588 Most Recent Stories From Liberal Democrat Members of the European Parliament

Wed 30th Dec 2009:

Financial.

Financial Times.com The ebullient performance by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the European Parliament in mid-December rather glossed over the complexity of how to salvage the Lisbon treaty. On the face of it, Mr Sarkozy had done well at the European Council the previous week. The Irish premier Brian Cowen committed his government to a second crack at ratifying the treaty. This commitment had been demanded by Mr Sarkozy during his trip to Dublin in July, in the immediate aftermath of the Irish referendum. He had caused some affront on that occasion. Since then, Mr Cowen and his Fianna Fail party have had a difficult time as the embers of the lost referendum were raked over and the financial storm broke over Ireland. The agreement between the Irish Taoiseach and the French President was a surprise to those who had been led to expect the European Council merely to scope the options of a deal, invoking a bit of seasonal melodrama. This would have left the embattled Irish leader to declare his struggle victorious only in June or July, once the municipal and European Parliamentary elections were out of the way. But the strong leadership of Mr Sarkozy forced the deal to be done there and then. Or did it? The package agreed by the European Council consists of four elements. First, contrary to the provisions of the current Treaty of Nice, the European Commission is to continue to have one member from each of the EU’s state nationalities. Such a radical departure from the decision to reduce the size of the Commission to 18 is technically possible under the terms of the Treaty of Lisbon. But this reversal of policy is a big concession by those more federalist EU states which have long argued that a smaller Commission will be more efficient and less likely to be dominated by vested national interests. It also marks a concession by the larger member states which had already traded in a second Commissioner and accepted fewer seats in the European Parliament as their contribution to the Union’s overall constitutional settlement. There are, of course, respectable arguments on both sides. Commission Vice-President Margot Wallstrom, in a departure from the official line, has long believed that what a small Commission would gain in efficiency it would lose in legitimacy. It is certainly true that the formula of Lisbon, which was for equal rotation in the Commission among member states, would have left the college from time to time without a French citizen inside it. It is, in truth, quite difficult to conceive of a Commission that would work well without a Frenchman. It is also true that Ireland’s representatives in the constitutional talks have always complained about their possible exclusion from the Brussels executive. Yet it would be foolish to think that December’s summit has resolved the issue of large versus small in the Commission for all time. A Commission of more than 30 members will not work unless a hierarchy is established within the college. Guess whose Commissioner will never be a senior member ? The second part of the Cowen-Sarkozy deal is that “necessary legal guarantees” will be formulated with the aim of ensuring that Ireland will continue to be free to make its own decisions in matters of taxation, neutrality and family law. Nobody knows what these necessary legal guarantees are. Over-interpretation can lead to misinterpretation. The treaty already means what it says, giving ample safeguards to Ireland by way of opt-outs on defence policy, Schengen, justice and home affairs. The treaty confers on the EU only certain competences, which are clearly defined. The Charter of Fundamental Rights is binding only within the scope of those conferred competences and within the limitations of the institutions’ treaty-based powers. Mr Sarkozy declared with brio that a protocol or two can be glued on to the next EU treaty after Lisbon, which is expected to be the Croatian accession treaty. But the procedures for the EU’s enlargement to Croatia are less ponderous than those for a constitutional revision of the type required by Ireland. A hybrid treaty that attempted to deal with both Croatia and Ireland would risk being knocked down by the European Court of Justice. On the other hand, an Irish protocol bound as an afterthought to the Lisbon treaty would trigger a new intergovernmental conference (risking a wider renegotiation) followed by national ratification, yet again, in all 27 member states. In 1992, when a Danish referendum had blocked the entry into force of the Treaty of Maastricht, an elaborate package was concocted, involving a decision of the heads of government made under international law (rather than EU law), alongside two declarations of the European Council and a unilateral declaration by Denmark. But the Danish precedent is not wholly apt because Denmark was seeking, and getting, real opt-outs – a course not open to Ireland today. So instead of Mr Sarkozy’s legally binding protocols, Mr Cowen will have to settle for appropriately solemn declarations which the EU and Irish courts may use in the future to interpret accurately certain treaty clauses hitherto, at least in Ireland’s populist democracy, interpreted erroneously. A further element of the deal at the European Council is that “high importance” will henceforward be attached to social progress and the protection of workers’ rights. This was a hard nut for Britain’s Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, in particular, to swallow. Negotiations went on all night between officials before the British were reassured that this new posture of the European Council would not materially affect the standing of the EU in domestic labour law. At the same time, the Irish had to be given satisfactory confirmation that the treaty does not mean that the right to deliver public services will be surrendered to Brussels. Lastly, as always at these events, seats in the European Parliament were traded to sweeten the deal. The Parliament elected next June will have 736 MEPs. Thereafter, once Lisbon comes into force, the extra seats foreseen in that treaty will simply be added, making an eventual total size of 754. A tricky agreement will have to be reached about how to choose these lucky extras. Moreover, the principle of degressive proportionality which is supposed, under Lisbon, to guide the distribution of seats between states is comprehensively abused. Parliament will have to insist that the derogation from primary law is only temporary, until 2014, by which time a radical overhaul of Parliament’s electoral procedures will have to be agreed. MEPs will also be bound to take a hard look at the timetable and procedures for the appointment of the new Commission. Parliament will be unhappy to begin the election of a new Commission in July without knowing what the competences of the Union and the powers of the institutions are eventually to be. And it will only be once the Irish have voted again in October that we will know whether one of the new Commissioners is to be Portuguese. So there are still choppy seas ahead for the European Union, steered from 1 January by the Czech Republic - which, with Ireland, is the other country not yet to have ratified Lisbon. Happy New Year. Andrew Duff MEP (Liberal/UK) is the European Parliament’s rapporteur on electoral reform. www.andrewduff.eu Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008     var addthis_pub = "Bruxelles Congrès";

Thu 18th Dec 2008:

Report on e-justice will improve legal efficiency.

Diana Wallis, Liberal Democrat MEP, has welcomed today's adoption of her report on e-justice in the European Parliament which received the overwhelming backing of fellow MEPs. The report sets out an action plan for future work on improving the use of information technology in Europe's judicial and legal systems to enhance their efficiency and accessibility for citizens, businesses and practitioners. Diana Wallis, speaking after the vote, said: "There are already some very commendable projects and cooperation by certain Member States on the use of IT in Europe's judicial system, but there is still a need for greater coordination and, in particular, a greater emphasis on the citizen in all of this. "Further work on e-justice should focus on facilitating access to justice for European citizens particularly in a cross border context through the availability of a European 'e-justice portal' for citizens. Such a ‘portal’ could, for example, facilitate applications for legal aid cross-border and ensure the availability of citizen friendly legal information resources in all Community languages. "Ultimately, we would expect small claims to be able to be filed and processed cross-border through the Internet, thus offering real borderless justice." Sarah Ludford, Liberal Democrat European Justice and Human Rights Spokeswoman, added: "Information technology can and should also be used by European citizens, and their defence lawyers, confronted with the criminal justice system of other member States. This might be because they are a suspect of crime, a victim or they simply want to know the law applicable to them if they trade and live in another Member State."      addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

EU working to protect bank savings.

Sharon Bowles MEP, Liberal Democrat Economic Spokesperson, hailed today's vote on Deposit Guarantee Schemes in the European Parliament as proof that Europe can act "quickly, effectively and ambitiously". The Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive proposes raising the coverage level for depositors in the event of a bank collapse, from the current minimum of €20,000 to €100,000 by the end of 2010. Additionally, the delay of payment compensation for depositors has been reduced from 9 months to 35 working days. Thanks to work by MEPs, the proposal also encourages national governments to provide emergency payouts for depositors and to emphasise continuity of banking which can keep a bank functioning and therefore, maintain depositor's access to funds. Commenting, Sharon said: "This directive marks a vast improvement for ordinary depositors, injecting confidence into the system in the midst of the financial crisis. The knowledge that deposits of up to €100,000 will be guaranteed by governments will help avoid bank runs such as those seen outside branches of Northern Rock. "The European Parliament, Commission and Council have worked closely together and within 9 weeks secured a deal. This has shown that Europe can act quickly, ambitiously and effectively in dealing with problems that effect all of us." However in her speech to Parliament, Sharon warned that there was still room for improvement: “The timeframe of payouts has been agreed at 35 days. This is longer than was hoped and leaves citizens without access to funds for some length of time. “Whilst committing the Commission to investigate provision for higher protection for temporary increased balances, I am disappointed not to get an unreserved commitment at this stage. For example, if a constituent has recently sold their house and needs to temporality bank this money, this will only be protected to the minimum. These kind of unhappy losses were seen following the collapse of the Icelandic banks. "We need to learn from these events by ensuring that we have in place special protections so that people can not loose lifetime funds.”  

Wed 17th Dec 2008:

Europe to enforce driving penalties across borders.

Today, the European Parliament backed the cross-border enforcement of penalties for speeding, drink-driving, not wearing a seatbelt and running a red light. These four offences are responsible for most fatalities on European roads. At present, sanctions for traffic violations in Member States other than the driver's country of residence - especially the automatically recorded ones - are mostly not followed through. This relative impunity encourages irresponsible driving and undermines road safety.  Commenting, Graham Watson MEP, European Liberal and Democrat Leader, said: "Today's vote is not about harmonising the rules of the road or the penalties for traffic violations. Instead are putting in place an efficient system of cross-border enforcement of penalties for the four most dangerous offences. Drivers think twice before breaking the rules if they know that fines will follow them home." The cross-country data exchange network through which European countries will identify and notify offenders is accompanied by data protection safeguards. It will be evaluated after two years when its scope can be extended to cover other violations as well.  "We expect Member States to follow up swiftly and endorse this bill. We will no longer be taken for a ride by drivers exploiting the loopholes in the system", added Watson.  London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, who has campaigned with Transport for London for proper cross-border enforcement, said: “I hope that in the future we can build on this legislation to end all cross-border fine dodging as well. London taxpayers currently lose millions of pounds a year because of inadequate systems to make foreign drivers pay fines for less serious breaches like parking, breach of the congestion zone or illegal use of bus lanes.”   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Labour MEPs let down UK on Working Time.

Liz Lynne MEP, Shadow Rapporteur for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, speaking after the vote on the Working Time Directive today said: "The UK Government should have been able to rely on all their own MEPs to support them in the retention of the Opt Out but that was not the case. "For months now the Government have had to work with me on this as they couldn't get the support of their own party. "This result is a bitter blow for businesses and workers alike. I have always argued that the opt out should be retained so long as it is truly voluntary. Workers should be allowed to earn overtime if they wish to. Scrapping the opt would push people into illegal work where they are not be covered by health and safety legislation including the dangerous machinery directive. "Let us hope that when we go into discussions with the Council of Ministers on this that they will not give in to the Parliament's view and maintain the opt out. "As far as on call time is concerned it should all be classed as working time. It is unfair to count time a doctor spends on call in an on call room in hospital for instance in any other way but as working time. I am delighted that the Parliament has voted in this way. I now hope that the Council will look at this again."  

MEPs vote for historic deal on climate change.

The European Parliament has today endorsed the energy/climate change package. Although Liberal Democrat negotiators ideally would like to have seen a more ambitious package, they have voted in favour. The compromise is an important step in the European fight against climate change.   Liberal Democrat group spokesperson on the environment and rapporteur on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Chris Davies MEP (Lib Dem, UK) claimed as a victory the European Council's decision to back his proposals for the use of 'surplus' emissions trading allowances to support carbon capture and storage demonstration projects: "CCS has vast potential to reduce CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial installations.  It is vital that we develop the technology and this decision will enable an early start to be made on construction of major demonstration plants across Europe." Liberal and Democrat shadow rapporteur on the renewables package Fiona Hall MEP (Lib Dem, UK) said: "The renewables part of the climate package will bring radical change to how EU energy is sourced. The renewables industry is offered legal certainty and the sweeping away of current barriers such as lack of connection to the grid.. If Parliament had had its way, certain requirements would have been more stringent. But this text deserves our full support, because it represents a giant European step forward in the fight against climate change and energy dependency. The EU will lead the world on renewable energy."       var addthis_pub = "edouardmeier";

MEPs call to right the wrongs of extraordinary rendition in fundamental rights report.

MEPs will today call for an end to what a report by the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee describes as a ‘high number of violations' in EU countries of the European human rights convention. The report includes a specific demand for a frank response and pledge of 'never again' by EU states to the European Parliament's 2007 report on 'extraordinary rendition', The report found that up to a dozen European countries colluded with CIA kidnap, torture and secret prisons in the 'war on terror'. Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat European Justice and Human Rights Spokeswoman, said: “Last week saw 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  It would be an apt tribute to that anniversary if EU member states which helped stain the West's moral reputation now came clean and promised steps to ensure that they will now fully uphold international law in dealing with terrorist suspects. “Revelations are bound to come out of Washington with the end of the Bush era. The US Senate has already reported that Donald Rumsfeld was directly responsible for torture and other cruel interrogation methods like 'waterboarding'. European capitals will not be able to keep their dirty secrets much longer. “A start must be made to right some of those wrongs by helping President Obama close Guantanamo Bay and bring prisoners to trial fairly or release them. As the first court-ordered releases take place, more EU countries including Britain must join Portugal in granting residence - with any necessary monitoring - to those freed detainees unable to go home."

Tue 16th Dec 2008:

French presidency has been a success for Europe.

Graham Watson, ALDE group leader, addressing President Sarkozy in the Chamber of the European Parliament in Strasbourg concluded a broadly favourable evaluation of the last six months, despite the unfavourable circumstances of the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty, Russian military incursion into Georgia and a financial crisis threatening the collapse of the banking system. "The challenges faced by this Presidency have been met with energy, enthusiasm and creativity," said Watson." Mr. Sarkozy has shown the power of European solidarity." "The EU Summit deal on climate change / energy package does not fully match what Liberals and Democrats had hoped for but it does make some headway in maintaining our targets of 20% of energy saving by 2020 and financing the capture and storage of carbon. It may come to be judged more harshly in the future for the blizzard of concessions to private sector interests which push down the price of carbon and reduce the money for investment in renewable energy."   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Working Time Directive: Opt out must stay and on call time should be working time.

Liz Lynne MEP, Shadow Rapporteur for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe, speaking on the same day as the massive demonstration against the opt out by European Trade Unions and the day before the vote said: "I believe it is important that we retain the opt out of the working time directive as long as it is truly voluntary. Workers should be allowed to earn overtime if they wish to. My fear as well is if the opt out goes more people could be pushed into illegal work and therefore will not be covered by Health and Safety legislation including the dangerous machinery directive.   "As far as on call time is concerned it should all be classed as Working Time. It is unfair to count time a doctor spends on call in an on call room in hospital for instance in any other way but as working time."     addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

European Parliament concludes long-awaited statute for MEPs assistants.

Last night, final negotiations between Parliament and Member States concluded years of attempts to place the arrangements for the employment of parliamentary assistants on a proper legal footing. The result was confirmed, overwhelmingly, in a parliamentary vote this morning in Strasbourg. Diana Wallis MEP (UK Lib Dem), ALDE Legal Affairs Committee coordinator who negotiated the deal on behalf of the ALDE political group, welcomed the positive outcome: "I am delighted that after many years of delay, an agreement has eventually been reached under the French Presidency within a few months. Given Parliament's growing role as a co-legislator, it is all the more important that MEPs benefit from assistance of the highest possible quality. The new common rules will provide certainty for accredited parliamentary assistants in terms of social security, taxation, representation, pension and unemployment rights. Parliament has acted swiftly to implement the recommendations of its internal auditor creating a system that is fairer and more transparent, whilst preserving the free choice of Members to choose their own staff." Under the new statute, Members will choose their assistants, and Parliament will employ them directly and deal with all relevant aspects such as taxation, pension and medical insurance. "This is a pragmatic solution which will enable Parliament to go into next year's European elections with confidence that it has dealt with allegations of misconduct and abuse." Notes: The Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Communities will be amended to provide for an extra category of "accredited parliamentary assistant". The legal basis of the proposal is Article 283 EC. The new rules should apply to around 1500 assistants working in Parliament's three official places of work (Strasbourg, Luxembourg, Brussels). Other assistants ("local assistants") working in the Member States of election of the MEPs remain employed under national law contracts. The new system is scheduled to enter into effect in July 2009, once the implementing provisions have been drawn up next Spring.   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Mon 15th Dec 2008:

MEPs to debate Working Time ahead of key Wednesday vote.

Members of the European Parliament will this evening hold a key debate on the Working Time Directive, ahead of the crucial vote on Wednesday that could decide whether the UK can continue to opt- out from 48-hour week legislation. Liz Lynne, the lead UK MEP on the directive, as the shadow rapporteur for the Liberal and Democrats group in Parliament, is leading calls for the retention of the opt-out, which is under threat from the Socialist grouping of MEPs, which includes the UK’s Labour party. Speaking in the debate, Liz will say: “The deal reached by the Council on the Working Time Directive is not ideal, but I am well aware that it has taken many years of negotiations by the Member States to get this far. Most of us involved with the directive in the European Parliament have also been working on this for a number of years as well. “I have always supported the retention of the opt-out but I wanted it tightened up so that it would be truly voluntary. I am pleased that now, with the Council Common Position, the opt- out cannot be signed by a worker at the same time as the contract and that you can opt-out of the opt-out at any time. "This is a far more transparent way of protecting workers rights than by using a definition of autonomous worker that is so loose it could apply to anyone, as it does in some Member States, or the use of multiple contracts whereby an employer can employ the same employee on one, two or even three separate contracts, which is used in some other Member States. "If there is an abuse of the opt-out by the employer then the worker can take them to an employment tribunal. I also fear that if we lose the opt-out it will force more people into the grey economy and that they will not be covered by health and safety legislation, in particular the dangerous machinery directive. All legal workers are covered by this directive whether they opt-in or opt-out at the moment. "In these difficult economic times it is also very important that workers are able to earn overtime if they want to and that employers also have flexibility. "With regards to on-call time not being considered working time in the common position I have more difficulty with this. That is why I tabled an amendment in the Employment Committee to say all on-call time should be working time. "Unfortunately I didn’t get the support from the Socialist or EPP groups. What we now have in the Rapporteur's text is that on-call time should not be classed as working time but allowing collective agreements or national law to rule otherwise. This is not a major change from what is already in the Council Common Position, just a slight difference of emphasis. I didn’t re-table my amendment because I knew the EPP and Socialists would not vote for it. "I suspect we might have to go to conciliation on this directive, but I also suspect that Council will not move. If there is no agreement then I hope that the Council will think again and that the health sector will be dealt with separately which I have long called for. "To my mind the revision of this directive was only really necessary to deal with the Simap and Jaeger judgements by the European Courts and this is all that it should have looked at."      var addthis_pub = "edouardmeier";

Thu 11th Dec 2008:

Parliament rapporteur salutes Council recognition of financing deal for CCS.

The European Council's backing for proposals from the European Parliament to use 'surplus' emissions trading allowances to support carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration projects has been warmly welcomed by MEPs negotiating on the file. Chris Davies MEP, the British Liberal Democrat who introduced the idea and has negotiated the CCS legislation, described the number allocated as "the bare minimum," but said that it would enable work to proceed with a range of demonstration projects." He said: "CCS is absolutely vital if we are to abate the enormous volumes of CO2 emitted by coal power plants. The allocation agreed today (300 million tonnes of carbon allowances) could provide support funding of €6-7 billion. It won't be enough to ensure that the full range of CCS technologies and applications are tested but it will allow us to proceed with the bare minimum number of projects needed. "At their climate change summit in March 2007 the same European leaders pledged to have 10-12 CCS demonstration plants in operation by 2015. What's been agreed today won't deliver on that promise but it's a very good step in the right direction." Chris Davies also praised Gordon Brown and the UK Government for the efforts made to increase their allocation: "At the very last minute the British dug in their heels and obtained an increase in the number of allowances from 200 to 300. This was hugely important and for once I am very happy to praise the efforts and leadership of the UK Government."      var addthis_pub = "edouardmeier";

Libertas Anti-European Party will galvanise pro-Europeans to defend the EU.

As the leader of the Irish no campaign launches his anti-European party in Brussels today, Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament actually believe it will serve to get the issues out in the open, expose the deceit and untruths of the Libertas campaign and encourage pro-Europeans across the continent to be more vocal in support of the European Union. Graham Watson MEP, leader of the strongly pro-European political group of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the European Parliament, welcomed the challenge posed by a party representing diametrically opposing views to his own:   "Far from condemning this initiative of Declan Ganley, he is doing Europe a favour by stimulating interest and debate about the EU which may result in a higher turnout at next year's European elections.   "As democrats, we must recognise that Libertas represents a strand of political thought in several countries and it is only in open debate that we can address the myths and falsehoods that they are perpetrating in their campaigns."   "Pro-Europeans should not be afraid to confront such anti-European arguments head on. I personally would welcome an opportunity to debate the merits of the European Union directly with Mr. Ganley early next year."   Andrew Duff MEP (UK, Lib Dem), ALDE constitutional affairs spokesperson and President of the Union of European Federalists, was also unequivocal in his denunciation of Mr. Ganley and his anti-European movement:   "We note the formation of yet another anti-European party peddling simplistic and demagogic opinions. Libertas will have a tough time competing for europhobic votes in what is already a crowded field.   "At least, now that he has formed a political party, Mr Declan Ganley will have to come clean about his finances."     var addthis_pub = "Bruxelles Congrès";

Tue 9th Dec 2008:

Agreement reached on Renewables package.

A deal has been struck in the negotiations between the European Parliament and the representatives of the 27 Member States over the Renewable Energy Directive. This package is the first of the four parts of the original "climate change package", announced by the European Commission in January of this year, to be agreed by all the institutions involved. The Renewable Energy Directive sets the goal of increasing renewable energy's share of the market to 20% by 2020, from around 8.5% today, by means of binding national targets (15% for the UK).  For all countries, 10% of energy used in transport will have to come from renewables.  Criteria for biofuels have been strengthened by MEPs compared to the original proposal, with tighter protection of habitats and biodiversity and a requirement that biofuels achieve a real improvement of up to 60% in CO2 emissions by 2017. The effects of indirect changes to land use will be factored in.  Electric cars will count double as will advanced technology biofuels. Member States will be required to promote energy efficiency as a way of reducing their total energy requirements and making their renewables targets easier to achieve. Commenting, Fiona Hall MEP, Liberal Democrat Energy Spokesperson, who was involved in the political negotiations with the Member States, said: "The target whereby 20% of the EU's total energy consumed must come from renewable sources by 2020 is safe and cannot be opened up by the review in 2014 of how well various mechanisms are working. "I am very pleased that biofuels will only count towards the target if they fulfil much-strengthened criteria. "Furthermore, at a time when unemployment is rising everywhere, this deal is positive for industry. Member States will now have to invest seriously in renewable technology to achieve their targets and this will lead to the creation of many green collar jobs, particularly in the UK which has lagged behind to date and indeed sought loopholes during the negotiations. "Getting agreement on the renewables part of the climate package is a welcome boost. But what must absolutely not happen is for the French presidency to renege on the agreement reached this morning by reopening up the issue in the European Summit later this week. It might be tempting to placate more reluctant Member States to accept the more difficult parts of the climate change package, notably the Emissions Trading Scheme, but that would jeopardise a deal that has been long in the making and is an essential element in the fight against climate change and energy insecurity."    

Wed 26th Nov 2008:

Following the positive decision of the Czech Constitutional Court: "Prague must immediately ratify the Lisbon Treay".

Commenting the positive decision of the Czech Constitutional Court on the Lisbon Treaty, Andrew Duff (LibDem, United Kingdom), ALDE spokesperson for Constitutional Affairs, made the following declaration: "The decision of the Czech supreme court is very welcome, although hardly a surprise. The quality of the Senate's six questions to the Court, as well as the intervention of President Klaus, was erratic. Neither the Senate nor the President showed a sure grasp of the realities of the legal constitutional order of the European Union, or of the fact that when the Czech Republic signed up to become a member state of the Union it was subscribing not only to the acquis communautaire of the past but also to all future obligations." "Now is the time for all member states to bury the stale existential question about 'Europe: yes or no?'. At this time of global crisis, it is truly absurd to go on arguing about the relevance of a reformed and strengthened European Union. Europe needs to unite if it is to prosper -- and the Czech Republic can now make an important contribution to European unification." "The Czech Parliament would be wise to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon immediately, before the end of this year. The Czech government will lack credibility and authority as the serving presidency of the EU unless and until it can secure the ratification of the Treaty at home."    var addthis_pub = "Bruxelles Congrès";

Wed 19th Nov 2008:

EU Member States must sign UN Cluster Bombs Convention.

Liz Lynne MEP, Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights, will today be taking part in a debate in the European Parliament that will seek to ask the European Council what steps have been taken to encourage Member States to sign the UN Convention on Cluster Munitions when the documents opens for signatures in December. Liz has been a long time campaigner for an end to the use of cluster bombs and in October 2007 co- authored a resolution before the Parliament calling on Member States to sign the UN Convention. The text of the Convention was agreed by over 100 countries at a summit in Dublin in May this year, but since then some countries have backtracked on their support for the text, which seeks to outlaw the use of all cluster munitions. The UK had previously been one of those countries seeking to water down the Convention, but the Government has recently confirmed its intention to sign and begin destroying its cluster bomb supplies. Today’s debate will ask what the European Council has done to ensure that EU countries sign up to the Convention and pledge their support for outlawing the use of these horrific weapons. Speaking before the debate Liz said: “It is absolutely essential that we ban the use of cluster bombs. They cause untold suffering for thousands of men, women and children across the world and kill indiscriminately. Ninety percent of all cluster bombs casualties are civilians and we simply cannot allow the use of these weapons to continue. “I am very pleased that the UK have said they will be signing the Convention, I hope that the Government will also set about ensuring that the UK ratifies the Convention as quickly as possible. “It is also very important that we continue to encourage other countries to sign so that the Convention has real impact. If all EU Member States were to sign then it would send a clear signal to the rest of the world that the countries of the Europe Union are totally in favour of this initiative. “I very much hope that come 3rd December, when the Convention officially opens for signatures we will see EU countries be the very first to pledge their support for the ban.”   var addthis_pub = "Bruxelles Congrès";

Tue 18th Nov 2008:

Lib Dems call on Brown to re-launch single currency debate.

In a speech in the European Parliament today regarding the outcome of the g-20 summit, Andrew Duff MEP, Leader of the Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary Party, said: "The financial crisis will have a dramatic effect on the eurozone. Denmark and Sweden should join sooner than anyone expected. But in the UK, too, it is high time that the debate on the single currency is revived. "In 1997 Mr Brown set five so-called economic tests to judge sterling's accession to the eurozone. Suddenly, all these criteria are met. The pound has fallen to a competitive exchange rate level. The City risks being pushed aside as supervision and regulation is strengthened inside the eurozone. And the economic cycles of Britain and the eurozone are now completely in sync as they both plunge into recession together. "Mr Brown's cleverly disguised appearance at the eurogroup summit in Paris was a notable achievement of the French presidency. But unless he now changes the terms of the British debate about EMU, the pound will be the ping pong ball bouncing beyond control between the giant footballs of the dollar and the euro."    addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Women's pay and pensions must be equal to men's.

A key European Parliament report on women's pay has been amended by UK Liberal Democrat Graham Watson MEP, Leader of the Liberal group in the European Parliament, so that it calls for women's pensions to be equal to men's. Graham was acting on the initiative of the Plymouth Senior Citizens Forum who had brought a petition to the Parliament pointing out the inequalities between the basic pensions for women in Great Britain (£49.15) and those for men (£82.05). They seek redress with the Parliament, underlining that women pensioners should not be at risk of poverty, should enjoy a decent standard of living and share in the well being of the country. Commenting, Graham said: "It is sad that my constituents from Plymouth had to come looking for help in Europe because they could not get it at home. The British government should be ashamed. "Having said that, I am glad that my Liberal colleagues and I could be of assistance. It is now up to the European Commission to bring about measures that will help us close this inexcusable gap."    addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Duty free shopping conditions improved.

The European Parliament has today updated rules that would improve and facilitate the current duty free shopping at regional and national airports. Sea and air travellers having an intermediate stop to destinations outside the EU will be able to buy goods in any duty free shops during their journey. For instance, if you fly from London via Madrid to Buenos Aires, you will be able to buy duty free whisky in London and take it with you instead of having to wait to buy it in Madrid. Travellers to destinations within the EU who are buying tobacco and alcohol with duty paid in one Member State, can now transport it to another Member State without having to pay further duty there as long as the quantity can be considered for personal use. Moreover, in a separate point, shops at external land borders, for instance in Greece, which were threatened with closure, may now remain open and hence save numerous jobs for the local people. Bill Newton Dunn MEP, Liberal Democrat Internal Market Spokesperson, said: "I am delighted that today we voted in favour of preserving the essential ability for regional airports, whether it be East Midlands airport or Bristol, to sell duty free goods. This will generate needed revenue and help local communities. Otherwise, selling duty free would have been a prerequisite of major airports only and thus increase unfair competition for smaller airports." The Parliament's position will now be forwarded to the European Council which, because it is a tax matter, will have the final say on the issue.    addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

We need to stand by CAP reform.

Liz Lynne MEP has today said that her European parliamentary colleagues need to stand firm on the notion of real reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Lib Dem European Agricultural Spokesperson for England and Wales made her comments in the run up to a crucial vote on the CAP Health Check in the Parliament that will see some MEPs attempt to draw back the reform agenda and constraint efforts to change those CAP rules that distort competition Proposals by the European Commission would see an increase in decoupling measures that seek to break the link between production and subsidy which in the past has lead to ‘food mountains’ as farmers are paid to produce unneeded food. The proposals would also see a transferral of money between the three pillars of the CAP, with more payments going towards rural development than towards production. However, amendments voted on in the Agricultural Committee in the Parliament have sought to curtail the Commission’s plans, with a scaling back of decoupling measures as well as a far smaller increase in milk quotas than the Commission proposed as a way of gradually phasing out the scheme by 2015. Members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats Group, of which the Lib Dems are part, on the Committee opposed the amendments but were outvoted due to a coalition between the Socialist Group and the European People's Party, of which the Labour and Conservative MEPs are part of, respectively. Speaking today Liz said that it was vital that the Parliament does not retreat from the goal of trade liberalisation, but instead allows for a proper health check that will seek to create a fairer, more free-market CAP: “The Commission’s proposals are, in general, very good ones, as they seek to uphold the free trade values that form the bedrock of why the EU was founded. It is deeply unfortunate that many of those MEPs on the Agricultural Committee have sought to undermine this stance in favour of short-sited panic legislation.  “Measures such as decoupling will, in general, help farmers, both in the UK and the rest of Europe, as it breeds greater diversity of products and an end to over production. We do of course have to be careful to ensure that smaller areas, such as the hill farming sector, are given a smooth transition towards a free agricultural market, but the principle of decoupling should be at the fore front of the CAP health check. “We cannot afford more years of government-led trade distortion, which undermines the liberalisation agenda and will ultimately be bad for farmer’s right across Europe. Acting now to curtail wasteful production, complicated payment schemes and pointless quotas will mean a more productive, more profitable farming industry in future.”     addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Fri 14th Nov 2008:

Federalists call for a new international monetary system.

In the light of this weekend's G20 summit, Andrew Duff MEP, President of the Union of European Federalists, calls for the creation of a new international monetary system on the basis of a world standard. In a statement today (Thursday), Duff says: "The full scale of the financial and economic crisis has now become apparent. While European governments have done well to act jointly in the last weeks to re-capitalise Europe's banks, concerted action must now be taken on a global scale and on a genuinely multilateral basis. "The summit should lay the foundations of a new international monetary system that would manage the relationships between the world's major currencies. The powers of a reformed IMF should be boosted to enable it to scrutinise and supervise the macro-economic policies of the industrialised world. The eurogroup should have single unified representation at the IMF. "External supervision of the EU's economic and monetary policies would put useful extra pressure on EU governments to control their deficits more strictly. World leaders must be bold and clear-sighted in addressing issues of global economic and financial governance. The EU, led by President Sarkozy, should take the lead. "At home, supervision of credit institutions should be reinforced at the EU level, and made much more transparent. Risk management cannot be left to market forces. "The eurozone should be readied to expand more rapidly than expected. Over the medium term it will be essential once again to respect the disciplines of the Stability and Growth Pact -- but from now on there must be real political measures to reform the structure of the least competitive European economies."     addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Mon 10th Nov 2008:

Czechs raise the stakes on Lisbon.

Financial Times All being well with Europe, the Treaty of Lisbon would now have been ready to come into force on 1 January. All is not well. Sweden has been lazy, and will only complete its parliamentary ratification process next week. The Polish president refuses to sign the ratification instrument despite the fact that his parliament has ratified the treaty. The German president is constrained from signing until a challenge in his constitutional court has been seen off. The people of Ireland saw fit to reject the treaty last June in what has come to be seen as their first of two referendums on the matter. And ratification by the Czech Republic has stalled irritatingly. The Czech problem matters because its government takes over the presidency of the European Union for six months on 1 January. One of the main jobs of the Czech presidency will be to help Ireland implement the plan, supposedly to be agreed by the European Council in December, to salvage the treaty. So instead of being part of the solution, the Czechs have become part of the problem. The Czech presidency will lack all credibility and authority unless and until its government secures the ratification of Lisbon. In good times, a weak EU presidency may not matter very much. These are bad times, and we are fortunate to have had France’s superman President Nicolas Sarkozy in charge since July. The contrast with Mr Sarkozy’s successor, Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek, could not be greater. It is a contrast sharpened by the entirely coincidental arrival on the scene of America’s own superman, Barack Obama, with an agenda of change. To many, Europe’s leadership will seem to be going in just the wrong direction at a time of acute global crisis - mumbling ’sorry, no, we can’t’ as it leaves the stage. It is not that middling sized countries such as the Czech Republic cannot run good EU presidencies: many have. And there is a good crop of energetic Czech ministers entirely capable in normal circumstances of managing the routine business of the EU Council and of properly being held to account in the European Parliament. The issue is, rather, whether the Czech Republic has yet come to terms with its membership of the EU. As the first of nine ex-Warsaw Pact countries to take the helm of the Union, the question has rather wide ramifications. Last week in Prague I heard one leading Czech senator liken Mr Sarkozy’s mini-summit, at the height of the financial meltdown last month, to a ’gathering of the four Powers of Munich’ - that is, Messrs Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler and Mussolini in 1938. The author of this slander against the current crop of Europe’s top leaders was a senior member of the governing Civic Democrats (ODS). The remark produced no reaction at all from other Czech senators, most of whom seemed to be labouring from deep illusions about the Lisbon treaty heard otherwise only on the wilder shores of rightwing europhobia. One has come to expect the parliaments of former communist states to be assertive. Slender majorities and febrile political parties make governing difficult in Central Europe. The Czech senate has raised a petition in the constitutional court against the Lisbon treaty, requesting a judgment on whether the EU treaty conforms with the constitutional character of the Czech Republic ’as a sovereign, unitary and democratic, law-abiding state’. The notoriously eurosceptic Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, founder of the ODS, has joined the case against the ’dead document’ of the treaty and the ’useless document’ of the Charter of Fundamental Rights (which Lisbon makes mandatory). In a somewhat erratic submission to the court, Mr Klaus inveighs against the creation of a European federal state, which, he asserts, will be advanced by Lisbon. He attacks some general principles of European integration, including that of European citizenship. For Mr Klaus and his fearful senators, it appears that democracy can only be national and sovereignty is not to be shared. They reject the concept of deepening interdependence between EU member states. The President of the Republic has mounted a veritable attack on Czech membership of an EU governed by the Treaty of Lisbon. Mr Topolanek’s government has made a full and fluent response to the constitutional court which should be able to convince any fair-minded judge that the Czech national interest is best served by strengthening rather than weakening the EU. The court’s judgment is, alas, postponed until 25 November while President Klaus goes on a state visit to Ireland. In Dublin Mr Klaus intends to raise the stakes by (outrageously) meeting the anti-European demagogue Declan Ganley, who led the ‘No’ campaign in the first Irish referendum. Mr Ganley is trying to woo the ODS into joining a parliamentary group of rightwing nationalist MEPs after next June’s European elections. Mirek Topolanek, meanwhile, needs to work hard on his party and parliament. A critical Congress of the ODS is to be held on 6 December, at which the party will decide on whether to link the deployment of the US anti-missile radar system with the Lisbon treaty. In the parliament, where the radar issue divides government and opposition, a three-fifths majority is needed for the treaty ratification in both Houses. The government should focus on how the Treaty of Lisbon improves on the present Treaty of Nice. It can promise always to ask parliament’s permission before agreeing in the European Council to the deployment of the treaty’s flexibility clauses which allow for more qualified majority voting. It must explain and defend the principle whereby the Union only enjoys competencies expressly conferred on it by treaty. It should keep the ODS party firmly within the ranks of the mainstream centre right in the European Parliament. Above all, the Czech government must shatter the widespread delusion that if Lisbon is sunk there will be something better around the corner. There won’t. Lisbon is as good as it gets for Czechs and us fellow Europeans. If Mr Topolanek does all this he will rescue his term as EU president. If he does not, the four Powers of Munich may be back with a vengeance. Andrew Duff MEP is President of the Union of European Federalists. www.andrewduff.eu Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008     addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Liz Lynne launches European Parliament Group on Sikhs despite Sikhs being barred from Parliament.

Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne has today launched the All- Party Sikh Interest Group in the European Parliament, despite many of the Sikh delegates being denied access to the main Parliament building due to wearing Kirpan daggers. Liz Lynne, whose initiative it was to launch the new interest group, and who is now one of the Co- Chairs, said that they had hoped to hold their first meeting in one of the Parliaments main rooms, but that the Parliamentary Authorities had ruled the Kirpan dagger to be a security threat and denied the Sikh members entry. This is the third time that leading Sikhs have been denied entry to the Parliament due to wearing the ceremonial Kirpan dagger. The Kirpan is seen as an article of faith by the Sikh religion and not as a weapon. Speaking today Liz Lynne, who is also a member of the European Parliament’s Sub- Committee on Human Rights and has campaigned on a variety of Sikh issues, said that it was outrageous that the European Parliament was discriminating against the Sikh community in this way: “This new Parliamentary group is intended to look in particular at how Sikhs are treated within Europe. Unfortunately it would seem that we do not have to go very far to find examples of the discrimination that many Sikh’s face everyday. “I am deeply disappointed that the European Parliamentary authorities refuse to recognise the right of Sikh people to wear the Kirpan. The Kirpan is not a weapon, it is a religious symbol. This is not a question of security but one of religious freedom. “In the UK the right to wear the Kirpan is enshrined in law. This includes allowing Sikh’s wearing the Kirpan to enter the Palace of Westminster. Therefore I do not see why the rules should be different in the European Parliament. "I very much hope that now we have this all party interest group on Sikh issues that a number of problems facing this community across the EU can be addressed" To see more pictures, click here   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Another disappointing annual report from the Court of Auditors, but national Governments to blame.

In its Annual Report the European Court of Auditors will today (Tuesday), for the 14th consecutive year since new procedures were introduced, refuse to deliver a positive Declaration of Assurance concerning the legality and regularity of EU financial transactions. Chris Davies MEP, a Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament’s Budget Control Committee, commented: "This report is very disappointing for the European Union, but we shouldn't forget that national governments are responsible for 80% of EU spending. "The finger of blame should be pointed towards EU finance ministers, Alastair Darling included, who have refused to accept responsibility for the money spent by their own administrations. "The public will again assume that fraud is widespread and the Brussels bureaucracy incompetent but in fact the EU administration is now subjected to greater scrutiny than that of any government in Europe."     addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Wed 5th Nov 2008:

UK's opt out of the EU 48 hour week scrapped by Socialist MEPs.

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, shadow rapporteur on the Working Time Directive for the Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament, has today criticised UK Labour MEPs who voted today with Socialist MEPs from other EU Member States to axe the UK's opt out from the Working Time Directive, in the first stage of the Parliament's review of the latest agreement reached by EU Member States. The UK reached an agreement in June with other Member States whereby Britain would support an agency workers directive, which is due to give temporary workers the same pay as permanent staff after only 12 weeks in a job, in return for being allowed to keep its opt-out from the 48 hour week. But Socialist MEPs have now overturned this deal in the European Parliament. Liz believes that the end of the opt would harm those who rely on overtime pay to boost their earnings as well as UK businesses and has been a vocal supporter of the UK’s opt- out, so long as it is truly voluntary. Commenting after the vote on Wednesday morning Liz said; "Today's vote plays politics with people's pockets and runs the risk of sinking the Government's hard won deal to retain the opt out. "Scrapping the opt out would be a bitter pill to swallow for businesses and many hard working people who are tightening their belts and who want to boost their earnings in difficult economic times. "Gordon Brown now faces a huge test of his leadership in securing the support of his own Labour MEPs, who have consistently voted to remove the UK's opt out of the 48 hour week. "The retention of the UK's opt out with more stringent conditions on its use is vital, anyone whose work does not have a direct consequence on life and death decisions should have a free choice as to what hours they work, so long as this is truly voluntary. Workers are already covered by existing health and safety legislation, including the one covering working with dangerous machinery."   addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Tue 4th Nov 2008:

UK's opt out of the EU 48 hour week under threat.

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, shadow rapporteur on the Working Time Directive for the Liberal and Democrat group in the European Parliament, has today warned the UK's opt out from the Working Time Directive is likely to be scrapped in a vote tomorrow by Socialist MEP's, including by British Labour MEPs, in the first stage of the Parliament's review of the latest agreement reached by EU Member States on the Working Time Directive. The UK reached an agreement in June with other Member States whereby Britain would support an agency workers directive, which is due to give temporary workers the same pay as permanent staff after only 12 weeks in a job, in return for being allowed to keep its opt-out from the 48 hour week. But Socialist MEPs now want this deal overturned and have tabled amendments to delete the UK's opt out of the 48 hour week. Liz has been a vocal supporter of the UK’s opt- out, so long as it is truly voluntary, and believes that ending the deal would seriously damage UK businesses as well as harming those who rely on over-time pay to boost their earnings. Commenting ahead of the vote on Wednesday morning Liz said: "The Government's hard won deal to retain the opt out now runs the danger of being ripped apart by Socialist MEPs who have for years been waiting for this controversial dossier to return to the European Parliament. "The retention of the UK's opt out with more stringent conditions on its use is vital, anyone whose work does not have a direct consequence on life and death decisions should have a free choice as to what hours they work, so long as this is truly voluntary. Workers are already covered by existing health and safety legislation, including the one covering working with dangerous machinery. "Scrapping the opt out would be a bitter pill to swallow for businesses and many hard working people who want to boost their earnings in difficult economic times. "Gordon Brown now faces a huge test of his leadership in securing the support of his own Labour MEPs, who have consistently voted to remove the UK's opt out of the 48 hour week."    addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Mon 27th Oct 2008:

EU Commissioners' Code of Conduct must be tightened up.

The Leader of the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe, Graham Watson MEP, is pressing for the EU Commissioner's Code of Conduct to be tightened up in light of allegations regarding the relationship between former EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. Commenting, Graham said: "Nobody is alleging that Peter Mandelson has been unduly influenced in his decision making by Mr Deripaska. "However, the rules suggest that any hospitality received by a Commissioner in his or her private life should be declared in the same way as in his or her public life. Peter Mandelson cannot hide behind an excuse of it being a holiday. "It was Liberal Democrat pressure, in light of the Edith Cresson affair, that resulted in the Code of Conduct being established. We will press to have them tightened to clear up any future grey areas in this regard:"     addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Wed 22nd Oct 2008:

Body scanner 'virtual strip search' use requires privacy debate.

MEPs are expected to secure a resolution tomorrow demanding that body scanners which reveal passengers’ naked bodies at security check points must not get an EU go-ahead without a full public debate on the implications for privacy and human rights. Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat Justice and Human Rights Spokeswoman, said: "Travellers need to know exactly what the images display, their right to opt for an alternative search, and how they can have confidence that intrusive and sensitive images will not be misused. Although claims are made that the images are not of photographic quality, they seem to be quite explicit about portrayal of genitalia and intimate medical details like breast implants and colostomy bags. I'm sure Commissioner Tajani would not like it if pictures of his body scan were circling the internet. “So the introduction of 'virtual strip search' cannot be treated as a purely technical matter as these body scanners pose serious issues of civil liberties and personal dignity. Fears arise about the images finding their way into the press and onto the internet, maybe through payment to employees, unless bans on storage are strictly policed. "The fact that the European Commission proposes to authorise their use without advice from data protection watchdogs on necessary safeguards is a disgrace. The European Parliament would be neglecting its duty if it failed to insist on a transparent and open debate on an issue affecting the fundamental rights of millions of citizens. "Furthermore, the attempt by the Conservatives to put off a vote on this matter shows up the hollowness of their claim to care about privacy threats."   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Temporary Workers Directive not ideal but could have been much worse.

Liz Lynne MEP, the Vice- President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee has said that the vote today by the European Parliament adopting a report regulating rules on temporary agency workers is not ideal, but could have been much worse. The report, which approves the deal made on temporary workers by EU Member States, is intended to give workers from temp agencies the same rights as permanent staff from day one, though the UK have secured a derogation so that this only applies after 12 weeks in a job. Liz Lynne has long argued against one size fits all temporary worker legislation at EU level as there are many different traditions between the EU Member States. For instance, Greece only made temporary worker agencies legal a few years ago, where as the UK has a strong tradition of temporary agencies. However, Liz has said that the current deal is the best deal available to the UK. Speaking after the vote Liz, who is shadow rapporteur of the Liberals and Democrats Group in the European Parliament on the issue, said: "The UK Government agreed to back the temporary agency workers directive, but only in return for being allowed to retain it's opt out of the working time directive. It is vital this link is retained and that attempts by Labour MEPs and others to separate the two directives and end the UK's opt out of the European 48 hour week are fought tooth and nail by Gordon Brown." Most temporary agencies and businesses say that the temp agency directive is just about liveable with but the problem of the opt out in the Working Time Directive is crucial. Liz added: “Therefore, while I do not think that the measures within the report are by any means perfect, I do regard it as the least-worst deal for UK businesses and employees. "We must now put pressure on the Government to ensure this directive is implemented in a way that recognises the concerns of employers and recruitment agencies and avoids adding unnecessary bureaucracy and cost to the provision of agency workers."   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

No more rip off time shares and holiday club bandits.

Diana Wallis MEP, Liberal Democrat Member of the Internal Market Committee, has warmly welcomed a key European Parliament legislative report that will greatly benefit those who use time shares and holiday clubs. The UK has more time share users that any other country in Europe and more than 75% of complaints are from UK consumers. Commenting, Diana said: "With this legislation, the nightmare stories we used to see on Watchdog about British holiday makers and the cries for help that have filled MEPs' post bags should be a thing of the past. No longer will consumers be forced to pay exorbitant amounts of money up front to companies that then disappear off the face of the earth. Customers will have 2 weeks to withdraw after signing any agreement and companies will not be able to take deposits during that period. With a compulsory fax back form to now be included with all contracts, it will be very easy for customers to get out of any agreement should they change their minds. "Many time share holders and holiday club members who go abroad to the Mediterranean for their summer holidays will now have the right to choose which language their agreement is presented in, meaning an end to dodgy contracts in foreign languages that British holiday makers could never understand. Companies who offer these products will also be forced to provide pre-contractual information so holiday makers know exactly what they're getting into before anything is signed."   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Mon 20th Oct 2008:

Solid start from Ashton.

Commenting on this evening's confirmation hearing of Commissioner designate Baroness Ashton in the European Parliament's International Trade Committee, Graham Watson MEP, Liberal and Democrat group Leader, said:    "It is refreshing that we have someone who isn't afraid to ask questions rather than someone who already assumes they know the answers. No one can be expected to master every detail of trade policy, but Baroness Ashton has shown an ability to think, learn and a capacity to take on a complex brief. "It is disappointing that some would wish to play politics with this confirmation. UKIP would rather try to score cheap political points and derail the Commissioner's confirmation than moving forward with the crucial Doha trade talks." Andrew Duff MEP, Leader of the Liberal Democrat European Parliamentary Party, added: "I hope that Commissioner Ashton will play a prominent part in Britain's domestic debates about the country's European future. The Commission should campaign for the UK's fuller involvement in all aspects of the European Union, and for the British to realise their full potential in Europe."   addthis_pub = 'Bruxelles Congrès';

Mon 13th Oct 2008:

ALDE congratulates Andrew Duff, newly elected President of the Union of European Federalists.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe are proud to count among their ranks, the President of the Union of European Federalists, Andrew DUFF (LibDem, United Kingdom), elected during the XXII Congress of the UEF, held on 10-12 October in Paris. Duff has been rewarded for his years of work, notably in the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, where he is ALDE coordinator and for his tireless efforts toward lasting political integration. This election is a show of support for this tireless advocate for Europe in the the United Kingdom, a true mission ground for the proponents of federalism. Mr Duff outlined the Federalists' response to the current events: "Above all, the European federalists are truly engaged to combat the rise of nationalism. At a time when Europe is facing security challenges at home and abroad, when the financial system's stability is at risk, and when the consequences of climate change are becoming real, the need for European unity is greater than ever. 'Sauve qui peut' policies will be ruinous. Only a united response as advocated by federalists' makes sense. The UEF is well placed to articulate solutions and to campaign for their urgent adoption and effective implementation." In this context, Mr Duff emphasized the key priority for the federalists in 2009 remains to ratify the Treaty of Lisbon".   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

MEP: 'Radical' electoral reform 'badly needed' for 2014.

EuroActiv :13 october 2008 A radical overhaul of European Parliament elections was proposed last week by the MEP Andrew Duff, the Parliament's rapporteur on electoral reform. The Duff report recommends the creation of "semi-open" transnational lists, where voters choose between candidates on party lists, not simply candidates of different parties. "Semi-open" lists already exist in the electoral systems of Belgium and Finland, for example. In effect, this would mean that any given candidate in any country could be elected by all European voters.  Duff acknowledged that the proposal was "quite federalist" and would be "controversial". But he argued that "in the context of quite a profound democratic crisis, we badly need such bold proposals to connect the citizen to the post-national parliamentary democracy we are trying to construct here".  As well as creating transnational elections, the Duff report would set the minimum voter age at 16 and the minimum candidate age at 18. It would also strengthen the Parliament's powers in assessing the eligibility and credentials of candidates.  "At present, we are obliged to accept member-state decisions on the candidates eligible for European elections," said Duff, "but the Parliament is of sufficient authority and experience that it should have its own autonomy to decide who should and shouldn't be here".  Duff accepted that in order to be adopted, the system would require unanimity in the European Council as well as treaty changes. Member states have previously blocked similar initiatives, and it remains to be seen what sort of reception the Duff report will receive in European capitals.  Meanwhile, the report received a mixed reception from Professor Cees Van der Eijk, an expert on European Electoral Research. Van der Eijk praised the boldness of the reforms, but was less enthusiastic about Duff's idea of making the elections more "candidate-based", saying that such systems tended to become "beauty contests" where voters are less knowledgeable about relevant policy issues.  Duff hopes the report will be approved by the Parliament before the 2009 elections, drawing the Council's attention during the Swedish EU Presidency from July next year. He hopes to have the new system in place for the 2014 elections. addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Sun 12th Oct 2008:

Scrapping cars now a problem.

Burytimes.co.uk The number of cars reported abandoned in Bury has dropped by 83 per cent. However, it is being linked with an increase in illegal dismantlers, profiteering from the rising price of metal. The figures of abandoned cars were revealed by the Local Government Association and North West MEP Chris Davies believes the illegal scrapping of cars for their valuable metals has become a serious environmental problem. Under the end-of-life vehicles directive, 2003, owners are required to obtain a certificate of destruction from an authorised treatment facility to show that the vehicle has had all potential contaminants removed. Although residents may welcome fewer abandoned cars on the streets, the long-term consequences of the activity, according to Mr Davies, are extremely damaging: “Ministers are allowing illegal operators to run rings around them at the expense of the environment and allowing legitimate businesses to go to the wall,” he said. addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Fri 10th Oct 2008:

Sri Lanka slams EU report on country.

DailyMirror Sri Lanka has slammed an EU report on the country saying it contains unsubstantiated allegations, deliberate distortions and blatant falsehoods.The draft report, prepared by an EU delegation which visited Sri Lanka recently, was discussed at the Session of the South Asia Delegation of the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday. The meeting co-chaired by Robert Evans, Chair of the South Asia Delegation and Baroness Sarah Ludford, Vice Chair of the Sub Committee on Human Rights, was attended by members of the South Asia Delegation, including those who visited Sri Lanka recently, diplomatic representatives from South Asian countries, Dr. Peter Schalk and Dr. John Neelsen, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian, Padmini Sithamparanathan, and a large number of members of the British Tamil Forum. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the EU, Ravinatha Aryasinha said the report underlines the patent bias of its authors against Sri Lanka and seeks to merely highlight negatives, ignore positives, and disregard the context of a country fighting one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world - the LTTE. Ambassador Aryasinha has said that contradictory messages communicated to different audiences by Robert Evans, Chairman of a visiting European Parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka in July 2008, were “an attempt to sully the good name of Sri Lanka in the European eye, while at the same time scoring brownie points with a constituency due to vote in the upcoming European Parliamentary election”. The Ambassador said that while at a Colombo press conference, Mr. Evans had claimed that “despite repeated assurances, endless complications resulted in the party being turned back from Ratmalana Airport”, at a pro-LTTE rally in Harrow, he took credit for having prevented the visit because “I (Evans) refused to give only a photo opportunity of shaking hands with Pillayan, the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province”. Observing that “it would seems obvious that by avoiding the visit to the East, members of the delegation were deprived of experiencing first-hand, one of the proudest achievements of Sri Lanka in recent times”, Ambassador Aryasinha referring to the dramatic developments in the Eastern Province, said “the draft report makes no effort to contribute to the winds of change; instead it prefers to stand against the tide of history”. He also noted that on “GSP+ issues”, in comparison to the strident  statements made by MEP Evans in Colombo “that if he had the choice, Sri Lanka would not be given GSP+” and, at the pro-LTTE rally in Harrow where he stated that “Sri Lanka would lose its GSP+ concessions”, the observations made in the draft report are more measured. Referring to the draft report’s questioning of the applicability of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in Sri Lanka, he said it was clear that they were “ill-informed”, in March 2008, upon President Mahinda Rajapaksa seeking its opinion, the Supreme Court expressed the view that adequate recognition was available in Sri Lanka to the civil and political rights contained in the ICCPR and that the rights recognized in the ICCPR are justiciable through the medium of legal and constitutional processes prevailing in Sri Lanka. addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

'Sovereignty threat' after European parliament adopts flag and anthem.

Telegraph.co.uk The European parliament has officially adopted an anthem and flag which were left out of the Lisbon treaty for fears they appeared federalist. Beethoven's Ode to Joy, the final movement of his choral ninth symphony, will be used to open the parliament after each election and for formal sittings where heads of state are present. The blue flag with 12 gold stars will be flown on all parliament buildings and displayed in parliament meeting rooms and official events. While the symbols were agreed on in 1985 by EU heads of state, they have not been formally enshrined lest the union appear too like a sovereign state. Timothy Kirkhope, a Conservative member of the European parliament, said he would refuse to stand for the anthem at sessions. "Ode to Joy may be a very nice tune, but so is Jingle Bells and like Jingle Bells it heralds a fantasy - the fantasy that the EU is good for you," he said. "But unlike Jingle Bells, it will damage your national sovereignty and the right to control your own destiny." Supporters of the symbols said they would send "a political message to our citizens". The Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff, a European federalist, said opposition to the move was nothing but "petty nationalism". The Labour MEP Richard Corbett said Conservative MEPs who voted against the symbols were going against the wishes of Baroness Thatcher, who helped choose them in 1985. addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Thu 9th Oct 2008:

Rescuing the Lisbon treaty.

By Andrew Duff, MEP - Published: October 9 2008 15:13 Much to French President Sarkozy’s evident frustration, the Irish are stalling for time. By the time the European Council meets in Brussels next week four months will have passed since Ireland’s referendum blocked the ratification of the Lisbon treaty. Those four months have been almost entirely wasted.   Ireland’s beleaguered government made great play of mounting yet another survey of public opinion to find out why the naysayers won. In fact this poll, conducted by Millward Brown IMS, added very little to what close observers of the referendum campaign, supplemented by Eurobarometer polls, already knew. IMS began their survey in July, by which time a certain sobering up had taken place. The most interesting feature of the IMS inquiry is that as many as 20 per cent of the 862,415 people who voted No were ready to concede that the result had weakened Ireland’s position. Much now rests on the political evolution of that chastened 20 per cent. A considerable factor determining the outcome of the referendum was the constant bickering during the campaign among the five pro-European political parties. That bickering has since descended into open warfare, with spokesmen from the opposition Fine Gael and Labour parties calling on the government to demand substantive changes to the Treaty before a second referendum is held. Only now has agreement been reached to set up a new cross-party parliamentary committee to consider Ireland’s treaty options in a more considered way. Recriminations have also taken place within the government itself, putting more pressure on Taoiseach Brian Cowen to save his own skin first and the Lisbon treaty only second. Mr Cowen and his finance minister, Brian Lenihan, missed a good opportunity in September to appeal to their EU counterparts for urgent help in shoring up Ireland’s fragile banking system. On the assumption that such an appeal would have been met with a quick, coordinated and constructive response from Brussels and Frankfurt, the Irish people would have been given an impressive demonstration of the EU’s mission and value. Instead the Dublin government opted for panicky unilateral measures, ignoring EU state aid constraints, by offering full state guarantees for the total liabilities of Irish banks, estimated at €400 bn. Thus Ireland established a new EU low for beggar-thy-neighbour policies. In addition to sending the wrong signals back home, this performance hardly instils confidence elsewhere in the EU about the capability of the Irish government to do the right thing by Europe. Nicolas Sarkozy is determined to have a collective decision by the European Council in December about the fate of the Lisbon treaty. The special committee of the Oireachtas (the Irish houses of parliament) will try to build a new consensus between the parties by the end of November. Irish foreign minister Micheal Martin promises MEPs a definitive roadmap at that stage. Mr Cowen will have to build on that pledge next week when he meets his fellow heads of government, and should also include a commitment to running a more professional pro-treaty campaign than last time. So far at least, the coalition of the 26 member states which have ratified or intend to ratify remains intact, rendered even more solid in the teeth of the financial maelstrom. One supposes that the banking crisis will lead directly to more harmonised supervision and a toughened regulatory framework at the federal EU level. Peter Mandelson’s astonishing reincarnation as a member of the British cabinet should also kick-start the debate about sterling’s eventual membership of the euro. Things could even get better, on the European front at least, for Gordon Brown. Yet all hangs on whether the attempt to rescue the Lisbon treaty is successful or not. As a first step, Ireland’s partners should make it crystal clear that there can be no renegotiation of the treaty. They can even spell out unofficially the elements of the concessions they are preparing themselves to make at their next meeting in December in a bid to win the Irish electorate around. The main elements in that package are already fairly clear: interpretative declarations galore – but no protocols that would need ratification by other member states, Irish withdrawal from the European Defence Agency, and, most difficult to swallow, an agreement to postpone the eventual reduction of the size of the Commission sine die (or at least until 2019). On their side, the European Council, Commission and Parliament should ready themselves to make an emotional appeal to the Irish people’s legendary good nature. European solidarity matters in these uncertain times. But the EU institutions should also begin to dramatise the seriousness of the consequences for Ireland and for the rest of Europe if the Irish fail to change their mind. Certainly, the Irish are unlikely to change their mind unless they understand that the consequences of not doing so are indeed serious. Yet here lies a risk. One possible scenario, in the event of a second No, consists of a multiple opt-out, semi-detached but still viable EU membership for Ireland. The danger is that such semi-detachment might be just the thing that appeals to the Irish, who would then again vote No to the Lisbon treaty. If, on the other hand, an alternative scenario threatens a more complete exclusion of Ireland from the EU, Ireland’s voters will be likely to react very badly not only by refusing to leave the Union but also by rejecting Lisbon again – leaving them, and everyone else, stuck with the present discredited Treaty of Nice. The Nice option is preferred by the British Conservative party. At its annual conference last month, David Cameron, the leader, and William Hague, shadow foreign secretary, made their position crystal clear. They expect to get back into government in spring 2010. If Lisbon is not in place by then – in other words, if Ireland has failed to change its mind – the Tories will hold a referendum in the UK which will, without much doubt, bury the treaty for ever. If Lisbon is in force by then, the Tories will insist on a renegotiation of the UK’s terms of EU membership, pitched at multiple opt-out semi-detachment. There is a most unfortunate precedent for a British renegotiation. In 1976, the then Labour government sought to overthrow the original terms of membership which had been negotiated by a Conservative government and confirmed, just one year beforehand, by a referendum. Labour’s renegotiation was ill-conceived and badly handled by foreign secretary David Owen. Nationalistic sentiment was fired up by the tabloid press at home, and many enemies were made abroad. Then, in 1979, came Mrs Thatcher - and the rest (more or less) is history. Back to the future, and what in 2010 would be acceptable to a europhobic Britain could also be irresistible for a nationalistic Ireland. The puzzle for Mr Cowen and his party, therefore, is how to avoid being forced into a post-colonial, mid-Atlanticist pact with the British Tories. We have not got long before we find out what his answer is.   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

EU countries to recognise same-sex partnerships.

Pinknews.co.uk European Parliamentarians are urging EU-wide recognition of same-sex partnerships or marriages created in member states.  At present some EU nations, such as Spain and Belgium allow gay marriages.   The UK has same-sex partnerships, a system that will be introduced in the Republic of Ireland. Other nations such as France have registration systems that give gay and lesbian couples some rights. The French pacte civil de solidarité (PACS) is fully recognised in Britain, but France does not recognise UK partnerships. There is also hostility to any form of legal recognition in some new EU nations such as Poland. Now the issue of cross-border recognition is to be raised in the European Parliament. A declaration has been tabled on the issue. If it is signed by more than 50% of MEPs it will be adopted as a resolution. It calls for "Member States with existing same-sex partnership legislation to recognise the arrangements of other Member States that have also made provisions for same-sex partnerships," and for "guidelines for such mutual recognition by Member States with existing same-sex partnership legislation." Resolutions are formally adopted by the European Parliament and forwarded to the Commission, Council and Member State governments for consideration. The declaration was tabled by Lim Dem MEP Sharon Bowles. Today her colleague Sarah Ludford, the party's European justice & human rights spokeswoman backed the initiative. “Legislative changes which have enabled legal partnerships for same-sex couples have greatly improved the quality of life of many in the LGBT community," she said. "But free movement rights which are supposed to belong to all EU citizens remain a fiction for gay couples if they are regarded just as two single people abroad. "The current system whereby EU states 'pick and choose' when to grant recognition is causing inexcusable havoc for gay couples trying to exercise their right to move. “The European Commission must act swiftly to end this anomaly of second-class status, and drag the member states into the modern world by proposing legislation for mutual recognition of same-sex partnership legislation.” However, marriage is a family law issue that falls outside the competence of the Commission. Any EU-wide agreement on the issue of same-sex recognition would require a consensus among member states. GIven that politicians in Latvia, Poland and Lithuania are openly homophobic, such an agreement seems unlikely. Last month PinkNews.co.uk spoke to Fernando Soares, a resident in France, who discovered that his UK civil partnership with his late partner was not recognised in that country. This meant that Mr Soares would have to pay 60% inheritance tax on their property, unlike a heterosexual married couple or civil partners in the UK, and so was forced to sell their home. Oliver Hepworth and his partner had a partnership ceremony in 2005. The couple bought a property in France ten years ago, but have since discovered that their relationship is not fully recognised in France. Mr Hepworth told PinkNews.co.uk: "Our British CP is not recognised in France at all and we have no legal rights as a couple over in France. "We thought the solution would be to have a PACS over here but we were refused from doing this because we were already in a CP in the U.K. "The registrar in France required the British embassy to issue a certificate de coutume to say that we are not in a legal civil partnership in the UK. Obviously we are. "It seems that the tribunal recognises our civil partnership but not the French tax authorities or the French legal system. "It seems really discriminating to British nationals since the French have a same sex partnership called the PACS, and they also give gay Dutch married couples full legal recognition. "Alas British gay couples are discriminated against." There has also been confusion over whether or not Spain recognises civil partnerships formed in the UK.   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';    

Wed 8th Oct 2008:

EU climate plans get the nod from MEPs.

EurActiv.com The Parliament's environment committee yesterday (7 October) voted largely in favour of three separate reports on emissions trading, greenhouse gas reduction 'effort' sharing and CO2 capture and storage in a show of support for the EU's ambitious climate change policy. On the EU ETS proposal, the environment (ENVI) committee gave its backing to all but one of the compromise amendments introduced by Parliament's rapporteur, Irish Christian Democrat MEP Avril Doyle. The main elements of the Doyle report (adopted with 44 votes in favour, 20 against with one abstention) include: The power sector should be obliged to obtain 100% of CO2 permits at auction after 2013; Energy-intensive industries should be required to obtain 15% of emissions permits at auction in 2013, with a gradual phase-in towards 100% auctioning by 2020 (a 5% decrease compared to the Commission's initial proposal for a 20% auctioning requirement); 500 million spare emissions allowances, normally reserved for new entrants into the EU ETS scheme, should be made available as an incentive/financing measure for large-scale commercial carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration plants; The threshold for installations affected by the EU ETS should be raised from 10,000 to 25,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions; 100% of member states' auction revenues should be set aside or 'ring fenced' for climate-related purposes, whereby half of the money should be earmarked for developing countries; Installations should be able to achieve at least 40% of their targets through the financing of emissions reductions projects in third countries under the Kyoto Protocol's Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanisms (JI/CDM), but stricter rules on the validity of CDM projects would need to be respected; Up to 5% of emissions reductions could be obtained through the preservation of forests in developing countries under the condition that an international climate deal is in place.   Scuffle over carbon leakage Doyle was credited for having carried the file through to completion despite infighting and an attempted 'mutiny' within her own political group, the European People's Party (EPP). An 11th hour attempt by a group of EPP MEPs, led by Christian Democrat MEPs Karl-Heinz Florenz (Germany) and Eija-Rita Korhola (Finland), to change the order of voting on amendments to the report was rejected by the president of the ENVI committee on procedural grounds. In what was widely considered a blow to several industry lobbies, the committee then voted down a set of consolidated amendments co-authored and tabled earlier by Florenz and Korhola, who had the backing of a number of EU energy-intensive industries concerned about exposure to competition from producers in third countries with less stringent CO2 reduction policies. Three quarters of MEPs from the EPP-ED group ended up voting against the Doyle report as a result. By voting in favour of Doyle's compromises, the committee endorsed the rapporteur's position that sectors eligible for 100% free emissions allowances should be identified only after the conclusion of international climate talks in Copenhagen in December 2009. Doyle's report also sets stricter criteria on the use of benchmarks for determining which sectors could receive free emissions permits. Going for 30 The committee also gave nearly unanimous backing to the Finnish Green MEP Satu Hassi's report on the Commission's 'effort sharing' proposal concerning the distribution of CO2 reduction measures between member states in non EU ETS sectors such as transport, agriculture, home heating and waste management. Hassi's report calls for an automatic increase of the EU's target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 20% to 30% in the event that an international climate change deal is reached in Copenhagen. Her report also paves the way for possible financial penalties on member states that fail to realise their commitments, and it limits by one third (compared to the Commission's initial proposal) the amount of external credits member states can obtain through the funding of emissions reductions projects in developing countries.  The 'Schwarzenegger amendment' In their last major vote of the day, ENVI committee MEPs signed off a report on a legal framework for CCS, authored by UK Liberal MEP Chris Davies. MEPs backed an amendment in the report that would require member states to set limits on the CO2 performance of power stations: after 2015, power plants' emissions cannot exceed 500 Kg of CO2 per kilowatt hour (Kwh).  The amendment, based on a similar measure introduced by California's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, is designed to oblige power companies to install CCS equipment in particular on their coal-fired power plants, which produced the highest amount of CO2 compared to other types of electricity-generating installations. Davies and Doyle had collaborated closely in the months leading up the vote, whereby Doyle's amendment on the use of funds from the EU ETS new entrants reserve combined with Davies's amendment for a CO2 limit on power stations are meant to drive the commercial development of CCS technology. Positions: The Commission breathed a sigh of relief after the vote. "It is important that the committee, while approving a range of amendments, has voted to keep the broad architecture of our proposals unchanged," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in a statement. Speaking to reporters after the vote, one Commission official also praised the outcome as "fantastic", saying it provided a sound basis for further negotiations with the Council. German Christian Democrat MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz was less enthusiastic. "We have missed the chance to come up with a practical solution. Europe will face a tough burden in the internal market, while America and China's industry will enjoy a light regime. This is going to cost us jobs," he said in a statement. UK Socialist MEP Linda McAvan, the group's vice-chair, congratulated her colleagues for defeating what she called a 'right wing' attempt to water down the EU's climate package. Green MEP Caroline Lucas, also from the UK, was "delighted that the environment committee saw off attempts by industry to completely derail the ETS," but criticised the committee's support for the use of ETS funds to support CCS.   The European Association of Metals (Eurometaux) was dismayed by the outcome and warned that the ETS could destroy the EU's metals industry. "Today's vote opens the door to a significant delocalisation of energy-intensive industries, like ours, to regions without restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions," Guy Thiran, the organisation's secretary general, said in a statement. Cefic, the European chemical industry association, said it was pleased that the environment committee accepted the use of benchmarking "as a concept" for distributing CO2 emissions rights. "What is needed is a fair and rewarding system for world-class industry performers who develop new low carbon processes and who receive free allocations on this basis," Cefic said in a statement. "Without such benchmarking processes, the European Union faces the risk of relocations because of a loss of competitiveness," it added, saying a balance needs to be found to "preserve European industries’ competitiveness and jobs". But the association regretted that auctioning was finally kept as the preferred option. "Increasing the costs of emissions rights through auctioning is not an effective way to tackle climate change. Without a truly international agreement with the same rules across the board, the auctioning system will place a unilateral and costly burden on the European chemical industry." Sanjeev Kumar, ETS coordinator for the WWF, congratulated Doyle on warding off "the most horrible rebellion she could possibly have within her own party," and was positive that the use of auctioning for the power sector and for energy intensive industries was maintained in the basic architecture of the climate package.  Greenpeace lamented that the committee supported the push towards CCS technology. "EU taxpayers should not be asked to pay for so called 'clean coal', diverting resources and attention away from renewable energy and energy efficiency," Joris den Blanken, the group's climate and energy policy director, said in a statement.  Oxfam  welcomed the notion of using 50% of ETS auction revenues towards climate change related efforts in developing countries.  But Irish Christian Democrat MEP and rapporteur Avril Doyle expects the amendment to get a rough ride in the Council. There will be a "battle royale" on the issue of how to spend member states' auction revenues, she said.   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Tue 7th Oct 2008:

MEPs back €10 billion fund for CCS.

A €10 billion EU fund to support the development of a major technology to slow global warming was proposed by MEPs in Brussels today. Scientists claim that carbon capture and storage (CCS) could halve total CO2 emissions from power stations and major industrial installations by 2050. The technology requires the separation of CO2 from the fossil fuel for permanent underground storage in depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifers. EU Heads of Government promised in March last year to ensure construction of up to 12 commercial demonstration projects by 2015 but none have yet been identified. Power plant manufacturers believe that CCS will be commercially viable within 15-20 years but say that a funding mechanism to promote the technology is essential during the development stage when it could double the cost of conventional power stations. The European Parliament's Environment Committee today backed a cross-party plan to use up to 500 million allowances from the emissions trading scheme to meet the additional costs of CCS installation. The value of the support mechanism will depend on the price of CO2 when the gas is eventually buried underground but could easily exceed €10 billion. MEPs will now commence direct negotiations with the EU's French Presidency with a view to securing a deal between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers before the end of the year. ALDE environment spokesperson Chris Davies (Liberal Democrat, UK) who tabled the proposals together with MEPs Avril Doyle (PPE) and Linda McAvan (PSE) said that the parliament had laid down a challenge: "EU governments must now either back this proposal to kickstart CCS development or produce a realistic alternative. At present the ideas from the Parliament are the only show in town. "CCS development has the potential to make an enormous contribution to the fight against climate change. We can afford no delay and no more construction of conventional coal-fired power stations It is time now for Ministers to back their fine words of last year with some practical action." MEPS meeting in the Environment Committee may this afternoon take a major step when they vote on framework legislation for the safe storage of CO2. It is expected that they will back proposals to prevent the construction from 2015 of any new coal-fired power station unless equipped with CCS technology.   addthis_pub = 'mplusw';

Pakistan vital partner for