|
Uber Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Woking
Posts: 32,070
Party: Libertarian Party
|
Report from Brussels
Quote:
Many thanks to those of you who were kind enough to comment favourably upon the ´Strasbourg Report´. Your comments have galvanised me INTO phpbb_reproducing a similar report for the intervening period in Brussels.
This particular effort will report a cornucopia of items for the period 3rd to the 14th October that emanated from the glass and steel ´Palace of Brussels´; the heart of the expanding empire of the European Union.
PETITION CAMPAIGN
I must take this opportunity to remind you that we are driving forward the Petition demanding a referendum for the UK. This campaign has been financed by the Independence and Democracy Group, with whom all UKIP MEPs sit in the Parliament.
See a copy of a letter below, sent by the the enterprising Mrs.Bragg to the Western Daily News. If you have a moment please pen a letter to your local paper upon similar lines. If many of you respond to this it will give the campaign extra momentum.
"The non-party Independence and Democracy Group, consisting of MEPs from across Europe who hate the way the EU is going, has devised another petition, this one to demand from each country's government the right of the people to have a referendum on leaving the EU and returning to a free trade agreement. If you want to sign, go to www.letthepeopledecide.co.uk or use the freephone number 08005876587."
THE LIBERALS AND GREENS ANSWER TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
Can the EP rescue the constitution?
EP and Commission cosy up to swap ideas on the future of Europe...
Last week, the Constitutional Affairs Committee spent almost five hours debating a concept paper on the role of the EP during the period of reflection. The paper, created by Co-Rapporteurs Andrew Duff (Member of the ultra-Federalist Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) and Johannes Voggenhuber (another Federalist grouping, the Greens/European Free Alliance), outlined a two-stage approach to a 'European dialogue', designed to engage national and regional parliaments, political parties, civil society, social partners, academia and the EU institutions in a debate on the future of Europe.
Following recent allegations of misplaced priorities, an opportunity to grill Swedish Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy Margot Wallström, on Monday evening was a lively affair. It resulted in an assurance that the Commission will discuss with the Parliament any proposals brought forward by the rapporteurs in their forthcoming report.
What does the commission plan to do?
Ms Wallström briefly outlined her plans, which she will officially unveil on Wednesday October 12. Her strategy will attempt to:
stimulate a wider public debate by making commissioners available for scrutiny by national parliaments;
promote citizens' participation in the democratic process through more effective consultation and new voter technologies;
use advances in technology to generate dialogue on European policies.
MEPs and the Commissioner also criticised national governments' inaction - so far only two countries (Ireland and Spain) have informed the Commission of their plans for the period of reflection. Committee Chair Jo Leinen (European Socialist) urged the French and Dutch governments to investigate the issues behind the NO votes and to work with the EP to find solutions as to why their referenda failed.
What does the EP plan to do?
The Duff-Voggenhuber Report, due to be completed in October, is expected to identify common ground within the draft constitution itself and a framework for ratification before the June 2006 European Council.
The second stage will focus on political disagreements and controversial issues that surround the future of Europe such as integration, economic governance and common foreign and security policy. The debate on these issues should take place between July 2006 and June 2009 with a possible convention and IGC in between. European citizens would then "give a verdict" in a binding or non- binding "consultative ballot" on the day of European parliamentary elections in June 2009. We'll keep you posted!
I suspect that this could boost the UKIP vote in 2009!
THE FARAGE PREDICTION IS COMING TRUE!
"Tony Blair has admitted the British presidency of the European Union has stalled during its first three months, and has called on business to lobby member states to back reform. Mr Blair's remarks came during a private breakfast meeting with Unice and the CBI, the European and British business bodies, at Downing Street yesterday. The UK hopes to rejuvenate its presidency at an informal summit of EU leaders at Hampton Court Palace later this month."
Nigel Farage predicted that the British Presidency would founder upon EU rocks.
See what you think about the Services Directive. The press comment speaks for itself!:
The European Commission's Services Directive would allow contractors to adopt the standards of countries in which they are based, rather than of those they supply to. Union leaders fear firms could set up branches in Eastern Europe and supply workers back to the UK, allowing them to pay lower rates. Mr Ritchie said: "The directive as it stands will force down contractors' prices because they would have to compete with companies technically based in countries with lower wages, lower social charges and little regulation. This will inevitably undermine the pay and conditions of building workers in the UK, Germany and other developed nations.'"
Earlier this week Nigel Farage was due to spend six and a half hours voting upon 1,200 amendments to the Services Directive at committee stage! This committee collapsed at the outset under the sheer weight of the amendments that would have ripped the guts out of this Directive. This directive is very close to the heats of the Eurocrats and Eurofanatics here in Brussels. The result is a serious setback for them and the prospect of a long delay whilst the Rapporteur (the MEP appointed to bulldoze the legislation through Parliament) tries to re-establish the Bill. We should be encouraged by this event as it demonstrates the profound change in the Parliament since the arrival of the 10 new countries with very different views to the established rubber-stamping europhiles from the founding countries. They are realising that this place is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. We hope that a similar fate awaits the REACH Directive...
"The Chemical Industries Association, to be precise, is deeply concerned by the result of last week's European Parliament vote on REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) which was in favour of returning to a more regulated environment for the industry. The CIA says that it will bring "a bureaucratic nightmare that will do little to ensure the safe use of chemicals within Europe".
JEFFREY TITFORD PLAYING A BLINDER
Stink of Stitch up in Fraud Buster Hustings
Speaking in Brussels today, Jeffrey Titford MEP (Chairman of UKIP) blasted dodgy dealing in the process to appoint the new head of the EU's fraud busting unit OLAF. "There has been a catalogue of errors, confusion and chaos," he said "and now we discover that one candidate was secretly given the details of the other candidates in advance", he added "the whole process is completely discredited". The controversial head of the unit, German Franz Hermann Brüner, (another candidate to be reappointed) was leaked the internal Commission Assessments on his competitors. The assessments had been forwarded to him by the head of the Commission's civil service and long time ally, David O'Sullivan. "First Commissioner Kallas informs the Committee that one of the candidates made erroneous statements on his CV, but not in time to cancel the interview or to allow MEPs to prepare for it. Then we find that the Commission has been staking the dice in favour of one candidate, it is a disgrace, but only too typical".
To be continued.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Brussels Report
PART 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality
REPORT on women and poverty in the European Union by Anna ZÁBORSKÁ: whereas it is essential to promote the emergence of a new Europe based on the creative coexistence of cultures and mentalities and full respect for otherness, in which the concept of responsible freedom does not cover solely the free movement of capital and in which citizens pool their abilities irrespective of their social status so as to harness the creativity and protect the dignity of each citizen for the common good, both in the East and in the Wes. (!)
This report was debated in an Orwellian atmosphere. During this debate Godfrey Bloom was forced to bring the hemicycle's attention to an item on sale on the Parliament's own newsagents.
Godfrey Bloom
Mr President, most of us agree that the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality does yeoman work – well, at least in my view, as much as any other committee. While I recognise the basic direction behind this report and the difficulties some women face on remuneration, and I wholeheartedly support the need for better statistical information on this particular topic, I have to draw the House’s attention to the double standards that we employ. Today you can buy this magazine in the Parliament’s shop: it is hardcore pornography. Although an American publication, it depicts eastern European models, I suspect because of the poverty referred to by Mrs Záborská’s team. It is the tip of the iceberg of exploitation and people trafficking, subjects highlighted by this very report. Yet it is for sale here. I find the hypocrisy of the European Parliament on this subject, like so many, many others, sadly predictable.
Well done Godfrey!
EXTRACTS FROM SPEECHES
Gerard Batten on Railways
Mr Sterckx says that we should not tinker with international agreements which are already satisfactory. He says that we must not take over the role of railway company marketing managers. Above all, he says that the system must benefit passengers. Only an EU politician could say all that and then propose extending the scope of legislation. There is already a perfectly good international agreement in place between 42 nations, including many non-EU countries, to facilitate cross-border railway travel. In 2002 international railway companies signed a voluntary Charter containing quality standards for rail passenger services – the COTIF Convention
and on Iran
If Iraq does not successfully transform INTO phpbb_a democratic state, then the whole region will be destabilised. Mr Figeľ had nothing much to say except to offer more of the process of proffered dialogue and cooperation. As the British Government has discovered over the last few years, this approach has so far not yielded much success
The seriousness of the situation and the difficulty in resolving it peacefully cannot be overstated, but it will not be solved by the European Union. Once again the EU presumes to take on the attributes of a political state. The serious situation posed by Iran must be addressed by the properly constituted sovereign states working within the properly constituted international institutions
If the EU successfully develops its European defence identity -– that is, an EU military force – and if Turkey becomes a member of the EU, then the EU will share a border not only with Iran, but also with Iraq and Syria. If the current situation is alarming, then just imagine that one.
Graham Booth on Regionalism
The rapporteur says that regions are the best qualified level to determine needs. He should visit the so-called region that I represent. The regional authority in Exeter cannot possibly know what is best for Gloucester, Swindon or Penzance, all many miles away. The ordinary people in those areas do not think so. Perhaps Mr Guellec is not bothered what those ordinary people think, as long as he can emphasise that his beloved EU Constitution strengthens the role of the regions. The only problem for him is that ordinary people in his own country do not agree with his approach. He certainly achieves cohesion in one respect, because ordinary people in all parts of the continent will be equally confused by his report, and he is equally out of touch with all of them
Nigel Farage
Mr President, our voters deserve to know whether their elected governments stand up for them at Council of Ministers meetings. But, of course, they cannot, because these proceedings are held in secret. That is why I was happy to be one of the authors of Written Declaration No 45, calling for an end to this and calling for openness and transparency in the Council of Ministers. I would urge other MEPS to sign this written declaration.
I would say to the British Presidency that this gives it an opportunity. It was in this very room that Tony Blair said that he wanted to give a lead in Europe and to re-engage the peoples of Europe. Here is something that the British Presidency could do easily and painlessly: end the secrecy; chalk up a success for the British Presidency. I suspect that by the end of December Mr Blair is going to need to have had one or two successes.
Jeffrey Titford
Madam President, the common fisheries policy is without doubt one of the most disastrous of all EU common policies. It has inflicted incredible damage on the ecology of the North Sea and has done absolutely nothing for conservation. Not satisfied with this disaster, the EU is actually encouraging its repetition in African coastal waters. You can therefore imagine the cynicism with which I read this proposal for special technical measures to improve the conservation situation in the Baltic Sea.
The rapporteur has produced an extraordinarily unhelpful explanatory statement, which is really little more than a blow-by-painful-blow account of a paper trail. At the end there is a complicated appendix which seeks to lay down the law on the specifications for codends and even the exact size and shape of codend buoys. Why this House should be preoccupying itself with such minutiae is beyond me, unless it is yet another symptom of the European Union’s limitless propensity for control-freakism. Doubtless these technical specifications will have been dreamt up by bureaucrats without the slightest experience of sea fishing and will therefore cause enormous problems for the people who have to have such experience and work on a daily basis
I do not believe that the EU has any business in involving itself in conservation in the Baltic, or anywhere else for that matter. These issues should be resolved by sensible negotiation between national government and fishermen, not by an unelected bureaucracy with an absolutely appalling track record for environmental vandalism
Tom Wise:
Mr President, this report calls for greater investment in education in an attempt to achieve the Lisbon objectives. It might even reflect a call by my Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who in 1997 launched his general election campaign with the mantra ‘education, education, education’. However, decisions on education must be made by the Member States. It is certainly not within the competence of the EU, despite the wish that it should be
The lack of realism within this report is emphasised by the appeal for a 15% increase in the number of science graduates in the EU between now and 2010. This is unachievable because young scientists, once graduated, are emigrating in ever-increasing numbers, mainly to the United States. Even today the Commission’s own survey says 400 000 European science and technology graduates have emigrated to find jobs. Why is this? The answer is startlingly simple: endless EU regulation and red tape is smothering innovative businesses, leaving them with little choice but to relocate or close down
In this context the report serves to highlight the fact that, irrespective of the level of investment made by the Member States in education and training, if businesses and industry have relocated due to suffocating regulation, the investment will not be returned. This report ignores the fact that, at the current rate of progress, the Lisbon objectives will not be reached. Attempts to prevent this failure, even by further EU misguidance, are doomed to fail.
As I have said before, if the EU is the answer, it must have been a stupid question. You do not have to be a graduate to understand that.
David Lott, UKIP Chief of Staff
European Parliament
|
|