Red Rose Forum

Strasbourg Round-Up Mar 07

EU’s 20-20 vision on climate change

Just before MEPs headed down to Strasbourg, EU leaders met in Brussels for their annual spring summit. Top of the agenda this time around was climate change and energy policy. The two-day gathering was widely regarded as a great success after the heads of government gave the green light to an action plan to reduce carbon emissions and improve the use of renewable energy – two key elements in the fight against global warming.
As well as agreeing a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, an ambitious target was also set requiring the EU to produce 20% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar power by 2020. The renewables target surprised many commentators, who prior to the summit, had predicted that forging such an agreement would be a step too far for most national governments to take.
Speaking after the summit, Gary Titley said: “The agreement recognises that everyone needs to be more serious about energy efficiency in the EU. We need to work towards drastically reducing carbon emissions from coal as soon as possible. And a binding target on the use of renewables is also crucial to achieving cuts in carbon emissions. This deal shows that the EU is leading the way in becoming the world’s first low-carbon economy.”
Further information on how the EU is tackling climate change can be found in Brussels Briefing No 31.

United in Europe

It is 50 years this month since the Treaty of Rome was signed, which led to the creation of what we know today as the European Union. And to mark this historic milestone, a whole series of special events have been organised across Europe.

Here in Britain, a charity football match took place at Old Trafford to celebrate not only 50 years of the EU but also the 50th anniversary of Manchester United playing their first ever game in European competition. Gary accepted an invitation from the President of the European Commission, Jose Barroso, to accompany him to the event. They joined a 72,000 sell out crowd to watch Manchester United beat an all star European eleven 4-3.

Speaking after the match, Gary said: “It is especially fitting that Old Trafford was chosen to host this celebration of 50 years of peace and prosperity in Europe. The stadium was virtually destroyed during the Second World War, when Europe sorted out its differences with bombs and bullets, rather than round the negotiating table. This event was an excellent opportunity to showcase to the Commission President and other important international visitors all that is best about Greater Manchester and the wider North West.”

EU action to make firms more responsible

Labour MEPs threw their weight behind a package of measures, put forward by one of their colleagues, to force big business to tidy up its act. A report on “Corporate Social Responsibility”, penned by Richard Howitt, suggested that big companies should be made to reveal the full impact of their activities on local communities and the environment by naming and shaming offenders.

Another proposal contained in the report was that company directors with more than 1,000 staff should be made to take personal responsibility for minimising any harmful effects their firms may cause. The report also called for companies that benefit from public money to meet minimum labour and environmental standards.

Speaking after the Parliament voted to adopt the report, Gary said: “While many firms are now claiming they are socially responsible, it is not always the case in practice. The EU should begin putting these claims to the test by looking at whether they really do contribute to combating inequality and environmental damage.”


EU-US ‘open skies’ deal approaching take-off

Another step was taken towards an EU-US open skies deal this month. Negotiators from the US and the EU met for the twelfth time and hammered out an agreement that will now be put before EU Transport Ministers. However, although the plan is much improved, it still falls short of a fair deal for Britain. As it stands, the agreement would allow American airlines to operate internal EU flights, but the US domestic market would still remain closed to EU carriers. Speaking after the Parliament passed a resolution on the agreement, Gary said: “Britain with 40% of the EU-US aviation market has a special interest in the success of the deal. Although still very enthusiastic about liberalization, we need to push hard to get an agreement that is fair for both sides.”


Campaign for more childcare in Europe

This month marked the launch of the Party of European Socialists (PES) campaign for better childcare standards in Europe. As the British Labour Party is part of the PES, along with 33 fellow European Socialist parties, Gary was invited along to take part in the launch of the campaign in Strasbourg. Five years ago this month, EU member countries agreed to create better childcare provision for 90% of children aged between 3 and school age and for 33% of children under school age. Five years on and only a handful of countries have lived up to these commitments. After signing up to the campaign on behalf of Labour MEPs, Gary said: “Access to affordable childcare is not just about the best interests of young children. It is a key part of enabling people to get back into work. This campaign is about helping parents with children lead a family life, alongside their professional lives.


And finally,

Banning bent bananas and banishing the British loaf are just a few of the many ‘euromyths’ that have been peddled by Eurosceptics in recent years. This month in Strasbourg was no exception with yet another mythical tale doing the rounds. Not wanting to let facts get in the way of a good story, it was reported in some newspapers that the EU was to spend millions on a lavish “EU Embassy” in central London. In fact the European Commission and Parliament are to move their offices to a new location after the costs of the building they presently occupy became prohibitively expensive. In other words, the move is designed to save taxpayers’ money, not fritter it away.

Gary Titley MEP
March 2007
 

Just before MEPs headed down to Strasbourg, EU leaders met in Brussels for their annual spring summit. Top of the agenda this time around was climate change and energy policy. The two-day gathering was widely regarded as a great success after the heads of government gave the green light to an action plan to reduce carbon emissions and improve the use of renewable energy – two key elements in the fight against global warming.As well as agreeing a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, an ambitious target was also set requiring the EU to produce 20% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar power by 2020. The renewables target surprised many commentators, who prior to the summit, had predicted that forging such an agreement would be a step too far for most national governments to take.Speaking after the summit, Gary Titley said: “The agreement recognises that everyone needs to be more serious about energy efficiency in the EU. We need to work towards drastically reducing carbon emissions from coal as soon as possible. And a binding target on the use of renewables is also crucial to achieving cuts in carbon emissions. This deal shows that the EU is leading the way in becoming the world’s first low-carbon economy.” Further information on how the EU is tackling climate change can be found in Brussels Briefing No 31.It is 50 years this month since the Treaty of Rome was signed, which led to the creation of what we know today as the European Union. And to mark this historic milestone, a whole series of special events have been organised across Europe.Here in Britain, a charity football match took place at Old Trafford to celebrate not only 50 years of the EU but also the 50th anniversary of Manchester United playing their first ever game in European competition. Gary accepted an invitation from the President of the European Commission, Jose Barroso, to accompany him to the event. They joined a 72,000 sell out crowd to watch Manchester United beat an all star European eleven 4-3.Speaking after the match, Gary said: “It is especially fitting that Old Trafford was chosen to host this celebration of 50 years of peace and prosperity in Europe. The stadium was virtually destroyed during the Second World War, when Europe sorted out its differences with bombs and bullets, rather than round the negotiating table. This event was an excellent opportunity to showcase to the Commission President and other important international visitors all that is best about Greater Manchester and the wider North West.”Labour MEPs threw their weight behind a package of measures, put forward by one of their colleagues, to force big business to tidy up its act. A report on “Corporate Social Responsibility”, penned by Richard Howitt, suggested that big companies should be made to reveal the full impact of their activities on local communities and the environment by naming and shaming offenders.Another proposal contained in the report was that company directors with more than 1,000 staff should be made to take personal responsibility for minimising any harmful effects their firms may cause. The report also called for companies that benefit from public money to meet minimum labour and environmental standards.Speaking after the Parliament voted to adopt the report, Gary said: “While many firms are now claiming they are socially responsible, it is not always the case in practice. The EU should begin putting these claims to the test by looking at whether they really do contribute to combating inequality and environmental damage.”Another step was taken towards an EU-US open skies deal this month. Negotiators from the US and the EU met for the twelfth time and hammered out an agreement that will now be put before EU Transport Ministers. However, although the plan is much improved, it still falls short of a fair deal for Britain. As it stands, the agreement would allow American airlines to operate internal EU flights, but the US domestic market would still remain closed to EU carriers. Speaking after the Parliament passed a resolution on the agreement, Gary said: “Britain with 40% of the EU-US aviation market has a special interest in the success of the deal. Although still very enthusiastic about liberalization, we need to push hard to get an agreement that is fair for both sides.”This month marked the launch of the Party of European Socialists (PES) campaign for better childcare standards in Europe. As the British Labour Party is part of the PES, along with 33 fellow European Socialist parties, Gary was invited along to take part in the launch of the campaign in Strasbourg. Five years ago this month, EU member countries agreed to create better childcare provision for 90% of children aged between 3 and school age and for 33% of children under school age. Five years on and only a handful of countries have lived up to these commitments. After signing up to the campaign on behalf of Labour MEPs, Gary said: “Access to affordable childcare is not just about the best interests of young children. It is a key part of enabling people to get back into work. This campaign is about helping parents with children lead a family life, alongside their professional lives.Banning bent bananas and banishing the British loaf are just a few of the many ‘euromyths’ that have been peddled by Eurosceptics in recent years. This month in Strasbourg was no exception with yet another mythical tale doing the rounds. Not wanting to let facts get in the way of a good story, it was reported in some newspapers that the EU was to spend millions on a lavish “EU Embassy” in central London. In fact the European Commission and Parliament are to move their offices to a new location after the costs of the building they presently occupy became prohibitively expensive. In other words, the move is designed to save taxpayers’ money, not fritter it away.Gary Titley MEPMarch 2007 

REACHing for new Chemicals Legislation

Thanks to new laws voted through by the European Parliament this month, the use of the most dangerous chemicals in thousands of everyday household products - from cleaning substances to children's toys - will soon become a thing of the past. At present, very little is known about the side effects on human health of a great many of these chemical products. But there is mounting scientific evidence that increases in the number of cancer cases, hormone disruption and infertility are directly attributable to all the foreign substances swirling around in our veins.

The new law is known as REACH - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals. It will force manufacturers to take responsibility for proving a chemical's safety and to replace the most hazardous substances with safer alternatives. Animal testing will also be reduced under the OSOR (one chemical substance, one registration) provision. This requires manufacturers to share the information they have on a chemical, rather than each carrying out tests.

Welcoming the vote, Gary Titley said: "This legislation has proved highly contentious from the very outset. Every MEP I know has been subjected to massive lobbying. We on the Labour side have always taken the view that safeguarding public health and the environment must be top priorities. But, by the same token, we have tried to avoid placing unnecessary burdens on the chemical industry and putting vital North West jobs at risk. I firmly believe that this legislation gets that balance right.”

Airline Blacklist

Labour MEPs strongly supported moves to draw up a "blacklist" of airlines that fail to meet safety requirements. Under the plan, listed airlines would not be allowed to operate at any EU airport. The proposals are a direct response to the tragic aeroplane crashes in the EU this summer that killed more than 500 passengers. Under current rules, carriers banned in one country can simply switch their operations to a neighbouring one, thereby avoiding any restrictions.

Speaking after the vote, Gary said: "Passengers need to know that the aircraft they fly on conform to the highest possible safety standards. Once the blacklist is up and running, consumers will have to be told the name of the airline when they book their tickets. Should that later be changed to a carrier on the blacklist, passengers may be able to claim a refund ."

Foreign Secretary in Strasbourg

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was in Strasbourg this month to report back on last month’s Hampton Court Summit. Since the London bombings in July, the UK has put security at the heart of its EU Presidency. In his capacity as Labour’s Leader in Europe, Gary told the Parliament that Europe can make a real difference in the fight against terrorism. He said: "The extradition from Italy of one of the London bombing suspects took only 2 months, thanks to the European Arrest warrant. Before, it would have taken two years or even longer."

Humane Trapping

The European Parliament rejected a European Commission proposal to implement the International Humane Trapping Agreement with Canada, Russia and the US. For their part, Labour MEPs thought that the agreement fell well short of acceptable animal welfare standards. Gary said: "There was some confusion about whether this meagre legislation ‘jumped’ or it was ‘pushed’. At the eleventh hour, the Commission seemed to realise it would do nothing to enhance animal welfare, but did not get the chance to withdraw it before Parliament put the final nail in its coffin."

EU Accounts

The European Court of Auditors published its annual report on the EU accounts this month – to the accompaniment of all the usual press hysteria alleging fraud and mismanagement. Yet according to Gary’s fellow North West MEP, Terry Wynn who sits on the Budgetary Control Committee, few people are aware that 80% of EU spending is administered by member state governments.

“The EU ‘s financial management is not possible without member states’ active participation, and this must be anchored at political level,” Terry said. “That’s why I have proposed before that each country’s finance minister should sign off their European accounts. For those who care to read it and not selectively pick from it, the Court of Auditors’ report shows a welcome improvement this year. But there is no doubt there is still a long way to go until we can account for every euro spent.”

Global Discourse on Kashmir

Shortly before heading off to Strasbourg for the November plenary session, Gary welcomed the Global Discourse on Kashmir Delegation to the European Parliament in Brussels on behalf of the ‘All Party Group for Kashmir’. The aim was to discuss ways of bringing the factions in India and Pakistan closer together to resolve the dispute in Kashmir. Gary chaired one session exploring ideas on how to protect human rights, whilst promoting peace and security in the troubled region. The two-day conference was a resounding success and delegates headed home with many new ideas on how they can work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Tories – Ten Years Too Late!

It has been reported that erstwhile Tory Leadership hopeful, Liam Fox, is urging the EU to start trading with Muslim countries on the Mediterranean – 10 years after EU-Med trading began! And just when the European Parliament’s delegation is due to meet in Morocco to mark the 10^th anniversary of EU-Med relations, the bookies’ favourite for the Tory Crown, David Cameron was reported by ‘The Sun’ to be backing Fox’s plan to start trading talks. Admitting he was “gobsmacked” by these revelations, Gary said: “Where have the Tories been for the last ten years? Muslim countries on the Mediterranean do more business with the EU than they do with each other. The Tories are not just ignorant of European policy, they don’t even know who Britain’s trading partners are.”

... And Finally

The Strasbourg saga continues. Regular readers will know that Strasbourg has become the bane of Gary's life! This month its taxi drivers went on strike in protest about the city being invaded by German taxis. For years Strasbourg's taxi drivers have been charged with the task of ferrying MEPs to and from the airport and railway station. But this agreement has now ended. Unhappy with this, the French cabbies downed tools for 24 hours and, with the trams crammed like sardine-tins, most people – Gary included – had to resort to Shank’s pony to get around

Gary Titley MEP November 2005