage our standing and efficacy in Europe. The price we will pay will be in jobs and prosperity.

"eCall" Crash system could save lives

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A European Parliament resolution for cars to automatically dial the emergency services if they are involved in an accident was today welcomed by Labour MEPs.

Labour MEPs voted in favour of the resolution which recommends that all new cars should be fitted with eCall by 2015. The eCall system is designed to immediately alert the emergency services if an accident occurs, even if the passengers are unable to do so.

Brian Simpson, Chair of the European Parliament's Tourism Committee, said "It is any driver's worst nightmare to be involved in an accident, and tragically, cases where victims of crashes cannot call the emergency services are not uncommon.

"eCall solves this problem by automatically connecting vehicle occupants to an emergency centre in the event of an accident, whilst simultaneously transmitting basic data on the crash location to an eCall operator."

"By making eCall compulsory we can ensure that even if there is an accident with no witnesses, the emergency services are able to quickly get to the scene. We hope that this will reduce cases when victims with life-threatening injuries are left trapped and unable to get help," he added.

The European Parliament's vote on eCall comes less than a week after the UK Department of Transport released figures showing that in 2011 road accident deaths in Britain rose for the first time since 2003.

Brian Simpson said "The Coalition has taken its eye off the ball when it comes to road accidents, cutting funding for life-saving strategies that should be of highest priority. Given the rising number of crashes in the UK, I am relieved that the European Parliament recognises the importance of maximising road safety standards across the EU."

According to the Parliament's report, making eCall compulsory could save as many as 2500 lives a year, and reduce the severity of injuries by 10 to 15 percent.

Mr Simpson added "The life-saving benefits of eCall are absolutely clear and I hope that the adoption of this resolution will lead to new laws to ensure all new cars use the system by 2015."

ENDS

Notes to Editor

1. ‘Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Main Results 2011’ - Department for Transport today (28 June 2012):

http://www.dft.gov.uk/statistics/releases/reported-road-casualties-gb-main-results-2011/

for further queries please contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053

Access to basic banking is a consumer right not just a service says Arlene McCarthy

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Euro MPs today voted through a report calling for the European Union to establish a right for EU consumers to open and run a basic payment account.

It is estimated that over 30 million individuals over the age of 18 across the EU do not have access to a bank account.

Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy, Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, said: “Increasing numbers of people in the UK who are going through bankruptcy are being denied access to a basic bank account despite there being no legal reason why.

“If you prevent people from being able to hold a bank account you are in effect excluding them from the ability to benefit from financial products and services, deals and discounts and perhaps most importantly certain jobs which require access to a bank account. It creates an unnecessary social divide between those who hold bank accounts and those who don’t.

“In the UK, the move towards universal benefits payments means that bank accounts are going to become an increasing important way for people on benefits or with low incomes to manage their money.

“Credit Unions are ahead of the game and are already helping people to manage their monthly payments and ensure that they have enough money at the end of the month, banks too should be playing their part,” she concluded.

Ends

For further queries please contact David Poyser Mobile /GSM 00 32 479790053 (Brussels and Strasbourg) or in the UK contact Suzanne Richards 0161 909 5107 / 07811 175617

www.eurolabour.org.uk

Notes for Editors:

The report voted on today calls for the European Commission to produce a legislative proposal by January 2013. Legislative approaches have had good results in countries already adopted such approach - for example, close to 100 % of households in Finland and Denmark are covered by payment services while the number of unbanked citizens has dropped considerably in Belgium and France after the adoption of legislative proposals in those countries.

In the EU

In July 2011 the European Commission published a recommendation on access to basic and affordable bank accounts for all citizens. The recommendation called on Member States to ensure that such accounts become available at a reasonable charge to consumers, regardless of their country of residence in the EU or their financial situation. It is due to assess what impact the recommendation has had this month and if necessary propose any further measures, including legislative measures.

Currently, in 6 Member States there is a legal requirement -Belgium,Denmark,France,Finland,Netherlands andSweden

A further 6 Member States have a voluntary code of conduct obligation -Germany,

Ireland,Italy,Luxembourg,SloveniaandUnited Kingdom

But 15 Member States have no requirement at all.

In the UK

Only the Co-operative Bank and Barclays offer basic bank accounts to bankrupts, whileSantander, the Bank of Ireland, Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale, First Trust Bank, the Lloyds TSB group, HSBC, NatWest, Northern Bank, RBS, Ulster Bank, Yorkshire Bank and the Nationwide building society do not.

In July 2010 the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) published a research report entitled Called to Account: Why banks must provide basic bank accounts to undischarged bankrupts, which set out the problems encountered by their clients when trying to access banking facilities after filing for bankruptcy and the detrimental impact this policy has on their day to day lives.

The report also investigated the reasons behind this policy, including the banks’ stated concern that they may be held liable for after-acquired property passing through the accounts of undischarged bankrupts.

Since the report was published Citizens Advice has lobbied the banking industry to work with the Insolvency Service to overcome this issue, but although discussions were held, they have been disappointed that the banks’ position appears to remain entrenched and no satisfactory conclusion has been reached

The Insolvency Service has opened a consultation on possible solutions to this problem and the CAB submitted a response to this consultation in January 2012. The consultation closed in February 2012 and a response is pending.

http://www.bis.gov.uk/insolvency/Consultations/BankAccount?cat=closedawaitingresponse

Labour MEP calls for criminal prosecution in new market abuse laws

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour Spokesperson and Vice Chair of the European Parliaments Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, is calling for those responsible in the latest banking scandal to face criminal prosecutions.

Arlene McCarthy will meet Michel Barnier the European Commissioner for EU banking rules this week and will call for market abuse rules to be strengthened to cover the inter-bank rate fixing scandal.

Arlene McCarthy said: "There is no doubt that this is market manipulation of the worst kind. Fines have proved ineffective and have not changed the greedy culture in the banking industry. The penalties for this rogue behaviour must be a custodial sentence.

“The US has the power to take criminal prosecutions and we too must toughen up EU wide market abuse rules to make this immoral behaviour a criminal offence.”

Commission and Council lagging in LGBT rights

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens are legally protected in the European Union, but prejudice still run deep and human rights obligations are increasingly being put aside – write Ulrike Lunacek and Michael Cashman

The European Parliament recently adopted a landmark resolution against homophobia in Europe – the vote was 430 MEPs for and 105 MEPs against. It is only the fourth time since 1979 that the parliament has raised these concerns so vocally, the last time being in 2007. So why adopt such a resolution now? Although we can safely say lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens are better legally protected in the European Union compared with any other world region, attitudes and prejudice still run deep - and human rights obligations under international treaties are increasingly being put aside.

When it comes to the European Union, we urge the European Commission and the European Council to propose or adopt three pieces of legislation - on hate crimes, non-discrimination and the free movement of same-sex families - and to work on a comprehensive policy roadmap for the rights of LGBT people; just as there are disability, women's rights and Roma equality roadmaps. A large majority of MEPs also considered, despite some criticism, that LGBT people will be better protected if their families can be recognised by the state - thanks to cohabitation, partnerships or marriage, as is already the case in 16 member states. This is a fundamental rights matter and not one that should be dictated by private moral concerns, voiced sometimes too loudly in the polity.

But more than new anti-discrimination laws and policies - we are acutely aware that the rights to freedom of expression and assembly are under growing, coordinated and serious attack. Indeed Eastern Europe has witnessed new laws that forbid the public discussion of homosexuality, especially - but not only - when minors are potentially present. Local and national politicians in Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia have proposed - and in some cases adopted - laws carrying fines of up to €12,700 and five-year prison terms; simply for saying that homosexuality is normal to a 16-year-old. Some, including heterosexual people, have already been fined under such laws.

These developments are in full breach of the European Convention on Human Rights and a case on the fairness of these laws will soon be examined by the Strasbourg court - Bayev v Russia. We hope that the 47-member Committee of Ministers will be strong and brave enough to uphold essential freedoms, even for those they may disapprove of. And as in every spring since 1970, pride marches are unfolding across the world. Yet as in previous years, organisers in Eastern Europe are running into more and more trouble as pride marches are considered 'immoral', 'dangerous for children', 'against public morality', or downright 'satanic' by some politicians like Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzkhov. Whether or not gay prides are approved of, they are a colourful and keenly provocative form of protest and demands for equal rights. No European society too coy to cope with a rainbow flag on the street can claim to be free and open.

And, indeed, things slowly are getting better in some places. Earlier this month - the Baltic Pride in Riga, Latvia, gathered more than 500 marchers protected by the police from lonely extremists in the town centre. Latvian member of the European Commission Andris Piebalgs also took part in our powerful It gets better video message to young LGBT people. We remain dissatisfied with the commission and the council for their lack of leadership over the past few years in the EU. The European Parliament has proudly led on LGBT rights since the 1990s, but other institutions remain shy for lack of a clear consensus.

Surely these are rights and as such they should not be decided upon? Isn't that the concept of a human right - a set of rights every person deserves, simply on account of being human? This realisation needs to dawn on many more politicians and leaders, and we are committed to seeing this day soon. Ultimately, the European executive will have to prove more proactive. European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding forcefully and repeatedly declares that homophobia has no place in Europe. This is praiseworthy and we acknowledge her commitment. But what will she do about it?

Ulrike Lunacek MEP and Michael Cashman MEP are co-presidents of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights

Eurobonds are about solidarity, writes Glenis Willmott in Left Foot Forward

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Glenis Willmott MEP (Labour, East Midlands) is the leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party

When they met yesterday in Berlin, David Cameron told Angela Merkel that she must back the introduction of Eurozone-wide bonds to stem the crisis.

I’m glad to hear that Cameron is now supporting our policy on Eurobonds. This is an idea that has been championed for years by the group of European Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.

The basic principle is that instead of individual Eurozone members issuing bonds, Eurobonds would be collective loans, underwritten by all Eurozone countries.

Because of the risk of defaulting, EU countries which are in real financial trouble, such as Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Italy, are only able to secure loans from investors with very high interest rates.

This makes the cost of repaying their debts huge. However, if investors had the guarantee that stronger countries such as Germany and France were behind the debts, then the interest rates would be a lot more manageable. For example, Portugal’s annual repayments would fall by €15bn, almost 9% of its GDP, if the interest rate was lowered to the Eurozone average.

Behind the proposal is the principle of solidarity, of working together to help Europe overcome this crisis. Doesn’t sound much like Cameron to me. The man that walked out of talks in December, leaving Britain’s seat at the table vacant, is now trying to convince Germany to solve the crisis at an EU level. Cameron, the Eurosceptic, is preaching the virtues of solidarity and further European integration from the sidelines.

Luckily there are more credible voices fighting for Eurobonds. The Italian and Spanish governments are in favour, as is the head of the European Central Bank. Most importantly, of course, the election of François Hollande and his backing of Eurobonds and other progressive measures has signalled a sea change across Europe. But Chancellor Merkel remains firmly opposed.

One of Angela Merkel’s main arguments against Eurobonds is that she thinks they would remove the incentive for failing economies to put their affairs in order. But what we’re seeing in Greece is heartbreaking, people who were working and paying taxes this time last year are now queuing up in the streets for soup. That’s no solution.

And with Spain teetering on the brink, surely intervention at this stage will be much less painful for all of us, rather than trying to rescue the EU’s fifth biggest economy once it is too late. Because it’s clear that if Spain goes down then we’ll feel a real chill here in the UK and in the rest of the EU.

The next few weeks will be crucial for the future of Europe, and Eurobonds are one of a few measures that could be taken now to stabilise the situation. We need brave decision-making, and I hope that Chancellor Merkel changes her stance. If she does it will be thanks to the campaigning of the centre-left across Europe, now spearheaded by M. Hollande, not because of some last minute nagging by David Cameron.

Article by Glenis Wilmott, Leader of British Labour MEPs, on the EU and immigration

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

People's concerns are real. Many people who work hard in this country have worries about immigration not because they hold prejudice against Eastern Europeans or anyone they see as not being "ethnically British", but because they are concerned about the impact that migration may have on their employment, wages and overall working standards.

We need to look at those areas where EU migration may have caused a lowering of standards and talk about how we can change this.

In his speech, Ed raised some practical actions that could be taken at a national level. Issues like creating a more efficient and better equipped border agency and setting higher labour standards and tougher equality standards for recruitment agencies. These can all make a difference.

However, those of us who work politically at an EU level must also be aware that there are things we must be doing in Brussels in order to protect labour standards for all workers. One criticism that could be thrown at the last Labour Government is that in the EU it did not push hard enough to close some of the loopholes in the current system that has allowed wages of some workers to be undercut.

For example, the agency workers directive represented an opportunity for the UK government to tighten up standards for agency workers but instead we often dragged our feet at the calling of big business who still to this day put the idea of creating an even more "flexible workforce" at the expense of basic labour rights.

We also have the ongoing posted workers directive which has been one of the most controversial pieces of EU legislation in my time as Leader of the Labour MEPs. The loopholes in the legislation which allow companies to bring in cheaper labour at the expense of domestic workers, as we saw a few years ago in the case of the Lindsey oil refinery, must be closed. Posted workers legislation should be designed to allow for a flexible workforce, which can benefit our economy, but must not be used by companies to ignore local labour laws.

Labour's MEPs have always and will continue to work hard on these issues in the European Parliament, with the understanding that free-movement must not create a race to the bottom in regards to employment standards and labour rights.

EU migration has had added massive benefit to the UK since 2004 but unless we tackle some of the legitimate concerns people have about some of its downsides we are in danger of losing sight of this.

I welcome Ed's speech and hope that it has the impact it is intended to have in kick starting a proper, fact-based debate about immigration, one that is based upon people's genuine concerns in troubled times about their jobs and their working conditions. While it may be difficult to take these actions right now in Westminster, we as Labour MEPs can and will continue the fight in Brussels. If we can create fairer working conditions for everyone, we can go a long way in winning the public's support on immigration.

Tory Euro MPs mock Eurozone crisis

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Tory Euro MPs once again defied Cameron and showed their party’s inconsistency and complacency during the Eurozone crisis when they failed to back the "two pack" solution in the European Parliament this week. Only on Monday Downing Street was saying the important thing is that the Eurozone should help members of the Eurozone," said Arlene McCarthy, spokesperson on the Economy for the British Labour Euro MPs.

The European Parliament approved this week new economic governance rules to strengthen eurozone budgetary discipline – known as the "two pack proposals".

While the majority of Euro MPs voted to support these urgent measures to tackle the eurozone crisis and inject confidence into the market, Cameron’s Euro MPs were voting against the package.

“One Tory Euro MP chose to trivialise the crisis which is now impacting on UK savers and businesses with a rendition of a rap song by 2Pac. This is a serious crisis that needs a serious response not making fun of with a rap singer’s lyrics.” said Euro MP Arlene McCarthy, Vice Chair of the Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.

"All the mainstream groups in the European Parliament, Left and Right, supported this proposal. We still need more focus on growth but we need to back action on debt and Euro Bonds.”

"If David Cameron publicly says we need an “immediate plan” to save the euro why are his euro MPs dithering with rap lyrics and voting against?”

UK Coalition holds up EU Energy Efficiency Directive

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The hypocrisy of Cameron's claim to be the "greenest government ever" has once again been shown up in Strasbourg this week.

"In negotiations on the energy efficiency directive between EU member states and the European Parliament, the British government has been holding everyone up," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the British Labour MEPs.

An agreement was finally reached between the European Parliament and the Danish Presidency in the small hours today (Thursday) on the sixth and final trilogue.

"All the insiders have told me that it was the British Government holding up progress on this. A more positive attitude from the UK government would have meant we could have a directive fit for purpose which would have been able to put us back on track to meeting the 20% energy efficiency/savings target for 2020," said Glenis Willmott.

"LibDem Energy Minister Ed Davey should be ashamed that he's part of this anti-environment coalition.

"Over the last weeks of negotiation, the governments were stepping back instead of moving forward," Glenis Willmott said.

"The European Parliament's position would have meant saving over 20% of energy compared to projections by 2020. The agreement we reached with the governments will only bring a 15% saving at best, but this is better than not having a new directive, since our current legislation would have brought just a 9% saving," said Peter Skinner MEP, spokesperson for Labour MEPs on energy.

"I really hope the British government will have the vision to invest in an efficient use of energy which will create jobs in the UK and save money for consumers and industry," he concluded.

The Council and the European Parliament plenary still need to give official approval to this compromise agreement.

ENDS

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EU system for tracing breast implants

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The establishment of "traceability systems" so women know the manufacturer of their breast implant and an EU system for "pre-market authorisation" (as with pharmaceuticals) were key demands today in legislation supported by Labour MEPs after the recent scandal of faulty breast implants affected women across the EU.

Labour MEPs sponsored the resolution in the plenary session of the European Parliament inStrasbourg.

Labour's Linda McAvan MEP, a co-author of the motion, said “In the UK alone we think that around 40,000 women have implants supplied by the French company, PiP, which were stuffed with cheap industrial quality silicone normally used for mattresses, rather than medical grade silicone. This scandal has highlighted is just how casually cosmetic surgery is presented.

The Euro-MP also added her own amendment calling for an end to advertising of plastic surgery

"The advertising makes very little attempt to explain that breast implant operations are a life-long commitment that will require continued surgery, whether it is to replace them as they wear out or to remove them entirely.

"I checked the websites of some leading cosmetic surgery companies where even the FAQ section on breast implants doesn't even mention repeat surgery," she said.

Glenis Willmott, spokesperson for Labour MEPs on health issues and Leader of the MEPs, added “the victims in this are understandably very fearful and concerned. This is why we need EU-wide action. A register to set up a traceability system across Europe is part of this.

“The way the British government dealt with this issue was deplorable. They should have ensured that women who had faulty implants could have them removed at no cost, with the private companies picking up the bill. This could have prevented so much anguish."

At the end of last year, regulators discovered that the French manufacturer Pip had for years been illegally selling unapproved silicone breast implants. By the time the fraud had been discovered, it is estimated that 300,000 implants had been sold across the world.

ENDS

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Labour MEPs support ad ban on "follow-on-formula" milk

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs today called for a ban on the advertising of so called “follow-on formula” milk for infants from the age of 6 months onwards.

The European Parliament supported proposals to update regulations food for medicinal use and nutritional substances, but the Labour sponsored amendment to treat the marketing of follow-on formula milk in the same way as infant formula was narrowly defeated in the plenary session of the European Parliament inStrasbourgtoday. The Tory-led ECR Group opposed the advertising ban.

“'Follow-on formula milk' should be governed by the same rules as those for infant babies up to six months old”, said Labour Leader Glenis Willmott, who proposed the amendment.

“Every parent is naturally anxious for their child to have the best possible start in life. That's why there is an EU-wide ban on health claims and advertising of infant formula to protect parents from marketing ploys and industry pressure to use certain types of formula.

“Follow-on formula, however, is not subject to the same restrictions. Follow-on milks can be advertised, and many people will be familiar with these adverts on TV and in magazines.

"The distinction between infant formula, which should be used from zero to six months, and follow-on formula, for 6 to 12 months, is not very clear to consumers.

“One of my main concerns is that follow-on formula is in effect being used as a loophole to advertise infant formula.

"I am also concerned that advertising make parents feel that they should be using follow-on formula, when the World Health Organisation and most paediatricians say that these follow-on milks are unnecessary" she said.

Euro MPs legislate for a safer and fairer mortgage market

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

In a key vote in the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee today, Euro MPs voted overwhelming in support of a draft new Europe wide law on mortgage credit reform.

Vice Chair of the Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee, Euro MP Arlene McCarthy said: “Poor standards for ensuring responsible lending and borrowing in the mortgage market played a key role in the development of the financial crisis in the last decade. That is why this new draft law is so important.”

“The law if supported by the full European Parliament in September will introduce higher standards for selling mortgages and clear criteria that advisors should follow when providing advice to consumers including supplying easily understandable information.“

Arlene added: "As the former Chair of the Consumer Protection Committee I welcome the reports strong pro-consumer measures which ensure flexibility for borrowers, particularly for early repayment and portability of their mortgage to a new property. These rules are important in the current time of crisis to prevent consumers borrowing beyond their means."

“At time of low and falling house prices and with consumers experiencing difficulty getting mortgages it is important to have strong consumer orientated legislation to regulate the mortgages market and protect consumers.”

MEP calls for independent investigation into Google

Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Just months after Google was criticised for launching its new privacy policy despite public anger that it was not compatible with EU privacy laws, a Labour MEP is calling for an inquiry after allegations that Google's 'Street View' cars secretly harvested emails, photographs and other personal data from WiFi networks.

The Federal Communications Commission in the United States has filed a report on the incident but so far there has not been a UK investigation.

The Google software intercepted snippets of information from unsecured WiFi networks as the Street View fleet passed almost every home in Britain in 2009 and 2010. It is thought that as many as one in four home networks is unsecured.

"The collection of WiFi data without the knowledge or consent of UK citizens is a clear breach of their fundamental right to privacy," said Claude Moraes MEP who sits on the European Parliament's Civil Liberties committee and speaks for the Labour MEPs on the issue.

"If people are giving up their privacy, it should be done in full knowledge and with their full authorisation.

"We can't rely on assurances by Google that they had not intended to gather or use this private data. These are serious allegations so I am calling for an immediate and thorough independent investigation firstly to ensure that private data has not been used and secondly to be certain that this practice has permanently ended," he concluded.

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UKIP and Tories oppose transparent enquiries

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Tory MEPs yesterday exposed their hypocrisy on the EU when they opposed openness and transparency in the European Parliament.

Labour's David Martin is responsible for getting legislation on inproving European-level Committees of Inquiry through the European Parliament. The proposals came before the Strasbourg Parliament yesterday. Previous inquiries by the European Parliament - which have included Equitable Life and BSE - have lacked the power to summon the right people and obtain the documents to get to the bottom of the issue.

"All we're asking for is for European legislation to be subject to the same scrutiny when things have gone wrong as it is in the member states of the EU. Look at the success of the House of Commons summoning Rupert Murdoch from the States and making him account for his actions," said David Martin.

"Tories think they are being anti-European by denying elected MEPs the power to call key witnesses. They are just posing. They either believe in transparency or they don't - it's the same principle whether it's in Brussels or Bradford.

"Their UKIP friends have out-posed them, as Nigel Farage started to tell his friends in the media that my proposals would have given the European Parliament power to summon the British queen. It's nonsense!

"All we want is sensible reform, for example to be able to get to the appropriate desk officer, who sometimes has information that higher ups do not want to know or do not know.

"The European Parliament's Equitable Life Inquiry, for example, concluded that the Parliament lacked the ability to get to the truth, because we could not speak to the people involved. Also, we couldn't ensure access to right documents and there were no consequences for people not telling us the truth.

"European Governments will have to agree to the proposals from the European Parliament, and I want to work together with them. I hope David Cameron and his LibDem coalition partners prove more interested in the principle of keeping European law accountable than the narrow business of scoring petty political points.

"It was Bob Dylan who said "Truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that it passes through".

"Committees of Inquiry obviously can't hand down any sentences. We as a Parliament should simply have the option of publishing the final report, recommending new laws in light of loopholes uncovered, or refer the issue to the competent authorities, but our role ends once the committee concludes its findings. It's the same in most parliaments in member state governments," the MEP said.

The Lisbon Treaty formalised the European Parliament's right to reform temporary Committees of Inquiry, which can be tasked with investigating alleged contraventions or maladministration in the implementation of EU law.

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www.eurolabour.org.uk

Tory MEPs fail to support LGBT rights- again

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Once again, British Tories have shown their party’s true colours. Together with the UKIP-led extremists, the Tory-led ECR Group were the only political group in the European Parliament not to co-sign a resolution calling for an end to homophobia in the EU and Eastern Europe.

The motion was passed with overwhelming support today by almost all political groups, including Greens, nationalists, Liberals, the far left, as well as mainstream centre-left and centre-right groups. After refusing to co-sign the text, the Tories overwhelmingly failed to support paragraph 9 on equal marriage.

"David Cameron may say one thing in Notting Hill, but in reality they are the same old homophobic Tories," said Michael Cashman MEP, who co-authored the text.

The motion strongly condemns EU countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary) and non-EU countries (Russia, Ukraine and Moldova) that have laws, or are considering laws, similar to Margaret Thatcher's infamous Section 28. These laws will fine (up to £10,000) or imprison people for saying homosexuality is normal in order to "protect children".

This tactic is being used to stop gay prides from taking place, to outlaw the discussion of homosexuality in schools or with teenagers, and to reduce public tolerance and understanding of LGBT people.

"British Tory MEPs should be called to account for their homophobic views. Their Neanderthal opinions are just out of tune with everyone: their Lib-Dem coalition partners, the British public, and the vast majority of Europeans," Michael Cashman said.

Europe takes action to protect "vulnerable" consumers

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs voted today to protect elderly, disabled and very young consumers against rip off suppliers playing on their vulnerability.

"It's very easy for any of us to click through and buy something by mistake, but some internet sites make it far too easy for easy for vulnerable consumers to end up buying products because they were hooked in by clever advertising," said Labour's Catherine Stihler.

After today's vote in the plenary session of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, MEPs hope that the European Commission will bring forward policies next year introducing the concept of the "vulnerable consumer" into the different EU legislative and policy instruments designed for consumer protection.

"Young people and children need stricter rules on aggressive or misleading internet TV advertising and online advertising. As the world of the internet and television is international, these restrictions have to be agreed at an international level," added Catherine Stihler, an MEP who representsScotlandis a member of the European Parliament's Consumer Protection Committee.

"All of us will be elderly consumers one day. As newer marketing technologies become more widely used, people need protection.

"There's a load of areas where vulnerable consumers need proper protection. Regulation of online financial markets products is particularly important.

"Passengers with mobility problems need to be able to easily find out any problems before they buy tickets, and energy companies and telecoms companies need to be particularly careful when dealing with the elderly.

"We need more consumer information and education campaigns that target the right messages to the right consumer in all the member states of the EU," concluded Catherine Stihler.

Note for Editors

The "rapporteur" for the report "A strategy for strengthening the rights of vulnerable consumers" - which came out of the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee to today's plenary session - was the Spanish Socialist Maria Irigoyen Pérez MEP

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Labour MEPs' response to Daily Express article "Go to Britain for benefits says EU"

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The Daily Express front page leads with "Go to Britain for benefits says EU". It claims that "meddling Euro MPs have provoked fury by heralding a £4million scheme to publicise Britain’s lucrative benefits and health care system to people from across the Continent".

- The European Year of Citizens 2013 will promote EU citizens' rights, including voting rights, consumer rights and right to work and study
- The campaign will not promote Britain's benefit system, but employment rights, and subsequent benefits, across the EU
- The budget increase voted in committee is a negotiating figure
- In order to receive benefits in the UK, you must first pay into the system. The UK does control its own borders

What's the background?
The article stems from a European Parliament report on European Year of Citizens - an EU-wide campaign promoting EU citizens' rights, particularly in terms of democracy, justice, society and employment. MEPs approved an amendment increasing the proposed budget allocation to 5m euro from a Commission proposal of 1m euro.

The Express is correct that 2013 European Year of Citizens will be a "campaign highlighting every citizen’s right to move from country to country within the EU" but it will not promote Britain's welfare system to other EU citizens.

What is the European Year of Citizens 2013?
The campaign does not focus solely on social security and welfare and rights to look for a job and work. It aims at providing EU citizens with much needed information on their right to vote and to stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament and in municipal elections in their Member State of residence, the recognition of academic diplomas, their rights as passengers or tourists or their rights as consumers to access goods and services in other Member States.

The campaign includes a massive public consultation on how EU citizens can shape their EU, and you can have your say at: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/opinion/your-rights-your-future/

The 2013 European Year of Citizens follows on from previous European Years, which have recently included promoting active ageing, volunteering and the fight against poverty.

Why did MEPs vote to increase the budget?
European Years are funded by money already available in the budget of the responsible Commission directorate. In previous years this included co-financing initiatives with external bodies. The proposal for 2013 is for an information campaign and there is a need for more money to be allocated to allow outside bodies to be involved. The Commission has proposed using 1m euro from the Communication DG budget. Some MEPs tabled an amendment to increase this figure to 5m euro, which was agreed by the committee as a base for negotiations; it is likely to be revised downwards.

Previous co-financing examples include training financial advisers in Austria to counsel people facing debt, and a UK-wide health and wellbeing programme for older people.

What about other claims in the Express article?
Tens of thousands of eastern Europeans come to UK for work, not for 'generous state handouts'. In Britain, Job-seekers Allowance is a maximum of £71.00 a week. In Germany, if you have worked for more than a year it is 60% of previous salary, otherwise you get €374 a month (£75 a week). In Belgium, it is generally 40-66% of your salary, and in France generally 40-57% of previous salary.

The EU has not forced Britain to allow migrants who don't pay taxes to use the NHS indefinitely. It has said that health insurance cannot be an extra requirement for residency. However, EU migrants still have to prove they have a job, or sufficient means to live on, in order to be able to live in Britain.

Social Security in the UK?
We don't 'give social security or housing to people who have never paid a penny in tax in the UK'. Social security is contributions-based; by having a job and paying tax and National Insurance. Social housing is rightly based on need, but in order to qualify you must be allowed to live in Britain, usually through employment.

We do control our own borders. The UK is not part of the Schengen zone, has its own border control, and has the opportunity to opt-out of immigration legislation, which it regularly does.

Labour MEPs Take Action on EU Spending

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday (Thursday 10th May) Labour MEPs voted for

Greater transparency in regards to MEPs' expenditure. An amendment calling for a more transparent system was comfortably passed. Labour MEPs want to see the rest of the European Parliament follow the Labour lead in having their General Expenditure Allowance independently verified by an auditor. All Labour MEPs have already voluntarily done this and put the information on their web-sites for many years
Scrapping the current arrangement where MEPs and their staff go to Strasbourg every month. Labour MEPs hailed another victory in the long fight to establish a single seat for the European Parliament. This would make significant savings on costs and set a better example on the environment.
An amendment to scrap the controversial House of European History and the LUX cinema prize to save money in times where EU citizens are facing austerity. Unfortunately these amendments fell in the plenary vote.

MEP victory on mobile phone charges this summer

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Bills on mobile phone calls for travellers in Europe will come down from 1st July this year after a plenary session vote in the European Parliament in Brussels today (Thursday).

In time for the summer holidays, Labour Euro-MPs voted to regulate not simply the cost of making calls from abroad and receiving calls from home, but also to bring down the charges for "data roaming" when holidaymakers want to download information from the internet.

The changes should see the cost of making a call drop this year from around 30p/min to 20p/min and the cost of sending a text will fall to 7p. Further changes will follow with the cost of making a call set to fall to 12 p/min - or less - by 2014. Data roaming costs will also be capped for the first time with 1MB costing 40p.

"The mobile phone companies have been ripping off holidaymakers for too long," said Peter Skinner, Labour MEP for the South East of England, who speaks for Labour MEPs on the issue.

"The barrier charging different rates across national boundaries is totally artificial - phone signals don’t know they’ve crossed a border! This week's vote will bring prices down considerably and Brits travelling abroad this summer will really feel the difference in their pocket. It will be cheaper to make a call, send a text or check Facebook or the football scores online.

“If roaming prices have not come all the way down to domestic levels by 2016, then the European Commission will be obliged to propose additional legislation to ensure that roaming charges are identical to domestic prices.

"We wanted to get rid of roaming charges altogether but unfortunately the right wing MEPs supported the phone companies and we had to agree on a temporary measure.

"When you're travelling, you often want to download data, to find out about places to visit, for example. So there will be a dramatic reduction in prices particularly for internet use.

"We will also have 'bill-shock protection', set at 50 euros, so that customers are warned by text if they are approaching their limit while travelling," he said.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

Maximum charges per minute given in (euro) cents [1]

	(Retail) Cost of calls made	(Retail) cost of calls received	Retail cost of SMS	Megabytes (MB) data costs
Current	35 cents per minute	11 cents per minute	11	n/a but most tariffs average €3 per MB
From July 2012	25 cents per minute	8 cents per minute	8	50
2013	20 cents per minute	7 cents per minute	7	30
2014	15 cents per minute	5 cents per minute	5	20

Across the board, the average reduction in consumer prices compared with 30th June 2012, will be

July 1st 2012: 35%

July 1st 2013: 45%

July 1st 2014: 60%

[1] Where maximum charges are denominated in currencies other than the euro, the initial limits shall be determined in those currencies by applying the reference exchange rates published on 1st May 2012. For the purposes of the subsequent limits, the revised values shall be determined by applying the reference exchange rates so published on 1st May of the relevant calendar year

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Labour MEPs call for EU budget restraint

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs are renewing their call for an EU budget freeze on the day that the European Commission announced plans for a 6.8 per cent increase in the EU's budget for 2013.

Speaking after the announcement, Derek Vaughan, Labour spokesperson on the EU budget said: "We have made a real terms cut in the European Parliament's budget for 2013. It's now time for other EU Institutions and the Commission to play their part in finding budget savings. In these challenging economic times, Institutions need to show budgetary self-restraint and work out where savings can be made".

Negotiations on the 2013 budget will now begin. The budget must be agreed by Member Statesand the European Parliament by the end of the year.

"Labour believes the Commission should be able to keep its spending for next year to a below-inflation increase. We need to promote spending on jobs and growth and make savings in other areas," he added.

"However, the UK coalition government has agreed to the commitments which make up a large part of this budget. If Member States want cuts in the budget they will need to explain to citizens why EU funded projects are being scrapped."

Last month, Derek Vaughan managed to secure a less than inflationary budget increase for the European Parliament and on top of that, he persuaded his colleagues to agree to an independent study of the European Parliament's budget to identify further savings later this year.

Derek Vaughan won his victory after he persuaded colleagues to agree to savings on staff and MEP travel, and a freeze on all MEP allowances until the end of the current legislature in 2014. Derek was even able to get an agreement on a clause calling on European governments to review the European Parliament's wasteful and carbon-costly monthly trek to Strasbourg.

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Tory Euro MEPs dodge action on tax evasion

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

British Conservatives voted against demands to combat tax fraud and tax evasion despite a damning Treasury report released last week showing the billions of revenue lost to tax avoidance in the UK, in a vote in a plenary session of the European Parliament yesterday (Thursday 19th April).

Vice Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, Arlene McCarthy MEP, said: "Once again the Tories have turned a blind eye to tax evasion and refuse to take on the privileged tax dodgers and fraudsters - despite last week’s damning Treasury report showing that Britain’s 20 biggest tax avoiders have used loopholes to legally reduce their income tax bills by a total of £145 million in a year.”

"In this time of austerity the Government should ensure that the 18.5 Billion pounds of lostUKrevenue from tax evasion is returned to investing into our vital public services. According to a recent report, lost revenues from tax avoidance could be used for 46.9% more spending on healthcare.

“Today Labour Euro MPs and all the major political parties called for the introduction of automatic data sharing to crack down on those seeking to hide their money from the tax authorities. We also demanded that cross border companies from all sectors report on their payments to governments to better detect corporate tax avoidance.

"This is a chance for a major EU-wide crackdown on tax avoidance and the Conservatives cop out showing they are long on words and short on action," Arlene said.

ENDS

For queries on the above, or television or radio interviews with Arlene, please contact Suzanne Richards 0 (044)161 909 5107 / 0 (0 44)7811 175617 or David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Notes for Editors:

Arlene McCarthy is Labour Member of the European Parliament for North West England and the Vice Chair of the Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.
The European Parliament voted on 19th April on a Joint Resolution calling for concrete ways to combat tax fraud and tax evasion (2012/2599(RSP).
The Resolution called for EU effort to introduce the automatic exchange of information to end banking secrecy and it demands reporting for payments made by cross border companies to governments.
The Conservatives yesterday voted in the full plenary of the European Parliament against demands for concrete ways to combat tax fraud and tax evasion. The Resolution was backed by all of the major European political parties (Socialists and Democrats, European Peoples Party, Alliance of Liberals, the Greens and European Left/Nordic Green left Party).
The voting record of MEPs is available from the European Parliament website link below (under yesterday's date, roll call votes and the reference to the Resolution on ways to combat Tax Fraud and Tax Evasion): http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/votingResults.do

Tory attacks on European court threaten everyone's Human Rights, says MEP Michael Cashman

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

MEPs today slammed the Tory Government's attack on the human rights of European citizens, as the British government started to reform the European Convention on Human Rights.

The United Kingdom, which holds the Presidency of the Council of Europe until May, has made proposals, together with France, to reform the European Court of Human Rights. The 47 States of the Council of Europe are meeting today (18-20 April) in Brighton to discuss them.

"By presenting such reforms, the UK 's coalition government is stripping each one of us of our basic human rights," said Michael Cashman, who will be leading the debate for the Socialist and Democrats.

"We should never forget that without the judgements of the Court, homosexuality might still be criminalised in parts of the EU, and even parts of the UK" continued Cashman, who is also President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on LGBT Rights.

While they support necessary reforms to the functioning of the Court, the Labour Members in the European Parliament denounced the Tory proposals to codify the "principles of subsidiarity" and "margin of appreciation" together with the addition of new admissibility requirements and deadlines to access the Court.

"We must make the Court more efficient in order to alleviate its current heavy workload. But many of the reforms put forward by the Tory government this week in Brighton seek to restrict the access of an individual citizens to the European Court of Human Rights," said Michael Cashman.

The European Court of Human Rights upholds the Convention on Human Rights "which was created from the ashes of the Second World War, thanks to Winston Churchill's efforts, in order to safeguard democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe," said Michael Cashman.

"The Court enables individuals to bring governments responsible for violations of fundamental rights to account before a European Court, and it ensures that victims unable to get redress at the national level can have an effective remedy.

"David Cameron should pay greater heed to the existing legal obligations under the Convention. The number of victims requiring recourse to the Court would be significantly reduced if his government properly implemented Court judgments", he said.

The UK government sponsored High-Level Conference of the Council of Europe meeting in Brighton this week will also debate the proposed reforms to the European Court of Human Rights.

MEPs will also be debating this on Thursday 18 April during the plenary session in Strasbourg, along with the longstanding issue of the EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The European Union is obliged to join the European Convention on Human Rights under Article 6 of the Treaty of Lisbon. All EU legislation will be bound to respect it, and an individual will be able to contest it if it violates his/her human rights. The United Kingdom has objected to its accession, as the Tory/LibDem government fears that this will offer new powers to the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights .

"It's unacceptable and deeply questionable when at the last minute a Member State blocks a whole process that's been agreed already and is a legal obligation. We should not play around with human rights when there are people in situations across the EU that could benefit from the compliance of EU legislation to the European Convention", said Michael Cashman.

"Everyone who cares about human rights can see that the Tory - LibDem reforms are a real threat to rights that so many take for granted," he concluded.

New EU Tsar must be Human Rights star

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A brand new EU position of "Human Rights Tsar" will be given the approval of the European Parliament as it votes today (Wednesday 18 April) to back a major report seeking to change the future direction of the EU's human rights policy.

Labour MEP Richard Howitt who advocated for the appointment of an EU Special Representative on Human Rights, in leading Parliament's negotiations on Baroness Ashton's current wholesale human rights policy review, and author of today's report, said:

"During a period when principles of international law have been paramount from Iraq to Syria to Burma, Europe has lacked the clout to put its case to other countries and in International institutions compared with America.

"Today that gap will be filled."

The British Euro MP's report also attacks the UK's Coalition Government for obstructing progress towards the EU's accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. The UK Government is debating reforms to the European Court of Human Rights in Brighton this week.

Richard Howitt MEP added:

"This is not simply a case of foot-dragging but of David Cameron and William Hague deliberately blocking the European Union from being made subject to the same strictures on human rights which already apply to Britain and the other member states.

"It's double standards of the worst kind."

The hard hitting report also contains deep condemnation of six EU countries who have failed to translate their support for the International Criminal Court in to their national law as required, of thirteen countries in the European and Central Europe and North Africa who have currently refused to either sign or to ratify the UN's anti-torture protocol despite being accepted in to the EU's European Neighbourhood Policy, and of the failure of the European Union to fully learn the lessons of its own failures in the run-up to the Arab Spring.

Richard Howitt MEP said:

"Europe was negotiating improved trade terms with Gaddafi just four weeks before we starting dropping bombs on him, and it is time to show the mistakes of the past will not be repeated."

The report also:

-seeks EU export bans to be placed on technologies which restrict internet freedom.
-calls on EU Governments to establish inter-governmental consultations on human rights at the same level as other foreign policy discussions
-calls on the EU to introduce detailed human rights benchmarks for future cooperation on all policy areas including trade
-ensure all EU staff have a core human rights knowledge as part of their training and that every EU delegation has a designated human rights "focal point."

Richard Howitt MEP concluded:
"The creation of Europe's External Action Service saw the EU promise to combine its diplomatic, trade and development powers to boost its global influence, and the review must now ensure each and all of these powers are genuinely used to put human rights in to the spotlight."

ENDS

Notes for Editors: Richard Howitt MEP is the European Parliament Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Socialist and Democrat Group's Spokesperson on Human Rights. Today's report represents Parliament's formal input to EU High Representative Catherine Ashton's full EU human rights policy review.For further information or to arrange an interview with Richard Howitt MEP please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053.

Tories abstain on LGBT rights

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

While David Cameron attempts to give the impression of Tory party support for mainstream views on LGBT rights, his Tory MEPs inBrusselstow a different line.

In a vote in a full session of the European Parliament inStrasbourgyesterday, British Tories failed to support an amendment to human rights legislation put forward by Labour's Richard Howitt MEP.

"This shows the Tories as they really are. It's a disgrace that they did not support my amendment calling for, for example, the European Commission to advocate the withdrawal of gender identity from the list of mental and behavioural disorders in their negotiations on the recent version of the International Classification of Diseases.

"Whatever Cameron claims, Tory views on LGBT issues are neanderthal and we saw that in yesterday's vote," said Euro-MP Richard Howitt who sponsored the Human Rights Report which was passed by an overwhelming majority of MEPs.

Leading LGBT campaigner, Michael Cashman MEP added "these Tories should explain why they refused to support an engagement in favour of LGBT people’s human rights when the EU negotiates with countries outside the EU and in multilateral forums. It's important we use our trading power to encourage reform in countries where LGBT people are persecuted.

"We called for the reintroduction by the UN General Assembly of sexual orientation as grounds for protection from extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution also embracing grounds of sex and sexual orientation - this is human decency and every British MEP should fully support it. So why did the Tories abstain?" asked Michael Cashman who co-chairs the European Parliament's LGBT Inter-group.

Richard Howitt's amendment was passed by 353 votes to 268 with 52 abstentions. Tories MEPs Nirj Deva and Daniel Hannan voted against the motion, together with the Far Right including the BNP. Other Tory MEPs abstained.

ENDS

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Headline of this article was amended 4/7/2012

Overwhelming majority of MEPs today voted to end the Strasbourg farce

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

MEPs today voted by the highest ever majority (429-184 with 37 abstentions) for a Single Seat when the Vaughan Report on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2013 was passed today.

Welcoming the success of her Labour colleague, Derek Vaughan, the Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott said there are "three important reasons why we should now stop this farce,"

1. "Governments should be seen to practice what they preach. It is a scandal to cause this totally unnecessary carbon footprint," she said.

The University of York have estimated a carbon footprint of an extra 20,268 tonnes of additional carbon dioxide caused by this move.

2. "Governments are asking everyone in the public sector to tighten their belts." Estimates claim a cost of €206 million on the extra seat.

3. "We only meet here for historic reasons. Strasbourg represented reconciliation between France and Germany, but that generation has more or less disappeared now. We are now the new Enlarged Europe and the significance of the end of Franco-German hostility is now consigned to history text books," she said.

The monthly trip of MEPs from their usual place of work in Brussels to Strasbourg was agreed by EU governments as part of the Edinburgh Protocol at a summit chaired by John Major, then British Prime Minister, and is decided on by the Governments of the EU and not by MEPs.

Over a million signatures have been collected to the end "travelling circus" to Strasbourg, and Glenis has campaigned among MEPs to get them to sign up to the Single Seat campaign before the Elections for a president of the European Parliament in December. All Labour MEPs are united on the issue.

For more information contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour MEPs win overwhelming support for free movement of same sex couples

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"There's no decent, honourable reason to deny same sex couples the freedom of movement and right to be with their family that other EU citizens enjoy," said Labour's Michael Cashman MEP as the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a report on EU citizenship.

Several member states of the EU currently do not give full rights to same sex couple families who travel in the EU, for example questioning the parental authority of mothers wanting to visit their children in hospital.

Today's vote calls on member states to carry out the rights granted to all citizens under the Free Movement Directive and it further calls on the Commission to ensure that the Directive is strictly applied.

Michael Cashman, who co-chairs the European Parliament's LGBT Intergroup, said "the commission must enforce these fundamental rights which are enshrined in the treaty. If it doesn't we'll never be taken seriously within the global political domain let alone within the legal domain.

"I particularly welcome the cross-party support we won on this issue, of the British parties only UKIP and the BNP opposed us, with a small minority of the Conservatives as well.

"We are not trying to impose same-sex marriage across the EU. Quite simply, what we want is what all decent, fair-minded people want: that a family—any family—be able to travel or live anywhere in the EU without risking to be separated from their loved ones.

"I also welcome the strong language in this report on protecting Roma and other minorities. We have to tackle all forms of discrimination. If we don't defend the rights of others how on earth can we expect our own rights to be defended? That's the basis on which the EU was built," said Michael Cashman.

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

MEP demands support for EU regional aid to Yorks and Humber

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Areas of Yorkshire and Humber could qualify for hundreds of millions of pounds more of European money, according to Labour MEP Linda McAvan who is demanding the UK government stops opposing the measure.

Following a meeting with European Policy Chief Commissioner, Johannes Hahn, Linda learned that South Yorkshire and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire are likely to qualify for generous regional aid funding but could face resistance from the Conservative and Lib Dem government.

Linda said: "The European Commission is proposing that from 2014 certain areas become eligible for a new category of funding for regions in transition. These are regions like South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire where average GDP is lower than the European average. This new fund could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds for these areas, but it seems the UK government is trying to block the proposals.

"At a time of rising unemployment, big cuts in funding for local councils and the axing of Yorkshire Forward, which traditionally provided funding to stimulate economic growth and new jobs, this lifeline of funds from Brussels is more than welcome.

"The government appears fairly isolated in Europe on this issue. Most governments think that in tough economic times we should be doing more to get investment in our regions to kick-start the economy. We need our government to throw its weight behind the Commission proposals now," Linda added.

ENDS

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Explanatory notes:

To qualify as a transition region an area must have 75-90% of EU average GDP.

Two areas in Yorkshire and Humber currently meet these criteria and would qualify if the negotiations conclude within a year. They are South Yorkshire (84.5%) and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire (85.8%).

Areas closest to 75% would qualify for more money compared to the regions closest to 90%.

How much each region would receive is also worked out by head of population.

The actual figure per person transition regions would be entitled to has not yet been agreed but is thought to be from anywhere between €197 and €537.

The figure per person for regions where the GDP is 90% of EU average is estimated at €172.

So transitional regions would receive up to €365 more per person or £305.

This means South Yorkshire, with its population of 1,255,000 could receive up to €458 million in extra regional aid money. Roughly £383 million.

This means East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, with its population of 921,000, could receive up to €336 million in extra regional aid. Roughly £281 million.

Currently there are 55 Transition Regions across the EU, with 10 in the UK.

They are:

Tees Valley & Durham 78.5

Cumbria 89.5

Lancashire 84.9

Merseyside 80.2

East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire 85.8

South Yorkshire 84.5

Lincolnshire 79.8

Shropshire & Staffordshire 83.9

Devon 88.1

Highlands & Islands 84.1

This could mean these areas of the UK would qualify for anywhere between £2billion and £5billion.

Labour trimming EU budget victory

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's Derek Vaughan, the lead legislator for the European Parliament on its budget, won a vote to keep its spending at less than inflation over the coming year, at a full session of the European Parliament meeting today in Brussels.

Overall, Derek managed to secure the less than inflationary budget increase of 1.9% for the European Parliament and other Institutions for 2013, and on top of that, he persuaded his colleagues to agree to an overall independent study to identify further savings in the European Parliament budget.

"The EU provides jobs and high living standards for the British people, and it needs a democratic parliament, but it cannot increase its own spending at times of huge public spending cuts across the EU.

"Public spending cuts are hitting us hard in UK, as well as the swingeing cuts in countries like Greece and Italy, and I was able to form an alliance to win a vote on this issue," said Derek Vaughan.

Derek won his victory after he persuaded colleagues to agree to savings on staff and MEP travel, a freeze on all MEP allowances until the end of the current legislature in 2014 and an amendment that tightens the funding for Pan-European Political Parties (recently this applied to the BNP and its far right allies). Derek was even able to get an agreement on a clause to persuade the European governments to review the wasteful and carbon-costly monthly circus where the parliament meets in Strasbourg once a month as well as Brussels.

The Commission will publish proposals for the budget for the EU as a whole for 2013 in April and the European Parliament will vote on this in October. Derek Vaughan MEP is 'rapporteur' (lead legislator) for today's vote on the 2013 "other sections" budget (all EU spending excluding commission spending)

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

World TB day a perfect opportunity for the to cable money to help save lives

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

On World TB Day (24 March) Labour MEPs are calling for the British Government to help plug the critical financial gap to allow British and European Universities to continue vital medical research and bring new, more advanced TB vaccines to the market by 2020.

It has become increasingly clear that despite the BCG vaccine being the most widely used vaccine in the world, the death rate of people - especially adults - with TB is still extremely high. This shows that it is imperative that we encourage clinical trials for new candidate TB vaccines, in order to develop a new treatment to counteract this worrying trend.

On February 3rd, a letter signed by all 13 British Labour MEPs was sent to the Coalition Government's Business Secretary, Vince Cable, pleading for the UK to guarantee Britain's share of this investment (€70 million).

"In reply to our letter, the British Government have said they are putting money into AERAS, a company based in Maryland, USA, which we welcome, but this isn't enough," said Glenis Willmott, spokesperson for Labour MEPs on public health.

"Sadly tuberculosis is not a thing of the past in Europe, at the moment it's killing 7 people every hour. TB is becoming increasingly resistant to existing drugs and vaccines, and it is imperative that we carry out research into new tools to fight this disease . The EU is a world leader in medical research and this is exactly the sort of thing where we should be investing money to save lives, and to create highly skilled jobs." she added.

The Investment from the European Investment Bank to TBVI (the Tuberculosis Vaccination Initiative) is being borrowed against the value of any future vaccine, with the UK simply having to agree to guarantee their share of the loan in the event that one of the 39 candidates for the new TB vaccine does not make it to production by 2020. TBVI would use the investment to fund ongoing university and clinical research that will save millions of lives.

Michael Cashman MEP, a long-time supporter of the TBVI and initiator of the Labour MEPs' campaign, said "We should now be stepping up our response to global health crisis, by putting more into the prevention of TB. We urge the British Government and other EU Members to reaffirm commitment to MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) to make funding candidate vaccines for TB a priority.

"Such an investment would also have a commensurable impact on the fight against the devastating TB epidemic in developing countries. TB is a significant global health concern and is the second leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide. Between 1.6 million and 2 million people die annually from the disease. EU funding has been instrumental in generating a robust pipeline of innovative TB vaccine candidates and the UK should commit to a fair share, along with other Member States to continue this vital work.

"On 24 March, World TB Day, we are asking the UK Government to think about the number of lives that could be saved worldwide," he concluded.

For queries on the above, or radio and television interviews with Michael and Glenis, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Vote on solvency II- a success for UK pensioners

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

“Yesterday's compromise gives pensioners in Britain greater certainty in the treatment of their pensions by regulators. Safeguarding the interests of UK pensioners has been at the heart of my negotiations," said Labour's Peter Skinner MEP, who helped negotiate the compromise at the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.

The vote to approve the Omnibus II Directive which updates Solvency II was passed by a margin of 38-5.

“What was voted through yesterday will allow the use of matching-premiums for UK industry. This will ease capital requirements placed on annuity providers and provide protection for policy holders. The next step from here is Solvency II and implementing measures. It's a giant stride forward for insurance regulation across Europe,” said Peter Skinner

An 11th hour deal brokered as part of negotiations will allow the use of ‘matching premiums’. This will ease the capital requirements placed on annuity providers and provide protection for policy holders.

There had been fears that without the agreement UK pensioners could have seen an overnight drop of 20% in the value of their pensions.

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Article for EU Reporter by Glenis Willmott

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

I am proud to be Leader of Labour MEPs in Brussels. While other parties whinge from the fringe, Labour is at the heart of getting change that will benefit citizens in the UK. This month alone, Britain's biggest insurance company has been threatening to leave Britain, and one of our MEPs has been working hard to keep the company in the UK. We are pressurising the UK government not to opt out of an EU deal that gives protection to the thousands of our fellow citizens who own a holiday home abroad. Working together as the EU, we may be able at last to get a fair quota of women on the boards of companies across Europe. On a global level, as the EU is the world's largest trading bloc, Labour MEPs and others are listened to when they try and stop children working in the cocoa industry. Labour's achievements this month are based on our alliances working with partners in the mainstream of the EU.

In contrast, the British Tory government has cut itself from alliances within the EU - and we are all suffering as a result. One country acting alone cannot have the power of 27 nations acting together. David Cameron's so-called veto at the summit in December was actually a veto on the British having influence on the EU's economic policies, the same economic policies that will have a massive impact on Britain's future recovery. By January, he seemed to have realised his mistake and started to back-pedal, but by then it was too late.

At the current time, Britain does not need more austerity; we need a boost to our economy so as to have the money to pay off our debts at home. At a European level, we need to work together on policies that boost jobs and growth in the Eurozone economies to make sure that our largest export market becomes strong enough and keep buying our goods. This is what will create the jobs and economic growth our own economy needs.

We are living through a period of unprecedented change in global power and influence. Britain is better off in Europe, not out of Europe. While the EU isn't perfect, Labour believes it is better to be at the table, exerting influence and shaping Europe, not out of the room and isolated.

However the financial crises has opened up many people's eyes to the fact that the global political landscape is changing rapidly, new economies in China, India and South America are ready to compete with the traditional economic powers of Europe and the USA. In order for the EU to compete and thrive in this environment it must reform politically and economically.

The Common Agricultural Policy still needs to be reformed, so that money is taken away from subsidies to non viable farmers or tobacco producers and made available for cutting edge research and technologies that are vital for jobs and growth. The European Parliament could also do its bit by stopping the monthly travelling circus to Strasbourg, when we have a perfectly good parliament building in Brussels. In recent years, Labour MEPs have taken a lead getting the world to follow EU standards on climate change, and we argue against travelling to Strasbourg on ecological grounds alone. At a time of austerity, we need radical reform in terms of how the EU spends money; a Labour MEP is steering EU budget legislation through our parliament budget committee and has scored major victories reviewing whole areas of expenditure, favouring smart spending that will help all our economies in the long term.

When he was elected Leader of the Conservatives, Cameron promised to take the Tory MEPs out of the mainstream centre right EPP group. This was a mistake and when he realised it, he did not even attempt to carry out this promise until 2009. Despite being the fifth largest group of MEPs from any national party in Brussels, since 2009 the Tories have been left out of the mainstream decisions in Brussels as they sit in their own small fringe group, which makes up only 7% of MEPs. In recent years, everyone - sceptics and ardent Europeans - agrees that the European Parliament has real power that affects all the decisions that come out of Brussels. David Cameron's obstinacy has not defended the interests of the UK one iota. His short term fear of his own anti-European back-benchers has cost British jobs and British influence in the EU. On matters of regulation of the finance industry, British consumers and producers are observers from the sidelines. Thirteen Labour MEPs now count for far more than twenty five Tories. I am very proud to be their Leader.

Glenis Willmott is leader of the British Labour MEPs and attends shadow cabinet

Labour takes action on party funding

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

EU funding to the association of extreme right political parties in future years now looks extremely unlikely after action taken by the British Labour MEPs (the European Parliament Labour Party).

One month ago, it transpired that the Bureau of the European Parliament agreed that an alliance of seven European extreme right wing political parties (including the British BNP, the French Front National and Hungary's Jobbik) would apparently qualify for €289,266 of EU money for what they have called the "Alliance of European Nationalist Movements."

The British Labour MEPs never accepted the inevitability of continued funding and went into action forming alliances with like-minded MEPs to halt the current payment and stop any payments in the future if this was democratically possible.

After a passionate appeal to Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament (equivalent of the Speaker), he assured the British Labour Leader, Glenis Willmott, on Wednesday (14th March) that he would check whether any initial payment to this ultra- right alliance could be reimbursed on legal grounds.

Furthermore, agreement has now been reached across the political spectrum of European Parliament political groupings (the Greens, the Liberals, the Centre Right as well as the Socialist Group where Labour sits) that a "committee of wise persons from outside the European Parliament" will be set up under the European Parliament's rules to see whether this new pan-European alliance conforms to European values.

Parties that practice discrimination will not be eligible for funding in future, according to the rules.

"It's quite clear from the web-sites of these parties that they do practice discrimination," said Labour's Leader, Glenis Willmott.

"We had no idea these payments were in the pipeline or that they had been agreed till we heard about it in the UK. It's shameful what happened," she said.

"The BNP cause violence and hatred wherever they go. The tolerant don't always have to tolerate the intolerant.

"We've worked together so this is not just a socialist alliance against the Far Right, all parties across the spectrum are agreeing with us.

"The budgets committee of the Parliament are not happy for this money to go through either.

"We're happy to debate and fight our corner with anyone who disagrees with us, but we can only argue with democrats," Glenis Willmott concluded.

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

"Article for Public Service Europe by David Martin on child labour in the cocoa industry"

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The EU’s commitment to human rights in trade policy was once again in the spotlight when the European Parliament met in Strasbourg to consider the use of child labour in the cocoa industry. The EU is still the world's largest trading bloc, so working together as 27 nations, our views really count when we want to lay down rules on human rights.

There has been international work done to stop child labour in West Africa, but it has not gone far enough. Child labour in the industry is a huge problem, and it is time that decades of talk is put into action to tackle it. Many children who work in the cocoa plantations are very young and they are forced – through coercion, economic circumstance or lack of available schools – to work in appalling conditions instead of being educated. Many of the children are trafficked. There has been progress in tackling the use of child labour, particularly in Africa where 70% of cocoa comes from, but the commitments haven’t been strong enough and the progress hasn’t been quick enough.

Human rights clauses in trade agreements continue to be a key issue in Parliament’s consideration of many EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). They are currently working their way through the legislative process, from exploratory “scoping exercises” assessing the likely impact of an FTA all the way to negotiating rounds and Parliamentary ratification. Recently MEPs have been looking specifically at trade in certain sectors, such as the trade in cotton and in chocolate.

Earlier this year, the European Parliament refused to give consent to an upgrade in trade relations with Uzbekistan because of the appalling situation where adults and children are forced and threatened into working in the cotton fields during the harvest. MEPs postponed the vote until we see clear evidence that the Uzbek government is successfully tackling the coercion and the culture of fear which leads to the exploitation of children and adults.

This week the focus was on the chocolate industry and the global trade in cocoa. The EU is party to the 2010 International Cocoa Agreement, which like all international agreements needs Parliamentary consent. The Agreement was the product of the 2010 UN Cocoa Conference and takes steps to bringing fairness and transparency to the cocoa industry. Sustainable development is crucial, with more international cooperation needed to ensure a fair price for producers, social and environmental sustainability and strong food safety procedures. The Agreement boosts the role of the International Cocoa Organisation which works closely with the farmers and producers to monitor global trade in cocoa and publish the data on the state of the market.

In giving consent to the International Cocoa Agreement, the European Parliament passed a separate resolution this week calling for a renewed effort to address and ultimately bring an end to many forms of child labour. If we are serious about ending child exploitation we need to address the root causes of child labour in Africa, beginning by understanding cultural attitudes to work and childhood. In villages and rural areas dominated by one sector – such as the cocoa plantations – alternative jobs are scarce, traditions are entrenched and schools are over-capacity, so there is little alternative for children and families living in extreme poverty. Tackling this needs a broad strategy addressing a wide variety of fundamental problems - the international rights of the child, compulsory education, development assistance, fair trade, economic diversification and global cooperation against trafficking.

The European Union has a great responsibility in this area: we are the world’s biggest importer of cocoa and we get 80% of it from West Africa. As we saw in the European Parliament this week, the political will is there with the support of consumers who are increasingly turning to fair trade chocolate for ethical reasons. But ultimately it will need the commitment of the chocolate industry to use its power and its profits to clean up its supply chain. In the last decade the industry has invested just 0.0075% of its €700 billion earnings into improving worker conditions. It is time to clean up our act and take the bitter taste out of chocolate.

David Martin MEP

David Martin MEP has written on this issue for Public Service Europe: Child labour in cocoa industry leaves bitter taste

Reform to hen cages is right and necessary, says Labour MEP

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"New EU regulations on hen cages will help ensure better animal welfare," said Brian Simpson MEP, a member of the European Parliament's Agriculture and Rural Development.

An EU ban on battery cages came into force on 1 January 2012, requiring egg producers across the Union to provide hens with larger and more comfortable cages. Producers have known that the ban on battery cages was coming since it was first introduced in 1999 but 13 Member States have not complied, and are continuing to produce 'illegal' eggs.

Mr Simpson said "12 years ago the European Union made the bold decision to implement the banning of battery cages to ensure the welfare of caged hens. The UK industry has since invested £400 million to introduce cages that meet the new legislation. As a result our local producers can offer quality, ethically produced eggs.

"There has been understandable concern that local farmers will be priced out of the market by cheaper battery hen eggs. But the real problem is the Member States that are flouting this ban, by selling cheap eggs that fail to meet the high standards that British consumers, animal welfare groups - and now the law - expect."

To prevent UK farmers being undercut, British egg producers are keen to stop the import of cheap illegal eggs, and the British Retail Consortium has guaranteed that conventional caged eggs will not be bought by major retailers or used as ingredients in their own–brand products.

"Authorities in non-complying Member States must act now to stop battery hen production. British producers have done the right thing and complied with EU law, and the UK government must support its farmers by pushing for full compliance in all Member States. This will ensure that our local producers aren't priced out and that consumers can buy quality eggs for fair prices," Mr Simpson added.

The European Commission has begun legal proceedings against Member States that failed to meet the deadline, and those that continue to defy the ban may be referred to the European Courts of Justice.

"Farmers have made huge investments to improve hen welfare, and they now need supermarkets, the catering industry and consumers to buy local eggs and reject eggs and egg-based products that do not meet EU standards," Mr Simpson said.

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour MEP lambasts Tories and UKIP's votes on rights for women

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"The Tories and UKIP have once again showed their true colours on rights for women," said Labour's Mary Honeyball after the European Parliament today voted overwhelmingly in favour of measures calling for a 10% reduction in the pay gap between men and women.

"Most MEPs in the ECR Group are British Tories. Despite the best efforts of the ECR, their amendments didn't come close to defeating this important vote," she said. "UKIP submitted the same amendment as the Tories, but in addition they attempted to call for the European Commission to reconsider its plans for compulsory quotas on boards.

"Their defeat shows the European Parliament as a whole takes the issue of gender equality seriously and will seek to redress the balance at every opportunity,” she said.

ENDS

Any queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Eradicating child labour in cocoa industry will take bitter taste out of chocolate this Easter

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The EU is insisting the worldwide UN cocoa agreement includes provisions on child labour, after a vote in the European Parliament today was expected to pass with an overwhelming majority.

David Martin, a Labour MEP who is a member of the European Parliament's trade committee, speaking before the plenary session vote said "the UN cocoa agreement is good on sustainability. The EU will now sign up to it, and ensure it supports our serious attempts to stop child labour.

"70% of the world's cocoa is produced in West Africa, where many farms employ children that are trafficked and forced to work in conditions akin to slavery.

"Progress in eradicating child labour is now in the hands of the chocolate industry, which must use its power and its profits to end this shameful practice.

"We all enjoy giving our children Easter Eggs, but if you think of the conditions of the West African children in the cocoa regions, it takes away the fun of Easter.

"Ten years ago, the big chocolate companies promised to get rid of child trafficking in the cocoa industry in West Africa, but there is still only a tiny amount of 'Traffik Free' chocolate.

"According the charity Stop the Traffik, in these ten years, the cocoa industry has earned £600 billion. Only 0.0075% of this has been invested into improving working conditions in West Africa.

"I always recommend Fair Trade chocolate wherever possible," he said.

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Labour MEP calls for more action against Somali Pirates

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"A more concerted international effort to combat maritime piracy is needed if the issue is to be resolved" said Labour MEP Brian Simpson, the Chair of the European Parliament's Transport Committee.

Mr Simpson will tell a high level conference in Brussels on March 28th that the solution has to be based both on land and at sea.

"In the short term we need to ensure that Operation Atalanta, the EU's naval protection force off the coast of East Africa, is given the resources to carry out their mandate. At the moment I believe the total number of ships involved is too few to cover a vast area of the Indian Ocean and should be at least doubled to around 20 warships if we are to provide adequate protection," he said.

The early months of 2012 have seen an increase in attacks particularly by Somali pirates. Presently 9 ships and 226 seafarers are being held for ransom, "which is a totally unacceptable situation," he said.

Ransom levels of 5 million US dollars per ship are being demanded and the total cost to the shipping sector is estimated at 6.6 billion US dollars. That is why Mr Simpson believes there needs to be a land based solution as well as a sea based one.

"The priority in the longer term has to be the restoration of law and order and Government authority in Somalia and in that regards both the EU and the rest of the world need to act both at a political and economic level. Without help on land we will never solve the problem we face at sea. That's why I support the efforts of the EU in addressing the issue of poverty in Somalia", said Mr Simpson.

The shipping industry still remains frustrated at the lack of political cooperation to address this problem and Mr Simpson has some sympathy with their views.

"There has to be better international coordination not only to stop these attacks but on how to deal with the criminals when they are caught. Let's be honest, these pirates are murdering criminals, not some romantic Johnny Depp type hero and they need to be caught and brought to justice, and more importantly they need to be discouraged from making attacks in the first place, " said Mr Simpson

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Will EU aspirant fall off the bicycle or jump through the hoop?

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia risks being left behind in the EU enlargement process but is the key to other Balkans countries joining too, the annual debate on the country's progress in the European Parliament was told today (Wednesday 14 March).

British Labour Euro MP Richard Howitt who is Rapporteur (lead legislator) for the country's EU accession hit out at attempts to delete reference to the country's success in the European Basketball Championships as failing to distinguish between legitimate national pride and illegitimate political nationalism.

The resolution prepared by Richard Howitt MEP and voted by MEPs calls for the start of EU accession talks "without delay" and welcomes the high level accession dialogue starting this week as "an opportunity not to be missed."

The Euro MP warned the debate in Strasbourg, France, there was no "short-cut" to a negotiated solution to the long-running name dispute between the country and Greece, but deliberately uses the term "Macedonian" to refer to language, culture and identity, which he pointed out meets the existing UN accord.

Richard Howitt MEP told the debate:

"This is a country which is about to Chair the Regional Cooperation Council. It hosted the meeting of Ministers of European Integration from across the Balkans in the wake of this year's Commission Progress Reports. It is a country which has excellent relations with both Serbia and Kosovo.
"Its progress points to the European future of every single one of the countries. But it has to be a European future for every one of the countries."

Challenging those who he said would unbalance the resolution and send the wrong message to the country, Richard Howitt MEP added:

"Those who wish to delete my reference to the country's success in the Basketball Championships are wrong.
"It shows we can appreciate legitimate national pride at the same time as warning against illegitimate political nationalism.
"For those who are erecting hoops through which the country must jump, this is one very apt metaphor that they can do it.

"And to those who seek to delete use of the term "Macedonian" to refer to the country's language and culture, even though it meets the UN accord, you would be sending a signal that we do not understand the feelings of the people of the country or express our desire to back a solution which is fair and just to all."

Richard Howitt MEP also said recent incidents of inter-ethnic conflict in the country should be heeded in Brussels:

"As I was told in the country: Like a bicycle, for stability you need to keep moving forward," he added.

The European Parliament backed Richard Howitt MEP's resolution by 582 votes to 70.

please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

"Reply from EPLP leader to Denis MacShane's article in the New Statesman Online about BNP funding"

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Editor

Denis MacShane has entertained NS readers for many years with his insight and wit.

As he rightly said ("The European Parliament's hand-out to the far-right", March 5th), the European Parliament does indeed make grants to political groupings of like-minded MEPs. The S&D (the Socialists and Democrats) are the second largest where Labour happily sits, and it is well known to NS readers that the Tories under Cameron's leadership have formed a new Group on the fringes of the Right having flounced out of the all-powerful Centre Right EPP. The BNP has not found allies to become a Far Right political group in the European Parliament.

There are also federations of European political parties, part-funded by the European Parliament. The Labour Party, for example, is an active member the Party of European Socialists (the PES, which has members from different political parties and countries from the S&D parliamentary grouping) and Denis has himself played a constructive and active role within the PES. To qualify for this funding, there are strict criteria.

Although Nick Griffin and others have been elected as Far Right MEPs since 2009, they failed to show that they qualify for the criteria for the European political party funding in previous years. Finally, this year they were able to show their pan-European party group qualified for the money and they received the €289,266 that Denis refers to. This is indeed a shameful situation for the European Parliament. Labour tracked Nick Griffin's voting record and noticed that in the week of getting this money he had the gall to vote against the funding of European political parties.

For the record, the decision to follow the rules of procedure on this was agreed by the Bureau of the European Parliament where there are no Labour MEPs present. Indeed, Labour MEPs wrote a letter of protest to the President of the European Parliament when we became aware of the funding. These payments are for one year only and we are assured that the Bureau of the Parliament is planning to modify its rules next year. It will ensure that only political parties that "rigorously uphold the founding principles of the European Union and the Charter of Human Rights" will get this money in the future.

Yours

Glenis Willmott

Leader of the Labour MEPs

"UK opt out abandons UK holiday home owners to legal quandary" says Labour MEP

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Euro MP, Arlene McCarthy has slammed the UK Government’s decision to opt out of new EU laws aimed at helping avoid legal disputes and lengthy procedures when settling inheritances where the laws of more than one EU country may apply.

Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour's spokesman on the European Parliament's Legal Affairs committee, said: “Recent reports have predicted that by 2025 1.3 million British citizens will own properties overseas and around 75% of them will be in Europe.“

“Despite increasing numbers of Brits owning property in the EU, the UK Government has chosen to opt out of new rules we will be voting through today (Tuesday), which could prevent legal disputes and lengthy procedures for Brits when settling issues of cross-border inheritances. Labour MEPs will not back this new law because it leaves millions of holiday home owners in a legal quandary.”

Arlene, who has accused the UK Government of neglecting to speak up for the interests of British citizens during the negotiation of the new EU law on succession and wills, said: “We had a real opportunity to give all UK citizens owning holiday properties in the EU the legal certainty of applying English law to their estates and wills. Instead we have ended up with a dog’s breakfast, where UK permanent residents in other EU countries can choose English law while UK holiday home owners will have to use the succession and will law of the member state where they own a property.”

A British holiday property owner in France will be liable for French succession law. In France children are the main inheritors of the estate, not necessarily the children of the current marriage and the spouse has virtually no protection. Further uncertainty is created as any gifts or donations to charities made in their lifetime can be clawed back by the heirs.

Arlene added: “All UK citizens could have had the benefit of the choice to apply English law to their wills. The UK opt out is effectively an opt-out of protecting the millions of UK holiday home owners across the EU.”

For more information contact Poyser David 00 32 479790053

Women Euro-MPs call for more women at the top

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

On International Women’s Day, Labour women MEPs have together joined growing calls for EU wide quotas for women on company boards.

“We have tried to go down the self regulation route but companies are simply not making the necessary changes fast enough. To date, the European Commission’s ‘Women on the Board Pledge for Europe’ has been signed only by 24 companies,” said the Labour women.

“At the current rate of change it will be more than 70 years before women are anywhere near equal in terms of representation on boards and that’s simply not good enough.

"To see where real progress has been made then you have to go to countries where quotas have been introduced. France, which introduced quotas last year, has made the most progress, while Norway is the example of best practice.

"In the UK, Lord Davies’ Report on women on boards last year set a target of a minimum of 25% female board representatives in FTSE 100 companies by 2015 – but it didn’t propose compulsory measures.

"In the last 12 months the overall percentage of women on boards in FTSE 100 companies in the UK has risen from 12.5% to 15%.

"However, the number of female executive directors fell slightly between November 2010 and November 2011. Only 6.1% of FTSE 100 executive directors were women and 4.4% in the FTSE 250," they said.

Last year, Labour women supported amendments to the European law on corporate governance tabled at the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee calling for a 40% quota, but these were voted down to 30% by Conservative MEPs.

All Labour women MEPs support this statement:

Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, who attends Shadow Cabinet meetings
Arlene McCarthy, Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic & Monetary Affairs Committee
Mary Honeyball, Labour's European Spokeswoman on Women and Gender Equality
Linda McAvan, Socialist and Democrat Co-ordinator on the European Parliament's Environment Committee
Catherine Stihler, Member of the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee

For queries on the above, please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479790053

Media and Communications Officer vacancy

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Media & Communications Officer

The European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP) is seeking to appoint a Media & Communications Officer. The successful candidate will be expected to work in the European Parliament in Brussels and in Strasbourg as well as in the London office of the EPLP. The successful candidate must be an experienced media officer who will be responsible for producing high quality copy suitable for publication so as to increase the national debate on Europe. Candidates should have good journalistic experience and excellent writing and copy editing skills.

Salary £34,124 - £41,549

Click here for the job description and here for recruitment details.

The closing date for the receipt of applications is Monday 5th March 10.00 UK time.

"Baby food advertising is milking it" says Leader of Labour MEPs

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Baby food manufacturers are cashing in by misleading anxious parents," said Glenis Willmott MEP after her controversial proposal to put restrictions on the content and advertising of baby food for 6-12 month olds was not passed at the European Parliament's public health committee today (Weds 29 Feb).

"Top health professionals, including the World Health Organisation, think that "follow-on formulas" (for 6-12 month babies) are unnecessary," she said.

"Guidelines must follow scientific evidence, which says that from 6 months old, children can get all the nutrition they need from home-cooked meals and cows' milk," said Glenis Willmott, who is Leader of British Labour MEPs..

Advertisements for baby food for 0-6 months ("infant formulas") have already been banned throughout the EU so parents do not feel pressured into buying a more expensive brand, or choosing formula milk over breastfeeding. Infant formulas are legally required to contain the essential ingredients needed for a baby's development, and they are banned from having anything unsafe in them. So-called 'follow-on formulas' are not subject to the same controls as infant formulas.

"Working with allies in other parties, I now hope to get the European Parliament to see sense when it comes to the vote of the full parliament in April.

"It's clear to me that if we allow "follow-on" formulas to exist as a category, then they should face the same restrictions that infant formulas do," Glenis Willmott said.

"We all know that the nutrition that babies receive in their first months and years is crucial for their growth and development, and it will affect them for the rest of their lives.

"Research shows that 60% of mothers in the UK think they have seen advertising for infant formulas. I'm really worried because a majority of Mums using formula milk started their child on follow-on formula earlier than they should have done, and I think this is a result of the heavy advertising of the supposed benefits of follow-on formula.

"These products are a way for manufacturers to get around rules that are meant to protect parents from the advertising of infant formula," she said.

European Commission must stop Google's "Big Brother" behaviour says Claude Moraes MEP

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Today is a sad day for European law and for EU citizens," said Claude Moraes MEP as Google went ahead today with its anti-privacy policies that may violate French law.

"I'm calling on the European Commission to take action against any violations of the EU Data Protection Directive", he said.

"Google has refused to meet the request from the EU authorities and data protection supervisors to postpone its highly controversial new privacy policy which came into force today.

"I use Google every day, a lot of us do. I just don't want to be spied on when I do it. Google can follow my behaviour and tell advertisers, and we need to make sure that every change in the way Google monitors its customers is agreed by the legal authorities.

"CNIL (the French data protection authority) simply asked Google to hang on a bit while they looked at Google's new proposals. The European data protection supervisors asked the CNIL to verify the compatibility of the policy with the EU directive on data protection. According to this assessment, Google's new policy is largely in breach of several articles of that directive.

"Google are saying what they won't do with the information they have on us. This isn't enough. They should be giving the French authorities all the information they need on what they will be doing with this information.

"They should be completely transparent about how they are making money. Google is putting advertisers' interests before user privacy

"As we all spend more of our time in front our screens, it's really important to ensure full protection and respect of citizen's rights as technology develops.

"We need the EU - 27 countries acting together can stand up to the might of giants like Google," said Claude Moraes

As from today, private data collected by one Google service can be shared with its other platforms including YouTube, Gmail and Blogger. Google has merged 60 guidelines for its individual sites into a single policy for all of its services.

"UK should get off the fence over tar sands" says Labour MEP

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The UK today abstained on a crucial vote to treat tar sands as a "dirty" fuel. Officials from EU Member States were voting on a proposal which would label different fuels with their carbon footprint. After the overall vote ended in stalemate, the decision will now be referred to Ministers in the coming months.

This proposal would make imports of highly polluting fuels like tar sands less attractive for fuel suppliers in the EU, who are under an obligation to reduce the carbon footprint of the fuel they sell at the pump.

"It's taken three years to get this proposal on the table against opposition from vested interests," said Linda McAvan, who speaks for Labour MEPs on the European Parliament's Environment Committee.

"The science has been tested and proven over numerous studies and peer reviews by fellow scientists. The fact is that if we're serious about cutting emissions, then we can't pretend that tar sands are no more polluting than regular oil.

"This applies just as much to other dirty fuels like oil shale. This decision should have been made more than a year ago and the British government are shilly-shallying when they should be taking a lead.

"Obviously no decision from our government is better than the wrong decision, but I call on them to come off the fence when the issue is decided by government ministers," Linda McAvan said. "The UK Government needs to make up their mind about whether or not they want to live up to their green rhetoric".

The tar sands issue is seen as a test of the EU's ability to implement its climate change policies. Oil companies and the Canadian government have combined to pressure the EU not to designate oil from tar sands as being more harmful to the environment than conventional oil.

Scrap Roaming Charges Altogether says Labour MEP

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"There's no need for phone companies to have any roaming charges at all," said Labour's Peter Skinner as the European Parliament's ITRE committee voted in Brussels today and agreed a compromise for a lowering of telephone and data roaming charges across the EU.

"Our committee came to a compromise which I supported together with my Socialist and Democrat colleagues. This compromise will bring down phone charges and data roaming charges across the EU in time for the this year's summer holidays.

"Phone companies are still using international travel as a way of ripping off customers. In August 2010, the Commission endorsed the goal of reducing the difference between roaming and national calls to almost zero by 2015. But now they seem to have forgotten about it. The Socialists and Democrats still support this.

"Airwaves know no international borders so it's crazy for customers to pay loads for a phone call from Dover to Calais twenty one miles away, while Dover to the Shetlands, hundreds of miles away off the coast of Scotland, costs much less . This applies across all territorial international borders within the EU.

"People get scared when they travel and statistics show they don't keep in touch with their loved ones by phone in case they suddenly have high phone charges when they return.

"The charges are complex and people get bamboozled so they don't even dare send text home .

"These days, we take all sorts of computers and smart phones with us as we travel, and the high data roaming charges badly affect business and they can really ruin the fun of a holiday.

"Consumers are paying four times the price that operators have to pay in the wholesale market for roaming calls. This can only be controlled at an international level by an organisation like the EU.

"Our group's proposal, to end roaming charges altogether from 2014, was voted down but the compromise proposal agreed today now has to be agreed by the parliament as a whole and then by the EU governments.

"I call on Communications Minister, Ed Vaizey, to get the British government to support consumers' rights and not cave into pressure from their supporters who run the mobile phone industry," he said.

"European Parliament should refer ACTA to ECJ" - David Martin

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"Two and a half million people have petitioned the European Parliament today. So tomorrow I'll be asking the Trade Committee to support me in getting a legal ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on whether the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is incompatible with EU's fundamental rights and freedoms," said Scottish Labour MEP, David Martin, who is the European Parliament's lead legislator (rapporteur) on ACTA.

"Six countries which happily signed up to ACTA have now halted ratification of the Agreement as they wait for the European Parliament to decide on the issue. This is another example of the work of the European Parliament as the citizens' voice in Europe.

"We must guarantee a good balance between intellectual property rights, which are the EU's raw material and are fundamental for the European economy, and individual freedoms in the internet age," said David Martin.

Last week, the European Commission also submitted the ACTA text to the ECJ.

David Martin will table his proposal at tomorrow's meeting (Wednesday 29th Feb) of the INTA (Trade) Committee.

"The European Parliament has been calling for more clarity for a long time, and we already requested legal opinions from several committees in the European Parliament," he continued.

"A ruling from the ECJ on ACTA will make it clear whether the agreement will affect our fundamental rights.

"After we have heard from the Commission, and from the ECJ, then MEPs can have an informed and open political debate on this important issue.

"This is another example of how the Commission proposes legislation, which is then subject to democratic scrutiny by the elected European Parliament," he said.

Labour Euro MPs vote for tougher compensation regime for savers

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour Euro MPs today voted to toughen up requirements on banks to strengthen protection for account holders in the event of a bank failure.

Vice President of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Euro MP Arlene McCarthy said: “We all remember the scenes in 2007 when hundreds of customers of Northern Rock queued to take their money out, with 1 billion GBP removed in one day, and panicking that the bank would collapse.

“It"s vital that we strengthen schemes to protect depositors' money. We're calling on our governments to put in place 1.5% of their deposits on an upfront pre-fund to ensure, in the case of bankruptcy, that customers can get their money quickly.

“We have to draw the lesson from the financial crisis and make sure any further crisis is not financed by the taxpayer.

“That's why we are increasing the amount to be put in the guarantee deposit schemes, ensuring they are pre-funded (ex-ante) and calling for a faster full pay out, reducing it from the current 20 days, to 5 working days.

“It's disappointing that Conservative Euro MPs have tabled last minute amendments to dilute and weaken the scheme by allowing Member States the option of ditching the pre-funding and relieving banks of their responsibility to cover savers' deposits in advance. This would leave consumers more vulnerable to losing deposits if a bank fails of forcing taxpayers to pick up the bill.”

Cashman urges EU action on tackling the book famine for the blind

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Europe should be doing more to improve access to books for blind people.

That was the message last night from West Midlands Labour MEP Michael Cashman following a debate in the European Parliament on the issue of access by blind and dyslexic people to books and other printed products. The debate followed a question to the Commission, tabled on behalf of the Parliament’s Petitions Committee, on the same subject.

Michael Cashman, Labour’s representative on the committee, and long-time supporter of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, hit out at the European Commission for being reluctant to support a binding worldwide treaty which would make it legal to send blind accessible books across national borders.

"Blind people and people who are visually impaired across the world are victims of a worldwide book famine. We need to take positive action in tackling it, in full respect of copyright legislation. I do not believe that the creators of these works stand as a barrier to access"

"The potential exists to produce accessible books, but current international law restricts their accessibility, particularly in developing nations”, said Cashman, also Labour's Spokesperson on International Development in the European Parliament.

Last year the European Parliament adopted a report called “Unlocking the potential of the cultural and creative industries” that made clear its support for an international binding “Treaty for the visually impaired and print disabled person”.

Although the Parliament made clear its support for a binding WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Treaty, the European Commission rejected that view and currently favours non-binding stakeholder agreements in the EU and a non-binding, voluntary “Joint Recommendation” at international level.

Michael Cashman believes that Commission proposals are not sufficient:

"Proposals by the Council and Commission for “soft law” guidelines will be nowhere near as effective as a binding treaty. The European Parliament supports an international binding treaty, organisations for the blind support it and so do most countries. I urge the European Commission and Council to go forward and beyond voluntary agreements. Can we possibly imagine a world without access to the works of Shakespeare, Victor Hugo and countless others who enrich our very lives?", he asked.

Labour flags up an "upside down" Union Jack

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"As soon as Labour MEPs were made aware that the Union Jack was flying upside down outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, we took action to inform the authorities to get it put up correctly," said Claude Moraes MEP, Deputy Leader of the British Labour MEPs.

"MEPs from other parties spotted it, and complained - we took the action to get it taken down and put up the correct way round.

"It's a similar issue on the budget for the European Parliament budget this week. MEPs from other parties are complaining from the sidelines, but a British Labour MEP is the lead legislator who is setting up an independent evaluation of the Parliament's Budget, a freeze on all MEP allowances till the end of this mandate in 2014, and a freeze on all travel expenses till the end of 2013 .

"It's an absurd waste of money us travelling to Strasbourg, and so this building is only used four days a month. Getting our national flags put up correctly for just four days a month shouldn't be difficult for heavensake," he said.

Labour MEPs stand up for all forms of families

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Whenever Michael Cashman calls on fellow MEPs to act on LGBT rights, Michael and his colleagues are told by Slovakian MEP Anna Záborská that these are "personal" issues that have nothing to do with the EU.

Odd, then, that this week (Tuesday 7th February) Anna Záborská invited all MEPs to a meeting in the European Parliament to "highlight the importance of marriage for the wellbeing of the human person," followed by a film of the Polish Pope Jean Paul Second's play 'The Jeweller's Shop' on the same topic. Its purpose was to promote "marriage between one man and one woman as benefitting our society on many different levels, from economy to solidarity between the generations."

"All we have ever done as politicians defending the human rights of LGBT people is to work within the field of cross-border civil law, where it can be important, for EU citizens to recognise marriage law and civil partnerships across borders, for example", said Michael Cashman MEP, who co-chairs the European Parliament's LGBT inter-group.

"We have also worked against the discrimination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people — including LGBT families and their children - across the EU, as human rights are part of the shared values of Europe.

"In one breath Anna Záborská says our concerns are not relevant to the EU, but in the next breath she is promoting her own very narrow definition of 'the family'.

"This is hypocritical. It seems that what she actually opposes is the right of same sex couples to bring up a happy family.

"And if this is what she really thinks, she should have the courage to stand up and say so, and give elected MEPs from across the EU a chance to debate the issues openly with her.

"Her event could be interpreted as another attempt to discredit other forms of families - single parents, unmarried parents, registered partners, married or unmarried same-sex couples, their children and so on. We, in the Labour Party, support all families", he concluded.

Michael Cashman MEP is current Chair of the NEC of the Labour Party and co-chairs the European Parliament's 'Inter-group' (a cross-party group of like minded MEPs) on LGBT with Austrian Green MEP, Ulrike Lunacek.

"EU regulation on derivatives crucial to clean up financial services industry"

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The transparency and risk management of the $600 trillion over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives market will soon be regulated after a deal was struck yesterday (Thursday) evening between negotiators of the European Parliament, the EU Council of ministers and the European Commission.

Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Euro MP Arlene McCarthy said:

"Excessive risk taking in the financial sector led to taxpayer bailouts of over 720 billion pounds in the UK alone. The public, who are now suffering the fallout with public service cuts and rising unemployment, want to see stronger rules for financial markets.”

“These new rules are a step forward on transparency and stability on the financial markets and resolve the culture of shady trading and financial deals.”

Derivatives contracts negotiated over-the-counter have been seen as one of the major causes of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

80% of derivatives are traded bilaterally, off-exchange and with no clearing.

Arlene added: "This new EU legislation fills a huge regulatory gap. After the agreement on short selling of credit default swaps, we have added another brick to the wall of financial regulation by forcing all standardised derivative contracts to be centrally cleared. Appropriate procedures and arrangements are foreseen to mitigate risk for bespoke derivative contracts that will not be cleared."

Three quarters of derivatives trading takes place in the City of London.

Arlene added: "It took a long time to reach a compromise despite the fact that recommendation to regulate derivatives trading was made by the G-20 as early as September 2009.

"We have obtained the guarantee that all meaningful information on derivatives contracts is reported and accessible to European and national authorities. Reporting obligations are as broad as possible. They cover all derivatives and all actors. This will give EU authorities a full picture of derivatives markets traded both on- and off-exchange.“

"We have also strengthened the operational requirements of clearing houses and their members. Capital and collateral requirements are high, records and accounts must be kept separately for each client, and the corporate governance requirements are set in order to avoid conflicts of interest between the clearing members and the need for effective risk management."

MEP calls for UK Action on Breast Implants after European Commission Report

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"If any woman is at risk then I believe she has the right to have her breast implant removed, and the private companies who caused the problem should pay for it," said Glenis Willmott MEP.

The European Commission today published all the evidence they have gathered on the risks of the faulty PIP implants, and recommended that all women who are worried should go and see their surgeons. Commission Scientists will continue their work, and the European Parliament will start revising the Medical Devices Directive this year with stricter provisions for authorising implants.

"The British Government should force the private companies to remove faulty implants at no cost," said the MEP, who is Leader of the British Labour MEPs.

"Women all over the UK are suffering huge anxiety on this issue. There has been serious fraud here.

"The Commission is drawing up a list of measures that countries can follow under the current rules, and I welcome this.

"Five countries have now recommended removal - France, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Belgium.

"Belgium issued their advice last night after receiving the Commission's report - but the UK Government still isn't doing enough and is leaving thousands of women in limbo," she said.

British Labour MEPs flag up a bad idea

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

British Labour MEPs today voted against a paragraph in a wide-ranging report that suggested that some national teams, if they wished, may choose to wear a European flag on their clothing.

Mary Honeyball MEP, who represents British Labour MEPs on Culture and Sport, said "the idea of the European flag was a silly suggestion, and so the Labour MEPs opposed it.

"It's up to local sportsmen and women what they wear, not people in Brussels."

The suggestion was a small part of a wide-ranging European initiative on sport, supported by British Labour MEPs, that was overwhelmingly adopted by the full session of the European Parliament meeting in Brussels today.

"It's been distorted in the UK and turned into another 'euro-myth' detracting from a very worthwhile report" said London MEP Mary Honeyball.

"Otherwise, it's a fantastic initiative, aimed at creating a level playing field.

"There's loads of issues that can be best tackled internationally like match-fixing and corrupt players' agents.

"The EU is hoping to bring added value in the sports sector, in the social role of sport.

"Where it can, the EU might help on issues like violence at sports events, corruption and match fixing, anti-doping measures, opposing racism and sexism, and greater representation of women in sports' governing bodies.

"It's very important to encourage women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to have a sporting chance, and it can be a fantastic driver of social integration," Mary Honeyball said.

"Don't mislead consumers" says MEP

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"If you see a product on a supermarket shelf, and it says 'less sugar' or 'less fat' you'd think it was healthy. I'm taking the lead in ensuring that EU-wide legislation allows shoppers to trust these claims," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, as the European Environment Committee today overwhelmingly voted against allowing manufacturers to use a nutritional claim stating food has "x% less fat, sugar or salt."

"If a chocolate spread, for example, said it had '20% less saturated fat' you might think it was the healthier choice. In fact, it could still be the chocolate spread with the most saturated fat on the market. Consumers are naturally influenced by health and nutrition claims when comparing similar products on the supermarket shelf, and we can't allow those claims to be misleading" said the East Midlands MEP.

Glenis Willmott formed a cross-party alliance of MEPs to vote against the claim which was supported by food manufacturers and the European Commission.

"The Coalition Government in the UK disagrees with the European Parliament. But of course they are working very closely with the food industry on the so called Responsibility Deal. I call on them to support the consumer and health groups who are all concerned about the impact this claim would have," she said.

"Under the proposed claim, the food manufacturers can advertise reductions of fat, sugar or salt by as little as 15%. Some of them could still be very unhealthy.

"People are now very conscious of what they eat, and we want to encourage the food industry to take bolder steps to increase the healthiness of their food and make it easier for us all to follow a healthy diet.

"Obviously it's good if the food industry are reformulating their products to reduce the levels of fat, salt and sugar, but it should result in a healthier diet, not an excuse to increase sales of fundamentally unhealthy food.

"Manufacturers need limits on what they can claim, and as food is manufactured and marketed right across the EU in the Single Market, these changes need to come from Brussels.

"Busy parents are bound to want the best for their kids and foods with labels that make them look "healthy" are ruthlessly targeting them."

The Plenary Session of the European Parliament, meeting in Brussels later this week, still has to agree to the decision of the Environment Committee.

Euro MP condemns Government failure to ban RBS bonuses

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Commenting on David Cameron's failure to block a 1 million pound bonus in shares for RBS Chief Executive Stephen Hester, Labour's Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Committee, Arlene McCarthy MEP, said today:

“The 2011 Remuneration Rules I drafted for the European Parliament that the Coalition signed up to and should have implemented, clearly give the Government, as the major shareholder in RBS, the power to ban bonuses for directors of bailed out banks. If the Coalition is serious about changing the culture of excessive pay and bonuses it should have made an example of a publically owned bank.

“RBS's record in 2011 is dire - their shares have slumped more than 40% meaning that taxpayers face losses of around 23 billion pounds on the 81% stake held by the Government. Thousands of jobs have been lost with another 3,500 announced recently. RBS has also missed its lending targets to ensure enough credit for small and medium size businesses.

“Given RBS's poor performance, as a very minimum, if they weren't prepared to ban bonuses, the Government should have applied the Remuneration Rules which stipulate that 60% of bonuses must be deferred and paid in instalments for at least three years.

“Bonuses must be based on measurable improvement to RBS's stability and performance. Cameron must ensure full accountability to the UK taxpayer.

"Like Vince Cable's weak proposals for reforming executive pay announced this week, the Government should not give in to bullying by the banks on the basis that their directors will walk out.

"The Government must force banks to prioritise repaying taxpayers and strengthening their capital base over paying bonuses, as laid out in the 2011 remuneration rules.

"On Monday, we will be putting the spotlight on how the UK government has implemented the Remuneration Rules and if the have failed in their duty we will be calling for tough sanctions

"It is clear the Government has the power to ban these bonuses but bottled out.

The public will simply not understand why it failed to act to protect tax payers' money.

"The Coalition's defence is that Stephen Hester was "promised" this payout in his contract - yet the Government has no problem breaking their promises to guarantee public sector employees a decent pension and wage. “

MEP welcomes opportunity to crack down on abusive trading in commodities

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

“We are introducing new rules to crack down on abusive speculation on food subsidies and to increase levels of transparency and openness in financial markets in response to calls from NGOs such as Oxfam and the World Development Movement,” said Labour Euro MP Arlene McCarthy today.

Yesterday (Tuesday 24th January), Euro MPs began the process to introduce tougher regulation on tackling market abuse across the EU. Arlene McCarthy, the Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, has been appointed the European Parliament’s "rapporteur" (lead legislator) and so she will be drafting the Parliament’s amendments to the Market Abuse Regulation and Directive.

“Speculation on commodity markets causes food price spikes ultimately putting the poorest people in the developing world at risk. These price spikes also put pressure on household budgets from the fuel in your petrol tank to the food in your shopping basket,” she said.

“With public confidence in markets at an all time low we need higher levels of protection against market abuse in the form of insider trading and market manipulation.”

"The crisis has brought about further market volatility which in turn has increased the opportunities for market abuse. Yesterday we heard that some regulators are putting in 600, rising up to 1000, requests for data on possible cases of market abuse from their European counterparts.”

"The evidence we have heard from experts yesterday is crucial to ensuring the EU provides an effective and workable solution to tackling market abuse.”

Labour Euro MP calls for EU institutions budget freeze

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Labour Member of the European Parliament, DEREK VAUGHAN, today (Weds 25 March 2012) called on all EU institutions to freeze their budgets.

Derek Vaughan MEP, who is leading on the budgets of the EU institutions for 2013, today presented a report to the Parliament's Budgets Committee calling for a freeze in administrative expenditure.

As draftsman on the report, he will play a significant role in negotiations aimed at ensuring that taxpayers’ money is spent responsibly against a backdrop of restraint by domestic governments.

Speaking from the European Parliament in Brussels, Mr Vaughan, said:

“In difficult economic circumstances all EU institutions should show budgetary discipline and be able to limit their expenditure.”

“A freeze across the board will send a clear signal that the EU understands the wider context within which it operates. It will also act as a necessary incentive to increase co-operation between institutions, modernise and reform working practices and drive forward the search for greater efficiency and value for money.”

“There's clear scope for improvement in terms of organisation and use of technology which will enable resources to be invested more effectively. I am confident that if the institutions of the EU strive together to reduce expenditure and inefficiency then this can be achieved.”

"This year's budget won't be easy to negotiate but my aim is to achieve a responsible budget which will allow for effective functioning of the institutions".

Cameron should ban RBS bonuses for 2012

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Commenting on David Cameron's failure to commit to blocking a 1 million pound bonus for RBS Chief Executive Stephen Hester, Labour's Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Committee, Arlene McCarthy MEP, said today (Friday 20th January):

'The 2011 remuneration rules, which I drafted for the European Parliament, clearly state that bonuses for directors of bailed out banks like RBS should be prohibited unless specifically justified. They must also prioritise repaying taxpayers and strengthening their capital base over paying bonuses.

'RBS's record in 2011 is dire - their shares have slumped more than 40% meaning that taxpayers face losses of around 23 billion pounds on the 81% stake held by the government. Thousands of jobs have been lost with another 3,500 announced recently. RBS has also missed its lending targets to ensure enough credit for small and medium size businesses.

'Bonuses must be based on measurable improvement to RBS' stability and performance. Cameron must ensure full accountability to the UK taxpayer.

'If this government is really serious about dealing with executive pay and excessive bonuses it should ban RBS from issuing any bonuses this year.

'On Monday 30th January I will be holding an inquiry in the European Parliament to ensure EU countries - including the UK - are correctly implementing the rules on remuneration and bonuses. As the predominant stakeholder, the government must take a stand in advance of the bonus season and use RBS as an example.'

MEP calls on government to make recycling electronic waste easier

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

'Britain lags behind other countries when it comes to recycling electrical waste, so now the government should implement in full new EU rules that require recycling points in major shops' - according to Labour MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, Linda McAvan, following a plenary vote in the European Parliament today.

"At the moment only one third of UK electrical waste is properly recycled and treated. Electrical waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the UK. We currently get through 1.2 million tonnes a year - the weight equivalent of 150 thousand double-decker buses, " said Linda McAvan.

"And this will go up as we get through electrical products at a faster rate - on average the electrical products we buy are thrown away after just 5 years. It can be difficult at the moment in the UK to find your nearest collection point, particularly without a car. So people end up throwing things in the bin where it can end up in landfill or simply hoarding them at home.

"Britain is low down the European recycling league. If you look at the "small household electrical waste" category, then Denmark and Germany collect three times as much as we do per person. The UK must try and do a lot better.

"If the new EU rules are implemented in full, from June 2013 consumers will be able to return any small unwanted electrical items such as toasters and hairdryers to large electrical retailers, in a bid to increase the amount of electrical waste we recycle. I'd like to see the British government follow the highest European standards as soon as possible and not opt out of this.

"Increasing the amount of electronic equipment recycled will also be better for the environment and mean more valuable elements and parts of electronic equipment are recovered.

“In landfill, electrical waste often leaks toxic chemicals and hazardous substances, so by improving recycling rates we will improve our local environment too. Many electrical items also contain extremely rare and expensive materials like gold, platinum and titanium, the cost of which continues to rise. Rather than simply throwing them out, by increasingly levels of recycling we will be able to recover more of the valuable elements used in electrical equipment,” said Linda McAvan who speaks for Labour on the Environment in the European Parliament.

The improved regulations will also combat the illegal exporting of electronic waste, often to developing countries were the local people and environment can be exposed to toxic chemicals. While there are already laws in place that make it illegal to ship waste to developing countries, exporters must now prove that each shipment contains working goods rather than waste to be dumped.

Breast Implant Crisis 'could have been prevented' says MEP

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"This crisis with breast implants should not have happened, and we now have to work at a European level to stop it from happening again," leading campaigner and MEP Catherine Stihler said in Strasbourg today.

European legislation covering breast implants is being revised this year, and Labour MEP Linda McAvan is working with Catherine Stihler to address the current shortcomings.

Next week, Linda McAvan will use the opportunity to press the issue with the European Commission at the European Parliament's Environment Committee and ask "Given the European Commission's intention to review the legal framework on medical devices, are there deliberations ongoing on how the Commission should address possible shortcomings in the current legislation - as it needs to avoid future cases where breast implants do not meet established quality criteria?"

Catherine Stihler added "In 2003, I first got support from fellow MEPs to have a register that worked across Europe so that women would know who manufactured their implants, and I have been campaigning for it ever since.

"After this crisis, the Commission should now set up a register system straight away.

"Obviously, you cannot stop fraud, which is what has happened here, but if you had a register then all women would now know where their implant came from, and there would not be thousands of women worrying up and down the UK.

"This crisis is awful for the women who have received faulty implants, and it's also terrible for the very many women who are now left to worry.

"These private companies are walking away from their moral obligations. They may claim they don't have the resources and they will go broke if they help the women, but they were perfectly happy when they were raking in money from selling sub-standard, cheap implants to women.

"Andy Burnham, Labour's Health spokesperson, is quite right. He said he doesn’t think anyone is going to be shedding any tears about the Harley Medical Group. The company should look after its patients and if necessary to talk to the government - the NHS- about how they may repay costs over a longer period, " she concluded.

More than 9,000 women in the UK had the surgery last year.

Risk that BP petrol pumps may dry up - crisis talks today with European Commissioner

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"The risk of BP petrol stations across the UK running dry looms large" the European Commission will be told today (Tuesday 17 January) in a crisis meeting at the European Parliament over the continuing threat to Petroplus.

Petroplus is Europe's largest independent refiner, responsible for nearly 1,000 jobs at their Coryton, Thurrock refinery.

The urgent meeting has been called by Essex Euro MP Richard Howitt who has set up a network of fellow MEPs from Germany, France and Belgium also responsible for areas where the company's refineries are sited, to call on the European Commissioner for Employment to seek high-level EU intervention to avoid serious job losses and keep the petrol pumps flowing.

The meeting takes place as urgent negotiations are reported between Swiss parent company Petroplus and BP, who are reported to fear that supplies will be interrupted to garage forecourts across London and the South-East.

Richard Howitt MEP, who is working alongside British and European trade unions, led a delegation representing the four MEPs calling on the European Commission to consider assisting with the company's restructuring and to use its competition and trade powers as part of any rescue package.

Before his urgent meeting today with Commissioner Laszlo Andor Richard Howitt MEP said,

“Supply of crude oil to Coryton is guaranteed only to the end of the month, and we must move beyond these stop-gap solutions to ensure not just the protection of nearly a thousand jobs at Coryton but also to keep the pumps flowing for British and other European motorists.

"Having visited the Coryton refinery and met with workers and management for myself, my message to the European Commission is that this is a profitable and efficient refinery with a capacity of 220,000 barrels a day , already working at less than two-thirds capacity.

"Currently the petrol is on half-empty and my goal is to ensure it never runs dry."

Leading MEP calls for EU-sponsored action to prevent cancer in 2012

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

"If 2011 was a year of bad news coming out of the EU, I want to make sure 2012 is the year for good news," said Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's Leader in Europe.

This year, Mrs. Willmott will be working hard for anti-cancer measures in the EU Tobacco Products Directive , such as standardised cigarette packets with pictorial health warnings and no branding, as well as restrictions on the use of additives and flavourings in cigarettes . Mrs Willmott will also be working on revising the Clinical Trials Directive to help make it less bureaucratic to undertake clinical trials in the UK and across Europe on those cancers which cannot be avoided.

Over 40% of diagnosed cancers in the UK are preventable, as a recent Cancer Research UK report found. Nutrition, alcohol consumption and sun exposure are all factors, but by far the biggest killer is tobacco. Half of all smokers will be killed by cigarettes, and tobacco is the second biggest cause of death worldwide. In the coming year, the European Parliament will revise the EU Tobacco Products Directive and tough new measures such as pictorial health warnings and plain packaging without branding will be debated.
Mrs Willmott said: "Sadly, nearly everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another, whether they've had cancer themselves or lost a loved one to the disease. The European Parliament can help save lives and I will be doing a lot of work in 2012 to fight this devastating disease.

"If we are serious about tackling the diseases caused by tobacco then we have to make smoking less appealing to young people. At the moment the tobacco industry is allowed to use the cigarette pack as their advertising board; instead we should be using it to inform people of the damage smoking can do."

Restrictions on the use of additives and flavourings, especially fruit and candy flavours, will also be discussed. According to Mrs Willmott "these kinds of additives and flavourings clearly make tobacco more palatable for children, and must not be allowed."

Jean King, Cancer Research UK's director of tobacco control, said: "Tremendous progress has been made in improving the chance of surviving cancer during the last 40 years, but more needs to be done to make sure people are made aware of the risks of getting the disease in the first place. Tobacco remains by far the most important cancer related lifestyle factor causing 23 per cent of cancers in men and nearly one in five cancers in women in the UK. Stopping young people from starting smoking by protecting them from tobacco marketing is vital in helping to reduce these figures. Standardising tobacco packaging and removing the colourful, eye-catching branding is an important first step in achieving this. We also look forward to the UK Government consulting on this issue in 2012."

Australia has just introduced standardised packets for cigarettes, and Canada has tough restrictions on additives.

Mrs Willmott also wants more action against those cancers which cannot be avoided. Up to 50% of cancers are 'rare', but because so few patients suffer from each type it is hard to find enough in the UK to carry out trials of new drugs and treatments. Next year the European Parliament will also be revising the Clinical Trials Directive, which could help make it less bureaucratic to undertake clinical trials in the UK and across Europe. This would reduce the time it takes to gain approval to undertake a clinical trial and the administrative costs involved, while maintaining patient safety.

Mrs Willmott said: "It is crucial we work with our European partners on cross-border research into new ways of treating these cancers. I want to make sure the Clinical Trials Directive makes it easier to work together with other EU countries, and encourages and supports life-saving research."

Labour support EU-wide rights for whistleblowers

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament today overwhelmingly passed a resolution on workplace health and safety that includes European support for whistleblowers, specifically calling for an end to the practice of "black-listing" of those workers who speak out, but the small fringe political group containing British Tories opposed the rights for whistleblowers.

"When people see their companies are being unethical or illegal, they should have a right to make it known without fear of prosecution," said Labour MEP, Stephen Hughes.

"Employers across the EU should not have black-lists of employees brave enough to speak out against their employers, and it's time someone blew the whistle on them," he said.

Glenis Willmott, Leader of the British Labour MEPs said "I know of cases sacked whistleblowers where people have been unable to get other jobs. Organisations such as 'The Consulting Association' in the UK kept a black-list of construction workers who were active trade unionists, and it was only brought to an end by an excellent exposée in the Guardian newspaper in 2008.

"We need Europe-wide action to control this sort of behaviour by unfair employers.

"The resolution also has a definition of 'moral harassment' that would apply throughout the EU, and it highlights the need to improve social dialogue and strengthen prevention policies. It also seeks to ensure that existing health and safety legislation is implemented.

"You obviously need Europe-wide rules on health and safety. Otherwise a company in one nation would have every incentive to undercut its overseas competitors. When we have agreed practices across Europe, we can get decent working standards that are not threatened by markets abroad all the time," she concluded.

All Labour MEPs sign Equal Love petition

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

After unanimous support from all the Labour MEPs for the Equal Love campaign, LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell said "I hope Labour MPs at Westminster will follow the positive example of these MEPs and oppose sexual orientation discrimination in marriage and partnership law."

The campaign seeks to end the twin legal bans on same-sex civil marriages and opposite-sex civil partnerships.

Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott said "I am very proud that all thirteen Labour MEPs unanimously supported this campaign.

"The Labour government brought forward civil partnership legislation and a future government should take this legislation to the next stage.

"Same sex relationships should be on the same legal basis as opposite sex relationships across the EU."

Former East Enders star Michael Cashman MEP combines the roles of the Chair of Labour's National Executive Committee with jointly co-ordinating the European Parliament's LGBT 'Intergroup".

"Many MEPs from all political groups support equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In the UK, this includes ending the ban on same-sex marriage and different-sex partnerships.

"I am proud of my Labour MEP colleagues. It's now up to Labour's Westminster MPs to follow suit," Michael said.

On hearing of the MEPs' support for the Equal Love campaign, LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell said "Huge appreciation to Labour MEPs for supporting the Equal Love campaign.

"It's great to have all 13 Labour MEPs backing the campaign for equality. In the European Parliament, they have been steadfast allies and pioneers for LGBT human rights. Political support for our legal case in the European Court of Human Rights is really important. "

Tories refuse to support whistleblowers

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"Tories once again showed their true colours - and stood out against the rest of the EU - when they refused to support whistleblowers today," said British Labour MEP Stephen Hughes.

The European Parliament today overwhelmingly passed legislation on workplace health and safety that includes European support for whistleblowers, specifically calling for an end to the practice of "black-listing" of those workers who speak out, but the small fringe political group containing British Tories opposed the rights for whistleblowers.

"When people see their companies are being unethical or illegal, they should have a right to make it known without fear of prosecution," said Stephen Hughes.

"Employers across the EU should not have black-lists of employees brave enough to speak out against their employers, and it's time someone blew the whistle on them," he said.

"We need Europe-wide action and Europe-wide legislation to control this sort of behaviour by unfair employers.

"The legislation also has a definition of 'moral harassment' that would apply throughout the EU, and it highlights the need to improve social dialogue and strengthen prevention policies. It also seeks to ensure that existing health and safety legislation is implemented.

"You obviously need Europe-wide legislation on health and safety. Otherwise a company in one nation would have every incentive to undercut its overseas competitors. With legislation across Europe, we can get decent working standards that are not threatened by markets abroad all the time," she concluded.

ENDS

Labour MEPs Win Transparency Battle in Brussels

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"Open up Brussels" legislation giving EU citizens access to documents from all the EU Institutions was steered through the European Parliament by Michael Cashman MEP today against the wishes of the UK Government.

As a result, the European Institutions (the Council of Ministers, the European Commission and the European Parliament itself) could set leading standards in openness - but the proposals will now have to be accepted by all the European governments including the British LibDem Conservative coalition who have opposed parts of it.

"These changes will improve transparency, accountability and democracy within EU institutions and I call on the British government to fully support them," said Michael Cashman after spending ten years fighting to open up EU Institutions leading to today's victory in the European Parliament.

"The Tory attitude to the EU is well known, but outside government the LibDems always argued for openness, and now the UK government opposes parts of this legislation.

“What we are talking about is a right that allows citizens to make sure that we elected MEPs are accountable.

“Meetings of the EU government Ministers currently take place behind closed doors. If we knew how our ministers voted in their secret meetings, we would be able to hold them to account, not just in Westminster but in all national parliaments across the EU. Opening up European Union Institutions would destroy the myth that unpopular measures from Brussels are ‘imposed’ on the UK without the consent of the Government.

“A lot of people feel detached from ‘Europe’. By opening up what goes on in ‘Brussels’ and making things more transparent, we will be making a start in combating the apathy and mistrust which a lot of people feel about the EU and its institutions.

“My proposals seek to build trust between the citizens of Europe and the European Institutions. But in order to succeed, we also have to build trust between the EU and National Governments, including Westminster. I hope that the will exists on all sides to achieve this,” Michael Cashman concluded.

Cameron's incompetence puts British rebate in jeopardy

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"David Cameron's use of the veto in last Friday's summit is already working against British interests in the EU and the situation will get worse," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the British Labour MEPs today.

Joseph Daul, leader of the EPP - the European Parliament's largest party, said in Strasbourg today that after Britain had not shown solidarity with its European partners, that the British rebate must now be put into question. Other political leaders agreed with his tone. Guy Verhosfstadt, Leader of ALDE the European Parliament's Liberals, said he would no longer speak in English as it was not appropriate. Martin Schulz, Leader of the European Parliament's socialists, said that it was bankers in the City of London who had caused the crisis.

MEPs laughed and clapped as Guy Verhofstadt turned to English and said "Mr Cameron, if you do not sit at the table you find yourself on the menu."

"Britain is now a laughing stock and Britain is an exporting country that depends on the European Single Market. British MEPs who chair all-important finance committees now feel insecure in their positions," Glenis Willmott added.

"Cameron's incompetence last Friday was our lowest point since joining the EU. He failed to form an alliance of our natural allies in the EU with the Scandinavian countries or Poland.

"It's an open secret he failed to properly use the British foreign office during pre-summit negotiations - it is well known that they are the Rolls Royce of foreign diplomats. Before Cameron was Leader, the British Tories were part of the EPP and that gave them influence. In the pre-summit negotiations of the Centre Right countries, Cameron's party was not even represented.

"The vast majority of the British will now suffer in our living standards and there will be a loss of British jobs for the sake of giving red meat to a few conservative MEPs.

"Cameron might think he is Churchill. In fact, never in the history of negotiations with our European partners was so much sacrificed for so few by so many.

"British financial interests will now be discussed by our EU partners, and we will not be at the table to discuss them."

Britain is paying the price for Cameron's isolationism

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"For two and a half years Cameron's policy in the EU has led to Britain's isolation. It was tragic to see the evidence of lost British influence at yesterday's summit," said Glenis Willmott leader of the Labour MEPs in the European Parliament.

"We are an international trading economy and Cameron's anti-Europeanism and kow-towing to his back-benchers has excluded Britain from the top table.

"Last night's meeting was a disaster for the British economy and business. We should not be vetoing at the sidelines, we should be there at the centre shaping the future of the interlinked European economies.

"Since the eighties, British Governments have avoided a 'two-tier Europe' where Britain is left out on the periphery. Cameron has undone that work.

"No-one is calling for Britain to join the euro, or to implement any legislation where we have an opt-out. We simply want to see British interests defended at the heart of Europe," she said.

As part of David Cameron's campaign to become Conservative Party Leader he promised to take the Conservative MEPs out of the mainstream Centre Right EPP block in the European Parliament. In 2009, Conservative MEPs left the EPP and set up the ECR, a fringe group in the European Parliament.

"It has been tragic for Britain watching our country lose influence in the European Parliament and European affairs generally," Glenis added.

"Cameron failed to build alliances before the summit, instead he chose to worry about irrelevant carping eurosceptic Tory backbenchers here in the UK.

"In real terms this lack of influence means jobs in the East Midlands that I represent, and jobs and living standards all over the UK. Britain is a trading nation that relies heavily on international export and import agreements. Our biggest export market by far is the eurozone," she said.

If Bankers don't take action they could find themselves before the European Court of Justice in the New Year.

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament and European Commission today joined forces to call on banks to ensure this year's bonus round complies with EU rules agreed by the 27 finance ministers in November 2010.

Commissioner Michel Barnier (Europe's financial services Commissioner) and Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Arlene McCarthy MEP, who drafted the bonus rules, have joined forces to put pressure on the banks to prioritise their stability and protect savers and taxpayers' funds, as firms set their bonus payments for the year.

Arlene McCarthy said: "Banks have had over a year to implement these rules and we expect them to apply the legislation thoroughly and in full to this year's bonus round. The Bank of England has now added its voice to those calling for restraint on bonuses, which, under the EU rules, national authorities can and should now enforce on banks.

"The European Parliament is working closely with the European Commission to monitor this year's plans and we will hold an investigation at the start of 2012 to review implementation. It is in the economy's and taxpayers' interests that these rules are enforced by national Governments, but if they don't take action they could find themselves before the European Court of Justice in the New Year.

"It is not for the EU to micromanage bank pay practices, but it is our place to ensure compliance with internationally agreed rules that protect the interests of savers and taxpayers."

European Commissioner for financial services, Michel Barnier, said: "In the context of the current economic and financial crisis, it is unacceptable and incomprehensible that banks continue to pay excessively high bonuses to their staff when the financial sector was rescued with public money."

"I thank Arlene McCarthy for pursuing this debate and I will be attentive to the European Parliament's proposals. And on the basis of this evaluation and dialogue, I stand ready to work on strengthening further the framework for bonuses."

Arlene McCarthy added: "Incentives for excessive risk taking to earn big bonuses were a key factor behind the financial crisis. That is why we adopted tough legislation to transform the way bonuses are paid, cutting up-front cash bonuses and ensuring payments are linked to risk not just reward.

"Banks must now fully implement the EU legislation in their current bonus rounds. The Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee has made clear this week that banks must prioritise lending and capital over bonus and dividend payments. Our European legislation requires the FSA and other EU national authorities to ensure no bank pays bonuses that undermine the health of the bank or threaten their capacity to lend.

"As made clear by the Bank of England, every pound paid in bonus payments to staff is one pound less in capital that can help banks deal with losses on lending, and therefore around five pounds less in lending capacity for banks to support small businesses and households. The billions in payments that banks continued to make last year, despite the need for lending and the threat to the economic outlook, have directly endangered the British and European economy."

2011- Reviewing the Year in the European Parliament

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

As we heads towards the end of 2011, we take a look at some of the highlights of the year in the European Parliament.

Changing the financial sector

2011 began with tough new EU rules on bankers' bonuses. The restrictions on cash bonuses in the financial services sector, introduced by a Labour MEP, were put in place to try to curb the short-term, risk-taking culture that led to the global economic crisis.
EU_bank_rules_will_limit_risky_up front_cash_bonuses

Euro-MPs continued in their attempts to reform the culture of the financial sector as the year progressed. This included a call for more transparency regarding pay in the sector and a push for the EU to join the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and Brazil in banning naked short selling.
Labour_call_for_openness_about_banks_big_earners
Call_for_EU_to_join_global_action_on_naked_short_selling
Labour MEPs approve ban on sovereign debt speculation

Labour MEPs have also given their backing to the Robin Hood Tax campaign, which is calling for the introduction of a very small tax on global financial transactions that could raise a huge amount of money for public coffers by taxing risky short term speculation. As well as taking part in campaigning activities, Euro-MPs also put pressure on governments to act by a key vote taken in March.
Campaigners_take_aim_for_Strasbourg_in_Robin_Hood_campaign
Euro-MPs_back_Robin_Hood_Tax

Responding to the economic crisis

The European story that has dominated the headlines so far this year was the economic instability that has followed the global financial crisis. Labour MEPs have been highly critical of the response by right-wing European governments and their push for austerity-only economic policies that have been failing to work in Greece, Portugal and Ireland.
Labour_warning_as_EU_summit_entrenches_austerity_in_EU_law

Given the economic situation Labour has also been pushing for EU leaders and decision makers to focus their efforts on finding budget savings and reprioritising the way the EU spends its money. They voted against proposals to increase the EU budget, arguing that the current economic pressures mean the EU must focus its efforts on those activities that will create jobs.
European_Commission_must_find_savings_to_prioritise_growth
Time_for_a_change_on_the_EU_budget
Labour_call_for_focus_on_jobs_in_EU_spending_plans
Labour MEPs keep up the pressure to save Bombardier jobs

Campaigning on the environment

One of 2011’s highest profile campaigns came to the European Parliament in June, with the launch of celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight campaign for major reforms of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. Labour MEPs have showed their support ahead and welcomed plans for reform announced by the European Commission in July, but there is still a long way to go before any agreement will be reached.
Fish fight launches in Europe
EU_fish_plans_an_important_first_step_on_the_road_to_reform

Plans for reform of the EU’s targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have also been under discussion this year. It had been hoped that the European Parliament would back new higher targets, but campaigners and Labour MEPs were dismayed when right-wing MEPs, including the British Conservatives, voted to block the proposals.
Conservatives_defeat_calls_for_30_per_cent_emissions_target
Tory MEPs vote with UKIP and the BNP on climate change

Labour MEPs called for action to be taken in making it easier for offshore gas and oil workers to blow the whistle on unsafe working arrangements on offshore rigs. In the light of the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year MEPs want to ensure that a similar disaster does not occur in European waters.
Help whistleblowers to prevent North sea oil spills, say Labour MEPs

In October the Commission announced proposals for reform of the CAP, which were criticised by Labour MEPs for not being radical enough. Labour MEPs vowed to do all they could to make the reforms more radical when the proposals come to the European Parliament in the new-year.
Labour MEPs criticise Commission CAP plans

Helping the fight against crime

In March the British government announced an important U-turn by signing up to EU action to counter the human trafficking. The decision came after months of pressure from campaigners and Labour politicians who were furious about the government’s initial decision to opt-out of the new EU directive on the issue.
Government_u-turn_on_trafficking_laws_after_Labour_and_campaigner_pressure
Human_trafficking_rules_adopted_in_Strasbourg_-_but_British_Government_opts_out

Labour has also been campaigning to ensure that police officers do not have to waste their time dealing with spurious arrest warrants issued in another EU country. Labour’s Euro-MPs back European arrest warrants, which have resulted in the return of dozens of suspected serious criminals from other EU countries to the UK. However, they want to see ensure that they are only used in the most serious cases and not petty criminals and minor misdemeanours.
Call_for_EU_reforms_to_give_police_more_time_to_fight_crime

Giving power to consumers

The EU is acting to outlaw rip-off credit card fees after a vote by MEPs in June. A package of legislation on consumer rights includes provisions to stop companies from charging additional credit or debit card payment fees that bear no relation to the actual costs incurred when processing the transaction. Labour had refused to support an earlier version of the legislation because it was too weak, so the new rules are a big win.
Rip-off_credit_card_fees_challenged_by_new_EU_law
Labour_refuses_to_back_watered_down_consumer_rights

Consumers won the right to know exactly where their Sunday roast has come from after new EU rules designed to give people a better understanding of the food they buy. Labour Euro-MPs saw the proposals as an opportunity to ensure that pre-packed meat carries information about the country from which it originates.
Consumers_win_right_to_know_origins_of_their_Sunday_roast

In July Labour MEPs welcomed proposals by the European Commission to crack down on excessive charges for using mobile phones abroad. The EU has already acted to bring down the cost of making and receiving calls and sending text messages while “roaming” in another EU country. Now it has brought forward plans to act on data charges incurred when accessing the internet or email on mobile networks while abroad.
Crackdown_on_mobile_surfing_charges_welcomed_by_Labour_MEPs

Reforming the European Parliament

Labour MEPs have also led the way in creating a new code of conduct that all MEP's will have to adhere to in the European Parliament. The new rules, said to be tougher than those in Westminster, will see a tightening of the rules on MEPs' declaration on financial interests and puts in place a procedure for action against MEPs who breach the rules.
MEPs agree new European Parliament code of conduct

Labour MEPs have led the way in seeking to improve transparency, accountability and democracy within EU institutions. Recent proposals from Labour's MEPs would allow greater public access to EU documents and allow for more public scrutiny over the EU institutions.
Labour MEPs battle to open up Brussels

Find out more about Labour MEPs’ work in the European Parliament

Read more on these and many more stories about the work of Labour MEPs here

New Rules on MEPs' Behaviour "Tougher than Westminster"

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"The European Parliament has now adopted tougher rules than Westminster," said David Martin MEP welcoming the new rules on Members' conduct on behalf of all his fellow Labour MEPs.

"It has made explicit rules where they were implicit before," he said.

David Martin took the lead on the issue on behalf of all the Socialist and Democrat MEPs in the Constitutional Committee proposals, which were today passed by a very wide majority in a full meeting of the European Parliament in Brussels.

The new rules on conduct include -

· MEPs may not accept gifts valued at more than €150

· Any financial interest that could cause a conflict of interest must be declared in 30 days, and there is now a clearer definition of conflict of interest

· No 'special access' for former MEPs who lobby current MEPs

· Tightening the rules on MEPs' declaration on financial interests, for example they will have to declare all professional activities three years prior to Election

· A procedure for action against MEPs who breach the Code - including temporary suspension from parliamentary activities, withdrawal of a 'rapporteurship', and removal from an elected office

"Though MEPs' private financial dealings have been above board more than 99.9% of the time since my first Election here in 1984, the European citizens have a right to feel confident that the laws made here have nothing to do with the private financial situations of any member from any country," David Martin added.

"The European Parliament now has very wide powers and we must do everything we can to ensure the citizens of Europe have confidence in us.

"All Labour MEPs are very proud that we have now adopted the highest standards of parliamentary behaviour," he said.

The new rules will come into effect on 1st January 2012.

Cashman wins first battle to open up "Brussels"

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee has approved a report written by Labour MEP Michael Cashman which seeks to open EU institutions to public scrutiny and extend the rights of European citizens to access EU documents.

The committee yesterday backed Cashman’s amendments to draft public access legislation by 33 votes to 17. The changes seek to improve transparency, accountability and democracy within EU institutions and they will now be considered at next month’s Strasbourg Plenary, when the Parliament will vote on the proposed legislation.

Michael, who has spent the last ten years fighting to open up EU institutions, said:

“What we are talking about is a right that allows citizens to make sure that we are accountable; parliamentarians accountable for what we do in their name, the Commission for what it does in their name, and, equally, the Council of Ministers.

“Meetings of the Council of Ministers currently take place behind closed doors. If we knew how our ministers voted in their secret meetings, we would be able to hold them to account, not just in Westminster but in all national parliaments across the EU.

“It would also destroy the media myth; that unpopular measures from Brussels are ‘imposed’ on the UK without the consent of the British Government.”

In addition, the committee agreed to widen the scope of documents that can be made public. Hitherto, the European Commission and European Council have always sought a very narrow definition of what constituted a ‘document’. Cashman has proposed a much broader definition.

Under his proposals, any data content, whatever its medium (written on paper or stored in electronic form or as a sound, visual or audiovisual recording), concerning a matter falling within the sphere of responsibility of an EU institution, body, office or agency would be considered a document. Data contained in electronic storage, processing and retrieval systems, including external systems used for the institution's work, would also constitute a document.

The amended regulation would apply to all documents "held" by an EU entity, MEPs underline (i.e. documents drawn up or received by it and in its possession, in all areas of activity of the EU). It would also apply to the European Court of Justice, the European Central Bank and the European Investment Bank, although only in the course of the performance of their administrative tasks.

Access to these documents would have to be more user friendly. They would have to be made accessible to the public either in electronic form, in the EU Official Journal, in an official institution's register or following a written application. Documents drawn up or received in the course of a legislative procedure would always have to be made directly accessible on the internet.

Michael Cashman concluded:

“A battle was won today. We voted to open up Europe to her citizens. Next month the Parliament will have an opportunity to send a clear message to the Commission and the European Council and support my proposals to make the EU more accessible and relevant to the public.”

MEP supports European Antibiotics Awareness Day

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Euro-MP Glenis Willmott is backing the EU-wide Antibiotic Awareness Day on Friday 18th November, to raise awareness about the need to use antibiotics more responsibly.

At the moment, twenty five thousand people across the EU are dying from infections which have become resistant to antibiotics, and this number is set to grow.

"Superbugs such as MRSA are one example that our regional hospitals are combating all the time," said Glenis Willmott MEP.

"Antibiotics are crucial to medicine, but we must make sure that this is always the case. In the past we have taken them for granted. "

MEPs are supporting an EU action plan which is due to be unveiled this week, to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance on a number of fronts. The plan will encourage doctors to only prescribe antibiotics when needed, it will raise awareness so that patients take antibiotics properly, it will encourage drug companies to develop much-needed new antibiotics and it will change the way antibiotics are given to farm animals.

MEP Glenis Willmott said, "The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made tackling antimicrobial resistance its priority for this year. EU countries need to work together to develop new antibiotics and take action to stop misuse of antibiotics now."

Tory MEPs Vote with UKIP and the BNP on Climate Change

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

British Tory MEPs today voted against the policy of their own government and against all five of the mainstream political groups in the European Parliament.

The Conservatives' political group, known as the ECR, today sided with the UKIP and BNP Groups of MEPs on EU proposals for climate change prior to the Durban climate change conference in December.

"On climate change, the Conservatives, UKIP and the BNP are 'carbon copies' of one another," quipped Linda McAvan who speaks for the British Labour MEPs on the Environment.

"Cameron claims he wants the EU to go further in cutting emissions but here in Strasbourg his MEPs are challenging even the most basic scientific assumptions behind global warning," she added.

The initial target of 20% reduction by 2020 is on course to be met by low industrial output as a result of the economic recession. The British government's coalition agreement states: "We will push for the EU to demonstrate leadership in tackling international climate change, including by supporting an increase in the EU emission reduction target to 30% by 2020."

Yorkshire MEP Linda McAvan added "It's just another example of the Tories failing to live up to their pre-election claims. It looks like Cameron's commitment to lead the "greenest government ever" can be added to a long list of broken promises.

"Surely even the most euro-sceptic can see that environmental problems have to be solved at an international level. The EU can take a lead in Durban with an ambitious but realistic target.

"Europeans committed to fighting climate change are trying to gain support from emerging countries and from the US to progress on the way to a comprehensive legally binding agreement by 2015. Cameron can't keep his party together. Meanwhile glaciers are melting.

"If the Conservatives want to have any influence in Europe, they have to work with their fellow Europeans, and not simply oppose from the sidelines. Once again, they have isolated themselves," she concluded.

British Government Coastguard Cuts Are a Threat to Maritime Security

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

"UK ships will now have to rely on the French to come to the rescue if they fall into trouble in the waters of the Channel," said Brian Simpson MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Transport Committee.

"This is further proof, if ever we needed it, that the UK Government's cuts are going too far and it's a sorry state of affairs."

Joining forces to oppose the cuts and to warn against the vulnerable situation this has created for both UK shipping and coastal areas, the British and French Socialist Euro MPs have united in opposition to the UK Government's cuts.

"This has put unfair pressure on the French national maritime resources," echoed French MEP Estelle Grelier. "It is unfair for the British government to expect their work to now be financed by the French national budget.

"Privatising the UK coastguard service clearly undermines its efficiency. For both environmental and safety reasons, this UK government decision is appalling.

"It is not for me to tell the British how to decide their policy, but the result of the cuts is a multiplication of effort. The UK now has to go without an insurance policy, to pu things metaphorically.

"People are very worried along northern coastal areas in France," added the French MEP, who represents France Nord-Ouest.

Brian Simpson has supported Nautilus and other British trade unions who have opposed this change.

"The unilateral action of the British government opposes all the possible benefits of Europe working together on a co-ordinated policy," said Brian Simpson.

The British tug, Anglian Monarch, was controversially removed on 30th September from the Dover Straits - one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world - along with three other UK tugs. The tugs carry fire-fighting equipment and they were sent out to tow stricken vessels to safety to avoid an environmental disaster. Many ships passing through the English Channel each day carry oil and chemical waste.

Security in the area is now financed by France, and the British can pay for use of the service in an emergency.

In November, a report on the upcoming budget of the Integrated Maritime Policy will come before the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg, together with a report on Combating Illegal and Unreported Fishing.

The first report refers clearly to cooperation among member states to increase efficiency, and the development of a truly integrated maritime policy. In the second report, many MEPs now support amendments supporting the creation of a European coastguard service, closely linked to maritime surveillance, because the British have abdicated their responsibility. These two reports clearly are in favour of deeper integration and cooperation between member states to create increased efficiency.

"The situation in the channel is currently the opposite of this EU co-operation policy and this situation is symbolic of the current British Government's attitude to the EU," said Brian Simpson.

"It's a government's duty to provide emergency services on our roads, in the same way we should co-operate with our neighbours and provide it on the high seas around the UK.

"The British Coalition government has left ships to sort out their own salvage insurance through private commercial deals as part of a narrow ideological free market belief to save money.

"The British have been able to ensure safety of stricken vessels at sea in our coastal waters in one way or another for many hundreds of years, and this is a sad day for British pride as we now abandon the English Channel and cut coastguard services around the rest of the British coast," he concluded.

Euro MPs Approve Ban on Sovereign Debt Speculation

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Euro MPs today approved a new law which will ban speculators gambling with debt issued by the British government, the Eurozone countries, or by other EU Member States.

Arlene McCarthy, Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs committee which drafted the law, said:

"In recent months we have seen some Eurozone countries pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, while speculators sit back and wait to cash in. This new law will ensure that governments will no longer be held hostage by speculators wanting to make a fast buck".

The law will ban "naked" credit default swaps (CDS), which enable speculators to take out insurance against a failure by governments to pay their debts even if the speculators themselves do not actually own those government bonds. Rising demand for such contracts can push governments into financial trouble which then delivers a payout for speculators - even when the government was originally solvent. The new law should be in force by the end of the year.

"Of course some countries in the Eurozone have got themselves into financial difficulty, but others are facing problems simply as a result of the pressure from these speculators. These naked CDS contracts can be used to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, driving otherwise solvent countries into bankruptcy. No trader should be able to play with the fortunes of millions of people just to earn themselves a massive bonus," Arlene McCarthy added.

"The CDS market is an important form of insurance for those investing in government debt, but it must be properly regulated. A naked CDS contract is like taking out insurance on your neighbour's life, so you get a payout if they meet with an unfortunate accident. For obvious reasons that would be illegal, and I welcome today's vote to outlaw this practice in the CDS market."

"What a shame the Conservative Euro MPs failed to back this law. They chose instead to back profiteering by a handful of elite speculators, while leaving the pubic exposed to the costs of their actions," she concluded.

EU Commission gives UK the green light to save Bombardier jobs

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The British Transport Secretary now has a go-ahead to restart the tendering process for the Thameslink rolling stock contract after a question to the European Commission from Glenis Willmott MEP.

Glenis Willmott, MEP for the East Midlands and leader of the Labour Party in Europe, recently wrote to the EU Commission to ask if the UK government would face any punitive measures under EU law if the tendering process for the Thameslink rolling stock contract was started again.

The Tory government decision to give the Thameslink contract to Siemens as opposed to Derby-based Bombardier was made on the basis of the lowest price, without taking into account important social and economic considerations. The Commission’s reply clearly states that the EU will not prevent the government from starting the process again.

Glenis Willmott said:

“Thousands of highly skilled workers could lose their jobs at Bombardier, and the Transport Secretary is in a privileged position to save them, and the answer from the EU Commission gives her the green light to do so.

“The government's decision could be disastrous for workers at Bombardier, and it will have a negative impact on the local economy.

"I wrote to the EU Commission because I was worried about the jobs of workers in Derby, and frustrated that government Ministers were shirking their responsibilities and blaming everyone else for the decision that they made.

“The government were aware that EU law would not interfere with a restart of the process, when Jonathan Faull told the Transport select committee that the government could start the tendering process again, and that the EU would not prevent or punish them for doing so.

“The answer that I have received from the Commission clearly confirms this and so the government cannot use the EU as an excuse anymore.”

EU Commission fails to act on animal welfare

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission has failed to hear the concerns of thousands of campaigners for animal welfare by refusing to come forward with new rules on the transport of live animals.

That's the message from Labour MEPs on the day that a long awaited review of EU legislation concluded that changes will not be proposed to the EU regulation covering the transport of live animals.

Campaigners had been calling for the Commission to propose changes that would put an end to the suffering of animals caused by very long journeys across Europe by limiting journeys for fattening or slaughter to eight hours.

However, the European Commission review today concluded that while more needs to be done to enforce existing rules, new legislation will not be brought forward.

Brian Simpson MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on animal welfare, said: "It is disappointing that the European Commission has not heard the concerns of my constituents and come forward with plans to impose an eight hour limit on the transport of live animals.

"The vast majority of animals are slaughtered near to where they are reared. That is clearly preferable to forcing them to endure many hours under stressful conditions in a lorry.

"The Commission is right to say that more should be done to enforce existing rules, but they should also be proposing an end to the suffering caused by these incredibly long and inhumane journeys."

EU leaders must learn lessons after summit deal struck

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A deal struck by European leaders to bring stability to the eurozone has been welcomed by Labour MEPs.

However, Labour's leader in the European Parliament has warned that lessons must be learned from the last few months of instability.

Responding to news of the deal agreed at a Brussels summit in the early hours of Thursday 27 October, Glenis Willmott MEP said: "It is good to see agreement from eurozone leaders last night. They must now ensure that this deal delivers the credible and comprehensive strategy that we need.

"I hope that European leaders have learned their lessons of the last few months and there will be no more repeat performances of the dithering that has caused such uncertainty.

"With this deal in place Europe's right-wing governments must now look at the longer-term issues, including the damage being done by austerity-only policies that are sucking demand out of the European economies. Jobs and growth must be made a key priority."

Labour MEPs vote to reject European Parliament's budget increase call

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

MEPs and national governments need to deliver a responsible EU budget that refocuses European spending on those activities that will deliver jobs and economic growth.

That’s the view of Labour MEPs after the European Parliament voted for an above-inflation 5.23 per cent increase to the EU budget.

Labour voted against the European Parliament proposals because they want to see a real terms freeze in the 2012 budget.

Responding to the vote, Derek Vaughan MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's budget committee, said:

"Labour MEPs have voted against these budget proposals because the call for a rise of over five per cent is simply too much.

"Given the tough economic times, our constituents expect us to deliver a responsible EU budget, and Labour MEPs believe that means it should be frozen next year.

"But we also want a change in emphasis, so that money is directed into activities that boost jobs and economic growth right across the EU.

"Labour MEPs have identified a range of savings that could be made, from cutting support for tobacco and wine production through to ending wasteful export subsidies that are actually undermining our efforts to fight against global poverty.

"We have also found a host of savings in the EU administration budget.

"The EU budget already does a lot to support economic growth right across the European Union, including millions of investment in some of the UK's poorest areas.

"But it is possible to boost this good work while at the same time freezing the overall budget. All it needs is the political will to tackle some of the EU's thornier issues, in particular reform of the CAP.

"Some savings have been found, but not enough to keep the overall budget frozen so we were unable to support this budget."

Labour backed a number of proposals for spending in those areas that will help deliver economic growth, such as EU regional development funds and research and development, but voted against the final report because not enough was done to deliver the savings needed in other areas.

The European Parliament's decision today is not final and negotiations will now begin between MEPs and national governments to try to find an agreement over the 2012 budget.

Cameron must rebuild relations at Brussels summit

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Prime Minister must work to deliver a sustainable solution to eurozone crisis.

That's the message from Labour MEPs ahead of a crucial summit of EU leaders in Brussels.

Speaking ahead of the European Summit on Wednesday 26 October, Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP said: "The government now needs to focus on rebuilding relations with other EU leaders to deliver a stable solution to the eurozone crisis. Jobs depend on it, and that is what really matters to the British people.

"This week we have once again been forced to witness an out-of-touch Conservative Party tearing itself apart over Europe. The government was always going to win yesterday's vote, and Parliament has made the right decision. But David Cameron has been weakened both at home and abroad, at a time when what we really need is strong leadership.

"Let us hope that the Prime Minister has learned from his mistakes and takes a constructive approach to tomorrow's summit that is more about saving the British and European economies and less about saving his own skin."

Euro-Labour leader backing for silenced MEP

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour’s leader in the European Parliament has expressed grave concern at news that Richard Howitt, the Labour MEP for the Eastern Region, has been prevented from representing his constituents during the politically charged eviction of travellers from the Dale Farm site in Basildon.

On Wednesday 19 October Mr Howitt had been invited by a number of media outlets to give his perspective on the controversial action by Conservative-run Basildon Borough Council. However, he was prevented from doing so when council officials ordered him to leave the area from which media were operating near the site.

Glenis Willmott MEP, said: “Richard Howitt is a prominent and hardworking MEP who has a public duty to represent his constituents across the Eastern Region, and that includes representing voters in Basildon.

“Free speech is a basic tenet of our democracy and Richard Howitt was attempting to fulfil his duty as an elected representative covering the Basildon area.

“I understand that Conservative politicians had access to the media area to enable them to give their views on the events at Dale Farm, so it is outrageous that officials were restricting access for someone holding critical views of the way the council has handled this case.

“Richard has fully rebutted the arguments made by Basildon Council in its response to this incident.

“This stinks of a politically motivated attempt to silence opposition to the Council’s actions."

Vow to improve EU plans on abusive commodity trading

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

New European Commission proposals will need strengthening to stop financial traders from creating artificial highs in food prices that are putting the world's poorest people at risk of starvation.

That's the message from the Labour Euro MP who will guide plans to update the EU Market Abuse Directive through the European Parliament.

Commenting on today's announcement, Labour Euro MP and Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Arlene McCarthy MEP said: “The publication of these proposals gives us an opportunity to tackle harmful food and fuel speculation and to increase levels of transparency and openness in financial markets."

The European Commission has adopted legislative proposals for revisions to the Market in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and for a Market Abuse Regulation and Directive.

This legislation governs financial trading in the EU and the revisions will address, amongst other issues, financial trading in real world commodities such as food and fuel. The Commission proposal will bring abusive practices in commodities markets under EU rules for the first time.

Arlene added: “Speculation on commodity markets causes food price spikes, putting the poorest people in the developing world at risk. These price spikes also put pressure on household budgets here at home, from the fuel in your petrol tank to the food in your shopping basket.

“We have called on the European Commission to include specific provisions to prevent systemic risks and manipulative practices in the market in financial instruments directive (MiFID) and the market abuse regulation."

The proposals will now be debated and amended by the European Parliament and the governments of the 27 EU Member States. Arlene McCarthy MEP will be the Rapporteur (the MEP responsible) for the Parliament's report on the Market Abuse Regulation and Directive. Arlene said: “I look forward to reviewing these proposals to ensure that they meet the Parliament’s call to tackle abusive speculation."

'Not the reform we want' - Labour MEPs criticise Commission CAP plans

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Plans for the future of European agriculture policy are not radical enough.

That's the message from Labour's Brian Simpson MEP after the European Commission announced proposals for the EU's agricultural funding after 2013.

Commenting on the European Commission's announcement on the Common Agricultural Policy, Brian Simpson, who is spokesperson for Labour MEPs on agriculture, said: "This is not the reform we want. In trying to please everyone, the Commission has failed to come forward with the radical proposals we need to bring EU agriculture policy into the 21st century.

"Unfortunately many wasteful subsidies including those to tobacco growers still remain, and the Commission has failed to get to grips with inefficient farming methods in other EU countries.

"In these difficult economic times reform of the CAP is urgently needed to bring down food prices, ensure fair farm gate prices for producers as well as delivering economic growth, rural sustainability and food security.

"We were told that the CAP would be reformed to deliver more sustainable farming, but there are real concerns that today's announcement offers little more than a greenwash."

The proposals by the Commission still need to be approved by the European Parliament and EU ministers. Brian Simpson went on to urge the British government to take up the CAP reform agenda: "Ministers are always willing to make bold statements to the media about reform of the CAP. Well David Cameron now needs to stop cosying up to Nicolas Sarkozy and stand up for UK consumers and farmers."

Labour Party Conference round up

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The EPLP had another successful series of events in Liverpool at Labour Party Conference this year. Here is a run down of our four flagship events, including the major points of discussion and how Labour MEPs will take them forward this year.

Building a responsibly economy: How should the left look at financial reform?
The EPLP’s fringe meeting with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies took on the necessary reforms to the financial sector to ensure we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Labour MEPs Arlene McCarthy and Peter Skinner set out the latest progress within the European Parliament on new regulations of bankers' bonuses and the campaign for a Robin Hood Tax.

Wayne David MP, then Labour's Shadow Europe Minister took delegates through Labour's position on the Eurozone crisis, while Matthieu Méaulle from FEPS set out some fiscal reforms that social democrats could advocate to avert future crisis. Rodney Bickerstaffe chaired the meeting, keeping speakers on their toes throughout!

Europe Reception
The Europe Reception was one of the most popular receptions this year at conference. It attracted almost 1000 conference delegates and was the highlight of the EPLP programme. Delegates heard speeches from Labour's Leader in Europe, Glenis Willmott MEP, Ed Miliband MP, Harriet Harman MP and the Irish Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn.

We face an uphill battle in the UK when we talk about European issues, but our reception at conference proves that there is an appetite in the Labour Party for a social democrat vision for Europe. EPLP members will continue to develop a positive debate about the direction of the EU within our party and across Britain.

After the Arab Spring: How should Europe respond?
The EPLP hosted party delegates as well as international guests to debate Europe's response to the events of the Arab Spring. Labour MEPs Richard Howitt and Claude Moraes set out the work of the EU to bring stability to the region, support emerging states and manage the impact of migration flows in the aftermath of the uprisings.

Richard and Claude were joined on the panel by Soumaya Mounsif, from Labour's Sister Party in Morocco who gave delegates a great insight into the events on the ground. Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander took delegates through the work of NATO and the need for Labour in opposition to keep standing up for civilian and military conflict prevention and for the upholding of international human rights.

Europe in crisis: Why austerity is not the answer?
The EPLP and the GMB concluded our events at conference with a discussion on the impact of austerity measures across Europe on working people and on European economies. Kevin Maguire from the Daily Mirror chaired the meeting and Leader of the EPLP, Glenis Willmott MEP, addressed the need for action on the posted workers directive to ensure fair rights for working people across Europe.

Leading Trade Unionists, John Monks, former TUC and ETUC General Secretary, Frances O'Grady from the TUC and Kathleen Walker-Shaw from the GMB took on the fiscal measures coming from the European Commission and right wing governments in European member states. These are tough times in Britain and across the European Union and the EPLP will continue to work in Brussels and with colleagues in the trade unions to defend the interests of those hit hardest by the actions of the European right.

European Commission lays foundations for a Robin Hood Tax

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission's proposed draft law for a financial transaction tax represents the crucial first step in the journey towards a Robin Hood Tax.

That's the message from Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP following a major announcement by Commission President José Manuel Barroso on Wednesday.

The Labour spokesperson in the European Parliament on economic affairs also warned the British government that it must listen to campaigners' calls for a fairer tax system.

Arlene McCarthy said: "The British government should give these proposals proper consideration and not dismiss them out of hand just to please City suits.

"We need to look at the detail and ensure that any proposals represent a good deal for Britain, given its dominance in financial services. But I welcome the Commission's proposal as a starting point in the debate.

"The proposals can't be pushed through without British agreement, so let's engage in the process and try to find a way in which the financial sector can pay its fair share towards the cost of the economic crisis.

"Millions of people have made it clear that they would like to see a Robin Hood Tax that uses a very small levy on financial markets to support good causes both at home and abroad.

"Of course the banks and hedge funds will cry foul, but we need politicians who are willing to stand up for the public interest not vested interests.

"A well implemented Financial Transaction Tax could be a way of making our tax system fairer, helping lift the burden from the hard-working majority and bringing greater stability to financial markets.

"As families up and down the country feel the pinch, there is a danger that Cameron will try to hide behind 'EU tax' rhetoric to avoid a public debate about whether the financial sector pays its fair share in these difficult times."

The European Commission President José Manuel Barroso announced proposals for a European Financial Transaction Tax to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday 28 September.

The proposals will be subject to lengthy negotiations and discussions and will need the unanimous approval of all EU countries, as well as the backing of the European Parliament, before standing any chance of entering into force.

Economic 'six-pack' fails the jobs test

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

European leaders' "blinkered, austerity-only" policies are putting jobs at risk and could derail economic recovery in Europe.

That's the message from Labour MEPs after the European Parliament approved a package of economic legislation that has been branded by centre-left politicians as "a step in the wrong direction for Europe".

The economic six-pack was backed by a majority of MEPs today (Wednesday) in Strasbourg, but it has been criticised as committing countries to austerity policies with insufficient regard to economic growth.

Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour spokesperson in the European Parliament on economic affairs, said: "The package approved by MEPs today fails the jobs test. The best way to deal with deficits and debt is to help our economies to grow and boost employment, yet there is nothing in these plans on where the jobs will come from.

"Right wing governments across Europe are particularly letting down the younger generation. We must restore hope to young people across Europe that they will be able to get on the jobs ladder. Nothing the right wing parties have pushed through today will achieve that.

"By persisting with this blinkered, austerity-only approach, European leaders are committing national governments to discredited policies that we can already see are not delivering strong growth."

Strasbourg backing for pride marches and gay rights

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have won support from all sides of the European Parliament in their campaign to defend the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Michael Cashman MEP, a long-time campaigner on LGBT issues, and his colleagues won the overwhelming backing of politicians in Strasbourg for a resolution that will put pressure on EU countries to uphold the fundamental rights of their citizens.

In what has been described as a ground-breaking resolution, MEPs called on European countries and the EU institutions to do more to uphold the rights of LGBT people, including the right to organise gay pride marches and the right to a private and family life.

The vote puts pressure on the Commission to pull together a strategy to counter these types of inequalities by producing a comprehensive roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in the EU. It also endorses a recent UN report calling for an end to violence and discrimination against LGBT people worldwide.

To the surprise of many, the resolution was also largely backed by MEPs from the European People’s Party, the European Parliament’s conservative Christian-Democrat group.

Speaking after the vote, Michael Cashman MEP said: "I am proud that all political groups came together to condemn discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and stated clearly that we must do more to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people here in the EU. The time has clearly come to consider sexual orientation and gender identity as legitimate grounds of protection when it comes to human rights."

Trade must boost jobs and human rights

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A call for EU trade policy to be used as a route to improve the wellbeing of people both at home and abroad has been made by Euro-MPs in Strasbourg.

Labour led the way in ensuring that a commitment to fair trade was included in the European Parliament report that lays out MEPs’ demands on future trade policy.

The parliament’s centre-left grouping has highlighted the importance of using trade policy to drive employment, while also highlighting the way it can be used to deliver better working and living standards and boost human rights abroad.

Labour’s David Martin MEP, who led on the issues for the European Parliament’s 185-strong Socialists and Democrats group, explained: "Up to 36 million jobs in the EU depend on foreign trade. Global competition is getting tougher and it is urgent to have a strategy to maintain and increase the EU's exports.

"Trade can and must contribute to welfare. Around 7.5 million people across 58 developing countries benefit from the international fair-trade system. The Parliament calls on the Commission to promote it.”

David Martin went on to urge the European Commission to ensure that it coordinates its approach to trade agreements with other policy areas. He continued: "It is vital we now use this trade policy framework of human rights, labour and environmental standards, fair trade and policy coherence for development in upcoming trade negotiations and ensure these commitments are followed through.

"I really hope the Commission implements the recommendations made by the Parliament in this report."

"A new vision for social democrats" - Labour MEP's call at Party Conference

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Labour Party must work together with other social democratic parties to offer an alternative to the "hollow ideology" that is being driven by the European right.

That was the message from Labour's leader in the European Parliament to the Labour Party's 2011 Annual Conference in Liverpool.

Addressing delegates, Glenis Willmott MEP said that "the EU must change" and lessons must be learnt, but that current policy proposals are not helping:

"Efforts to promote economic cohesion across European economies were just not good enough.

"Government financial transparency was pitifully enforced.

"Rampant greed was allowed to take precedence over the wider needs of our economy.

"But what is also clear is that the supposed remedies to the current turmoil are making things worse, not better."

In criticising this approach, Glenis said: "Not only is the right's answer to the turmoil not working. It is also void of any ambition, aspiration or hope for our continent and its people."

Looking back at the successes of social democracy after World War II, the speech to delegates called for a coordinated response to the challenges we face today: "The social democratic solutions which transformed the last century were forged amid the rubble of European war.

"Today we face ruins of a different sort. But once again, we, as social democrats, must stand together and rise to the new challenges that Europe faces."

Concluding her speech, Glenis called for an international vision for social democrats: "The answers cannot be for Labour in Britain alone.

"In this interconnected world Europe must be part of the solution.

"As always the driving force must be our enduring principles, our Labour values, the same values that drove those rebuilding Europe more than 60 years ago, values of solidarity, social justice, opportunity, the strongest helping the weak...That is how we will secure the future for generations to come."

Read the speech in full on the Labour Party website

Call for EU action to stop financial speculation linked to African famine

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has called for changes to EU law to stop food price speculation that has been linked to the famine that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in East Africa.

A hard-hitting resolution adopted by Euro-MPs on Thursday 15 September calls for changes to EU directives on market abuse and financial trading to stop "abusive speculation" which has been identified as a contributing factor to the current famine in the Horn of Africa.

While it is widely accepted that the humanitarian emergency in the region was triggered by drought, a recent World Bank report identified high food prices as a key contributing factor.

Academics and international development charities working in the sector believe that food price volatility caused by speculation in agricultural derivatives on the financial markets are exacerbating the situation.

Michael Cashman MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on International Development, is a co-author of the European Parliament resolution. Speaking ahead of the vote he said: "This region, already ravaged by conflict, is now facing a famine that is causing unimaginable suffering.

"There are 13 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and European governments must act to support the region. But we must also learn the lessons of this crisis and take action to prevent similar emergencies in the future.

"While the causes of the famine are of course complex, we cannot stand idly by while gambling City speculators force up food prices."

Labour and other Socialist Euro-MPs fought to strengthen the text further by restricting the dealing of food commodity derivatives "to market participants with a genuine real-world need to hedge against risk". However, their attempts were defeated by right-wing MEPs.

Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP, who is Vice Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, proposed the parts of the resolution to crack down on harmful speculation. She said: "It is estimated that in 2009 Goldman Sachs alone earned five billion dollars through commodities trading.

"While some traders have legitimate reasons for this type of trade, much of the activity is just another example of the casino capitalism that puts bonus targets above social responsibility.

"We will continue to campaign for action by the European Commission, but in the meantime financial institutions should show that their commitments to corporate social responsibility are more than kind words in a glossy brochure. That means halting this damaging trade and recognising the impact of their business on countries facing such appalling tragedy."

The European commission is expected to make recommendations to reform the Market in Financial Instruments Directive and Market Abuse Directive in October.

A report by the World Development Movement published in July 2010 demonstrated the link between commodities trading and high food prices. It also estimated the earnings of major financial institutions through commodities deals.

'Reform of tobacco laws needed in early 2012,' says Labour MEP

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour MEP has put pressure on the European Commission to come forward with proposals to reduce tobacco use across the continent.

Speaking in a debate in the European Parliament on tackling killer diseases such as cancer and heart disease, Glenis Willmott MEP expressed her concern about possible delays to plans to review the Tobacco Products Directive.

The proposals for reform of the EU legislation had been expected to be announced in early 2012, but rumours are circulating Brussels that this deadline will not be met.

Speaking in a European Parliament debate in Strasbourg on the issue of non-communicable diseases, Glenis Willmott MEP said: "Over the next year our main weapon against non-communicable diseases will be an effective revision of the Tobacco Products Directive. Tobacco use is the biggest cause of preventable deaths. It kills one in ten people worldwide. Half of all regular smokers will be killed by the product they are using.

"This is an issue is of epidemic proportions and needs to be treated as such. If we implement the aims of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and use measures that have been proven by other countries to be extremely effective, such as standardising packaging and restricting the use of additives and flavourings, we could see a decline in tobacco use across Europe, especially in young people, saving thousands of lives."

She went on to say that she was disappointed to hear of a delay in the Commission's proposals, adding: "We need this proposal at the beginning of 2012 as promised. It really does question our commitment when we hesitate to take action on one of the biggest causes of death and disease amongst our citizens."

Help whistleblowers to prevent North Sea oil spills, say Euro-MPs

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Action must be taken to make it easier for offshore gas and oil workers to blow the whistle on potentially unsafe working arrangements if we are to avoid accidents on offshore rigs.

That's the message from the European Parliament today, which has approved proposals by Labour to assist workers in raising their safety concerns.

Labour's proposals were backed by MEPs today in a report that will influence the direction taken by the European Commission as it prepares to make formal proposals later this year.

Euro-MPs want action to be taken in the light of the major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year and to ensure that a similar disaster does not occur in European waters.

Peter Skinner MEP, Labour's European spokesperson on industry and energy, tabled amendments in support of whistleblowers. He said: "The mistakes that led to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico cannot be repeated in our waters.

"If we are to prevent lethal accidents and disastrous oil spills workers on rigs must be able to speak out if they have concerns.

"But people are often worried that if they raise their worries about lapses of safety, they will be put under pressure and could even lose their job.

"That's why I have tabled proposals for workers in the offshore oil and gas industry to be able to elect safety reps who will be free to ask questions and speak out without fear of harassment.

"We need to give workers a voice so that the people who are best placed to spot the dangers, have the confidence to speak out.

"All the technology in the world will not help if alarms are disabled and warnings ignored."

Your EU holiday rights this summer

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

It’s always good to know before you go. With the school summer holidays now in full swing, we’ve put together some key facts that could help if you’re travelling to another EU country, including advice on travel rights and using your mobile while you’re away.

Watch this video of Labour's European Consumer Spokesperson Catherine Stihler MEP explaining your rights on your holidays.

Your EU travel rights

If you're lucky enough to be flying off on holiday this summer, then your EU rights should help make the journey trouble free - but it pays to know what you're entitled to. Labour's Catherine Stihler MEP explains your travel rights when flying in or out of any EU airport in this video.

Hopefully you won't face serious delays, but if you do then your airline is under a legal obligation to care for its passengers, including providing refreshments and if necessary accommodation.

Key facts:

If your flight is seriously delayed then you have a right to support from the airline
Depending on circumstances this can include phone calls, refreshments, meals and, where a delay results in an overnight stay, accommodation.
Your airline is required to act after two hours for shorter flights or three or four hours for longer flights.
Your airline must tell you about what you are entitled to. If you are delayed, ask about your rights under EU law.
The EU rights apply to all flights departing or arriving in an EU country.
As well as a right to care by the airline, compensation may be payable, particularly if your flight is overbooked and you are unable to fly.
Always speak to your airline before taking any action.
In extraordinary circumstances, such as last year's ash cloud crisis, you might not be entitled to compensation, but the airline still has a responsibility to care for delayed passengers, including providing meals and accommodation.

Find out more information from the European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passenger-rights/en/index.html

Mobile phone roaming

The EU has already taken action to drive down the cost to mobile phone users of texting and calling while away in another EU country.

But with people now using their mobiles to access emails, share photos and stay in touch with friends on social networks, the high cost of downloading data abroad can lead to frighteningly high bills.

Before you travel, contact your network to tell them how much you're willing to spend on data charges while you are away. Your network has to let you set a cap, so your holiday doesn't end with a nasty surprise when you return.

Key facts:

The cost of making and receiving calls and sending texts have come down thanks to EU action.
The average cost of sending a text while abroad in the EU used to be 40 pence. That's come down to around 11 pence.
Receiving a call should only cost around 11 pence per minute.
Making calls back home or to other numbers in the EU will cost around 36 pence minute.
Your network must send a text when you arrive abroad to tell you about the costs of using your phone.
The cost of accessing data services, including accessing emails, websites, social networking sites and many apps, can be high and prices are currently unregulated.
Mobile networks must offer customers the ability to set a cap on the amount they spend on data charges while in another EU country.
Plans are already in train to set new price caps on data roaming from next summer.

The EU price caps are set in euros before VAT. The exchange rate with sterling is set annually. The prices above are approximate and based on the exchange rate currently used and 20 per cent VAT.

Find out more information from the European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/roaming/index_en.htm

112 emergency calls

Hopefully you'll never have to dial 112, but if the worst does happen while you are away, then every second counts. That means it is worth remembering that in an emergency, wherever you are in Europe, you can speak to the emergency services by dialling 112.

Key facts:

The 112 emergency number works in all European countries, including those not in the EU.
Even outside of the Europe, your mobile phone should be programmed so that 112 will put you through to the local emergency services.
A trained operator will answer the emergency call. They may transfer you to the relevant service, like in Britain, or deal with your call directly.
Be ready to give your give your name, location and telephone number.
Only use 112 for genuine emergencies - similar to those cases where you would dial 999 in Britain.

Find out more information from the European Commission:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/112/index_en.htm

Health Insurance

Before you head off on holiday to any EU country, make sure you apply for your European health insurance card. It will help cover the cost of emergency treatment if you fall ill while you're away.

It isn't a replacement for travel insurance, so you should still make sure you have adequate cover, but some insurers require you to have the European card.

Key facts:

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to access emergency health treatment on the same basis as a resident in the country you are visiting.
This means that you may still be liable to pay some of the costs of your treatment.
When using the EHIC card, always seek out state provided medical care, as using private providers could result in medical bills not covered by EHIC.
You should still take out adequate travel insurance.
The small-print of some travel insurance policies requires you to have an EHIC card.
Some private companies charge for processing an application for an EHIC card, but they can be obtained free of charge from the NHS.

Find out more information from the NHS:

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Introduction.aspx

If you have any questions about your EU rights, get in touch with your MEP. You can find contact details for all Labour MEPs here.

2011-The Story so far

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

As the European Parliament begins summer recess, we take a look at some of the highlights of the first half of 2011 in the European Parliament.

Changing the culture of the financial sector

The year began with tough new EU rules on bankers' bonuses. The restrictions on cash bonuses in the financial services sector, introduced by a Labour MEP, were put in place to try to curb the short-term risk-taking culture that led to the global economic crisis.

EU_bank_rules_will_limit_risky_upfront_cash_bonuses

Euro-MPs continued in their attempts to reform the culture of the financial sector as the year progressed. This included a call for more transparent pay in the sector and a push for the EU to join the USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and Brazil in banning naked short selling.

Labour_call_for_openness_about_banks_big_earners

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Campaigners_take_aim_for_Strasbourg_in_Robin_Hood_campaign

Euro-MPs_back_Robin_Hood_Tax

Responding to the economic crisis

Labour_warning_as_EU_summit_entrenches_austerity_in_EU_law

European_Commission_must_find_savings_to_prioritise_growth

Time_for_a_change_on_the_EU_budget

Labour_call_for_focus_on_jobs_in_EU_spending_plans

Campaigning on the environment

One of 2011’s highest profile campaigns came to the European Parliament in June, with the launch of celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Fish Fight website in 11 different languages. The campaign, which is calling for major reforms of EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, has been backed by hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and Labour MEPs have also shown their support ahead of crucial discussions scheduled for the coming months. Labour welcomed plans for reform announced by the European Commission in July, but there is still a long way to go before any agreement will be reached.

Fish fight launches in europe

EU_fish_plans_an_important_first_step_on_the_road_to_reform

Conservatives_defeat_calls_for_30_per_cent_emissions_target

Helping the authorities in the fight against crime

In March the British government announced an important U-turn by signing up to EU action to counter the trafficking of human beings. The decision came after months of pressure from campaigners and Labour politicians who were furious about the government’s initial decision to opt-out of the new EU directive on the issue. However, because ministers only opted in after a deal was already struck, the UK lost any chance it might have had to make the directive stronger or more effective.

Government_u-turn_on_trafficking_laws_after_Labour_and_campaigner_pressure

Human_trafficking_rules_adopted_in_Strasbourg_-_but_British_Government_opts_out

Labour has also been campaigning for ministers to take action to ensure that police officers do not have to waste their time dealing with spurious arrest warrants issued in another EU country. Labour’s Euro-MPs support the idea of European arrest warrants, which have resulted in the return of dozens of suspected serious criminals from other EU countries to the UK. However, they want to see agreement between national governments for a mandatory proportionality test, to ensure that they are only used in the most serious cases and not petty criminals and minor misdemeanours.

Call_for_EU_reforms_to_give_police_more_time_to_fight_crime

Giving power to consumers

Rip-off_credit_card_fees_challenged_by_new_EU_law

Labour_refuses_to_back_watered_down_consumer_rights

Consumers won the right to know exactly where their Sunday roast has come from after the EU institutions agreed on new legislation designed to give people a better understanding of the food they buy. Labour Euro-MPs saw the proposals as an opportunity to ensure that pre-packed meat carries information about the country from which it originates. They also won agreement for an investigation into whether the rules can be extended to cover meat in processed foods.

Consumers_win_right_to_know_origins_of_their_Sunday_roast

And finally, in July Labour MEPs welcomed proposals by the European Commission to take further action to crack down on excessive charges for using mobile phones abroad. The EU has already acted to bring down the cost of making and receiving calls and sending text messages while “roaming” in another EU country. Now it has brought forward plans to act on data charges incurred when accessing the internet or email on mobile networks while abroad. The new rules will need the backing of both MEPs and national governments, but it is hoped to get agreement in place in time for next summer.

Crackdown_on_mobile_surfing_charges_welcomed_by_Labour_MEPs

Find out more about Labour MEPs’ work in the European Parliament

Read more on these and many more stories about the work of Labour MEPs at www.eurolabour.org.uk/News

MEPs return to Brussels at the end of August.

EU fish plans "an important first step on the road to reform"

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have welcomed proposals by the European Commission to subject the EU's Common Fisheries Policies to a radical overhaul.

The plans, announced today by European Commissioner Maria Damanaki, suggest a decentralisation of decision making in fisheries policies and an end to the controversial practice of discards, in which dead fish are thrown back into the sea in order to avoid less valuable produce counting against a vessel's quota.

A campaign led by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has resulted in over half a million people signing a petition calling for the EU to reform its policy to put an end to discards.

The European Commission proposals mark the start of lengthy negotiations in Brussels over new fishing rules.

It is hoped that the reform could spell the end of annual bargaining between EU governments over fishing quotas that are largely seen to have failed to prevent the decline of fish stocks in European seas.

Labour's environment spokesperson in the European Parliament, Linda McAvan MEP, said: "This is an important first step on the road to reform, but there is still a long way to go until we have a fisheries policy that is fit for purpose.

"Commissioner Damanaki has shown that she is willing to challenge the business-as-usual approach that has prevented proper reform in the past.

"The Commission proposal isn't perfect, but it is at last a recognition that we cannot continue with the current discredited policy.

"We are facing the real prospect of many fish species being wiped out because the policy is wrong. That is bad for the biodiversity and bad for our fishing communities.

"The clock is ticking to put things right. We must now keep up the pressure for real and effective change."

Commenting on the proposal to end the practice of discards, Labour's European agriculture and fisheries spokesperson, Brian Simpson MEP, said: "The public have shown that they are outraged by the way the existing rules result in dead fish being thrown back into the sea.

"We need to find ways of ending discards while giving fish stocks time to recover.

"That means not just looking at rules on what is landed but also promoting the use of equipment and techniques that don't result in overfishing, and encouraging people to consider putting other types of fish on their menu.

"Today we have seen proposals to decentralise decision making and end discards. It is a welcome new direction by the Commission.

"We must now look at the proposals in detail and see how they can be built upon through the coming months of negotiations to deliver a fisheries policy that is good for fish and good for the long-term interests of our fishermen."

'Make oil drilling safer' says Labour MEP

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour Euro-MP has called on offshore drilling companies to give their workers a stronger voice to ensure the highest standards of employee and environmental standards.

Peter Skinner MEP was speaking after the European Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee approved a report calling for EU governments to learn the lessons of the major Gulf of Mexico oil spill last year.

The Euro-MP, who is Labour's European spokesperson on industry, has been at the forefront of negotiations in Brussels to prevent accidents like the Deepwater Horizon incident happening in UK waters. He said it was important to find the right compromise between safety, industry and environmental concerns.

"The offshore oil and gas industry is a major supplier of natural resources and jobs, but it must make sure that worker safety and environmental issues are taken into account," said the South East MEP.

The Health and Safety Executive recently revealed that there have been over 100 potentially lethal oil and gas spills in the North Sea in 2009 and 2010.

Peter Skinner added: "While a disaster on the scale of the Deepwater Horizon or the Piper Alpha disaster in 1987 are highly unlikely anywhere close to British waters we mustn't lose any opportunity to improve standards.

"The mistakes made that led to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico cannot be repeated in our waters. What is crucial is that workers have a proper means to voice any safety concerns they have at all stages - that was one of the main failures of the system in the Gulf of Mexico."

The European Commission will look to produce legislation on all EU offshore oil and gas platforms later this year - most of which are in or near UK waters.

British government opts out of plans for safer roads

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour has criticised the coalition government for walking away from new laws to crack down on speeding by drivers from other European countries.

Britain is refusing to opt in to the new measure, approved on Wednesday 6 July, which would allow the UK to crackdown on the estimated 79,000 speeding and red light offences committed annually by foreign motorists on British roads.

With the British government choosing to opt out of the legislation, the new EU law will not apply in the UK.

Labour's Brian Simpson MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's transport committee, has called on the Tory-LibDem government to reconsider its decision and to join the scheme as early as possible:

"The UK has always taken a lead on road safety in Europe and I am thoroughly disappointed to see the British government dismissing this important new law".

Drivers of non-British vehicles remain free to speed, drink and drive, jump red lights and not wear a seatbelt with limited fear of prosecution. The new European measure makes it possible for governments to share information on road traffic offences and prosecute dangerous drivers in their own country.

Brian Simpson added: "Across Europe we see other countries cooperating to make their roads safer, but Britain is refusing to act. The Tory-LibDem Government are putting political dogma before people's safety.

"The decision is outrageous if we consider the 79,000 offences committed on UK roads every year by foreign drivers that will now continue to go unpunished."

The European Transport Safety Council, which represents the UK's Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety in Brussels, has is also urging the UK government to "opt-in as soon as possible".

The new rules will apply to non-commercial drivers who commit offences such as speeding, jumping a red light or not wearing a seat belt. Separate rules already apply to lorry drivers.

The government has claimed that the cost of implementing the project is too high, but road safety organisations have shown that officials are double counting the cost of creating IT systems that are already budgeted for.

Consumers win right to know origins of their Sunday roast

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Shoppers have won a new right to know where their meat has come from, under plans agreed by Euro-MPs on Wednesday 6 July.

The Strasbourg vote introduces a new requirement for almost all pre-packed meat sold in British shops to carry information about where the animal came from.

Currently only beef and fish are required to include country of origin labelling. Labour MEPs have been leading the fight to introduce the new rules and have vowed to keep up the pressure for them to be extended to cover processed foods.

Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP has been campaigning for tough new rules to stop consumers from being misled by confusing or unclear labelling. Speaking about the vote, which received the overwhelming support of MEPs, she said: "This is a positive step forward in our campaign for shoppers to have upfront and honest information about the food they buy.

"People want to know where their meat comes from and these new rules are great news for anyone who cares about the story behind their Sunday roast.

"Shoppers already have the right to know about the origins of their beef, fish, and fruit and veg. Now the vast majority of meat we buy will be covered too.

"Finally consumers will be able to see exactly where their meat began its journey to their fork."

The proposals are backed by the NFU and consumer organisations. They will apply to cuts of meat from pigs, poultry, sheep and goats. The changes mean that almost all meat sold in British supermarkets will need to include country of origin information.

Glenis Willmott has vowed to continue her campaign to extend the rules further to cover meat in processed foods, such as sausages and ready meals.

After pressure from MEPs, the European Commission has agreed to undertake impact assessments with the possibility of introducing additional proposals to cover these products in two years time.

Glenis Willmott added: "Most people would agree that just because a sausage is minced in Britain doesn't make it a British sausage. Yet that's exactly what manufacturers can currently claim.

"I will continue to keep up the pressure for action to be taken to give consumers access to honest information about the food they buy."

The rules are expected to come into force by the end of 2014, though it is expected that many suppliers will begin adopting the practice well in advance of that date.

Crackdown on mobile surfing charges welcomed by Labour MEPs

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission has announced plans to act against sky-high charges levied on consumers who use their mobile phones to access emails or the internet while in another EU country.

Current rules already regulate the cost of making and receiving calls, as well as sending text messages when "roaming" inside the EU. However, with internet enabled smart-phones becoming increasingly common, consumers often find themselves being stung by big bills that have been run up through high data charges.

The new rules will set price caps on what companies can charge for data roaming, bringing them much closer to the actual cost paid by the mobile operator for using another company's network.

Responding to news, Labour's European spokesperson on consumer rights, Catherine Stihler MEP, said: "This is welcome news for consumers who are still being charged too much for using their phones when abroad.

"We have already taken action to bring down the cost of making calls and sending texts while in another EU country.

"But with people increasingly using their smart phones to access the internet and online services, many mobile operators are ripping-off off consumers with hugely inflated charges.

"We'll need to look at the detail of what is being proposed by the Commission, but this looks like a very positive step forward."

Catherine Stihler also warned mobile companies not to try to use the proposals as an excuse to drive up prices for other services:

"Mobile phone operators have known for some time that if they did not act to end these unfairly high charges then the EU would act to protect consumers.

"These companies are making big profits out of people who use their phone while on holiday without realising the huge costs that could entail.

"There can be no excuse for raising prices just because these rip-off roaming fees are being challenged."

The proposals will need to be agreed by the European Parliament and EU governments before they come into force.

Call for EU to join global action on naked short selling

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Crucial proposals aimed at bringing an end to risky and destructive naked short selling by financial speculators have been backed by Labour Euro-MPs.

The vote on Tuesday 5 July was the latest step in Labour's campaign to reform the culture within the global financial system that led to the recent economic crisis.

Naked short-selling has been cited as a prime example of casino-like trading, in which risky speculation by traders has little or not benefit to the real economy.

Ordinary short selling involves a financial institution borrowing shares or bonds, selling them on to a third party, and then buying them back at a lower price before returning them to the original owner. Because this means a trader makes money when the price falls, it is seen as a tool to manage risk on investments.

However, naked-short selling involves selling a "promise of shares" without the short-seller having even borrowed the original financial instrument. Because the practice is not grounded in the actual number of shares available, it could be used as a tool to manipulate prices and lead to instability in financial markets.

Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP, who is Vice Chair of the European Parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee, said: “Naked short selling is a part of the questionable culture in the financial system that got us into the economic crisis in the first place and as such must be tackled.

“The US, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and Brazil have already prohibited naked short selling so the EU should follow global best practice.

“Hong Kong has always banned naked short selling and during the financial crisis their markets performed better and were more stable.”

The final rules now need to be agreed between Euro-MPs and government ministers from EU countries. However, the British government and Tory Euro MPs have been trying to weaken the European Parliament's calls for reform.

Arlene McCarthy added: “George Osborne talks tough on the need for reform but when it comes to action he is not prepared to protect investors and the stability of the real economy.”

Conservatives defeat calls for 30 per cent emissions target

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has failed to take any position on new greenhouse gas emission targets after calls for a tougher regime were deleted in a key European Parliament vote.

Labour MEPs wanted to see a strong call from the European Parliament for the EU to lift its current target.

The EU is currently committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent against 1990 levels by the year 2020. The European Parliament's environment committee had tabled proposals to lift that target to 30 per cent, a move that the British government claims to support.

With greenhouse gas emissions already down further than expected when the original deal was struck, the EU needs to move to a 30 per cent target now if it is to take the lead on the global stage.

However, right-wing MEPs, including many British Conservatives, voted to block that call for an immediate move to 30 per cent.

Responding to the result of the vote, Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, said: "David Cameron claims to be green, but this vote has shown the hollowness of his party's commitments on environmental policy.

"When presented with a chance to back the tougher emission standards the government says it wants, the Tories voted instead for the status quo.

"The whole purpose of this report should have been to persuade the European Commission and EU governments to move to more ambitious targets.

"With the Tory MEPs' votes we could have secured a strong position in favour of taking action against climate change. Instead they swung the vote in favour of an amendment specifically designed to wreck the report."

The European Parliament vote was seen by green campaigners as a crucial opportunity to put pressure on the EU Commission to come forward with proposals for a new 30% target.

However, proposals to water down the original report by removing the call for an immediate move to a target of 30 per cent were carried by 326 votes to 317 with 17 abstentions. Sixteen Conservative MEPs voted to undermine the text, with just two backing the original proposals and four choosing to abstain.

With the 30 per cent target and other crucial environmental measures defeated in the vote, centre-left and green MEPs refused to support the overall proposals meaning that the package failed to achieve a majority. The European Parliament has therefore failed to adopt any position on emissions targets.

Rip-off credit card fees challenged by new EU law

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has approved new consumer rights that will spell the end of rip-off credit card fees.

The new Consumer Rights Directive, adopted by MEPs on Thursday 23 June, includes specific provisions to outlaw the practice of adding credit or debit card payment fees that bear no relation to the actual costs incurred when processing the transaction.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Labour's European spokesperson on consumer affairs Catherine Stihler MEP said: "In most cases it costs just a few pence to process a credit card transaction, yet some companies are ripping their customers off.

"It's not uncommon for people to pay 10 times the actual cost of processing their credit card transaction, and in some cases people are paying far more. This is daylight robbery.

"It is completely misleading for consumers and damaging for the more respectable businesses that are up front about their real prices."

The issue is so serious that consumer body Which? took out a "super complaint" against the practice, with the Office of Fair Trading agreeing on Tuesday 28 June to challenge unfair fees.

Responding to that news Catherine Stihler MEP, said:

"I welcome today's decision by the OFT that makes clear exorbitant card charges are unfair. Consumer laws agreed by the European Parliament last week make it clear that unfair surcharges for all means of payment must be made illegal in the UK before 2014.

"It is one thing to pass a genuine additional cost on to the consumer, it is quite another to use surcharges and fees as a means of making additional cash by misleading consumers."

Catherine Stihler has called on the British government to ban the fees now rather than wait for the EU laws to come into force in 2014. She added:

"Companies have already started to improve their ways, having seen that the writing is on the wall for these rip-off fees.

"But we need to end this practice for good so the government shouldn't wait for the EU law to come into force. It should act now and ban outlandish credit card charges once and for all."

Labour warning as EU summit entrenches austerity in EU law

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Right-wing European governments are putting in place long-term economic plans that will commit EU countries to years of austerity without a plan for growth.

That was the warning from Labour MEPs as EU leaders gather in Brussels for a summit on 23 and 24 June, immediately after the European Parliament's right-wing majority backed plans to entrench austerity politics in EU law.

Labour's European spokesperson on the EU's economic governance package, Arlene McCarthy MEP, said:

"With all eyes on Athens, many people have failed to notice that conservative politicians are pushing through rules that that will leave future European governments bound to the austerity-focussed economic policies that are failing to work in Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

"The proposed 'economic governance package' is all about short-term deficit cuts with no focus on growth.

"It is those countries pursuing austerity-only policies, including Britain, which are recording some of the lowest growth figures of any economy globally.

"While Britain is hurting from the Tories' self-imposed austerity drive, the imposition of these failing policies across Europe will further harm growth in the UK economy.

"We need an alternative plan that will allow countries to make long term investments in infrastructure and research and development. We need an alternative that does not place an unfair burden on those poor and middle income families who are being hit hardest by the conservatives' policies."

On Thursday 23 June MEPs voted on the text of the EU's economic governance package, which is supposed to be the EU's long-term response to government debt problems among European countries.

The vote came immediately before a discussion of the plans at a meeting of the European Council, which brings together the leaders of EU countries.

The plans include deficit reduction targets and penalties for Eurozone countries that fail to meet the requirements.

The centre-left MEPs in the European Parliament are insisting that investment spending should be treated separately from regular annual government spending in the debt rules. They believe that investment in scientific research, vital infrastructure and the new green economy is crucial to long term growth and should not be cut back to meet short term EU targets.

Key EU emissions vote postponed

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A politically charged European Parliament vote, in which Tory MEPs were expected to vote against a key plank of the coalition government's environment policy, was postponed on Thursday, giving David Cameron more time to persuade his MEPs to change their minds.

After votes in the parliament had run on for almost two hours, right-wing MEPs called for the voting session to be suspended, with the crucial vote on whether to raise the EU greenhouse gas emissions targets from 20 to 30 per cent postponed until July.

The vote for postponement was not recorded so it is impossible to identify which MEPs supported the delay.

Linda McAvan MEP, environment spokesperson for Labour MEPs, said: "Tory MEPs have now been given a chance to think again on this crucial issue. David Cameron claimed he wanted to lead the greenest government ever, but comments made by his MEPs this week must call into question the Tories' commitment on green issues.

"This vote should have been taken today to pile on the pressure on government ministers and the EU Commission. But we should now use the postponement by right-wing parties to ensure that we have a solid majority behind the 30 per cent target when it comes to the vote in July."

Call for action after small businesses tricked out of thousands

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour is calling for a change to EU law to crack down on tricksters who are exploiting legal grey areas to con small businesses out of thousands of pounds.

The problem centres on organisations that claim to be the publishers of business directories and offer small businesses what appears to be a free listing in their publication.

Weeks later those same businesses receive hefty bills for "administration fees", followed up by threats of legal action if the bills aren't paid.

The campaign to crack down on the practice has taken to the floor of the European Parliament, with MEPs calling for new rules that outlaw unfair and exploitative contract terms hidden in small print.

Labour's Catherine Stihler MEP, spokesperson for Labour Euro-MPs on Consumer Affairs, explained: "Small businesses are being tricked out of thousands of pounds, and the most horrifying thing is that the European Commission can't even tell us whether it is illegal or not.

"These are fly-by-night operations that simply shut down and reopen under another name as soon as there is a whiff of trouble. They open in one country before exploiting businesses in another, knowing that this makes it harder for the authorities to act.

"We need EU legislation that clearly says this is not allowed. It is obvious that these practices are unfair, so it is time for the law to catch up with common sense."

The existence of the "administration charges" are hidden amongst acres of small print, and claims for the money usually come well after the cooling off period in which it is legally possible to cancel a contract of this nature.

However, Catherine Stihler is warning businesses not to be fooled into parting with their cash:

"While these activities do exist in a legal grey area, these tricksters make their money by scaring people into paying up with official looking legal letters. Yet I'm not aware of a single case that has actually made it to court.

"Clearly the best advice is to read all the small print on any free offers carefully before signing. However, anyone who thinks that they may have been victim of such a scam should seek advice before they even think of parting with any money."

On Thursday the European Parliament approved a resolution calling for EU law to be revised to deal with the problem.

Canada warned over seal action

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Euro-MPs have called on Canada to drop its challenge to a European ban on the import of seal products if it wants to secure a free trade agreement with the EU.

In a tough resolution adopted by the European Parliament this week, Canada was warned that its action at the World Trade Organisation will result in opposition from Brussels policymakers when any deal is put to parliamentarians.

The ban on seal products, put in place after a campaign by Euro-MPs in May 2009, has been fiercely resisted by the Canadian authorities.

In February 2011 Canada announced it had requested a WTO dispute panel to challenge the EU ban on seal products.

The ban was put in place out of animal welfare concerns over an annual seal cull in which it is impossible to kill seals humanely. Seals are clubbed or shot, with many being hooked or skinned while still alive. Seal fur is used in the fashion industry, and most of the carcasses are left abandoned on the ice or thrown away.

Speaking after the vote, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on trade relations, David Martin MEP, said: "This is a great day for animal welfare and European democracy. The European Parliament has stepped up to the mark, toe to toe with the Canadian government and the European Commission.

"We did not blink but stood firm for the democratically expressed will of European citizens that we should not import cruelty in the form of cruelly-produced seal products. We want no more blood on the ice - or on our consciences.

"The European Parliament was given new powers by the Lisbon Treaty. It has shown it is prepared to use them in the name of humanity and democracy."

Bahrain Grand Prix controversy raised in European Parliament

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour Euro-MP has called on Formula 1 racing teams to take a stand on human rights.

The controversy surrounding the planned Grand Prix in Bahrain was raised in the European Parliament on Thursday, with a call on the Parliament's President to put pressure on Formula 1 teams to withdraw on the basis of human rights concerns, not just practical considerations.

Labour's European spokesperson on human rights, Richard Howitt MEP, said that there is "a fine tradition" of sportspeople taking a stand on human rights.

Speaking in the European Parliament he said:

"I rise to ask the President to write to the Formula One Teams Association, including Lotus in my own constituency, who said yesterday that logistical problems prevent them supporting a rearranged Grand Prix in Bahrain, to remind them that there is a fine tradition of sportspeople withdrawing on human rights grounds from Muhammad Ali over Vietnam, to cricketers refusing to go to apartheid South Africa or athletes to the Moscow Olympics.

"And that the President expresses the support of this European Parliament for any team which chooses to withdraw, given the need to send a clear message for change and that this year we don't want the bloodied name of Bahrain to stand alongside the proud European names of Nurburgring, Monaco, Monza or Silverstone."

Labour call for focus on jobs in EU spending plans

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has adopted its preliminary position on EU spending plans for 2013 onwards.

Following a vote by MEPs on the EU's next multi-annual financial framework, which is due to begin in 2013, Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's SURE committee that was responsible for drawing up the parliament's position, said: "Labour Euro MPs believe the focus and priority for EU spending must be funding economic investment and research which boost the economy and create jobs.

"Targeted EU spending is one way in which we can boost local economies and bring jobs to our communities. In the face of government cuts the EU is providing vital funds for the UK regions. However, taxpayers want to see better value for money. That is why Labour Euro MPs voted against calls for a 5% budget increase. Savings can and must be made in other areas, in particular the Common Agricultural Policy including harmful agricultural export subsidies and tobacco subsidies, in order to fund Europe's economic priorities.

"The debate on the next Multiannual Financial Framework is an opportunity for fundamental reform and it must be seized - a 'business as usual' policy is not an option in a Europe that needs finance for jobs and growth.

"Labour Euro MPs do not believe that families should continue to bear the full cost of the UK's budgetary contribution. That is why we back a debate on alternative ways to fund the EU, cutting the amount coming from VAT and the national budget through options such as coordinated measures addressing the under-taxed financial sector."

Call for EU reforms to give police more time to fight crime

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Government ministers should act to ensure that police officers do not have to waste their time dealing with spurious arrest warrants issued in another EU country.

That was the message from Labour's Claude Moraes MEP, ahead of a key debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday 8 June.

He is concerned that European arrest warrants, introduced in 2004 to help speed up the extradition of suspects in serious criminal cases, have resulted in police spending too much time chasing people accused of petty crimes abroad.

Claude, who is the spokesperson for Labour MEPs on justice and home affairs, is calling on the government to strike an agreement with other European countries to ensure that the warrants, which are issued in one EU country for the arrest and fast-track extradition of a suspect in another, are used only for the most serious cases.

He explained: "I don't want the police, who are already under pressure because of government cuts, to have to spend valuable time finding someone wanted in Poland for stealing a bicycle.

"European arrest warrants have made it easier for us to bring people accused of serious crimes to justice quickly. But their use for petty criminals and minor misdemeanours will actually undermine the police's ability to fight more serious offences.

"Some countries have been applying the warrants in cases for which they were never intended. They were introduced to help us in the fight against murder, terrorism and rape, not low-level theft that in Britain would normally just result in a caution at the most."

Labour MEPs support the idea of the arrest warrants, which have resulted in the return of dozens of suspected serious criminals from Spain to the UK. However, they want to see agreement between national governments for a mandatory proportionality test to be applied, to ensure that they are only used in the most serious cases.

Campaigners for reform have cited a number of examples that would not pass that test but where warrants have been issued, including bicycle theft, pig rustling, the theft of wardrobe doors and going over an overdraft limit.

In addition to cracking down on spurious warrants, Labour MEPs also want governments to move quickly to ensure that other basic rights are also put in place for people facing criminal action abroad, such as the right to interpretation and translation.

2011 Traineeship (stagiaire) in the European Parliament

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

GROUP OF THE PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE OF SOCIALISTS AND DEMOCRATS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY

2011 Traineeship (stagiaire) in the European Parliament

A traineeship will be available for five months from 12 SEPTEMBER 2011 TO 12 FEBRUARY 2012 in the S&D Group in the European Parliament (Brussels).

An allowance of approximately 1300 Euros per month (roughly 1150 Pounds Sterling) is paid to a trainee during the five months.

Additional details on the who S&D Group are and what they do can be found on the the Socialists and Democrats website.

Interviews will be held in the week beginning 13th June 2011.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter of no more than two A4 pages, to Mark Simpson at:

European Parliamentary Labour Party, 32 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3EU (fax 020 7233 1365)
or by e-mail to mark.simpson@europarl.europa.eu
No telephone applications

The deadline for applications is Friday 3rd June 2011.

The following documents will aid your application:

The job description (Word doc)
The rules governing the traineeship (PDF)

'Don't delay tobacco laws', Commission warned on No Tobacco Day

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission is being put under pressure to give a clear commitment that it will push ahead with plans to review EU tobacco legislation that could result in the introduction of graphic health warnings on cigarette packets.

Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP has tabled a parliamentary question to coincide with World No Tobacco Day on Tuesday 31 May demanding confirmation from the European Commission that the EU's review of its Tobacco Products Directive will be delivered on time.

Plans for a review of the EU law, which lays down minimum standards for the advertising and packaging of tobacco products, have been widely expected to be published later this year.

Recently, however, rumours have emerged suggesting internal delays may mean that the proposals are not released until late 2012.

Health campaigners see the review as a major opportunity to introduce a requirement for cigarette packs to feature prominent images illustrating the health risks of tobacco use, such as pictures of diseased lungs and damaged teeth.

Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP, who leads the British Labour group in the European Parliament and is spokesperson for Labour MEPs on public health, said: "A delay in the timetable of this review would raise serious concerns about the Commission's commitment to reducing tobacco use.

"We are hopeful that Commissioner Dalli has heard and understood the concerns of health groups. A firm commitment from the Commissioner to stick to the original timetable will send a strong signal showing that he is serious about protecting public health."

The delay is significant because campaigners believe that the Danish government, which will take over the EU presidency for the first half of 2012, will be a key ally in the battle to secure tough new measures on cigarette packaging and labelling.

As well as potentially missing the Danish presidency, late publication could also make it difficult to get what will doubtless prove to be a controversial dossier through the European Parliament before the 2014 euro-elections.

Pictorial warnings are already used in many countries, including Australia, Canada and a number of South American countries. Evidence shows that pictures are more effective at communicating the dangers of tobacco use than the text warnings that are currently required. A Eurobarometer survey published last year showed popular support for the warnings, with 75 per cent backing the idea of picture health warnings.

Glenis Willmott added: "There is strong evidence to show that the use of warning images on packets is far more effective than text alone.

"These warnings aren't just about persuading smokers of the benefits of giving up, they could also play an important role in stopping young people from starting to smoke in the first place.

"Delay by the Commission could cost lives."

Time for a change on the EU budget

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Union must slash wasteful agricultural subsidies and divert the money to projects that will boost jobs and generate long term economic growth.

That's the message from Labour Euro-MPs as the European Parliament prepares its position on the EU's long-term spending plans for 2013 to 2020.

A special parliamentary committee of MEPs, known as the SURE Committee, has this week voted on a report laying out the European Parliament's views ahead of formal proposals expected from the European Commission later this year.

Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP, who represents Labour on the committee, said: "As governments slash spending, the European Union can act as a counterbalance to cuts by providing support for jobs and economic development - positive spending that will actually help economies grow their way out of debt.

"This report should be about sending a message to ministers that we want to see an EU budget that will invest in job creation and support the local economies of areas that have suffered from the economic downturn.

"It is time for MEPs and government ministers to grasp the nettle of budget reform and set new priorities, so that EU money is used where it makes the biggest difference.

"That means an end to spending money on those ineffectual agricultural and export subsidies that prop up rich landowners but do little to boost our economies."

The EU budget is normally planned in seven year cycles, with preparations now being made for the period beginning in 2013. The report adopted by the committee this week will be put to a vote of all MEPs in June.

Detailed proposals on the EU's multiannual financial framework are expected from the European Commission in the summer, which will be followed by lengthy discussions between Euro-MPs and national governments, who will need to agree the final plans.

The final proposals will require a majority vote in favour by MEPs and the unanimous support of governments in the European Council.

Several governments have committed to veto any proposed increase. Labour MEPs support this position but say that this places a requirement on EU leaders to reform the way the EU uses its budget resources.

The framework package is seen as an important opportunity to cut down on the share of the EU budget taken up by the agricultural sector, in which much of the money invested is hoovered up by large scale farms and rich landowners. Labour will continue to promote this stance in the Parliamentary process.

Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's budget committee, Derek Vaughan MEP, said: "We need to look at how the EU spends its money, not just how much it spends.

"Sadly, this is a debate that many MEPs and ministers would rather avoid, so they will end up focussing on headline figures rather than looking at how we prioritise the money the EU has at its disposal.

"It is in the EU's best interests to show that its budget is focussed on those areas that matter most to people right across Europe. In the coming months, jobs and growth must be the priority."

The committee adopted a call for a five per cent increase to the EU budget as part of its proposals on the budget framework. Labour MEPs oppose this stance and argue instead that the EU must focus on how existing funding can be used more effectively.

New rights for victims of crime welcomed

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A campaign to boost the rights of Britons who become victims of crime while abroad received a boost from Brussels today with the announcement of new proposals on the subject.

Labour MEPs have been calling for action to ensure that people are assured of basic rights if they are unlucky enough to become a victim of crime while in another EU country.

The European Commission has now come up with proposals for legal standards to give people basic rights to support and assistance wherever they are in the EU.

Labour's European spokesperson on justice and home affairs, Claude Moraes MEP, said: "When you go away the thought of becoming a victim of crime couldn't be further from your mind, and in the vast majority of cases travel is trouble free.

"However, in the minority of cases where something does happen, it can often be bewildering for a victim, who may have to deal with police, health and legal services in a country where they don't know the system and don't speak the language.

"We already have European rules in place that guarantee basic rights for those people who are accused of committing a crime. However, in too many cases the rights of victims can be forgotten.

"When a crime occurs the people affected can feel at their most vulnerable, so we want to ensure that victim support services are in place and that information is delivered to victims in an understandable way.

"All Euro-MPs know from their own constituency casework that this is a significant issue. The most common cases are car accidents and robberies, but often it is the most serious cases that are the most heartbreaking, such as cases involving violence.

"The process of investigating and prosecuting these crimes places an enormous strain on victims and their families. We want to ensure that their needs are not forgotten."

While it is recognised that there is always room for improvement, the UK is widely considered to have one of Europe's strongest records with regards to victim support. However, this often means that British people who fall victim to crime while abroad find the experience even more traumatic as services and practices that they would expect to support them are not present.

The Commission says that its new rules will aim to ensure that:

victims are treated with respect and police, prosecutors and judges are trained in how to properly deal with them;
victims get information on their rights and their case in a way they understand;
victim support exists in every Member State;
victims can participate in proceedings if they want and are helped to attend the trial;
vulnerable victims are identified - such as children, victims of rape, or those with disabilities - and they are properly protected;
victims are protected while police investigate the crime and during court proceedings.

The legislation will now need to be agreed by MEPs and government ministers.

Labour has vowed to look carefully at the proposals and if necessary look to strengthen them as the legislation makes its way through the European Parliament.

Labour call for openness about banks' big earners

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's campaign for more openness by banks about their pay policies took a step forward this week, with MEPs backing calls for financial institutions to declare the number of very high earners they employ.

The European Parliament adopted a report that is a curtain raiser for full EU legislation on corporate governance in the financial sector later this year.

The proposals include a call for banks to declare how many people they pay over €1 million per year, with the information broken down in bands of €1 million.

The provisions on pay were introduced through Labour amendments during the report's committee stage.

While the right wing majority of the parliament watered down Labour's initial proposal of bands of €500,000, the parliament's position will still put pressure on the European Commission to deliver strong legislation on the issue of bankers' pay.

Writing for left of centre blog Left Foot Forward, Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP said: "The out of control pay culture in banks was a key factor in the reckless behaviour which led to the crisis...More must be done to enable shareholders to hold the senior management of their companies to account, and bring down the obscene overall level of pay in this sector.

"Transparency is key to this and Euro MPs now have the opportunity to take forward plans to make banks more open about their pay deals."

New "right to know" on animal fur in your clothes

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Consumers will be able to tell whether fur trims and linings in the clothes they buy come from real animals, after new rules passed by the European Parliament this week.

At present someone buying clothing that includes fur-type materials may not be able to tell whether it is based on a synthetic material or is in fact real fur.

New EU rules, which will be phased in over the coming two and half years, will mean if an item that includes material derived from an animal will need to declare so on its label.

The move has been welcomed by animal rights groups, including the RSPCA.

Catherine Stihler MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's consumer protection committee, welcomed the change: "This isn't about telling people what to wear, it is about making sure they are told what they are buying. We want to ensure that consumers are able to make an informed choice.

"We know that many people have serious concerns about fur farming, so they would be horrified to think that their purchasing power might be supporting the practice. These changes will help fashion lovers go out there and buy with confidence."

EU transparency register: 'a step forward, but more to be done' says Labour MEP

Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour has welcomed new rules on transparency of lobbying in the European Parliament and European Commission, but called for more to be done to ensure that the EU is open about how outside bodies interact with legislators and officials.

Euro-MPs today voted to formally endorse a Transparency Register, a public listing of outside interests that interact with the European Parliament and Commission.

David Martin MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee, welcomed today's vote but said the institutions must go further: "This is a good step forward, but the Parliament needs to do much more. We'll be watching with interest to see the further proposals on transparency that we're expecting later this year.

"We need to see tougher sanctions for those people who break the code of conduct and tighter controls on who can come and go within the parliament's buildings.

"The Council and European Commission also need to come into line with the tougher stance that has been taken by the Parliament.

"We particularly want to see more transparency with the Commission. Officials should be clear about who has had both formal and informal input into new legislation."

The register has only been introduced on a voluntary basis, although the parliament has taken the decision that any lobbyists who want long-term access to its buildings will be required sign up. Anyone who registers must agree to abide by a code of conduct and would face the possibility of being struck off the register if they do not abide by it.

Labour MEPs are backing calls for a mandatory register that applies to all three of the main EU institutions, including the Council of Ministers, which brings together governments from the EU's 27 member states. To date the Council has refused to sign up to the agreement, but the Parliament has been encouraged by recent indications that it may be willing to do so.

Euro MPs vote for more transparency on expenses

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Members of the European Parliament have called for their own expenses regime to be made more transparent in a bid to boost public confidence in the institution.

In a vote earlier today MEPs backed proposals that could lead to Euro-MPs from all countries following a similar regime to that already voluntarily applied by Labour members of the European Parliament.

The call was made as the European Parliament voted to approve the discharge of its own accounts for 2009, effectively signing off spending for the period. However, approval came with calls for greater transparency in relation to some areas of spending.

Without sufficient checks in place regarding office expenditure, Labour introduced its own rules that cover all Labour MEPs. Accounts are reviewed and signed off by an auditor each year and a quarterly breakdown of expenditure is published online.

Derek Vaughan MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the budgetary control committee welcomed the result of today's vote: "This vote is a positive step on the road to improved transparency in the European Parliament. We now need to keep up the pressure for reform to ensure that today's words translate into action.

"Independent auditors have been signing off Labour MEPs' accounts for many years, so we have shown that plans for improved transparency are both possible and affordable.

"All MEPs must now show that there is a firm commitment to tighten the rules and give our constituents greater confidence in the way the European Parliament spends public money."

Call for action in fight against fraudsters

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A campaign to win new rights for people and businesses who have been victims of fraud has today (Tuesday) won the support of the European Parliament, which has backed proposals by a British MEP for a legal tool that will make it harder for fraudsters to hide their ill-gotten gains.

Labour's Arlene McCarthy MEP is calling for new court orders which could be used to freeze a fraudster's assets across all 27 European Union countries.

At present someone who has been a victim of fraud and who is seeking the disclosure, or the freezing, of the perpetrator's assets, will have to seek separate court orders in any country in which they suspect money may be hidden.

The complexity of accessing up to 27 different judicial systems means that in many cases money is moved from one jurisdiction to another, before eventually being moved offshore where it cannot be accessed by any legal authorities.

Arlene McCarthy says that a pan-European order is necessary to make it easier for people who have been conned out of their savings to get their money back: "A typical example, which is often raised with me by my constituents, is that of a disreputable builder who persuades people to hand over significant sums of money for a new home but then disappears. By the time it is clear what has happened the money invested could have been moved out of the country. The time and expense needed to trace these funds means that in many cases the money is lost before any action is taken.

"The current legal setup protects the fraudster, leaving the victim lost in a quagmire of paperwork and expensive legal action.

"These proposals would reverse this unfair situation, giving the victim a better chance of getting their money back."

MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of a detailed demand for action drafted by Arlene McCarthy backing the idea of pan-EU disclosure and asset freezing orders.

Arlene McCarthy added: "The European Commission is expected to come forward with proposals on the freezing of assets later this year and the Labour MEPs will continue to campaign to ensure that EU action will help the victims of these fraud cases.

"Today we've put forward realistic proposals that could make a massive difference for people who have been cheated out of their hard earned cash. With the safeguards in place that we have proposed, the Commission must now act to redress the balance and give more power to these victims of crime."

Spanish minister hears from Labour over home demolition scandal

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of people who face the prospect of losing their homes because of legal problems in Spain have had the backing of Labour Euro-MPs this month.

The Spanish minister for public works, Jose Blanco, was urged to address the concerns of people from across the EU who invested in property in Spain and then found themselves facing the prospect of eviction and in some cases the demolition of their home.

Mr Blanco was in London on Wednesday 4 May to promote foreign property investment in Spain. In an open letter to the minister, Labour's Michael Cashman MEP wrote: "I have received literally hundreds of letters and emails over the years from distraught European citizens, who, after having legitimately acquired homes with proper legal advice and green lights from officials, mayors, lawyers and developers, have been evicted and their house and life savings demolished with absolutely no compensation."

It was reported that the London visit would be an opportunity for the minister to reassure potential investors about the legal situation in Spain. Michael Cashman's letter continued: "You will be mentioning measures to safeguard foreign investors' legal concerns. I am eager to find out what these are. What about those that have already invested and who, faced with the uncompensated loss of their property, have found absolutely no results through the Spanish legal system?"

Just a few weeks before the minister's visit the European Parliament's Petitions Committee heard about how conflict between local and regional layers of government in Spain has resulted in many people buying properties that have later been declared illegal.

Maura Hillen, the President of AUAN, a campaign group established in the Almanzora valley area of Spain, had been invited to speak to the committee to put forward the case of innocent homeowners who, having bought their property in good faith, are now faced with the loss of their home without hope of compensation. In some cases people are even facing the prospect of being forced to pay the debts of developers who built their properties.

Mrs Hillen, who moved to Spain from Weybridge in Surrey in 2007, spoke about cases in which the problem has forced some people to live without electricity and water. "These abuses contravene the EU Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and these laws must be respected and complied with by Spain," she said.

Michael Cashman is a long-time supporter of victims of Spanish property laws and he welcomed the petitioners to the European Parliament.

He added: "We, in the European Parliament, from all the different parties, have been calling for years for solutions to these scandalous problems ranging from a moratorium on new urbanisations and demolitions to infringement cases from the European Commission. However, nothing can be done without the cooperation of the Spanish national and regional governments. It is high time for the victims to be compensated and we will keep up the pressure until they are."

'European Commission must find savings to prioritise growth'

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour MEP has called on the European Commission to radically overhaul its planned budget for 2012 to put a proper focus on jobs and growth.

The call came as the European Commission announced plans for a 4.9 per cent increase in the EU's budget for 2012.

Speaking after the announcement, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's budget committee, Derek Vaughan MEP, said: "Labour MEPs will oppose the European Commission's proposals for a 4.9 per cent per cent increase in the EU's budget. We believe that savings can be found to avoid this increase and still put money into areas that are in vital need of EU support.

"Now is the time for the EU to prioritise spending on initiatives that will boost jobs and economic growth at a time when domestic cuts are making communities suffer.

"We need EU money to be targeted at areas such as economic regeneration, transport and energy infrastructures, research and development. These are the areas in which European support can help counter the impact of government cuts.

"It is clear that savings can be made, from the EU's own administrative funding through to support for tobacco producers and export subsidies that undermine our investment in international aid."

The final decision on the budget rests with both EU governments and the European Parliament, who will need to reach an agreement by the end of the year.

Campaign for honest transfat labelling backed by Brussels vote

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour MEP has won the backing of an all-party committee in her campaign to require food manufacturers to tell consumers whether their products include potentially harmful transfats.

The proposals made it through the European Parliament's environment and public health committee despite strong resistance from the food industry that has been lobbying MEPs hard in an attempt to block requirements for more honest labelling.

Speaking after the Tuesday morning vote, Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP said:

"If we are serious about tackling diseases such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes then consumers need to know what is in their food.

"Transfats have already been banned in some countries because of concerns about their health implications, with links shown to coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's and infertility. Consumers should have a right to know whether transfats have been artificially added to their food."

While some transfats occur naturally, most are added by the food industry to prolong shelf life and cut costs.

To become law the proposals will also need the backing of EU governments, which have said they would prefer a voluntary scheme. However, Glenis Willmott rejects that position: "A voluntary labelling scheme is simply a charter for hiding the truth. Consumers have begun to wake up to the dangers of transfats, so a company that chooses to do the right thing and label transfats could end up losing business to a company that chooses not to mention them at all. It could actually result in people making a less healthy choice."

Both sides will need to agree on a deal over the legislation by July if they are to reach an early compromise.

Other elements of honest labelling backed by MEPs in the vote included:

Stronger "country of origin" labelling to make it easier for consumers to understand where their food comes from. MEPs backed the principle of honest origin labelling last year. This was in an attempt to clamp down on dishonest claims, such as manufacturers claiming their food is British when in fact the principal ingredient had been imported and it was merely processed or packaged in Britain. The vote rejects attempts by EU governments and right-wing MEPs to water down that position.
A requirement to label palm oil where it is used in a product. Serious environmental concerns have been raised about the impact of palm oil, with the industry linked to deforestation and the loss of natural habitat for many species, including orang-utans, tigers and rhinos.

Commenting on the overall package, Glenis Willmott added:

"We know that the food industry wants to do the bare minimum when it comes to being upfront about what is in the food we buy. As politicians our job is to ensure that consumers have the information they need to make informed choices."

Labour call for EU action on arrest warrant abuses

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour MEP has called on the European Commission to crack down on governments that are abusing European arrest warrants to extradite people accused of committing low-level offences, such as one case centring on the theft of a cupboard door.

A report released this week by EU Commissioner Viviane Reding is the first stage in a review of the system through which the judicial authorities in one European country can request the arrest and extradition of someone from another EU member state.

There are widespread concerns that officials in some countries have been pushing for warrants in far too many cases, placing an extra burden on judicial systems for what often prove to be extremely low level offences.

Labour Euro-MPs are calling for the Commission to take action to ensure that the EU-wide warrants are used for genuinely serious crimes.

The European Commission has highlighted the fact that dozens of suspected drug smugglers, murderers and child sex crime offenders have been brought back to the UK from Spain thanks to the system.

Commenting on the review, Claude Moraes MEP, Labour's European spokesperson on justice and home affairs, said: "These arrest warrants are being applied in the most ridiculous of cases. EU arrest warrants were set up to help us extradite murderers, not petty criminals.

"The European Commission needs to come down hard on countries that are abusing the system.

"Unless action is taken, support for these warrants will be eroded and we will lose a vital weapon in the fight against serious crime."

Baby milk claim approved - despite majority of MEPs against

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Manufacturers of follow-on formula baby milk will be allowed to market their products by claiming they improve a child's eyesight, despite a majority of MEPs voting to block the move.

The controversial claim - which centred on a fatty acid called DHA - was being challenged by Euro-MPs who were concerned at the lack of scientific consensus on the issue.

A majority of MEPs voted to challenge the health claim in the crucial vote earlier today, but the resolution fell short of the 368 votes that would have delivered the absolute majority that was needed to block the claim.

Speaking after the vote, Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP, who led the challenge to the claim, said: "Today a majority of this parliament voted against this health claim. MEPs have concluded that scientific consensus simply doesn't exist.

"Yet now manufacturers will be free to target parents with marketing messages that many medical professionals and health organisations believe should not be allowed.

"Parents of young children are a group of consumers who are particularly vulnerable to marketing messages of this kind. Clearly they want to do all they can to give their kids the best start in life. So we have to be extra careful about ensuring they are not misled."

Glenis Willmott went on to say that the vote will add pressure for a full review of whether claims of this nature should be allowed: "Clearly it is a disappointment not to get the number of votes we needed, but this result still sends a strong message that there is deep unease about health claims of this sort.

"Many health professionals have said to me that if DHA really is beneficial in formula milk then it should be required by law to be in all products on sale, not simply left to companies to be used as a marketing tool.

"It is particularly worrying that the European Commission has seemed resistant to even consider the very valid concerns that have been raised by health and medical organisations.

"The food industry has been lobbying very hard on this claim, not just in the European Parliament over the last few weeks, but targeting the European Commission and scientific establishment for years.

"Health claims are not allowed on normal infant formula milk out of concern that they could be misleading for parents. Many people don't even understand the difference between infant formula and follow-on formula. I will be writing to the European Commission to ask for a review of whether health claims on follow-on formula should be allowed."

Background briefing:
To block the claim, the resolution needed the support of more than half of all 734 MEPs currently in office, not simply the majority of votes cast. A total of 328 MEPs voted to challenge the claim, with 323 against.

European rules are in place to ensure that food manufacturers cannot make misleading health claims about their food. This claim was approved in December by an EU committee, but that decision was controversial with some committee members refusing to back the claim.

The claim concerns the use of DHA in follow-on formula milk for infants aged six months and older. DHA is naturally present in breast milk and is known to help with the development of eyesight in breast-fed babies. However, formula milk is known to have different properties to breast milk and studies are less clear about whether DHA brings the same benefits when delivered by the bottle

Coalition blocks consumers' right to know on cloning in the food chain

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The British government has blocked proposals to give consumers the right to know whether the meat and dairy products they buy have genetic links to cloned animals.

Through-the-night negotiations aiming to agree pan-EU rules on the subject ended in stalemate at 7am this morning. EU governments, including the British coalition, refused to agree to Euro-MPs' demands for the mandatory labelling of food derived from the offspring of cloned animals.

MEPs believe that people should have a right to know whether their supermarket purchases are driving a practice that is widely recognised to have serious implications for animal welfare.

However, with the breakdown in talks, it now seems likely that cloning will remain in a legal grey area for a number of years to come.

At present cloning in the UK is used exclusively for research purposes, but rules do not exist around whether the technique can be used for food production. While the cost of cloning means that it is unlikely that food from cloned animals would enter the human food chain in the near future, we can expect meat and milk from the offspring of clones to become much more common.

Labour's Linda McAvan MEP, who was one of the European Parliament's representatives during three years of negotiations on the subject, said: "Consumers want to know where the food they buy has come from - and whether animals have suffered unnecessarily to produce it. Just look at the example of battery hens, where tough EU labelling laws have helped consumers to understand whether the eggs they buy have been produced under decent animal welfare conditions.

"There has already been at least one outcry in Britain over meat that came from the offspring of a cloned animal entering the human food chain.

"I simply don't understand why the British government is leading the charge in trying to stop consumers from knowing whether the meat or milk they buy has come from an animal related to a clone."

Last September, there was a public outcry in the UK when it became clear that a Scottish farmer was using imported embryos from a US cloned bull to breed animals in the UK. Meat and milk from these animals were sold to the British public. The Food Standards Agency questioned the legality of selling meat and milk from the offspring of clones in the UK and they launched an inquiry to trace all of the animals affected.

Since coming to power the British coalition government has been a leading voice against any restrictions on the use of offspring of clones, claiming that there are "no animal welfare or food safety grounds for applying restrictions to immediate offspring or further descendants of cloned animals".

However, experts have expressed serious concerns about the animal welfare implications of cloning, with the EU's own ethics committee saying it did not see convincing arguments to justify the production of food from clones and their offspring.

MEPs wanted consumers to be able to tell whether the meat and dairy products they buy had come from the offspring of cloned animals.

Linda McAvan added: "MEPs wanted rules in place to ensure that consumers would be aware of whether their choice in the supermarket would mean implicitly supporting a practice that causes unnecessary suffering to animals. However, ministers refused to back down.

"We wanted labelling of all products from offspring to be phased in, starting immediately with fresh beef, but extended to other products over the next two years. Ministers rejected this, only conceding on the beef. Their proposal gave no guarantee about consumer choice and would have meant that in most cases, consumers would be none the wiser about whether or not the food they were eating came from cloned offspring."

Background briefing:
Expert advice has highlighted serious animal welfare issues with cloning, including: birthing problems, high mortality rates during pregnancy, poor survival rates after birth with about a third dying in the early weeks of life from a range of conditions.

Recently, in New Zealand, unacceptable rates of death among cloned animals caused a leading national research institute to suspend their trials, as only 10% of animals survived.

A 2008 Eurobarometer survey found that over 81 per cent of UK citizens said they wanted meat from clones and their offspring to be labelled.

Government u-turn on trafficking laws after Labour and campaigner pressure

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

British campaigners who have been calling on the government to change direction on its approach to human trafficking have won an important victory.

New EU rules to help combat human trafficking will be applied in the UK, despite the government's initial decision to opt out of the new laws.

Now, after pressure by campaign groups and Labour politicians, the government has agreed to opt back into the directive, which includes tough new rules to crack down on criminal gangs and provide more support for victims.

Responding to the news, Labour's European spokesperson on civil liberties, Claude Moraes MEP, said: "Finally after months of claiming that they saw no need to opt into these measures the government has bowed to pressure to take action to protect vulnerable women and children. We should be thankful for that decision, but it is shameful that the government has only agreed to stand up to its right-wing backbenchers after months of pressure from campaigners and Labour on this issue.

"Sadly, because ministers chose to shun the negotiations around this directive, the UK lost any chance it might have had to make it even stronger or more effective at tackling human trafficking.

"This form of modern-day slavery is a global problem, and cooperation with our European partners is essential to address it effectively. The government's eventual u-turn is a recognition that it is in our interests to work together on matters that affect us all."

The government chose to opt out of the proposals for an EU directive on human trafficking last summer. In doing so, it gave up its right to be involved in negotiations that led to the agreement.

Baby milk battle looms as MEPs vote to block eyesight health claim

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A major battle between health groups and the food industry is set to play out in the European Parliament after Euro-MPs voted to block claims by baby milk manufacturers that their follow-on formulas improve babies' eyesight.

Labour's Glenis Willmott is questioning an EU decision to approve the marketing claim that a fatty acid called DHA will improve an infant's eyesight when it is included in some formula baby milk products and baby food.

A resolution challenging that decision was backed today (Wednesday) in a tight vote in the European Parliament's Environment and Public Health Committee by 30 votes to 28.

Medical opinion is divided on whether DHA really does help a child's vision when delivered via the bottle and many health groups and doctors' organisations have been calling on MEPs to use their scrutiny powers to block the claim.

The resolution will now be put to a full vote of the European Parliament in the first week of April. If it is backed by the majority of MEPs then the claim will not be allowed.

There has been intense activity on the issue in Brussels, with industry lobbyists pushing hard in an attempt to stop MEPs from challenging the claim.

Speaking after the vote, Glenis Willmott explained why she is leading this challenge: "There simply isn't scientific consensus on whether DHA in formula baby milk will actually deliver benefits to a child. Baby milk is a very special product and we can't allow parents to be misled or confused.

"Many of the medical professionals who I have been in touch with believe that the pressure for this decision is coming from the industry in its bid to sell more of its products. A lot of medical people are deeply concerned about this health claim."

Despite support for Glenis Willmott's position from many health organisations, many on the right of the European Parliament, including Conservative MEPs, are backing the industry position.

Glenis Willmott originally raised her objection to the decision in January and the final vote by MEPs is expected to take place in the week commencing 4 April, with the result expected to be tight.

People who are concerned about the issue can contact their MEP via www.WriteToThem.com

'No-fly' zone vote adds to pressure on EU summit

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has backed the principle of an internationally enforced 'no-fly' zone in Libya, ahead of a key meeting of European leaders tomorrow (Friday 11 March).

A leading Euro-MP has called on the summit in Brussels to signal EU preparedness to use military assets to contribute to any internationally agreed military intervention.

Labour's Richard Howitt MEP, who jointly proposed the resolution that was adopted by the European Parliament, believes governments must be prepared for the possibility that sudden and public evidence of new attacks by Colonel Gaddafi against his own people could immediately change the terms of the debate about military measures by international forces.

A signal that Europe could move beyond its traditional humanitarian and economic development role, and use security measures to intervene in Libya in cooperation with other countries is made more likely by the creation of Europe's External Action Service, the Euro MP argues.

Richard Howitt MEP, who is also human rights spokesperson for the European Parliament's Socialists and Democrats Group, said: "Those who today warn of the political, legal and military barriers to any security intervention should understand how quickly the debate would change if our fears about massacres by Gaddafi against his own people become evident.

"A failure of preparedness now could presage the crimes against humanity of the future, whilst an EU statement of political will to act could be critical in preventing such violence from ever happening.

"Europe's new foreign policy set-up integrates defence with EU development and foreign policy actions, and EU leaders must show they are ready to apply the benefits this brings in Libya where it is needed most.

"Europe must act in step with NATO, the United Nations the African Union and the Arab League, but not use disagreement in other fora as an excuse to avoid the difficult questions this summit must address."

The European Parliament resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 584 votes to 18.

Strasbourg travelling circus challenged by Euro-MP vote

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

MEPs have won a victory in their battle against the European Parliament's wasteful practice of decamping and moving to Strasbourg for four days every month.

A procedural amendment was backed in a secret ballot of Euro-MPs today, which it is hoped will reopen the debate about changing the rules that currently require the European Parliament to meet in Strasbourg, even though most of its work is done in Brussels.

Under a 1992 agreement between European leaders at the time, brokered by John Major, the European Parliament is obliged to meet for 12 sessions every year in Strasbourg.

However, with most of the other EU institutions based in Brussels, the majority of MEPs' duties are undertaken in the Belgian capital and many MEPs would rather all their work be done there.

But because the Strasbourg decision is locked into a treaty, MEPs are unable to change it.

Today MEPs voted on their calendar of meetings for 2012, and elected to hold two separate sessions in a single week. The change will save millions as thousands of journeys will not need to be taken by MEPs and officials.

However, it is also hoped that the call will add to pressure on European governments to revisit the whole issue.

Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, had been working with colleagues across different parties to build an alliance to back the change agreed today. Commenting on the decision she said:

"This is a small victory for common sense, but much more importantly it sends a clear signal to European leaders that MEPs themselves do not back the current ridiculous travelling circus of going to Strasbourg.

"The European Parliament's trips to Strasbourg are costly, wasteful and quite frankly incomprehensible to our constituents.

"We still have a long way to go, but this makes it clear to government ministers that MEPs simply are not happy with the status quo."

Women in politics: unions should take up the challenge

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's leader in the European Parliament has marked International Women's Day by calling on the trade union movement to take up the challenge of making our political institutions more diverse.

She says that she was only able to get involved in politics because of the confidence she gained through being active in her trade union. She wants the unions to take a greater role in political education so that people who might not otherwise have the confidence to stand for office take up the challenge.

She said: "Things have become better for women at work and in politics, but glass ceilings remain to be shattered.

"Where I sit in the European Parliament, women still have to fight harder to be heard. We will only be able to challenge outdated views by normalising the existence of women in political life. We need more women to be taking an interest in politics and deciding that they could do the job of a politician as well as anyone. But for many that path looks too daunting.

"Labour can be proud of its record in encouraging people from all walks of life to get involved in politics. But still our politicians are perceived as coming from a small, often male, elite, who have had little experience outside the macho world of politics. That not only affects how we as a party relate to the public, it is also off-putting for many people outside the bubble.

"My early experiences at work are what led me to the trade union movement - and it was the unions that gave me the confidence to speak up and speak out. It's time the unions got back to the vital role they played in political education, particularly of women. In short it's time the unions took up that challenge once again."

Glenis became a union activist for ASTMS when she was working for the health service in 1968. She went on to work for the GMB in the East Midlands before becoming a member of the European Parliament.

Euro-MPs back Robin Hood Tax

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have won the support of international colleagues in their campaign for a Robin Hood tax to ensure that the financial services sector pays its fair share.

The European Parliament has today adopted a position backing the idea of a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT), which could raise billions and ensure that the financial services sector makes a significant contribution towards the cost of recovering from the banking crisis.

Labour MEPs backed the idea, but the Conservatives refused to support the report, which calls for banks and other finance companies to pay a fairer level of taxation.

Explaining Labour's vote on the issue, Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour spokesperson in the European Parliament on economic affairs, said:

"Labour Euro MPs are responding to the public's call for fair taxation of the financial sector.

"The financial sector is largely exempt from VAT and is under-taxed, while ordinary citizens have faced the costs of the financial crisis including contributing 9,500 Euros of Government support from every man, woman and child in the EU.

"In this vote Labour Euro MPs have backed the hundreds of thousands of campaigners who are actively working for a Robin Hood Tax, a tiny tax on financial transactions that can raise billions to meet priorities at home and our commitments to fighting poverty and climate change internationally.

"Global agreement would be the best way to introduce such a tax, but the UK's stamp duty on shares demonstrates it is possible to introduce a successful, well-designed financial transaction tax without undermining competitiveness. An EU-wide coordinated FTT would be the first step towards a global FTT. It is time for action and the EU can lead this campaign for global fairer taxation."

Arlene McCarthy has accused some Conservative MEPs of misrepresenting today's vote in order to cover up their refusal to take any action to make the financial services sector pay a fair share in tax. She added:

"Some Conservatives have tried to mislead by claiming this was a technical vote about UK contributions to the EU - but that isn't what this vote was about.

"Today MEPs had a chance to say that it is time for the financial sector to pay its fair share. Clearly the Conservatives would rather continue to give the City of London a free ride."

Labour backs victims' rights campaign for Brits abroad

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have given their backing to a campaign to make it easier for Britons who are victims of crime abroad to get the help and support they need.

The European Commission is putting finishing touches to proposals that will help EU countries to coordinate the way they deal with victims.

This week a group of Labour's Euro-MPs welcomed campaigner Maggie Hughes to Brussels. She has been calling for the introduction of a single telephone number through which victims of crime abroad, and their families, can access the services and support they need at their time of crisis.

In 2008 Maggie herself had to spend over three months away from home when her son was left in a life-threatening condition after being beaten up while on holiday in Greece.

She was brought to Brussels by GMB, her trade union, to meet European Commission officials to ensure they understand exactly what she and her family went through. Speaking ahead of the meeting she said: "What is needed is a well publicised helpline where all the agencies and companies that families need to get hold of to enable them to reach their injured loved one and get them back home safely come together with compassion and offer the necessary practical and administrative support to families at this extremely traumatic time.

"At the moment it's no one's job, and so at one of the most dreadful and worrying times of someone's life, for maybe a parent or a spouse or a grandparent, it is almost impossible to get any information let alone help. The British embassies do their best but do not have the resources to do more than the bare minimum."

Claude Moraes MEP, who is Labour's European spokesperson on justice and home affairs and represents Maggie's London constituency, said: "It is impossible to understand what Maggie must have been going through. It is every parent's worst nightmare: to know that your child is in a life-threatening condition in a country that is over a thousand miles away from home.

"Of course we hope that these things will never happen to us, and for most people trips abroad are problem free. But sadly many people are affected by crime while they are abroad and at present the EU isn't doing enough to assist these vulnerable victims."

Last year the foreign office gave consular support to over 2,000 people who were hospitalised in another European Union country. It also dealt with around 4,000 deaths abroad within the EU.

In all of these cases it is not just the victims themselves that are affected, but also countless family members and close friends who often don't know where to start to navigate their away around a foreign country's systems.

Claude Moraes added: "At present we have EU standards to ensure that people accused of crimes abroad are entitled to support and assistance. And it is vitally important for them to have those rights to ensure they are able to make their case.

"However, the innocent victims of crime mustn't be forgotten. They are also incredibly vulnerable in these situations, and we're calling on the Commission to come forward with a strong package of victims' rights so that people aren't left to simply fend for themselves under what are often incredibly traumatic conditions.

"Labour will be campaigning to ensure that the victims of crime aren't left behind by EU law."

An announcement on plans for an EU package on victims' rights is expected in the spring.

Campaigners take aim for Strasbourg in Robin Hood campaign

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's Euro MPs have backed campaigners in their call for a Robin Hood Tax to make banks and other financial service companies pay their fair share.

Campaign groups and trade unions, including Oxfam and the TUC, have been campaigning today (Thursday 17 February) in advance of a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Paris on Friday.

Activities have been taking place around the world. Campaigners dressed as Robin Hood have been sending arrows to embassies and politicians with their message that they want financial services to pay their fair share in the tax system.

Oxfam supporters sent an arrow to MEPs in Strasbourg where Labour members backed the campaign. The Labour group's leader in the European Parliament Glenis Willmott MEP said: "At a time when the government is slashing spending, the financial services sector isn't paying its fair share.

"Right across the world people have been aiming their Robin Hood message at ministers.

"We want to see a very small tax on global financial transactions. It could raise a huge amount of money for public coffers by taxing risky short term speculation, without harming finance flowing to the real economy.

"Ministers must bow to public pressure and make clear that they believe in a taxation system that is fair to everyone."

Campaigners are pushing for a global agreement on the introduction of a Financial Transaction Tax. This tiny tax on banking transactions could produce millions of pounds to fund good causes both in Britain and across the world, and prevent the need for such deep cuts in public spending.

Thursday has been designated a global day of action, with events happening in over 20 countries in the run up to the G20, which meets in Paris on Friday and Saturday (18-20
February).

More information on the Robin Hood Tax campaign can be found at:
http://robinhoodtax.org/

EU crack down on fake medicines gets the green light

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has approved new measures to crack down on the illegal market in counterfeit drugs, a trade that can lead to NHS patients being given simple sugar pills rather than life-saving medicines.

In 2007 over 25,000 packs of fake medication made it to patients in the UK in three separate drugs scares that affected people suffering from prostate cancer, heart conditions and schizophrenia. In these cases half of the drugs recovered were shown to have no active ingredient whatsoever.

Much of the problem comes from counterfeits that are imported from the far east and then make it into the normal drug distribution channels. Many of these packs are very convincing, making it almost impossible for medical staff to spot a fake pack.

New rules backed by the European Parliament today (Wednesday) introduce new EU-wide regulations which will enable pharmacists to carry out serial number checks on the medicines they dispense, so that they can be confident that the product they are giving to a patient is genuine.

Linda McAvan MEP, a Labour spokesperson on the European Parliament's environment and public health committee, welcomed the changes: "As patients we trust our local pharmacy to give us the drug we have been prescribed, but recent scares have shown that sometimes even medical professionals can't spot that they have been sold a fake medicine.

"Criminals are exploiting loopholes in existing regulations, but by introducing a single European system to manage the prescription drug supply chain, it will be far easier to spot the fakes - and respond quickly if any do make it out of the pharmacy."

While the new rules will help tackle large scale imports of fake medicines, Linda McAvan still feels that more needs to be done to tackle illegal internet pharmacies. She added: "While there are some positive steps, including ways in which patients can check that an internet pharmacy is genuine, it will still be far too easy for criminals to set up fake websites selling fake medication. There are simply too many stories of websites selling fake drugs or pushing people into buying medicines that are not appropriate.

"I still have real concerns that many of these sites are misleading people. While for some people in rural areas an internet pharmacy may be the only real option, for most of us it makes sense to get our medicines from the local chemist."

Labour hails disabled passengers' win in Europe

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A new agreement that will make it easier for disabled people to use bus and coach services has been welcomed by Labour MEPs.

Euro-MPs backed a new set of rights for passengers in a European Parliament vote today, which has been welcomed by disability organisations.

The new rules mean that bus and coach company staff will need to know how to take some simple steps to make their services more accessible.

Labour's transport spokesperson in the European Parliament, Brian Simpson MEP, explained: "Sometimes it is quite small things that can make a massive difference to someone with a disability, like giving them more time to take their seat. But too often staff don't have the training they need to know what they can do to help.

"Now when staff working for bus and coach services receive their training, they will be taught how they can make their services accessible to people with disabilities.

"For example, if you are blind you might not be able to tell when the bus you're waiting for is approaching. If a driver knows what to look out for, they can make bus travel a much less stressful experience."

Disabled passengers who take longer journeys of more than 160 miles will also have the right to free assistance at bus terminals and for a carer to travel with them for free if that makes the difference between whether they can travel or not.

Brian Simpson added: "The new rights will also make it easier for disabled people to use public transport when in another EU country, where bus services are often much less accessible than in Britain."

However, the government has the power to block the training requirements for a further five years. Labour MEPs have called on ministers not to block the new rights. Brian Simpson commented: "Disability charities have been pushing for these simple changes because they know what a difference they could make. The government shouldn't stand in the way of disabled people who want to make use of their local bus services."

The package also gives all passengers on long-distance bus journeys of more than 156 miles - roughly the distance between Sheffield and London - the right to compensation if they face long delays.

European Union rules already provide similar rights to passengers using other modes of transport.

"Now, whether travelling by bus, boat, train or plane, you can be confident of having European rights to be treated fairly," added Mr Simpson.

Labour will fight for UK power to block child abuse images

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's spokesperson on civil liberties in the European Parliament has vowed to fight hard to prevent new EU rules from limiting the British authorities' efforts to tackle websites that include images of child abuse.

A vote in the parliament's civil liberties committee this evening is set to adopt a package of proposals that could require officials to warn website owners before their site is blocked. At present an agreement with internet service providers in the UK means that offending sites can be blocked as soon as the authorities have been alerted to them.

Speaking ahead of the vote Claude Moraes MEP said: "This evening I will be voting in line with the long-standing concerns of UK NGOs, like the NSPCC, who have been active on this issue.

"We want an international agreement that will tackle the abuse related to these appalling websites, not just block access to them. But international efforts must not undermine the work we already do to fight this evil practice.

"A final deal hasn't yet been struck and Labour MEPs will be fighting to ensure that the UK can continue its trailblazing work in blocking access to child abuse images. We won't back proposals that undermine the British authorities' existing powers to delete and block these illegal websites."

MEPs back new EU targets to tackle mobile phone waste

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

New targets to stop toxic chemicals from discarded electrical items seeping into the environment have been backed by Labour MEPs today.

They have also pushed for firm rules to ensure that council tax payers aren't expected to pick up the cost of recycling the waste.

The new targets call on European countries to recycle 85 per cent of all electrical equipment that has reached the end of its useful life. At present it is estimated that around 70 per cent ends up on rubbish tips or is illegally shipped abroad to be dumped in developing countries.

MEPs also called for specific targets for the recycling of smaller items such as mobile phones, MP3 players and light bulbs. It is estimated that around 90 per cent of these goods are simply discarded.

Labour's environment spokesperson in the European Parliament, Linda McAvan MEP, says that the targets currently in place simply haven't worked: "While most countries, including the UK, have been hitting their targets for collecting waste, still far too many electrical products end up in landfill.

"That means toxic chemicals, such as heavy metals like mercury, will seep into the environment.

"Part of the problem is that because the targets are purely about weight, there is little incentive to offer people easy ways to recycle smaller items like mobile phones. We believe that retailers should be making it easier for people to bring old products back to their shops for recycling."

MEPs now need to enter negotiations with ministers from EU governments to set the final targets.

Linda McAvan says that the question of who pays has to be a priority in the negotiations: "We have to ensure that the taxpayer isn't forced to pick up the tab for recycling these products. The cost should be absorbed by the producers and retailers so that consumers know that the price they pay for a product will also cover the cost of its safe disposal at the end of its life."

Labour refuses to back watered down consumer rights

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs will refuse to back current proposals for EU rules on consumer rights because they don't go far enough.

A vote in the European Parliament's consumer affairs committee today backed a report that would set EU standards well below those enjoyed by consumers in the UK and many other European countries.

It had been hoped that the legislation would have been an opportunity to introduce new controls on unfair credit card fees and to set basic rights in European law, such as the ability to get a refund for a faulty product.

However, a right-wing majority on the committee threw out many of these proposals, choosing to back a much weaker version instead.

Labour proposals to include the financial sector in the rules, and thereby bring an end to rip-off banking charges, were also rejected by the centre-right MEP who is taking the legislation through the European Parliament.

The plans must now be put to the whole parliament later this month, and Labour's European spokesperson on consumer affairs, Catherine Stihler MEP, has said that her group's Euro-MPs won't back the proposal unless it is amended before the final vote.

She said: "This directive was supposed to be about consumer rights, but there's very little for people to cheer in these proposals.

"If the EU is going to lay down new rules to protect consumers, then they need to be providing rights with real teeth. We simply can't support the half-hearted proposals approved by the committee today.

"Many people simply don't realise that in some countries you don't have the right to a refund if you buy a faulty product, but instead can only demand a replacement or repair.

"We should be applying the highest standards, not simply laying out rules that mark the lowest common denominator."

Despite disappointment at the overall package, Catherine Stihler believes there are a few positive elements in the committee's position: "The European Parliament is calling for honest upfront pricing for online sales: an end to the barrage of hidden costs that consumers often only discover once they're just about to purchase a product.

"However, the parliament will still need to negotiate a final version of the directive with government ministers and, without a stronger opening position, there is a real danger that even this win will be watered down."

Euro-MPs battle to block baby milk health claims

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

An attempt by a formula baby milk manufacturer to market its products with a specific claim about improving a baby's eyesight is being formally challenged by a Labour MEP.

The claim, that milk containing a fatty acid called DHA will improve children's eyesight, has been formally approved by an EU committee that has the power to block or authorise claims that a particular food has health benefits.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's leader in the European Parliament and the party's European spokesperson on food safety, explained: "It is clear that there are concerns about the scientific evidence that would support a claim like this. We simply don't know enough about how DHA functions when delivered via the bottle.

"If this particular fatty acid is really proven to be beneficial to babies' health when used in formula milk then we owe it to mothers and their children to ensure it is included in all products. If the link hasn't been proven, then companies shouldn't be allowed to make this claim."

The decision to authorise the eyesight claim was taken by the EU Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health in a meeting behind closed doors in December.

However, Euro-MPs can overturn their conclusions and Glenis Willmott has formally lodged her intention to challenge the decision ahead of a 3 February deadline.

She is demanding that the parliament authorities now instigate a full debate in the European Parliament's environment and public health committee and hold a final vote that will need to be taken by 7 April. An absolute majority of the parliament's 736 MEPs will be needed to challenge the committee's decision.

Glenis Willmott added: "The European Parliament delegated the power to make these decisions to a specialist committee, but most of the work done under the health claims legislation focuses on foods for adult consumption.

"Baby milk is a very special product and this decision has been taken without public scrutiny. I want to have a proper debate about whether this kind of claim is appropriate and I want to have that debate in public.

"This is separate from the whole "breast is best" debate. I recognise that there are clear benefits to a child's development in breast feeding, but in this case I want to ensure that parents who choose to bottle feed can be confident that manufacturers have parents and their children's best interests at heart.

"I am sure that milk manufacturers will be gearing up for a big battle on this issue but our children's health is too important to be left in the hands of a multinational company's marketing department."

We must mobilise support for world's poorest

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The British Shadow International Development Secretary and Labour Party Deputy Leader Harriet Harman MP has told EU policymakers of the need to boost popular support for aid to the world's poorest people.

On a visit to Brussels this week she took her message to EU foreign affairs supremo Baroness Ashton and International Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs.

Speaking after her visit Harriet Harman warned that government cutbacks risk undermining support for international development spending, stressing the need to "remobilise public opinion in support of building sustainable development, using aid as a driver for global equality."

During the visit Harriet Harman also met with a group of MEPs from the European Parliament's international development committee and Labour's sister organisation the Party of European Socialists.

She stressed the need for political parties to lead the way on global equality: "Twenty-first century politics must be about the representation of women and men, by women and men. This is a key issue for the left and an important argument that should be taken up by our political parties. But it is also an agenda that should be addressed within international bodies."

Welcoming Harriet Harman's visit, Labour's European spokesperson on international development, Michael Cashman MEP, said: "Harriet's message this week has not just been about what we can do to tackle poverty. She has been talking about how we can use our aid budgets to deliver true equality for people who currently have no voice. As politicians we have a duty to ensure people understand this work and, despite tough times at home, continue to support it."

EU must do more to tackle Alzheimer's

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's Euro-MPs have backed a call for the EU to put more effort into the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

A formal resolution adopted by the European Parliament last week puts pressure on the EU Commission and government ministers to do more to fund and support research into prevention of a condition that cost European governments over £1bn in 2009.

MEPs also called for more to be done to support the unsung heroes who care for Alzheimer's patients. These will often be family members who, day in, day out, provide the love, care and assistance needed to help their loved ones get through daily life.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's European spokesperson on health, welcomed the strong vote by MEPs, but said it needs to be followed up by action: "This is one of the most pressing long-term challenges facing our health and care services, so action must be taken. Whilst this report is very important, we know that the power lies with the governments who take decisions on where to prioritise research spending and investment."

"Yes we need to do all we can to find effective treatment, but we should also be looking at prevention, including whether lifestyle choices, such as changing the food we eat, could reduce the risk of developing the disease.

"The European Parliament has also made it clear that far more should be done to help the people who care for Alzheimer's patients. In most cases we're not talking about medical professionals but about wives, husbands, sons and daughters.

"It can be hard, gruelling work and these people should be recognised for their efforts and supported, with respite care available to ensure they can take breaks and look after their own physical and mental well being."

NHS protected as EU agrees cross border treatment rules

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Patients have won new rights to seek treatment abroad today, after the European Parliament backed rules to facilitate cross-border healthcare.

Under the legislation patients will be able to seek treatment in another European country, provided it is something that would be funded by the NHS.

Original drafts of the law could have undermined the NHS by allowing patients to choose expensive treatments abroad without safeguards to avoid spurious or inappropriate claims. However, checks have now been added to the legislation to give the NHS overall control over what treatment is authorised.

Safety clauses are also included to ensure that the NHS cannot be undermined by foreign patients coming to Britain under the new rules.

Patients with rare diseases are among those who could benefit from the changes, but Labour MEP Linda McAvan has warned it is now down to the British government to decide exactly how people will benefit.

Speaking after the European Parliament vote, Linda McAvan said: "We shouldn't get carried away. These rules will make little difference to most people who will want to be treated by NHS staff in their local hospital - so our priority has always been to protect NHS treatment.

"However, with the coalition planning to dismantle the main structures of our health service, it is unclear as to exactly how our safeguards will now work in practice."

The details of how treatment will be authorised and how payments will be made are still to be specified by national governments. One of the areas not laid down in the EU legislation is the way in which payment for treatment abroad would be paid for.

There are dangers that if the government were to require people to pay upfront and then repay the costs, then these new rights would only be available to those who are able to cover big hospital bills.

Linda McAvan has called on the coalition to act fairly: "We have worked hard to put these new rights into place in a way that will give patients choice but also protects the NHS.

"However, we can't allow a situation to develop in which people with personal wealth are able to access publicly funded treatment abroad, while those without large savings cannot.

"That would lead to an unacceptable two-tier health service.

"The government has backed these rights, it now needs to show that it believes they should be available to all, not just the few."

EU standards to make building materials safer and cheaper

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Building materials in Britain's DIY shops and builders' merchants are set to become safer after new standards for an EU quality mark were agreed by Euro-MPs this week.

In addition to boosting the safety and quality of construction products available, the changes are also expected to bring prices down by making it easier for smaller companies to sell their products on the EU market.

Labour's Catherine Stihler MEP, who guided the legislation through the European Parliament, said these new standards come at a crucial time: "As the tough economic conditions bite, more and more people are looking to undertake sometimes quite significant work at home.

"It is therefore more imperative than ever that that somebody buying construction materials understands how they should be used to avoid accident or injury.

These new standards mean that materials must be sold with safety advice, as well as information about any hazardous substances that might be involved.

"The new standards mean that people will be able buy their building materials with confidence. The CE mark is a clear statement that says a product is tested and is up to scratch."

Euro-MPs approved the new standards in a vote today alongside changes to make it easier for smaller companies to market and sell their products across the European Union. The costs of some materials are expected to come down as a result of the changes.

The new rules will come into force in 2013, giving companies time to adapt to the new legislation. Special provisions are included for smaller businesses to make it easier for them to meet the new rules.

Products that are to be sold on the EU market will need to meet certain standards for safety and quality. They will also need to be sold alongside clear information explaining how they can be safely used, including information such as any hazardous substances that may be included.

EU bank rules will limit risky upfront cash bonuses

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Banks' risk-taking bonus culture will be tackled by EU rules this year, despite the British government's climb-down on the issue.

That's the message from Labour MEPs as banks prepare to reveal their 2011 bonus packages.

In a statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made it clear that, while ministers have been making strong statements about tackling the bonus culture over the last year, the government is not going to live up to the rhetoric.

However, despite the government's inaction, the coalition is required to implement EU rules that were passed last year that will limit the amount of a bonus that can be paid upfront in cash.

Bank employees in risk-taking roles will now see the vast majority of their bonus retained for several years, with its eventual payment dependent on long-term success.

In a letter to the Guardian this week, Labour's leader in the European Parliament Glenis Willmott MEP explained that, despite being in opposition in Westminster, it was Labour that is acting on this issue: "We can see that the government has little real appetite to tackle the City's risk-taking bonus culture. However, despite attempts by the government to water it down, new EU legislation is now in place to limit the upfront cash payments that have in the past rewarded bankers for short-term risky investments.

"These new rules, taken through the European parliament by Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy, aren't about bashing bankers. They are about putting long-term interests ahead of short-term risks. So while the government has talked tough but done little, it is Labour that has delivered constructive reforms."

Arlene McCarthy was the European Parliament's rapporteur on the legislation, meaning she was responsible for drafting the new rules and striking a final deal with governments across the EU. She said: "George Osborne's climb-down on bankers' bonuses comes as no surprise to those of us who have been watching the government's actions in Brussels.

"The coalition eventually signed up to the new rules in June but throughout the autumn, while making bold public statements about their intentions to be tough with the banks, they were lobbying to weaken the rules, looking for loopholes through which banks could pay far more of their bonuses in cash."

Labour backing for EU fishing campaign

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A campaign by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall to reform EU fisheries policy has been backed by Labour Members of the European Parliament.

Speaking in response to Channel 4's Big Fish Fight, Brian Simpson MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on agriculture and fisheries, said:

"Labour MEPs back the campaign for proper reform of the EU's fisheries policy. Like reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, here is an area on which the government should be focussing its efforts in Brussels.

"But instead David Cameron chooses to posture on the sidelines of Brussels summits chasing headlines back home. The government should be looking to build a coalition of countries willing to tackle the waste of both the fisheries and agricultural policies."

Impossible to back EU budget increase - Labour MEPs

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have opposed proposals for a 2.9 per cent increase in the EU's 2011 budget.

The European Parliament adopted the 2011 budget deal at lunchtime today (Wednesday) but Labour MEPs said they couldn't back the plans.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's leader in the European Parliament, said:

"Labour MEPs will be voting against any budget increase.

"At a time when national governments are slashing their spending on vital public services, it is impossible for us to back this budget.

"The EU will be doing a lot of important work next year, in many cases providing support to those poorer areas that will be hardest hit by the coalition government's cuts. But if new expenditure is required then savings have to be found.

"For all David Cameron's tough talking on this issue, all we have on the table is the same 2.9 per cent deal that was hammered out by other EU leaders back in August."

Labour MEPs have been campaigning for reform of the EU's wasteful agricultural policies and have been pushing for cuts of more than one billion euros to EU agricultural subsidies. However, these areas have been left largely unchanged in the final deal, which will go to EU leaders for formal sign off at a summit on Thursday and Friday this week.

Read more on this story in an article by Glenis Willmott MEP on LabourList here.

Human trafficking rules adopted in Strasbourg - but British Government opts out

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

New EU rules to crack down on human trafficking have today (Tuesday) been approved by the European Parliament.

Despite pressure by campaigners, the British government has refused to opt in to the proposals, meaning that the new rules won't apply to the UK.

Speaking after the vote, Claude Moraes MEP, Labour's spokesperson on justice and home affairs, said: "Human trafficking is a crime that shows no respect for international borders. Acting together with other EU countries is the obvious way to protect these vulnerable people and to stop this form of modern day slavery.

"It is disgraceful that David Cameron has decided he would rather appease his eurosceptic backbenchers by sitting on the sidelines while other governments act."

Mary Honeyball MEP, Labour's spokesperson on women's rights added: "We're talking about the illegal exploitation of highly vulnerable people, mostly women and children. I simply can't understand why the government has chosen to opt out of these proposals.

"I urge the government to show that it is serious about protecting vulnerable women by agreeing to sign up to these plans and to work with European partners to stop this evil trade."

MEPs hear of coalition's broken promises on Equitable Life

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour MEP has criticised the British government for failing to live up to its promises to victims of the Equitable Life scandal.

A special hearing held this week in the European Parliament's petitions committee, heard how the pension firm's policyholders are to begin legal action to challenge a compensation scheme that has been proposed by the Treasury.

It is now more than 10 years since the pension firm came close to collapse and closed to new business. Many people lost thousands of pounds and victims have still yet to be compensated.

A petition was brought to the European Parliament six years ago, highlighting the serious failures of British financial regulation in the case of Equitable Life.

At the time Michael Cashman MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's petitions committee, was the first to call for the setting up of such a special committee. This subsequently backed the recommendations made by the UK Parliamentary Ombudsman which called for the British government to pay compensation.

Speaking at this week's meeting Mr Cashman said: "This whole situation is a shabby business, in which no political party comes out well. And it is high time to draw a close to this, and for the UK Ombudsman's and this House's recommendations to be accepted from all."

Paul Braithwaite, who represents 40,000 members of the Equitable Members' Action Group, addressed MEPs at the meeting. He pointed out that 380 MPs who were elected to Westminster in May this year had signed personal pledges to their local constituents to "support and vote for proper compensation for victims of the Equitable Life scandal".

He also accused the coalition government of having gone back on a promise made after the election to make "fair and transparent payments to Equitable Life policy holders".

Mr Braithwaite told MEPs that his group have started a judicial review of the government's proposal for a compensation scheme, which was announced on 20 October.

Addressing the petitions committee this week, Michael Cashman called on ministers to live up to their promises: "This new coalition government should not use the dire economic circumstances to withhold the compensation scheme it had promised prior to the elections, otherwise they are at the risk of being a government with power but no principle, and eager to score cheap political points. After all, the Treasury wrote off a 6 billion pounds debt from Vodafone this week.

"We cannot leave the victims to die in penury, and certainly not accept a scheme that is not fair to all, and this includes compensating German and Irish victims who, to this day, have been left out of the government's calculation."

Bus and coach passengers win equal treatment with new EU rules

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Bus and coach passengers have won new rights similar to those enjoyed by people who travel by plane and train.

Euro-MPs and EU governments have agreed to give passengers on long distance bus journeys (250km, the equivalent of London to Sheffield) new rights to compensation for major delays, cancellations and overbooking, as well as for lost or damaged luggage.

Disabled passengers are also set to benefit with new requirements for all scheduled coach and bus operators to ensure their staff are trained in how to assist people with disabilities.

Talks have been going on for months to try to find a deal to extend existing EU rights to bus and coach passengers, while avoiding placing too onerous requirements on the companies running these services, which are often much smaller businesses than in the aviation and rail sector.

Labour's Brian Simpson MEP, who is chair of the European Parliament's transport committee and who was at the negotiating table, has welcomed the deal: "With this agreement, all passengers are treated on the same footing. Whether they travel by plane, train, ferry or bus, people will have similar rights to assistance, information and compensation when services are delayed.

"We've worked hard to deliver legislation that will make sure passengers are treated fairly, without placing too big a burden on the companies offering bus and coach services."

The deal, which was struck late on Tuesday night, still needs formal approval by the European Parliament in February. It will then take two years for the new rules to come into force.

Specific provisions aim to make both long-distance and local bus services more accessible for people with disabilities. Brian Simpson welcomed these changes: "Britain is already a long way ahead in making public transport more accessible, but one of the biggest complaints I hear from disabled passengers is that staff don't understand how to adapt to their needs. It often doesn't take much to make a bus service more accessible, and under these new rules information on these issues will be incorporated into bus and coach staff training.

"For example, if a blind person travels by bus they need to know where to get off. It might just take the simple step of a driver announcing each stop to enable that person to travel independently and with confidence."

EU Commissioner promises personal investigation into Twinings' EU funding

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission official responsible for EU funding has today promised to personally investigate allegations that European money has been used by tea company Twinings to fund a relocation resulting in job losses in North Shields and Andover.

The commitment came in response to questioning by Labour's European spokesperson on EU funding, Derek Vaughan MEP, who pressed Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, on the subject in the European Parliament today.

Speaking after the meeting, Derek vowed to keep pushing on the case: "We've now had a personal commitment from the European Commissioner to look into this issue and I will be holding him to that promise.

"Sadly it is unlikely that anything can be done to get people's jobs back, but that does not take away the need for hard questions to be asked.

"The Commissioner must be left in no doubt that we will not give up on this issue."

Twinings have made hundreds of people at two British plants redundant and moved work to a new factory in Poland which was set up with the support of EU funding. The European Commission has said that this was possible because of a loophole in the rules that are supposed to stop EU money from supporting projects that result in job losses elsewhere in the EU.

The Commission has claimed that Twinings qualified for an exemption extended to small and medium sized businesses, despite being a subsidiary of a major multinational company.

Derek Vaughan added: "We have been told that there are systems in place to prevent EU support in one country leading to job losses in another. Yet here is a clear example of where those rules are not working.

"The Commissioner has now given us a personal commitment to investigate this matter, but he also needs to demonstrate that he understands people's concerns on this issue."

Labour MEPs in the two regions concerned, Stephen Hughes and Peter Skinner, have been pushing for meetings with senior officials on the subject for weeks. However, the Commissioner was due to appear before the European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee today, so Labour representatives took the opportunity to raise the issue with him personally.

Britain absent as other countries agree to tackle human trafficking

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament's Justice and Home Affairs Committee has endorsed a deal with EU governments to tackle illegal human trafficking.

However, the agreement on a new directive to combat trafficking was struck without a British voice at the negotiating table because the UK government decided to opt out of the plans in August.

Claude Moraes MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on justice and home affairs, hit out at the government's position: "While other countries are agreeing to work together to tackle the scourge of human trafficking, the British government is nowhere to be seen.

"If ever there were an example of a policy area where the benefit of international cooperation is clear, this must be it.

"Britain should be leading the way in the fight against this abhorrent practice, but instead the government has decided to sit it out."

The new directive is now just weeks away from formal agreement, with a final vote by the European Parliament expected in two weeks time.

The agreed text includes an agreement by governments to coordinate sanctions against traffickers and special procedures to protect child victims of trafficking.

While the British government decided to distance itself from itself from negotiations on the directive, it could still choose to opt-in once the final agreement comes into law.

End in sight for obscene bankers' bonus culture

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tough new rules on bankers' bonuses have come a step closer this week after a specialist EU committee backed new restrictions on cash bonuses.

From 2011 the British government will be required to impose legal limits on the proportion of a bonus that can be paid in cash, as well as introduce new rules on transparency.

On Wednesday a meeting of the Committee on European Banking Supervisors (CEBS) agreed the bulk of official guidelines that will be used to implement a recently agreed EU Directive on bankers' remuneration. The final guidance is due to be published next month.

Arlene McCarthy, the Labour MEP who led the European Parliament in negotiations on the new law, has said that her proposals have been resoundingly backed by the committee of experts responsible for implementing the law. She said: "The way that the law is being interpreted means that there will be no wiggle room for George Osborne or Vince Cable. They have no choice but to introduce restrictions on cash bonuses.

"In interview after interview both ministers have failed to acknowledge their responsibilities under EU legislation to tackle the excessive bonus culture and to introduce requirements for banks to publish details of their pay and bonus practices.

"I am calling on the coalition government to implement the rules and apply the law to the upcoming bonus round."

A key provision of the new law is a strict limit on upfront cash bonuses, to ensure bankers aren't paid for failure. It is understood that UK government has been trying to weaken this position and allow up to 50% of a bonus to be paid in upfront cash, but this week the CEBS backed the strict limits proposed by the European Parliament.

Arlene McCarthy, who is a spokesperson for Labour MEPs on economic and monetary affairs, added: "It is completely unacceptable for banks to continue to pay big cash in hand bonuses for risk taking that could lead to failure. This kind of bonus incentive led to the current crisis.

"At a time when the government is making substantial cuts, scaling back public services and cutting support to families and businesses, our constituents expect banks to prioritise stability and lending over bankers' pay and perks. This government must now respond to the public's concerns by implementing these tough reforms to end the obscene bonus culture."

Euro-MPs defeat Tory attack on equality for same-sex couples

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Tory MEPs were defeated yesterday (Tuesday) in an attempt to block a European Parliament call for equal treatment for people in same-sex partnerships.

In a vote in Strasbourg Euro-MPs backed a motion calling for legal documents, including British civil partnership certificates, to be formally recognised when their holders travel abroad.

At present a marriage certificate is recognised by other countries when a couple move abroad, but the same isn't true of other legal documents.

The newly elected leader of the Conservative MEPs, Martin Callanan, had tabled amendments to specifically delete references to "civil status documents" which proposed extending this type of "mutual recognition" to civil partnerships.

Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour's spokesperson on the European Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, said: "Currently same sex couples who have a civil partnership in the UK can find themselves losing their rights when travelling to other countries in the European Union.

"In Britain we recognise the status of other countries' civil partnerships but that isn't always true for British people who move abroad.

"I am shocked that a Tory MEP felt the need to table amendments to this report deleting the reference to civil partnerships. They seem to be saying that people in a civil partnership in the UK don't deserve to have their partnership recognised when travelling abroad."

While today's vote will not result in immediate changes to the law on this issue, it is seen in Brussels as an important step in the preparation of legislation that is expected to be proposed by the European Commission next year.

Labour's Michael Cashman MEP is Co-President of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT rights. He added: "Claims that mutual recognition will ‘undermine national sovereignty' are plain wrong: it won't affect national marriage or partnership laws, but simply recognise civil unions that already exist."

Labour MEPs to say no to US-style drugs adverts in Wednesday vote

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Changes to the EU law on how pharmaceutical companies provide information to patients risk introducing US-style drug adverts by the back door.

That's the warning from Labour's Glenis Willmott MEP ahead of a crucial vote in the European Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday).

Proposals put forward by the European Commission have been met with outrage by many consumer groups who fear that pharmaceutical companies will be able to use new grey areas to directly target consumers with promotional material.

At present drug companies are banned from advertising prescription-only medicines to consumers in the EU. The type of information they can supply to patients is also strictly controlled.

However, the European Commission has proposed new rules which could mean drug manufacturers publishing information about their products in health magazines and pushing specific medicines to patients through their doctors.

Glenis Willmott, Labour's health spokesperson in the European Parliament and leader of Labour's MEPs, has serious concerns: "Of course patients should be entitled to information about the medicines they are prescribed and treatments available, but pharmaceutical companies cannot be allowed to provide this material unchecked.

"I know that many companies have been pushing very hard for these changes. Consumer and health groups are worried that the new provisions won't help patients get information about all the options available to them. The real worry is that the focus will fall on promoting specific high-earning drugs.

"We can't allow US-style advertising in by the back door."

The European Commission's plans on this issue were blocked by MEPs at the committee stage in the parliament but some worrying provisions could still get through in the vote on Wednesday. In particular, the centre-right politician leading the legislation through the parliament has proposed a watered-down version of one proposal that could see doctors becoming a conduit for promotional material produced by drugs companies.

Glenis Willmott has vowed to stand up for patients' interests in the vote: "Patients want accurate, reliable and impartial information about the drugs they take. They should be helped to make these important decisions by somebody interested solely in their health, such as a doctor or nurse, not by a pharmaceutical company which is looking to increase its sales."

Cameron apology call after false statement on EU budget

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

David Cameron must apologise for making false accusations that Labour politicians backed a call for a six per cent increase to the EU budget.

That's the message from Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, who has written to the Prime Minister to demand an apology following the claims at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

In her letter Glenis states:

"During Prime Minister's Question Time you wrongly claimed that (on the EU Budget) "we would be assisted if Labour MEPs did not keep voting for higher budgets, which is exactly what they did this week."

"In fact, Labour MEPs voted against the proposed EU budget rise. Moreover, Labour MEPs tabled amendments to the EU budget that would cut more than EUR 1 billion of wasteful spending on areas such as agricultural and export subsidies."

The letter comes on the back of a difficult EU summit for Cameron, who has been struggling to keep his eurosceptic backbenchers at bay.

Glenis Willmott added: "Cameron is trying his hardest to appear Thatcheresque. While I don't have much positive to say about Britain's first female Prime Minister, I doubt she'd have allowed herself to be caught out in the way Cameron has been this week.

"The question now is whether he's man enough to admit that he got it wrong."

Read analysis of the Tory claim on the Channel 4 News website

Read more from Glenis Willmott on the EU 2011 budget vote on Left Foot Forward and Labour List.

Political Officer Vacancy

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP)

Political Officer

£31,581-£35,602 plus a generous pension and holiday entitlement

Labour Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) wish to appoint a Political Officer to assist them in promoting their work in the European Parliament. A good working knowledge of the European Parliament, sound judgement, excellent organisational and communication skills are essential. Good working knowledge of a second European language is also desirable.

You must demonstrate a commitment to our vision and show a proven grasp of political issues.

The post is based in Brussels and will require travel to Strasbourg and London.

The closing date for applicants is Friday 12th November 2010 at 10.00 UK time.

Details on how to apply can be found here

The job description can be found here

Working mums win new rights - but the poorest could lose out

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has agreed changes to EU maternity rules, but a key Labour figure has warned that unless changes to the proposals are made, lower earning working mums could lose out.

MEPs today voted to increase the EU minimum level of maternity leave from 14 to 20 weeks, calling for women to receive full pay during that period.

The vote doesn't mean that women have immediately won the new rights. The rules still need agreement from EU governments and they are likely to resist such a significant change to maternity rights.

At present women in the UK are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, receiving 90 per cent of pay for the first six weeks, a further 33 weeks on statutory pay of £124.88 per week, with the remaining period unpaid.

Mary Honeyball MEP, Labour's European spokesperson on women's rights, explained that while there were many positive points to today's vote, she is uneasy about the way the parliament has approached the issue. She said: "We have serious concerns about some of the proposals on the table. While the idea of 20 weeks on full pay may appear superficially attractive, it could actually hit some of the poorest working women hardest.

"If this proposal were to remain unchanged there is a real danger of the British government cutting back on our existing rights. That means a woman on minimum wage, or a part time worker, could actually end up worse off.

"We must ensure that negotiations over this dossier result in a settlement that won't leave low earners worse off."

Government ministers from all the EU countries will now need to reach agreement on what they want from the legislative package. It is thought that the proposals may be blocked by ministers, many of whom want to resist giving women significant new rights.

Mary Honeyball added: "There are a host of really positive outcomes from today's report, including two weeks of paid paternity leave and the legal right to take breaks for breastfeeding.

"These sorts of rights would help deal with some of the worries many women have about returning to work.

"My fear is that the parliament's position may actually assist the building of a blocking minority by those governments opposed to giving parents new rights and stop any of these new rights from coming to pass.

"We must now put pressure on ministers to come to the table with workable proposals that will deliver a real improvement in the rights of working mums and dads."

Labour MEPs back big protests over cutbacks

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Europe-wide protests against irresponsible cutbacks have been backed by Labour MEPs in Brussels and Manchester.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Brussels in protests organised by the European Trade Union Confederation, and they have been joined by dozens of Euro-MPs from across the European Union.

Meanwhile at the Labour Party's annual conference in Manchester, MEPs joined with people in a public display of concern about the government's cuts.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's leader in the European Parliament, said: "We mustn't allow budget deficits to be used as an excuse for dogma-driven cuts that will endanger the economy and damage our public services.

"Of course the deficit must be tackled, but in a responsible way that boosts growth.

"We need to make sure that action is fair, not forcing the poorest in our society to pay the highest price for the problems we face."

"Optimistic for Ed's new generation" - Glenis Willmott MEP

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"Ed Miliband has shown what it means to be a leader." That's the message from Glenis Willmott MEP, who leads Labour's Euro-MPs in the European Parliament.

Speaking after Mr Miliband's first keynote speech to Labour's annual conference, Glenis, who was a high-profile backer of the new leader's campaign, said: "Ed's speech shows that he has the right qualities to lead the Labour Party in opposition and to lead it into government. He has shown the way forward for our party.

"It is right that he has recognised those areas where people lost trust in Labour. We must learn from our experiences in government and show people that we have a realistic way forward.

"Ed has made it clear that he is optimistic for the future of Britain. And I'm optimistic for Ed's new generation."

Labour "gets" Europe at annual conference

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Labour Party must use its powers in Brussels to push forward the party's agenda.

That was the message from Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, when she addressed the party's annual conference in Manchester today.

Speaking to conference delegates, Glenis pointed to the work being done by Labour's team in the European Parliament: "Day in, day out, Labour MEPs are still making laws for the whole of the UK."

Focussing on examples of recent wins, covering civil liberties, social protections and banking regulation, she told the conference that even when Labour is out of power in Westminster it can still make a real difference by acting in Brussels.

She went on to say: "The political battles we fight are not with Europe. They are with the right - in Brussels, at home and elsewhere.

"And in this battle Europe can be our ally."

Glenis said that she was confident Ed Miliband, the new Labour Party leader, understood this fact:

"It's wrong that within our own party, we still regard the European Parliament as being over there. We still see the EU as merely a branch of foreign policy. Don't forget: over there is also over here.

"Conference, up until now Labour hasn't quite "got it" on Europe.

"But I'm delighted to say that Ed "get's it"."

Download a full copy of Glenis Willmott's speech

'Ed will build a very different coalition' - leader of Labour MEPs

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Labour's leader in the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott MEP, on the announcement of Ed Miliband's election as the new Labour Party leader:

"This is a great result. It's not just good news for the Labour Party, but will also be welcomed by anyone looking for a real alternative to the government's cut back and stand back approach.

"I know that Ed will listen to all parts of the Labour Party and beyond to build a very different kind of coalition. One that includes young and old, rich and poor, north and south. A coalition that will challenge this government's downbeat vision of Britain today.

"And we don't have to wait until we're back in government to act. I know that Labour MEPs are looking forward to working in Brussels with Ed to stop David Cameron from undermining workers' rights and pushing a neo-liberal agenda that can only hit the poorest hardest.

"The arguments of the past are now behind us and Ed will take us in a new direction. United behind his leadership, whether in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Brussels - Labour will now show what it really means to be progressive."

EPLP at Labour Annual Conference

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

At this year's Labour Conference the EPLP will have a stronger presence than ever before.

To kick off conference we will be bringing back the Europe Reception on Saturday evening and we will be joined by the new leader of the Labour Party.

Our fringe meetings continue throughout the week as we collaborate with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Brussels Labour and the GMB to discuss issues ranging from how the left fights back to how Europe stands tall in the world.

We will also have a brand new stall, brimming with the latest information on Labour's work in Brussels and Strasbourg.

If that wasn't enough, you'll have the opportunity to find out more on what the Tories have been up to in the corridors of the European Parliament.

Click here for our events programme and click here for a full schedule of where your MEP is speaking at Labour's Annual Conference.

Please note that all EPLP events take place inside the Conference secure zone, and you will need an accredited conference pass in order to attend.

Patients win new rights to information from EU pharma deal

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A vote in the European Parliament later today (Wednesday) is set to give patients access to information about their medicines that is currently only available to doctors and those with specialist knowledge.

The procedures used by medicines regulators are being reformed to make it easier for potentially dangerous side-effects of drugs to be spotted and acted upon quickly.

Linda McAvan MEP, who has been leading on behalf of the European Parliament's 736 Euro-MPs on the issue, says that the agreement will help patients access information about their medicines: "These new rules help put patients in the driving seat, giving them the information they need to understand exactly what they are taking."

In Britain around 70 per cent of adverse reactions to medicines that are reported to the authorities relate to drugs that are new on the market. These are subject to special monitoring measures and are marked by a black triangle on the information made available to doctors about the drug.

Under the rules to be approved by the parliament tomorrow, that information and an appropriate warning symbol will appear on the leaflet received by patients with their medicine.

Linda McAvan said: "If people are taking drugs that the medical establishment is closely monitoring for potential side-effects then patients have a right to know.

"They should also have an easy way of reporting their own experience of taking the drug and see how it compares to others."

The new agreement also lays out ways in which different European regulators will cooperate so that information about adverse reactions is shared and acted upon more quickly.

It will also lead to the introduction of a single website from which patients can access all the relevant information about the drugs they are prescribed. Linda McAvan added: "We're talking about getting a single one-stop-shop from which people can get the patient information leaflet, read studies and compare their side-effects with what has been reported by other patients.

"There's absolutely no reason why this information needs to be locked away from the public.

"It is often patients' own experiences that alert the authorities to potentially dangerous side-effects."

'EU must act to challenge USA's unfair entry fees' - Labour MEP

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The USA's introduction of fees that have to be paid by tourists entering the country is unfair to European travellers and should be stopped.

That's the message from Labour's Claude Moraes MEP as the European Commission prepares to tell Euro-MPs how it will respond to the introduction of a 14 dollar fee for anyone who travels to the USA by air or sea, despite the operation of a visa waiver programme.

Speaking in advance of a statement by EU Commissioner Cecilia Malmström this afternoon (Wednesday), Claude Moraes, who is Labour's spokesperson on Justice and Home Affairs, said:

"The European Commission must challenge America's decision to bring in this new charge, which is tantamount to reintroducing visas for tourists travelling from Europe to the US.

"The visa waiver programme was set up to facilitate tourism by removing the cost and hassle of people having to apply for visas.

"This charge is unfair. We don't currently apply any similar fees to tourists travelling from the US to European countries.

"I want to see a firm commitment from the European Commission that it won't allow European travellers to be exploited in this way."

Airlines under pressure to act faster after accidents

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The relatives of people who are involved in air accidents should get better support from airlines and the authorities thanks to new rules agreed by the European Parliament in Strasbourg today (Tuesday).

Under the new rules passengers will have the option of providing an "in case of emergency" contact who can be reached in the event of an accident on board the plane.

The new right is included in a package of measures to ensure that, where people are caught up in an air accident, their loved ones are able to get reliable information direct from the authorities, not having to rely on the media for news of the incident.

Brian Simpson MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on Transport, said: "We want to have provisions in place to ensure airlines present a complete list of passengers within two hours following an incident.

"After an accident thousands of people call emergency helplines uncertain as to whether their loved ones are involved. It takes time for staff to identify who has been affected and that leaves an information vacuum that is often filled by speculation from the press.

"Relatives should be getting this kind of news from people trained to deliver it and they should be getting it quickly. They shouldn't have to rely on rolling news channels."

The new package of measures also includes requirements for EU member states to put in place an assistance plan for victims and their relatives and for airlines to adopt similar crisis plans.

Advanced provisions are also included to enhance cooperation between EU countries in order to share information and expertise and to tighten up information collected on incidents involving aircraft across the EU, making it possible to detect the recurrence of incidents and to thereby reduce the risk of accidents by establishing safety recommendations.

Mr Simpson added: "Sometimes we have to think about how best to prepare for the worst. Air accidents are very rare but, when they do happen, we must learn from them. These new rules should help investigators get to the root cause of air incidents - and we hope save lives that would otherwise be put at risk."

'New era' in financial regulation as Euro Parliament takes final vote on supervisory deal

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

New watchdogs to regulate banks and other financial services will finally be approved by the European Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday) after months of negotiations.

They have been hailed as "good news for consumers" by one of the people leading negotiations.

Peter Skinner MEP, Labour's spokesperson on economic and monetary affairs, was one of the five people negotiating the final deal on behalf of all 736 Euro-MPs.

The new rules put in place a pan-European system of supervision, ensuring that where companies operate across EU borders, they will no longer be able to exploit regulatory grey areas between different national regimes. A new board made up of heads of European central banks will monitor and act against macro-economic risks as they emerge across Europe.

The European Parliament is due to formally approve the new measures, which have also been agreed with national governments, in a vote tomorrow (Wednesday) lunchtime.

The rules will come into force on 1 January 2011.

Peter Skinner said: "This is good news for consumers, who can now be confident that the full force of EU law is there to support them, wherever a financial services provider may base its headquarters,.

"The new rules will also benefit the financial services industry. It is not in their interests to have national regulators applying 27 different interpretations of EU rules. Whether we're talking banking, insurance or capital markets, regulators can no longer act in silos but will have to coordinate their work."

'Finally Commission has done its job' - Claude Moraes on Reding's Roma statement

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Responding to reports that European Commissioner Viviane Reding is to recommend legal action against France for its extradition of Roma people, Claude Moraes, Labour's European spokesperson on civil liberties, said:

"We said the Commission should do its job. Finally it has done so.

"The French government is not above the rule of law and now the Commission is making that fact clear to President Sarkozy."

"The beginning of action against a large founder member of the European Union sends a huge warning signal to Italy, Sweden, Denmark and any other member states who feel they can expel EU citizens based on their ethnicity.

"This announcement goes to show that the European Parliament was right in putting pressure on the Commission to act."

'Extraordinary condemnation' of French action adds to Sarkozy woes

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has taken the extraordinary step of condemning the actions of the French government, hitting out at "inflammatory and openly discriminatory rhetoric" following its recent deportations of Roma people.

In a highly charged voting session at the European Parliament's Strasbourg chamber, a highly critical resolution was passed by 337 votes to 245.

The text approved by MEPs not only criticises France's mass deportations of Roma people but also hits out at the European Commission for its "late and limited response".

Labour's Claude Moraes, who led negotiations for the parliament's centre-left Socialists and Democrats group, said:

"This is an extraordinary condemnation of President Sarkozy and his government.

"It is highly unusual for the European Parliament to criticise an individual member state in this way, let alone a large founding member of the EU.

"This will further add to the political woes of a president who has so little support that he is unable to even muster the support of a parliament with a right-wing majority."

Claude Moraes added: "This places the European Commission under renewed pressure to begin legal action against the French authorities for failing to respect the rule of law in the way it has been targeting the Roma as an ethnic group.

"Commissioner Reding could have and should have gone further in putting pressure on France to bring its actions into line with EU law. She needs to take today's resolution as a clear indication that parliament will not let this rest."

The resolution was pushed through by an alliance of social democrat, green, liberal and far-left MEPs in the face of ardent opposition by the parliament's centre-right majority.

The European People's Party, which includes President Sarkozy's UMP, had been fighting to stop the parliament from directly criticising the French government by proposing a different text that was also critical but stopped short of mentioning France by name.

Claude Moraes added: "Even within Sarkozy's own political family there is much unease, so while the parliament's centre-right wanted to save face by avoiding direct criticism, I know that many people within the EPP have grave concerns about the hate being stirred up by Sarkozy's actions."

New animal testing rules 'a missed opportunity'

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A European agreement to strengthen rules on animal testing, which have been unchanged since 1986, has been labelled as a missed opportunity by Labour's Euro-MPs.

In a vote earlier today a package of measures were approved to minimise the exposure of animals to unnecessary suffering while giving scientists the freedom to carry out vital experiments.

However, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on animal rights, Brian Simpson MEP, believes the agreement could have gone further without jeopardising life-saving research. He said: "We have waited almost a quarter of a century for new rules on animal experiments, so it is disappointing that the agreement is not more ambitious."

Although the revised directive will bring other EU countries in line with the higher standards used in the UK, key provisions that would have firmly committed Europe to the reduction and replacement of the use of animals in experiments are missing from the revised legislation.

Mr Simpson added: "We had hoped for clear mechanisms to ensure that replacements for animal experiments were rapidly introduced but the directive has failed to deliver."

Labour MEPs had hoped that the agreement would include a procedure to regularly review the use of animals in procedures, so that rules would keep step with developments in technological and scientific knowledge. They are also concerned that the directive may make it harder for countries to adopt stronger rules to avoid the unnecessary suffering of animals.

Mr Simpson said: "I regret that the revised directive does not send out a clearer and stronger signal to EU governments encouraging them to adopt higher animal welfare standards than those laid out under the rules adopted today.

"I am concerned that restrictions on member states adopting higher welfare standards imply a race to the bottom rather than a push to the top when it comes to animal welfare protection.

"The UK has always prided itself on striving for higher animal welfare standards and my concern is that the new text may severely limit the UK's ability to push for higher standards in the future.

"This is not a question of whether we put animal rights ahead of medical research. I am disappointed that Conservative and Lib Dem MEPs supported this race to the bottom when we could have done more to minimise the suffering to which animals are exposed while allowing researchers to do their vital work."

He concluded: "There are positive steps in this new package. It will enable the continuation of vital research into new medicines and diseases while improving the quality of life for thousands of animals across the EU. It is probably the best deal that could be struck. But it could have and should have gone further.

"An opportunity for higher animal welfare standards has been lost."

'Ban cloned meat and milk until new laws are in place', says Euro-MP

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Cloned meat and milk should be off the menu until a new law is in place to regulate cloning. That's the message from Linda McAvan MEP, Labour's European spokesperson for the environment, public health and food safety, who has called for an EU-wide moratorium on all food products from cloned animals.

Linda made the call ahead of a statement this evening (Wednesday) from the European Commission on the use of cloned meat in food production following reports in the summer that meat from a cloned cow's offspring had already entered the British food chain.

The sale of cloned meat currently falls under the EU's Regulation on Novel Foods, which sets out rules for foods made with new ingredients or technologies. Under this law, food from cloned animals must be authorised by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) before it can be put on sale. However, there is a grey area in current legislation about food products from the offspring of cloned animals.

MEPs and ministers from the 27 EU countries are currently examining a new law which would regulate cloning, but until that law is in place, there is little to stop food from the descendants of cloned animals entering the food chain.

Linda McAvan said: "There are huge ethical issues around the cloning of animals. It is not just a question about food safety. It is about what kind of farming and food we want. We know that animal welfare is affected by cloning - there is no scientific doubt on this. Most clones die in pregnancy and almost a third die shortly after birth for reasons not yet clear.

"Cloned calves are heavier and often require a caesarean section. And there are also concerns for the longer term. If animal herds are too genetically similar, they could be wiped out by a single disease. We need to have a full public debate about cloning and that is why we need a moratorium now on cloned food products until that debate has happened and legislation is in place."

'No time for navel gazing' - Labour response to Barroso's 'State of the Union' speech

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Speaking in response to The European Commission President's "State of the Union" address to the European Parliament, Glenis Willmott, Labour's leader in the European Parliament said: "Given the challenges we currently face across the EU, this is no time for navel gazing. The idea of today's speech has always seemed to be as much about boosting Mr Barroso's profile as offering a serious programme of work.

"The clear thrust of what he had to say was that we need reform - code for cuts to the kinds of social policies that have, for many, been the main reason for supporting the European Union. At a time when the EU is at a low ebb in terms of popular support, Mr Barroso must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If the European Commission chooses to focus purely on free markets and unfettered deregulation, without consideration for the wider interests of European citizens, then it has little hope of regaining the trust that has been lost.

"In today's globalised economy, we need a strong European Union. Effective reform of our banking system needs to be done at EU level. We need European action against climate change. But we can only make progress if people feel the EU acts in their interests, something Mr Barroso ignores at his peril."

'France's actions are illegal - pure and simple'

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Commission has failed in its duty to stand up for Roma people targeted by the French government for mass deportation.

That's the message from Claude Moraes MEP after a statement by Commissioner Reding that failed to address MEPs' concerns over France's recent actions.

In a statement to the European Parliament today (Tuesday), Commissioner Reding said that action was needed to help integrate Roma people into our communities, but her claims that the Roma people had not been targeted by the French authorities was met with incredulity by many Euro-MPs.

Labour's Claude Moraes MEP, who has been leading on the issue for the 184-strong Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, said: "France's actions are illegal - pure and simple. It is a sad indictment of this Commission that it has failed to stand up for the rule of law in the face of a large EU member state.

"President Sarkozy must be made accountable for this racist policy. The European Commission should be using all the tools available to bring France into line with EU law."

Mr Moraes did welcome commitments by the Commission to take action to support the integration of Roma people and warned the Commission that it must not allow the events of recent weeks to set a precedent: "The Roma community are excluded from society across the European Union and this is the area where we need to take action. We need to deal with these problems at source.

"No other member state should see this as a green light to force through similarly illegal policies that target one of Europe's most misunderstood and disadvantaged groups."

He concluded that the Commission must act to enforce fundamental rights: "France's international reputation is being severely damaged by its president's decision to play the race card. If it fails to act then the European Commission is in danger of putting its own standing at risk."

Pakistan: EU Ministers must 'match kind words with hard cash'

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

European countries must rise to the challenge and pledge more aid to support reconstruction efforts in Pakistan.

That's the message from Michael Cashman MEP as the European Parliament holds an important debate on what more can be done to help people in the aftermath of the devastating floods.

Cashman, Labour's European spokesperson on international development, hit out at the failure of many European governments to fulfil their responsibilities to a country in dire need: "Europe's reputation as a force for good in the world risks being undermined by governments who are unwilling to give the help that is so desperately needed. What we need now is more focused and better coordinated aid.

"There is still much to be done and, with the focus now moving on to the rebuilding of infrastructure, we need ministers to match kind words with hard cash."

"The British government should also do all it can to put pressure on other countries to up their support for the region."

Cashman welcomed the European Union's response to the crisis, particularly Commissioner Georgieva's coordination, but warned that it may not now be able to cope with another crisis: "After the earthquake in Haiti and the floods in Pakistan, the EU aid budget is running on empty.

"I have very serious concerns about whether the Commission will be able to act if yet another disaster were to strike this year."

Cashman also stressed the importance of reaching the Millennium Development Goals, which would prevent such disastrous consequences when natural disasters strike: "At the United Nations summit this month, international heads of state will have to make new ambitious commitments to developing countries, and we, the European Union, as the biggest aid donor, should be at the forefront and have the guts to lead the way to eradicating poverty."

Britain's Ashton wins in battle against vested Brussels interests

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Europe's new diplomatic service led by Britain's Cathy Ashton has been given the green light today (Thursday) with parliamentary approval of the service more than six months after Ashton was first appointed.

The agreement has been welcomed as a defeat for those seeking to preserve bureaucratic empires in Brussels.

Labour's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson in the European Parliament, Richard Howitt MEP, helped thwart a last minute attempt by the Parliament's centre-right grouping to further delay agreement by pushing back the vote until after the summer recess.

The British Labour Euro-MP warned that failure to agree further technical changes to staffing and financial rules by October at the latest could result in unnecessary delays, with potential staff put through the recruitment process but unable to be appointed to the new jobs.

Speaking about the parliament's vote, Richard Howitt MEP said:

"This is a defeat for those vested interests from governments, the European Commission and from parliament itself - too many of whom were more interested in preserving their own empires at the expense of creating an effective new external service which properly reflects the spirit of the Lisbon Treaty and gives Cathy Ashton the tools for the
job.

"There is no excuse for further evasion or delay in agreeing the additional changes needed to technical rules on staff and finance, where Parliament's responsibilities are clear and the hard-won compromise must be respected.

"We will still be in a situation where the first anniversary of Cathy's appointment will be approaching and the service she has been asked to lead will only just have been created.

"Any further delay could see new staff interviewed but applicants sitting by their letter boxes waiting for letters of appointment that can't be posted until the further changes are finalised.

"Cathy Ashton has brokered the best possible deal to create an ambitious and inclusive service which genuinely brings together all of the European Union's outward facing activities to produce a combined strong voice for Europe in the world.

"The European Parliament should speak clearly in favour of the agreement or it is Europe which will lose its voice."

EU curbs on bankers' bonuses bite next year

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The EU is moving with unprecedented speed to curb bankers' bonuses, putting robust new laws in place before next year's bonus announcements.

Labour Euro-MP Arlene McCarthy today won the European Parliament's support for measures forcing banks to hold more capital to set against risky activities.

Key provisions will include a cap on the ratio of bonus to fixed salary. Bonus-style pensions will be covered as well, preventing those responsible for a bank's collapse from walking away with huge pension pots.

Arlene McCarthy told the Parliament in Strasbourg: "Financial experts agree that a high-risk, short-term bonus culture, combined with a lack of capital, were at the heart of the global financial crisis in 2008.

"Governments and taxpayers bailed out the banks with 3.9 trillion euros of support. In the UK alone, the support was 1.2 trillion pounds - almost as much as a whole year's GDP.

"Remuneration policies must first and foremost prioritise the health and stability of a financial institution. Despite claims by the banks that they have learned lessons, they have actually increased salaries and bonuses as a proportion of revenues.

"When governments are cutting budgets and people suffer reduced services and support, we cannot accept a banking culture that puts pay and perks above sustaining capital and credit for Europe's economic recovery.

"The bankers have failed to take appropriate action, so we are doing the job for them to rebuild trust and confidence in our banking system."

Trade in illegal wood cut down to size

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A new system to ensure the wood used by British companies and citizens isn't made from illegally chopped down trees has been agreed by the European Parliament.

Illegal logging is a major cause of global deforestation, contributing to climate change and a loss of biodiversity. It also feeds money into organised crime and damages the economies of many developing countries.

The environmental charity WWF estimates that 7.2 per cent of UK wood imports could come from illegal sources.

Now that new pan-EU rules have been endorsed by MEPs, it will become easier to buy wood in confidence that it has come from a legal source.

Linda McAvan MEP, Labour's European Parliament spokesperson on the environment, welcomed the result of the vote: "The fight against illegal deforestation took a big step forward today.

"Campaigners estimate that there is a black market in illegally sourced wood worth around two billion pounds across the EU each year.

"It is bad for communities, damaging to the environment and it robs developing countries of an important stream of income.

"Until now the European Union has only had voluntary codes in place to try to stop this kind of trade, but it's clear they haven't been working.

"We now have properly enforceable rules to ban the placing of illegally logged wood on the European market and to ensure that traders can show exactly where their wood has come from."

The agreement comes after two years of negotiations between the European Parliament and EU governments. A petition backed by around 125,000 people was presented to the parliament by campaigners. It has been a major postbag issue for MEPs with constituents calling for their representatives to back the new rules, which are expected to come into force in 2012.

Linda McAvan added: "This is a big victory for MEPs and campaigners who have been pushing the European Commission to act for many years. We will keep up the pressure to make sure EU countries properly enact the legislation.

"These new rules will make a massive difference, both to developing countries and in our battle against climate change."

Labour MEPs call for new inquiry to solve Spanish property problems

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have called on the Spanish government to establish a new committee of inquiry to deal with property problems that have seen thousands of people facing the prospect of losing their home.

Addressing the Spanish Prime Minister in the European Parliament today (Tuesday 6 July), Glenis Willmott, the leader of the British Labour MEPs, said that discussions with colleagues from the ruling Spanish socialist party had resulted in the idea of a committee of inquiry to help those affected to seek redress.

Prime Minister Zapatero has now committed to continue the work with groups in the European Parliament to try to find a solution on this issue.

Glenis Willmott said: "People who have been affected by these threats of repossession and loss of savings aren't interested in political rhetoric, they simply want to sort things out.

"In discussions with Spanish socialist MEPs the idea of a committee of inquiry has been raised. This would bring together government representatives with developers, estate agents and banks to adjudicate on individual cases. It could provide a means to ensure that people are fairly compensated for what has happened to them."

Thousands of people from Spain, Britain and other EU countries, face the prospect of losing their home in Spain, without the prospect of any adequate compensation.

The process, known as ‘land grab', starts with a local authority reclassifying rural land as urban land, without the permission of the land owner. Developers then build on land around properties and demand cash from the owners to pay for new roads, drainage and other infrastructure. In other cases, homes have been bought which have been declared illegal and face demolition.

Michael Cashman MEP, who has been campaigning on this issue for seven years, believes that the committee may be a way of getting through the current impasse that has been blocking effective action on this issue. He said: "Spain's regional laws mean it is difficult for the Spanish government to act on this issue, but act they must.

"For years now we have been demanding action, but very little has been done. If a committee of inquiry offers an opportunity to get past the current blockage then the government must use it.

"Nobody can understand the worry that comes from the prospect of giving up your home, of surrendering your life savings.

"As politicians, we have a duty to campaign for our constituents and, most importantly, to try and find solutions to the problems they face, unlike UKIP who raise the issue when it suits them and then do not even wait to find out the answer from the Prime Minister."

The Gallo report on the enforcement of intellectual property rights

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"Labour Members of the European Parliament support the UK and European creative sector, which is hugely important to us, both culturally and economically" said Arlene McCarthy MEP, Labour's legal affairs spokesperson in the European Parliament, in response to the postponement of the vote on the Gallo report.

"In Britain, and across the EU, we have a creative edge that can help us succeed in the global economy. In the UK alone the creative sector contributes around seven per cent of GDP and employs two million people. This success is threatened by infringements of IPR, not least online infringements, which could cost some 1.2 million European jobs by 2015.

"The Gallo report adopted by the Legal Affairs Committee addresses the critical task of tackling all infringements of intellectual property rights, in particular the counterfeiting of goods which threaten consumer health. In addressing online infringements the report strikes the right balance between protecting individual citizens' rights, while ensuring that infringements of the rights of creative sector workers can be properly addressed.

"Labour MEPs are committed to standing up for the millions of workers whose livelihoods depend on our creative industries and call on all Members of the European Parliament to support the report of the Legal Affairs Committee."

Action needed to stop horrific trade in torture instruments

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have called for more to be done to ensure EU countries abide by rules designed to stop the trade in instruments of torture.

In a report approved by the European Parliament, Euro-MPs have hit out at a failure of some EU governments to prevent companies from exporting equipment that can be used for torture or other inhumane or degrading treatment.

The report comes soon after a dossier was published by Amnesty International showing how legal loopholes are being used to continue the sale of goods that should have been banned.

Richard Howitt MEP, spokesperson for Labour's Euro-MPs on human rights, believes more must be done to ensure that EU-wide rules are adhered to: "The sorts of items that are getting through are truly horrifying. Thumb cuffs, leg restraints and equipment used to deliver massive electric shocks are just a few examples.

"I'm proud to say that the last Labour government led the way in cracking down on this despicable trade.

"The European Commission must do more to ensure that countries can't get away with avoiding both their legal and moral responsibility to act on this issue."

The Amnesty report highlighted a number of examples of countries issuing export licences for products that should be banned under the relevant EU regulation.

These included the Czech Republic, which allowed the export of shackles, electric shock weapons and chemical sprays to countries where it is known similar equipment had previously been used by police and security services for torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Amnesty also said that Germany had issued similar licences for the export of foot-chains and chemical sprays.

The European Parliament today called on both EU governments and the European Commission to do more to ban this type of trade, including extending the list of banned items and requiring governments to make declarations about what penalties they impose on people or organisations who break the rules.

Richard Howitt added: "It was a major achievement to get these rules in place - but they will only help combat ill-treatment if governments abide by them.

"EU countries must not be complicit in the horrific trade of instruments whose only purpose is to cause harm and pain."

New translation rules to make EU trials fairer

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has approved new legal standards to ensure that people facing criminal charges in any EU country will be able to understand what is happening both inside and outside the courtroom.

The new rules are designed to ensure that people cannot face criminal proceedings in a foreign language without having access to an interpreter and translations of the key documents in the case.

Once in force, the rules will apply in cases in which British citizens face criminal proceedings in other EU member states.

Claude Moraes MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on justice and home affairs, welcomed the agreement: "At present the support given to people in these circumstances varies widely across Europe.

"It means that in some cases defendants are unable to access key documents in a language they understand, or are not able to follow the proceedings in court.

"Whatever the background of the case, if someone is subject to criminal charges it is imperative that they properly understand what is happening to them.

"A miscarriage of justice is far more likely if a defendant is unable to make sense of what they are being accused of or what evidence is being used against them."

The agreement between the EU member states and the European Parliament was formally adopted by MEPs in Strasbourg on Wednesday (16 June). EU governments have three years in which to amend their legal systems to comply with the rules.

Claude Moraes added: "In some cases the lack of interpretation means that defendants are not even able to communicate effectively with their own lawyer, never mind the prosecution.

"This is a fundamental principle. You can't allow open and fair justice to be lost in translation."

Food industry "must now accept the need for honest labelling"

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Food manufacturers must now accept the need to be more upfront and honest about the way they label their packages.

That's the message from Labour MEP Glenis Willmott after the European Parliament voted to require companies to display more nutritional information about their products on the front of packs.

A massive lobby by the food industry defeated proposals by parliamentarians to require the use of "traffic light labels" on many processed foods, but manufacturers failed in their attempts to block more honest labelling about where products are produced.

In an important victory for consumers, the parliament backed rules to prevent products largely produced with imported ingredients from being misleadingly labelled as British. That's a move that will be welcomed by the National Farmers Unions and consumer groups.

At present the processing of a food in the UK can allow companies to label it as British, even though the meat could have come from an animal that was reared and slaughtered abroad.

Although not approving colour coded labels, the parliament did back a requirement for foods to include key nutritional information, including the amount of salt, fat and sugar contained in the product, on the front of packaging.

Manufacturers were pushing to limit this requirement to the back of the pack.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's leader in the European Parliament, had led the charge to introduce more consumer friendly labels.

Speaking after the vote she said: "Food manufacturers must now recognise that they have a responsibility to be fair and upfront with their customers.

"The rules we've approved today make it clear that we won't stand for people being misled by food packaging.

"It's an important victory that I know will be welcomed by farmers and, most importantly, by shoppers who want to know exactly where their food has come from."

Unsurprised by traffic light result

Speaking about the failure to push through a traffic light scheme, Glenis said: "I'm disappointed but unsurprised that we didn't get agreement on traffic lights.

"What's particularly sad about the last few weeks is that discussions took place in a climate of misinformation - due in no small part to the campaign being waged against consumer-friendly labels.

"Food manufactures have spent so much time and money on trying to avoid giving their own customers honest information about their food. These companies should be focussing their resources on helping consumers understand exactly what they're putting in their trolley."

Campaign to continue

The first reading vote will now be considered by ministers from EU governments.

Glenis added: "We still need EU governments to agree to these provisions, and food manufacturers are already pushing hard for them to weaken the parliament's plans.

"If we're serious about tackling heart disease and obesity, we have to help people understand how much salt, fat and sugar is in their food. That's particularly true for products like ready meals and prepacked sandwiches where the label is the only way of knowing how healthy something is."

"Labour MEPs will continue to campaign to give shoppers the right to know exactly what is in their food."

Brussels battle over ready meal rules

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour members of the European Parliament have launched a last ditch effort to prevent a PR push by food industry lobbyists from stopping shoppers from getting honest, upfront information about their food.

Next Wednesday MEPs are set to vote on food labelling rules, including the question of whether "traffic light labels" should be used on the front of packs for ready meals, processed convenience foods and many soft drinks.

If successful it would mean that these foods would need to show a sequence of red, amber or green indications so that people can quickly see how much salt, fat and sugar an item contains.

The British Heart Foundation, consumer body Which? and the British Medical Association have supported the scheme but the idea is being fiercely resisted by food manufacturers, who have spent the last few months on a major charm offensive to try and block MEPs' proposals.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on health, has been campaigning for more honest food labelling since the Commission first proposed to change EU rules two years ago. She said:

"This is about giving shoppers the right to make an informed choice about what they're buying, but it's clear that most food manufacturers don't want people to know what's really in their food.

"If we're serious about tackling obesity and heart disease, people need to know how much sugar, salt and fat is in the food they eat. But with products like ready meals and pre-packed sandwiches, the only real way of getting the facts is by checking the label - so there has to be a quick and easy way for people to interpret all that information."

Traffic light labels are already used by many suppliers and have the backing of big supermarket chains, including Asda, the Co-op, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's.

Amendments in support of a traffic light scheme were narrowly defeated at committee stage, but they have been retabled by Glenis Willmott so they can be considered by the whole parliament.

She is concerned the campaign for this kind of upfront information is being undermined by false claims that are circulating the European Parliament, in particular claims that the rules would apply to things like cheese and fruit juices, which wouldn't be covered by the traffic light proposals.

The rumours come against a background of intense lobbying by the food manufacturing industry.

Glenis, who is also the leader of the Labour MEPs, added: "I believe that we have a crucial opportunity to give consumers real power.

"But some food manufacturers are spreading misinformation in an attempt to block the traffic light scheme. They've poured enormous amounts of money, time and effort into challenging these and other ideas that would give consumers a better understanding of what's in their food.

"To be frank, they don't want to see traffic light labels because they don't want this kind of information in such an easy to understand format. They prefer complex labels that make it far harder for shoppers to really understand what's going in their basket."

Mobile phone ruling is good news for consumers

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have welcomed a European court ruling that has rejected attempts by major mobile phone operators to challenge an EU cap on the cost of using mobile phones abroad.

Speaking immediately after the ruling, Arlene McCarthy, the Euro MP who steered the mobile roaming law through the European Parliament as Chair of the Consumer Protection Committee, said: "Today's judgement from the European Court of Justice shows we were right to act against excessive charges by mobile operators for using your phone in another EU country.

"It is now time for the mobile operators to show that they have learned their lesson and will charge fair, competitive prices to their customers. The operators should give consumers a fair deal, not try to wreck laws that we had to introduce to protect our constituents."

Catherine Stihler, Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on consumer affairs, added: "This ruling is good news for consumers. Mobile phone companies were given ample opportunity to act on the cost of using phones abroad, but in the end it took EU action to bring prices down."

Ministers should act now to boost access to life-saving organ transplants

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have called on EU governments to act quickly to agree new rules to boost access to life-saving organ transplants.

The call from comes after the European Parliament voted on a package of standards to help improve the safety and quality of organs donated across the EU.

By establishing these guarantees, the proposed rules should help boost access to a larger pool of organ donations.

This would particularly help people looking for a rare match, enabling them to be paired with a donor from another EU country.

The EU directive was backed by the European Parliament on Wednesday and now needs to be approved by governments from the EU's 27 member states.

Glenis Willmott MEP, who is Labour's leader in the European Parliament as well as the spokesperson for Labour MEPs on public health, has now led the call for health ministers to ensure that agreement is reached as soon as possible: "This package has now been approved by the European Parliament and has the broad support of national governments.

"On average 12 people die everyday across the EU while they are waiting for a transplant. Patients want to be given the best chances of finding a suitable match, so the sooner we act the better."

While most organ transplants in the UK come from British donations, the use of organs from other countries is becoming more common, particularly where patients are waiting for a rare match.

There are more than 9,000 people waiting for a transplant in the UK, but only around 3,000 transplants are carried out each year.

Glenis added: "The planned rules would mean that there would be one simple and safe system for all 27 member states of the EU, offering hope to the 56,000 European citizens on waiting lists for transplants.

"This would be especially beneficial for those patients who are waiting for a rare match, who could be paired up with a donor from elsewhere in Europe, safe in the knowledge that the donor and organ were subject to the same quality and safety standards that they would have been in the UK.

"Currently we face a severe shortage of suitable donors across Europe. I hope that these proposals will be a significant step towards solving this terrible problem."

Labour MEPs were closely involved in the scrutiny of the package, amending the proposals to make them more flexible for the NHS and other European health services.

The new package will not affect existing rules ensuring organs donated within the NHS are prioritised for use by NHS patients.

Consumer victory as parliament says no to meat glue

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has voted to ban a glue used by the food industry to stick scraps of meat together for sale as whole steaks.

The decision comes after concerns were raised that the use of 'thrombin', which is derived from the blood of pigs and cows, misleads consumers and therefore should not be allowed under EU law.

The enzyme is the same protein that plays a role in the process that stops bleeding from a wound. When used as glue, thrombin allows food manufacturers to seamlessly join pieces of meat and chicken together to form steaks, which can then be sold at a higher price to consumers, who unwittingly believe they are buying whole pieces of meat.

An expert committee recommended that thrombin be authorised as a food additive but Labour MEPs have backed calls to block that decision on the grounds of consumers being misled.

Linda McAvan, Labour's spokesperson on the issue, said: "The use of meat glue can mislead people and get them to pay a higher price for a lower value product. That has to be wrong.

"People are increasingly conscious of the food products they buy, where they are from and how they are processed but most people remain unaware of ‘tricks of the trade' such as this.

"When you buy a filet you expect to buy one piece of meat, not a mix of small pieces of various qualities of meat glued together. And you should get what you pay for. I've recently voted for the honest labelling of British made produce and I'm pleased to back consumers again and vote for a ban on meat glue."

The European Commission will now have to come forward with a revised list of food additives.

Trade negotiations opened to public scrutiny after pressure from MEPs

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Documents about plans to tackle the international trade in counterfeit goods have been released, just weeks after the European Parliament called for greater transparency in negotiations on the issue.

The Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is currently being negotiated by the European Union and ten countries worldwide.

In March Labour's David Martin MEP co-authored a resolution in which the European Parliament called for greater clarity about exactly what issues were being discussed.

Campaigners have raised concerns that the agreement could have implications for individuals' civil liberties.

They were concerned that the agreement could result in people having their computer equipment analysed by customs officials looking for illegally downloaded files.

The lack of clarity over what was being discussed also meant there was apprehension over the impact any treaty might have on the trade in generic medicines, which help supply cheaper drugs to the healthcare sector.

Documents released on Wednesday (21 April) seem to offer some reassurances on these issues, showing that most of the detail focuses on large scale counterfeiting.

David Martin, who is Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on trade, said: "Thanks to pressure from EU citizens and the European Parliament - there has been an important shift in favour of increased transparency.

"The documents mean that it's now easier to see exactly what is being discussed, but the final agreement hasn't been reached yet.

"That will need the European Parliament's approval, so it's vital the European Commission pays attention to MEPs' concerns."

Labour MEPs have stressed that ACTA should target commercial counterfeiters and not individuals.

The countries involved in the negotiations, which include the USA and Japan, hope to strike a deal to help tackle the trade in counterfeit goods and uphold intellectual property rights.

Officials at EU borders seized 79 million counterfeit articles in 2007. The trade includes cosmetic products, toys and medicines - sectors in which fake goods can have serious implications for consumer safety.

Speaking on the impact any treaty could have on the pharmaceutical sector, David Martin added: "Commercial interests must never be placed over public health, so I welcome the clarification we've had from the negotiators.

"As a major transit point for generic medicines to developing countries, it is vital that the European Union does not impede the trade in legitimate generic medicines which save millions of lives in developing countries."

'Sort out Spanish property problems or suspend EU funding', says Labour MEP

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A Labour MEP has hit out at the Spanish government over its failure to support people, including many British citizens, who are facing the prospect of their homes being demolished.

Michael Cashman MEP has been pushing for Spain's national government to step in to solve the disagreement over local planning laws but, with the authorities failing to respond, he is calling for EU funding to the affected region to be suspended.

The call came as Cashman welcomed a group of people affected by the problems to the European Parliament's Petitions Committee, where they had the opportunity to raise their concerns with Euro-MPs.

In many cases people face the prospect of their properties being knocked down because, while they purchased them through the Spanish legal system, it subsequently transpired that the properties were in breach of laws designed to prevent development too close to the coastline.

The bulk of the people affected are Spanish but the problem affects all EU citizens, including thousands of British people who have bought retirement or holiday properties in Andalucía, Valencia, Murcia and other regions of Spain.

The European Parliament's Petitions Committee has received over 15,000 petitions from individuals concerned about the subject.

Michael Cashman, who is Labour's spokesperson on the Petitions Committee, said: "We have been working on this since 2004 and it remains unresolved. The Spanish Government needs to address, together with the regional authorities, the recurring breaches of fundamental rights.

"It is vital for the parties to come together to resolve this on behalf of all the EU citizens who have been involved in these property problems, which they did not cause. They have legally purchased illegally-built houses!"

Earlier this year Cashman wrote to the Spanish Prime Minister asking the national government to step in to find a resolution to the crisis.

However, the government at first refused to deal with the letter because it was in English and has subsequently failed to respond to a Spanish translation.

Michael Cashman added: "I've lost count of the number of complaints I have received on this issue. It is now damaging Spain's international reputation and the government should step in to sort it out.

"It's time for something to be done to end the worry and heartache of people who wake up everyday under the threat of demolition orders. If no action is taking, EU funding to the region should be suspended until EU citizens' rights are properly respected."

Misleading 'British' meat claims challenged by EU vote

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A European Parliament committee has voted for new rules to stop companies from misleading consumers by saying that products made with foreign-reared meat are British.

In a vote on Tuesday 16 March on EU-wide food labelling laws, the parliament's committee on public health supported a mandatory requirement for companies to tell consumers where the animals used to make their meat products were reared.

At present the processing of a food in the UK can allow companies to label it as British, even though the meat could have come from an animal that was reared and slaughtered abroad.

It means that processed foods, like sausages and ready-meals, as well as prepared products such as pre-packed sandwiches, can be labelled as British even if they don't contain British meat.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's leader in the European Parliament, was leading the call for stronger consumer rights in the committee discussions.

She said: "If you buy food labelled as British, you would rightly expect any meat in it to have come from British farms. Yet currently you have no way of checking whether that's really the case. So your chicken-salad sandwich might say it's British, but the chicken could have come from Thailand.

"Today's vote is the latest step in our campaign to ensure that manufacturers are honest with consumers about where their products come from."

The proposals are supported by the National Farmers' Union and consumer groups.

The committee also supported a call for consumers to be told whether egg-based foods, such as quiches and mayonnaise, came from battery-farmed or free-range hens.

However MEPs rejected a call for traffic light labelling of foods, which would make it far easier for shoppers to quickly determine whether a product is high in things like fats, calories and sugars.

Labour's Euro-MPs have vowed to continue to push for this type of labelling, which is strongly supported by consumer and health groups. They will have a chance to strengthen the rules when the committee's proposals are put to the whole parliament for approval, probably in May.

The final food labelling rules will need to be agreed jointly by the European Parliament and government ministers from the EU member states.

Today's vote comes against a background of intense lobbying by food manufacturers who have been trying to limit the amount of information they are required to give consumers.

Glenis, who is also Labour's European spokesperson on public health, added: "The big food manufacturers have poured huge resources into trying to stop people from knowing the facts about what they eat.

"Against a background of intensive lobbying, Labour MEPs are standing up for consumer rights.

"We know that people want this kind of information and health professionals are clear that it would help in the battle against obesity, heart disease and diabetes. So why are manufacturers so afraid of telling people what's in their food?

"We'll continue to do whatever we can to help shoppers make an informed choice about what they eat and drink."

EU to help small firms beat recession with red tape cuts

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The European Parliament has voted to exempt very small firms from EU bookkeeping laws to reduce the burden of red tape and help companies beat the recession.

A vote on Wednesday 10 March meant that these types of company, known as micro-entities, will not face the prospect of detailed obligations under the EU accounting standards,

Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy, who is Vice President of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, said: "As our small firms struggle to overcome the crisis we are determined to help them by cutting red tape.

"It is vitally important that EU law does not over-burden very small businesses. This exemption means that very small firms will save around £1,000 in accountancy and audit fees."

This Commission proposal forms part of Europe's response to the financial crisis and is an important element of the European Small Business Act; a set of proposals to reduce burdens on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

The new law will amend the 4th company law directive, dealing with accounting standards, to exempt the smallest category of SME, defined as firms with, for example, less than 10 employees and a small turnover. It was backed by the European Parliament by 445 votes to 196.

Over five million firms across Europe fall into this definition, and the European Commission estimates that savings for each firm will be around £1,000.

Arlene added: "We have made a commitment in the EU to reduce burdens on business by 25% by 2012, and this law is an important step towards meeting that goal. Micro-entities are often the first step on the ladder to successful employers of the future, we need to nurture and support these businesses, not place extra burdens on them."

Labour MEPs urge shoppers to switch to Fairtrade

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Shoppers are being encouraged to help tackle poverty by joining the Fairtrade Big Swap campaign.

The call to buy Fairtrade products comes from Labour MEPs and coincides with Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs until Sunday 7 March.

Every year campaigners organise events during the two-week period to raise the profile of the scheme, which helps ensure workers in poorer countries get a fair price for the products they produce.

MEPs are urging shoppers in their constituencies to look for the Fairtrade Mark on food, gifts and other products in the shops.

Over 4,500 products have been licensed to carry the Fairtrade logo and there are over 460 producer organisations selling to the UK, representing more than 1.5 million farmers and workers in developing countries.

The UK government has announced plans to boost funding for the labelling system.

This latest investment will bring another one million producers into the scheme and enable seven million more people in poor countries to benefit from a better deal.

Labour MEPs have been working for a number of years to support the fair trade movement, putting pressure on the European institutions to step up their support.

A European Commission initiative launched last year encouraged European countries to do more to promote the use of sustainable products.

The European Parliament is also using more Fairtrade products after a campaign by the Euro-MPs.

Linda McAvan MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's Fair Trade Working Group, said: "I am delighted to see that our hard work is paying off. We have achieved so much in the past decade.

"As a result of the group's efforts Fairtrade tea and coffee are now routinely served in all European Parliament meetings and events and Fairtrade products are given pride of place in our restaurants and canteens."

David Martin MEP, the spokesperson for Labour MEPs on trade, added: "Fairtrade isn't just a concept - it's a really practical way of making a difference to the lives of some of the world's poorest people. Small changes in our shopping habits can make a big difference to the world's poorest people.

"By buying food, gifts and other products from developing countries we will help their economies to grow and reduce poverty."

Glenis Willmott pays tribute to Michael Foot

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's leader in the European Parliament has paid tribute to Michael Foot, the former leader of the Labour Party, who died on Wednesday (3 March).

Speaking after news of his death was announced, Glenis Willmott MEP, said:

"This is truly sad news for anyone who believes in the core Labour values to which Michael Foot was so committed.

"He was a man who held deep beliefs and was passionate about those beliefs. He always wanted to do the best for the people of Britain and will be sorely missed by everyone in the labour movement."

New mobile rules to prevent post-holiday bill-shock

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs have welcomed new rules that give consumers extra protection from unexpectedly high mobile phone bills.

The EU rules on mobile data roaming, which came into force on 1 March 2010, are designed to prevent consumers from building up big bills because they are unaware of the cost of accessing the internet on their mobile.

Catherine Stihler MEP, Labour's spokesperson on consumer affairs in the European Parliament, said: "For many people mobile communication is now just as much about Facebook and Twitter as calls and text messages. These new rules will ensure that people can enjoy their holidays without coming home to a shockingly high bill."

The rules mean that people can set a limit on how much they are willing to spend on data roaming while abroad in another EU country. Customers will also be warned when they have reached 80 per cent of that limit.

Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy was chair of the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee when it played a crucial role in setting the new rules. She added: "Consumers can now determine just how much they're willing to spend on their mobile while they're abroad. It's a shame that despite the huge numbers of complaints, mobile operators dragged their feet and we have had to use the full force of the law to get consumers a fair deal on prices."

Budget answers demanded by Labour MEPs

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's leader in the European Parliament has said she will continue to push the institution's authorities to answer crucial questions about its budget.

A vote in the parliament on Thursday (25 February) called for an increase in staffing levels, a move that was opposed by Labour's Euro-MPs and the UK government.

Glenis Willmott MEP, Labour's leader in Europe, has now written to the President of the parliament, Jerzy Buzek, to express her concerns.

Labour MEPs say that the parliamentary authorities have failed to explain where the additional funding needed for the posts will be found.

Speaking immediately after the vote Glenis Willmott said: "It's outrageous that the parliament has agreed to these changes without first securing the necessary guarantees on where the money will come from.

"We asked for evidence to back up the proposals for extra staff - but we didn't get it. We asked for a detailed breakdown of where the money to pay for these jobs will come from - but the answers weren't there.

"For the parliament to refocus its budget so it can work more effectively is one thing - but to agree to extra spending without first finding the money is quite another.

"Our campaign for the parliament to live up to its budgetary responsibilities won't end here. Our questions to the authorities still need answers."

The parliament has justified the increase in staffing by saying that additional resources are needed after a recent increase in the institution's powers.

The letter from Glenis to Mr Buzek expressed the belief of Labour MEPs that the European Parliament "must take its budgetary responsibilities seriously".

Glenis specifically called on the parliament's President to answer two key questions. These were:

What evidence is there to back up the projected need for and costing of these additional posts?
Where will the funding for these additional posts be found?

The letter concluded: "Today's vote does not change the need to respond to these questions. I know that my constituents will demand answers of me."

Time to tackle deadly needle pricks

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's Euro-MPs have called for quick EU action to protect healthcare workers from contracting fatal diseases through injuries from used needles.

The European Parliament has called on government ministers across the EU to prioritise a new European directive to protect people from so called "needlestick injuries", through which it is possible to catch serious blood-borne diseases, including hepatitis and HIV.

Over the last six years Labour's Stephen Hughes MEP has been working with health workers' unions to drive a campaign for European action on the issue.

He said: "The idea that a needle prick could be fatal might raise a few eyebrows, but the danger is very real.

"I have been touched to hear the stories of workers who have experienced these injuries.

"Imagine the anguish that follows an accident with a used needle. The worker and their family can face many months of uncertainty, not knowing if they will acquire a potentially fatal infection or not."

More than one million needlestick injuries are suffered by healthcare workers in Europe each year, most of which are avoidable. They occur when medical staff, such as nurses, doctors, cleaners and laundry workers, are accidentally pricked with a used needle.

European guidelines on how to prevent these injuries were agreed between employers and worker representatives in June last year, but MEPs believe these rules need legal status to ensure that the risks to workers are minimised.

Most injuries can be prevented through appropriate training and working procedures, as well as the use of equipment with needle protection mechanisms.

A decision taken by the European Parliament last week will now put pressure on ministers to deliver legislation that is currently caught up in negotiations with national governments.

Stephen Hughes had authored the 2006 European Parliament report that prompted the proposals for an EU directive to prevent needlestick injuries.

Speaking after the vote, he welcomed the stance taken by the parliament: "For many years Labour MEPs have been pushing for European-wide action to protect healthcare workers. The proposals we voted through today will help give people the protection they deserve."

Richard Howitt MEP, who is Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament on employment and social affairs, added: "NHS staff and other healthcare workers go to enormous efforts to keep us all healthy. They deserve protection from injuries that can have life-threatening consequences. European ministers need to act now to give legal backing to the European guidelines."

"We'll watch EU Commission closely" say Labour MEPs

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour's Euro MPs have vowed to hold the European Commission up to detailed scrutiny to ensure it delivers for their constituents.

The 27 commissioners, who have been nominated by the governments of each EU member state, took up their posts this week after attaining the approval of the European Parliament.

Over the last few weeks they all appeared before the parliament's committees to face questions over their suitability to take up crucial jobs in the European Union.

One of the nominees, the Bulgarian candidate Rumiana Jeleva, was forced to withdraw her candidacy after a poor performance in front of the parliament.

Speaking after Tuesday's vote which approved the nominations, Glenis Willmott, leader of the British Labour MEPs, said:

"We've had a chance to hear from the Commissioners. Now it's time for them to get on with their work on issues that really matter to our constituents.

"We need President Barroso to show us that he will deliver on the promises he has made and provide the leadership needed to deliver jobs and economic growth across the EU.

"The last few weeks have shown that the relationship between the Commission and the Parliament is evolving.

"Labour MEPs will be watching the Commissioners closely to ensure that they act in the best interests of European citizens and we will use all the tools available to us to continue to hold them to account."

Members of the Commission will remain in office for five years, during which time they will regularly have to report on their work to the European Parliament and appear for questioning by its committees.

Baroness Catherine Ashton, the Commissioner nominated by the British government, has been made Vice President of the European Commission. She is also the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - a key role in representing the EU to other countries.

Speaking about Catherine Ashton's appointment, Glenis added:

"Baroness Ashton is a great appointment. On her past record, she'll no doubt make this position a major success. It is good for Britain and good for Europe to have her in such an important role."

Labour members of the European Parliament have welcomed the announcement of government plans to give agency workers new rights today.

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour members of the European Parliament have welcomed the announcement of government plans to give agency workers new rights today.

Labour MEPs played an instrumental role in establishing the European legislation on which the new rules are based.

They have also been lobbying hard to ensure that British agency workers get a fair deal as a result of the EU legislation.

Glenis Willmott, leader of the Labour MEPs and a life-long trade unionist, said: "It has not been easy getting to this point, but today's announcement will make a big difference for some of the most vulnerable people in our workforce. This is a major boost for agency workers, many of whom can now look forward to a fairer deal at work."

"All too often colleagues doing exactly the same job, side by side, can be treated entirely differently. Today's announcement will help thousands of workers who've been the victims of an unfair two-tier workforce."

"Colleagues will be concerned that many workers will need to wait until next year to access their rights, but that shouldn't obscure the fact that thousands of people will benefit from these new rules."

"This is a great example of where Labour and Europe are making a real difference for working people."

Spanish 'Land Grab' of UK houses - Labour MEPs go direct to Spanish Prime Minister

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour MEPs appealed directly to the Spanish Prime Minister on his visit to the European Parliament today to intervene on behalf of British people whose legally owned Spanish homes were taken from them.

West Midlands Labour MEP Michael Cashman has written a personal appeal to the Spanish Prime Minister. In his letter to Prime Minister Zapatero, he says "it is the Spanish Government alone that can bring an end to these abuses. The Spanish Presidency of the European Council has just started and it represents an opportunity to decisively tackle these long term problem once and for all, especially in the autonomous communities of Valencia, Andalusia and Murcia."

The letter continues "Several fact-finding missions have taken place, in which we have spoken to people on the ground and gathered evidence which has formed the basis of the Parliamentary Reports. Inaction can no longer be excused."

Mr. Cashman has campaigned for the British who have legal rights to property in Spain for many years as a member of the European Parliament's Petitions Committee, which has now handled 15,000 petitions on this issue.

Leader of British Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott, appealing directly to the Spanish Prime Minister in the Strasbourg chamber, said: - "I hope your Presidency will take this opportunity to resolve the issue of land-grab, which has caused such distress and heartache to tens of thousands of law-abiding property owners across Southern Spain. We really do need action now."

Jeleva resignation "A victory for common sense and the European Parliament"

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"This is not an issue of politics it is purely a matter of her ability to do a good job," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the Labour MEPs, on hearing that Rumiana Jeleva had resigned as Bulgarian candidate for the European Commission.

"Common sense has prevailed. The issue was her competence. She did not give a good account of herself at the hearing.

"We are looking forward to working with a new Commissioner from Bulgaria. This is a victory for accountability to the European Parliament," she said.

West Midlands Labour MEP Michael Cashman was one of the leading MEPs involved in Italian Commissioner-designate Rocco Buttiglione failing to be nominated five years ago.

As a member of the Parliament's Development Committee, he was one of the first to lead on questions to Commissioner-designate Rumiana Jeleva.

"It is always a moment of sadness when someone resigns from public office. She is a good woman, who served well as an MEP, and I wish her well with the future. However, I am glad she came to the conclusion that the job is not right for her," he said.

"From when we first met, I urged Jeleva that it was essential to be robust in dispelling any rumours, and equally strong when it came to transparency in all matters.

"It was for this reason that I questioned her on allegations relating to other business interests which did not appear in her declaration of interest.

"Even though she was cleared by the European Parliament's legal services, she failed to demonstrate, during the Hearing, confidence suitable for the position," he concluded.

"I hope the Tory MEPs will now support my salt, sugar, fat, calorie and alcohol labelling legislation," says Labour Leader

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Labour Leader in the European Parliament Glenis Willmott today challenged the Brussels Tories to support their Westminster colleagues and vote for her proposals to make alcohol content and calorie content clearer across the EU.

The Conservatives' Health spokesperson, Andrew Lansley unveiled (today, Wednesday) a new Tory policy to scrap the current labelling system for units of alcohol, and also to start labelling the calorific content of alcoholic drinks. He is proposing labelling food with guideline daily amounts for the key nutrients such as fats, sugars and salts.

"Lansley said that we cannot legislate for the UK alone and that it needs to be done on a Europe-wide basis. For once I completely agree with him," she said.

"Alcoholic drinks are made and sold all over Europe, and we need the same fair standards to know what we are drinking regardless of its country of origin.

"Our 'common market' necessitates a shared labelling system for the food and drinks we consume. There is currently draft legislation before the European Parliament to do just that.

"As the MEP responsible for this legislation in the European Parliament for my political group, I have already submitted amendments to change this legislation to ensure compulsory labelling of the calorie content of alcohol, and compulsory "traffic light" labelling of all foods, so shoppers can see at a glance the levels of salt, sugar, fat and calories of the food they pick up off the shelf.

As well as being British Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott speaks on this issue for the 184 Socialist and Democrat MEPs from 27 different countries - the European Parliament's second largest political group.

"This contrasts starkly with the Tories and their self-enforced isolation. They must be kicking themselves, and David Cameron, for having left the European Parliament's largest Group of MEPs - cutting ties with the parties of President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel, only to throw themselves into the arms of Poles and Czechs with extremist and far-right links.

"I fear that both the Conservative front bench and their marginalised MEPs will now have great trouble in pursuing their new policies in the European Parliament, with so few friends and such limited power. We are voting on 26 new Commissioners this week, and none are from the Tory-dominated ECR Group" she concluded.

Cathy Ashton: La Vie en rose - Je ne regrette rien

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"Cathy Ashton has led a proud 'Vie en Rose' - she has every reason to say 'je ne regrette rien' about her CND involvement," said British Labour Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Richard Howitt MEP, after a UKIP MEP had tried to make Baroness Cathy Ashton publicly say 'je ne regrette rien' over her involvement with CND in the 1980s.

"Tired and wholly false allegations about CND and the former Soviet Union were a thinly disguised attempt to associate Cathy Ashton with anti-Russian sentiment in the Parliament. And it fell totally flat," he said.

While the vast majority of the European Parliament discussed the world role of the new High Representative today, UKIP and some British Conservatives seemed more interested in repeating totally unfounded allegations the funding of CND leaflets in the UK in the 1980s.

Richard Howitt ignored loud shouts from a UKIP MEP - which most MEPs found discourteous - as he asked a question during her three hour hearing in front of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs committee, for her new role as the EU's High Representative today. "The Conservatives showed sour grapes about your appointment. They are seeking to criticise what you were doing when Britain was barely a member of the European Union. Perhaps that is not surprising given that 'Britain out of the EU' is where they would like to return?" he asked.

Baroness Ashton was enthusiastically clapped by the majority of MEPs when she defended her youthful anti-nuclear commitment.

When British Tory MEP Geoffrey Van Orden questioned Baroness Ashton's commitment to the military, Richard Howitt commented: - "The EU has committed itself to the essential role of training Afghan security forces. It is sad to see those like Mr. Van Orden who supposedly support Britain's military efforts there, and then disavow this critical path towards success for their mission."

'She's the right woman for the job. Her appointment is at last a chance for Europe to be a player on the world stage after endless debate with sceptics. Let's let her get on with it and support her," he said.

Though the European Parliament does not have the formal power to reject individual Commissioner nominations, it has power to reject the whole Commission in its plenary session later this month. In practice, this means any individual Commissioner could be changed in agreement with their national government and President Barroso before this vote.

Commissioner Barnier could do sterling work for Britain, says Labour MEP

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The appointment of French politician Michel Barnier as the European Commission's Internal Market Commissioner will be "good for the EU and good for the UK" says leading MEP Peter Skinner.

He argues that Barnier will be keen to show his independence from the French government, particularly following President Sarkozy's comments that "the English" were "the big losers" in the allocation of Commission portfolios.

Mr Skinner will be one of the lead questioners of Michel Barnier at the European Parliament's confirmation hearing on Wednesday afternoon (13th January).

Peter Skinner says "The appointment of someone French to the post should accelerate the creation of a single market in financial services, which will benefit London given our strength in capital markets and insurance.

"Barnier's appointment will bring the French government on board for EU efforts to integrate financial services, which can only help UK plc. He may even pick a fight or two with Paris in order to demonstrate his neutrality.

"In any event, I know Barnier and I am relaxed about the future of the City of London with him as Commissioner. His approach will not be any more ambitious than what is already occurring in the UK. FSA supremo Adair Turner or the Bank of England's Mervyn King have more radical ideas to regulate the financial services sector than Barnier," he says.

The European Parliament hearing for Michel Barnier as the new Internal Market Commissioner will take place on Weds 13th Jan, 16.30-19.30 (CET). He will appear before two of Parliament's committees: ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), and IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection).

He will answer a range of questions from MEPs sitting on these committees, and will be expected to answer additional written questions. The European Parliament cannot reject the appointment of an individual MEP such as Barnier, but it can reject - or threaten to reject - all 27 Commissioners if it is unhappy with one or more of them.

Peter Skinner, Labour MEP from the South-East region, is a senior member of the Economic and Monetary Affairs committee. He is one of the three MEPs responsible for seeing the current European Commission proposals, for the creation of EU supervisory authorities for banking, insurance and pensions and securities markets, through Parliament

He is also the responsible MEP for the implementation of the Solvency II legislation for the EU's insurance industry.

Almunia backs Euro MP Arlene McCarthy in warning bailed-out banks not to use taxpayers' money for bonuses

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Competition Commissioner-designate, Joaquín Almunia, was asked to use his powers to ensure taxpayers never again have to bail out the financial sector by Euro MP Arlene McCarthy, the Vice President of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, today (Tuesday 12 January) .

The European Parliament committee held a three hour "hearing" today for the new Commissioner-designate.

Arlene McCarthy said: "The public are furious that bankers intend to pay themselves billions of Euros in bonuses from profits made on the back of massive taxpayer support given to rescue the banking system.

"Mr Almunia has given a commitment that he will join us in standing up for taxpayers, consumers and investors and delivered a clear message to the banks at his hearing today that profits from public subsidy must not be paid out in bonuses. He pledged to look very very closely at how banks are using public subsidies."

Mr Almunia also pledged his support to Arlene McCarthy's call for a financial transaction tax or bank levy to ensure taxpayers do not bear the cost of future bail-outs.

Arlene said: "Mr Almunia clearly stated that the public should never again have to pay for the excessive risk taking of bankers and that banks should be made to take responsibility for their failings through a levy or financial transaction tax".

4 reasons to end this Strasbourg farce

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"This week, the parliament authorities in Strasbourg announced that another bit of plaster had fallen off the ceiling in one of the Parliament buildings while the MEPs were away last week. Could this have fallen on someone's head?

"The building was closed last year while they repaired a collapsed roof on the hemicycle. It has also had legionnaires disease here in the not too distant past, and there was asbestos in another part of the building recently.

"But actually these are comparatively minor reasons that cause protests against the monthly trip by MEPs and their staff to Strasbourg. There are four far more important reasons why we should now stop this farce," said Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott.

1. "While World Leaders are trying to save the planet in Copenhagen, the European Parliament is setting a terrible example by continuing the farce of travelling to Strasbourg every month.

"Governments should be seen to practice what they preach. It is a scandal to cause this totally unnecessary carbon footprint," she said.

The University of York have estimated a carbon footprint of an extra 20,268 tonnes of additional carbon dioxide caused by this move.

2. "As a result of the economic crisis, governments are asking everyone in the public sector to tighten their belts. At the moment, we are having a European civil servant strike as governments refuse their annual pay increase, and it looks terrible for politicians to continue this huge waste of public money." Estimates claim a cost of €206 million on the extra seat.

3. "Now is surely a good time to set a Treaty change in motion. We have finally just started to work with the new Lisbon Treaty to streamline our work after so many years of debate. Let's finally get the EU properly streamlined once and for all.

"We call on the Spanish Presidency, which will start in January 2010, to set this in motion, working together with new permanent President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy," she said.

The monthly trip of MEPs from their usual place of work in Brussels to Strasbourg was agreed by EU governments as part of a protocol attached to the Treaty of Amsterdam and is decided on by the Governments of the EU and not by MEPs.

4. "We only meet here for historic reasons. Strasbourg represented reconciliation between France and Germany, but that generation has more or less disappeared now. We are now the new Enlarged Europe and the significance of the end of Franco-German hostility is now consigned to history text books," she said.

Recently, over a million signatures were collected to the end "travelling circus" to Strasbourg.

Open Letter from Linda McAvan MEP and all other UK Labour MEPs on climate change, to the Rt Hon David Cameron MP

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The following is an open letter to David Cameron, from Glenis Willmott MEP (Leader of the Labour MEPs) and Linda Mcavan MEP (Labour Member of the European Parliament Environment committee, in Copenhagen as a European Parliament delegate) and all other Labour MEPs calling for action against Tory MEPs who actively oppose global measures to stop climate change.

Dear Mr Cameron,

At the start of the Copenhagen process on global climate change, you reassured us that the Conservative party is serious about curbing man-made global warming.

You tell us that your "front bench" view on climate change is the view that counts. But in Europe, this official party line is looking rather wobbly.

One of the leading Conservative experts on the environment, former MEP Caroline Jackson was among the first to sound the warning. She was sceptical of the 'green rebranding' of the Conservative party, "I think from the point of view of the Conservative Party, pursuing the green line is all talk and no action at the moment...when push comes to shove in the next General Election I suspect we will roll back from some of this".

Other Conservative MEPs are busily proving her right. Roger Helmer MEP, an outspoken climate sceptic who sat on the European Parliament's Climate Change committee, told the Parliament's plenary earlier this year: "There is said to be a consensus around catastrophic man-made global warming. It (too) is wrong. Nor is it a consensus. The myth of consensus is a propaganda triumph for the Warmists."

Roger Helmer last week organised yet another event on the 'global climate change sceptics circuit' - a pre-Copenhagen briefing in the European Parliament, where a Dutch economist and a Viscount announced: "We are told that temperatures and sea levels are rising and the polar caps are melting. That is the bad news. The good news is that none of it is true."

Two weeks ago, Tory MEP Daniel Hannan suggested that the aim of the UN-driven Copenhagen talks - to bring in an international solution to an international problem - is somehow a conspiracy: "(The President of the European Council) Mr Van Rompuy declared that the Copenhagen Process would be a step towards the global management of our planet. We cannot be alone in being alarmed at the way in which the environmental agenda is being piggybacked by those who have a different agenda about the shifting of power away from national democracies."

Both MEPs voted to reject the European Parliament's resolution on the Copenhagen negotiations along with almost half of your Conservative Party's new European group.

Mr Cameron, you have attached historical importance to the Copenhagen summit. We know this may be our last chance to protect the planet.

The UK is going to Copenhagen as part of the European Union, with a common EU mandate. The denialist attitudes that your MEPs are propagating at the heart of Europe are at best, unhelpful, and at worst, dangerous. You recently threw a Conservative MEP out of your party for making a stand against the Conservatives' new allies in the European Parliament. Is climate change such a low priority for your party that climate saboteurs are given a free rein?

Yours,

Glenis Willmott MEP

Linda McAvan MEP

and all other Labour MEPs

"Come together, right now, over meat" - Labour MEPs join EP welcome to Macca

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"We're overjoyed that Sir Paul McCartney has made time to come the European Parliament to campaign on climate change as we approach the Copenhagen Summit," said Glenis Willmott, Leader of the British Labour MEPs.

The former Beatle was joined by UN climate change chief, Dr Rajendra Pachauri, at a hearing at the European Parliament today.

Paul McCartney and Rajendra Pachauri are promoting their campaign 'Meat Free Monday' urging people to cut down on meat consumption to help overcome the problems of climate change.

Glenis Willmott added "This idea is not 'Lucy in the Pie with Lentils' - we all have to make our own personal contribution as well as a policy contribution. For a successful outcome in Copenhagen - 'Let it be' - we need to 'come together' with a little help from our friends.

"Climate change is a global problem that requires global solutions. The EU has rightly taken a lead on this issue.

"Linda McAvan, a Labour MEP, has played a pivotal role in getting the European Parliament to take a lead and set standards for the rest of the world to follow," said Glenis Willmott.

Cathy Ashton - a European Hillary Clinton

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Baroness Cathy Ashton was today called 'a European version of Hillary Clinton' in a formal session of the Foreign Affairs committee of the European Parliament today.

MEPs from outside the UK literally laughed off domestic political attacks against Baroness Ashton from right wing British MEPs during her first appearance in the European Parliament Foreign Affairs committee in her new role as the EU's High Representative today (Wednesday December 2nd).

British Labour Foreign Affairs Spokesman, Richard Howitt MEP, who was a lead questioner to Baroness Ashton, said

"There are some hard choices in projecting Europe's soft power and, though she wouldn't say it herself, this is the appointment of a European version of Hillary Clinton.

"There are high expectations for the High Representative and she rightly rejects the idea of a European policy being the lowest common denominator.

"Cathy Ashton didn't shy away from her obligations to talk tough when needed, and to tackle early challenges. These include the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Europe's response to the Honduras elections, continuing work on further sanctions against Iran and preparing for land-based as well as sea-based intervention in Somalia," he said.

Baroness Ashton was able to totally deny a UK Independence Party question that as former Treasurer of CND (Britain's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament), she oversaw the receipt of Soviet funding. Richard Howitt commented: "The UK Independence Party is attempting to revive a modern-day version the infamous 'Zinoviev letter', another lie which destabilised the earliest Labour MPs. Their new allegations are just as fraudulent. ," he said.

British Tory MEPs also questioned Baroness Ashton's competence for the new role:-

"When Tory MEPs questioned whether Cathy Ashton is a serious appointment, it was laughed off by MEPs quite literally from across the political spectrum," he said.

Vacancy:Traineeship in the European Parliament

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

GROUP OF THE PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE OF SOCIALISTS AND DEMOCRATS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY LABOUR PARTY

2010 Traineeship (stagiaire) in the European Parliament

A traineeship will be available for five months from February 2010 to July 2010 in the S&D Group in the European Parliament (Brussels).

An allowance of approximately 1300 Euros per month (roughly 1150 Pounds Sterling) is paid to a trainee during the five months. Additional details on who S&D Group are and what they do can be found on the EPLP web site. Information on what the secretariat does is separately attached. http://www.socialistgroup.org/

Interviews will be held in the week beginning 7th December 2009.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter of no more than two A4 pages, to James Royston at:

European Parliamentary Labour Party, 2 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9AA (fax 020 7233 1365)
or by e-mail to james.royston@europarl.europa.eu
No telephone applications

The deadline for applications is MONDAY 30th NOVEMBER 2009.

The following documents will aid your application:

1. An information sheet on the work of the Socialists and Democrats Group

2. The Job Description

3. The rules governing the traineeship

Labour MEPs call for EU support for Cumbria flood victims

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Leader of the Labour MEPs, Glenis Willmott, will deliver a joint letter to the Prime Minister tomorrow, to support calls for European action on the floods in Cumbria that work together with the money already promised by the UK government.

In a speech to the European Parliament plenary session Strasbourg yesterday she linked the flooding in Cumbria to a call for action on climate change.

She said "we have seen the impact of adverse weather in Cumbria, in the North West of England, which has experienced severe flooding.

"It's not just in Europe where the weather is creating unexpected hardship. Adverse weather is causing unforeseen human tragedy across our planet. Denial is the easy option.

"The Labour government in the UK wants a deal that is ambitious and effective and fair to support the poorest countries to adapt their emissions and adapt to climate change," she said.

Earlier this week, Brian Simpson and Arlene McCarthy, Labour MEPs for the North West Region, jointly announced that they are looking into getting EU funds for flood relief - and they will be taking up the issue jointly with 10 Downing Street.

"This is an awful situation, make no mistake. In human terms, it is tragic," said Brian Simpson.

"Arlene and I will do all that we can to ensure that Cumbria gets EU help over and above the million pounds promised by Gordon Brown.

"Cumbria needs EU investment, similar to that gained other regions hit by floods over recent years as there's now much work to be done reconstructing, and rebuilding peoples' homes and businesses," he said.

Arlene McCarthy said "Labour Euro MPs are working together to secure extra funding for Cumbria to help deal with the devastation caused by the floods. That is where our priorities lie, with the people of Cumbria."

Labour MEPS support Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops campaign

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Glenis Willmott MEP, Leader of Labour's MEPs said "I'm very pleased to support War on Want's "Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops" campaign.

We are internationalists because it makes sense to work across national borders on issues like this. This is why I became an MEP after a lifetime as a trade unionist.

In the long run, internationally agreed standards are the only way to combat sweatshops.

The EU, working as one, is in a far better position than any single nation to play a leading role in linking its trade agreements to the actions taken by countries world wide in implementing the Core Labour Standards of the ILO". Child labour, the non recognition of trade unions rights and collective bargaining, and the fight against discrimination in the workplace are rights worth fighting for, rights that will bring hope and change for millions of poor people forced to live in abject poverty.

As we approach Christmas, we should all think twice before we shop, and think twice about how the products we buy were made and about the workers who make them."

We must protect passengers left stranded when airlines go bankrupt - say MEPs

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"People look forward to their holidays all year, we must protect passengers left stranded when airlines go bankrupt," Labour's Brian Simpson, Chair of the European Parliament's Transport Committee, said today.

The European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg is now widely expected to pass a resolution today calling on the European Commission to come up with proposals to safeguard passengers.

"We've won support from all groups of MEPs in the European Parliament for this, from the Left to the Right, except the small extremist euro-sceptic rump that includes the British Conservatives. It seems they will be in the position of voting against a consensus that protects passengers agreed on by virtually all political parties from 27 other countries," he added.

"Over the last nine years, 77 airlines have fallen into bankruptcy, and many of these have been in the past eighteen months as the economic crises and high fuel prices have hit the airline industry hard. Even the major airlines now seem in a precarious position.

"This trend is not likely to end in the near future, so the European Parliament's Transport Committee are pushing for something to be put in place that protects both the passengers who are left stranded and the people who have bought tickets for flights that can't be taken and have lost money as a result.

"Our resolution calls on the European Commission to come up with ideas that would better protect passengers and customers of bankrupt airlines," he said. The resolution suggests three possible options to the European Commission:-

1) A compulsory insurance scheme, where airlines would all have to pay a small insurance fee that would be used to compensate customers who have lost money buying tickets with a bankrupt airline, that would also provide alternative transport for stranded passengers.

2) A voluntary insurance scheme, where passengers could choose to pay a small fee to the airline when buying tickets that again would be used as compensation.

3) Creation of an "EU Guarantee Fund". When companies go bankrupt, their aircraft are impounded by national regulatory bodies. The resolution also calls on the Commission to investigate the quick release of impounded aircraft so these aircraft can be used to bring stranded travellers home straight away.

"Equal Justice" across the EU will affect all our lives, says Claude Moraes MEP

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"We need an EU justice system that ensures issues as varied as wills and inheritance, cross border divorces, custody of children and mutual recognition of marriages, are recognised across the EU members states," says Labour MEP Claude Moraes.

"EU citizens must be entitled to carry their rights and liberties across Europe, as easily as they can carry their suitcase, " he said.

The European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg is now expected to pass very wide-ranging legislation - known as "the Stockholm Programme" - later today that will be a programme for better rights for all citizens, to be enacted step by step.

Claude Moraes is the spokesperson on civil liberties, justice and home affairs with the European Parliament's second largest group, the Socialists and Democrats, who have taken the lead on this issue.

"The proposals will be a blueprint for better rights," he continued. "This will come into force at the same time as the Lisbon Treaty so European citizens will now have control of the key issues concerning Justice and Home Affairs, through their elected MEPs.

"Step by step, it will bring the highest possible standards to European criminal law. If you're arrested anywhere in the EU you'd have guaranteed rights through mutual recognition. For example, with the European Arrest Warrant, you'll get a translator, and forensic procedures will be the same across the EU .

"We'll have consistent definitions of crime across the EU, with Europe-wide tools for tackling organised crime and terrorism, which are clearly cross-border issues that can't always be tackled in one state.

"This will get the right balance between protecting us all through improving Law and Order, and safeguarding the liberties of EU citizens

"It will also protect all EU citizens against all 'horizontal" discrimination. The Stockholm programme will give us the ability to create a new anti-discrimination Directive protecting older people, the LGBT community, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities across Europe . You should get the same protection in any country. Member States of the EU will have to remove any bureaucratic obstacles to this.

"The draft programme of the Council (the governments of the EU) totally lacked ambition. Today's vote is a clear warning that under the Lisbon Treaty the EP will use its increased powers on these issues to mark the way in a much more progressive manner," he said.

Labour MEPs call for EU support for flood victims

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Brian Simpson and Arlene McCarthy, Labour MEPs for the North West Region, today jointly announced that they are looking into getting EU funds for flood relief - and they will be taking up the issue jointly with 10 Downing Street.

"This is an awful situation, make no mistake. In human terms, it is tragic," said Brian Simpson.

"Arlene and I will do all that we can to ensure that Cumbria gets EU help over and above the million pounds promised by Gordon Brown.

Both MEPs intend to raise the issue of joint funding when they meet the Prime Minister on Monday.