He may be a regular at Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium.  But Gary Titley found himself on the same side as Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand this month, as the European Parliament gave the boot to racism in football.  Gary signed a declaration calling for football’s governing body UEFA to take tougher action against racism, in advance of this summer’s World Cup in Germany.

With the backing of over 400 MEPs and high profile players such as Ferdinand, the declaration calls for heavy fines on football clubs for racist incidents, both on and off the pitch.  It also wants referees to be able to stop games in the face of racist taunts and for television companies to switch from colour to black and white, if incidents occur during live broadcasts.

 Gary said:  “Football authorities can’t continue to turn a blind eye to racism with the world’s biggest tournament coming to Europe this summer.  Racist incidents like the ones at last year’s England v Spain international are a disgrace to the game and need to be stopped.  That’s why I am fully behind these proposals.”

 Action as China steps on EU toes

 First it was the so called “bra wars”.  Now it’s a storm over shoes, as the EU plans tough action over cheap Chinese footwear imports.  China is the world’s fastest growing economy, able to produce items like shoes much cheaper and in greater volume than Europe.  This has led to huge amounts of cheap footwear flooding European markets to the point where it threatens to kill off what remains of the European footwear industry.  This month the parliament considered proposals from the European Commission to limit the quantity of shoes coming into European markets from China.

Gary said that if goods were being ‘dumped’ in Europe at less than cost price, then action must be taken.  But if they were cheaper because of genuinely lower production costs, then the answer was for Europe’s own footwear industry to make itself more competitive.  “What we must avoid at all costs is a return to protectionism,” he warned.

Protecting North West nosh

Very soon some of the North West’s gastronomic delights could enjoy special protection, thanks to new EU rules.  This month MEPs drew up new “geographical food indicators” to stop impostors cashing in on the fame and tradition of local produce.  The new indicators identify a food product as original and only to be made and branded in its home town.  Welcoming the move, Gary said:  “People from Bolton to Budapest will soon know for certain they are tucking into genuine local delicacies.  This is good news for North West farmers and food producers.  These measures should increase sales, helping local businesses to grow and boosting prosperity in the whole of the region’s economy.”

 Making Europe safer

The Madrid and London bomb attacks made many people realise just how complex and difficult it is to trace terrorist groups.  Indeed, since September 11, terrorist organisations have laundered money and used the internet in a way that police had previously found difficult to track.  With these considerations in mind the European Parliament this month approved moves to extend the use of the European Arrest Warrant to further enhance cross-border co-operation.

 Speaking after the vote, Gary said:  “The European Arrest Warrant allowed the British police to bring a London bombing suspect back from Italy for questioning in a matter of weeks rather than the years it would have previously taken.  It is this type of sensible co-operation that the EU is uniquely placed to bring about.  Working together we become stronger.  That is why I am delighted the parliament has given the go-ahead to look at how we can use the arrest warrant more widely.”

 British Beef back on the menu

 EU health experts decided this month that it is once again safe to let good old British beef back on the menu.  They agreed to lift restrictions on British beef exports, originally put in place in the mid-1990s, as a result of BSE.  Commenting on the decision, Gary said:  “It’s about time this happened, but not before time either.  If the ban had been removed any earlier, nobody would have bought British beef.  Consumer confidence was key.  We’ve jumped through every conceivable hoop to get this ban lifted.  We now have the highest and most scrupulous standards in Europe.  As a result, we have regained the confidence of our European neighbours.”

 International Women’s Day

 Before heading off to Strasbourg, the European Parliament marked International Women’s Day earlier this month, by calling for an end to forced prostitution in Europe.  Gary added his name alongside over 10,000 other petitioners who are demanding that tough EU action be taken to stop the trafficking of women in Europe.  The campaign comes as stories emerge of organised gangs planning to smuggle thousands of young women to this summer’s World Cup and force them into prostitution.  Gary warned:  “This form of modern day slavery cannot happen in 21^st century Europe.  I am glad to see that this campaign is already spurring the authorities to take action against the despicable gangs, who organise these crimes.”

 And Finally....

 Gary was pleased to announce the appointment of a new member of staff to the European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP) this month.  Giampi Alhadeff will be taking over as the EPLP’s Secretary General early in May.   Giampi is a long time and highly committed socialist, who has previously headed up well-known organisations like War on Want and the UK National Anti-Racist Alliance.  Gary said:  “It is a great boost for us to get someone with Giampi’s experience and contacts, both in Brussels and the Labour movement as a whole.  I feel sure he will drive the EPLP forward energetically.”

 Gary Titley MEP

March 2006

Roaming Rate Racket set to end

All too many of us have clocked up huge mobile phone bills while making calls abroad.  But sky-high bills are soon set to plummet after the European Commission unveiled proposals this month to deal with the problem.  The plan is to scrap all roaming charges for receiving a call when travelling in another EU country.  Instead, the cost of calls from abroad will be the same as those made in a user’s home country. 

Commenting on the move, Gary Titley said:  “Mobile phone customers should not be charged a higher tariff just because they’ve travelled abroad.  The plan to slash rip-off roaming costs is great news for holidaymakers and business travellers alike who want to call home, without facing huge bills.”

Green light for new Euro driving licence

This month Gary welcomed a decision which gives the green light to a new EU driving licence.  The new licence, based on a UK credit card style licence, should make travel easier across Europe and improve road safety.  It will also help to crack down on forgery and organised crime.  At present, police across Europe have to contend with over 100 different licences in different languages, colours and formats.

Speaking as a member of the Transport Committee, Gary said:  “This is great news for motorists who want to drive across Europe on business or holiday.  The UK already has the safest roads in Europe.  Now we want to make sure that when British drivers go abroad, they will be just as safe as in the UK.  How can a British police officer be expected to know what a valid Czech or Latvian driving licence looks like?  The new licence will let police weed out the banned joy-rider from the safe, fully licensed driver in an instant.”

Better laws to make Europe work better

MEPs got down to a spot of spring cleaning this month by approving plans to slash red tape and tidy up how EU laws are made.  The plans are all part of a drive to make EU rules more user-friendly, following the announcement last year that some 200 EU regulations would be tossed on the bonfire.  Gary said:  “By looking at how we can make better laws, we can save small businesses millions of pounds.  This will help to create jobs, save consumers’ money and give a significant boast to the economy.  By the same token, we must note lose sight of consumer safety and environmental protection.”

Britain sets the standard

European labour markets should take a leaf out of Britain’s book and become much more open.  That was Gary’s message to MEPs in Strasbourg.  The UK is one of only 3 countries that have taken the bold step of opening up their labour markets to the 10 countries, which joined the EU in May 2004.  Many predicted that this would create huge immigration problems.  But a report to the Parliament this month proved otherwise.  It showed that Ireland, Sweden and Britain - all fully open to the EU newcomers - were enjoing improved business competitiveness and profitability.

Urging other EU governments to follow suit, Gary said:  “The UK has shown how free labour markets, combined with proper social protection, can boost prosperity and wealth for workers and business alike.  Our open labour market has led to the longest period of sustained economic growth in living memory.  Although some scaremongers out there still talk about waves of immigration reaching our shores and stealing jobs, it simply hasn’t happened.”

But Gary warned there were still important issues to address.  “I know of migrant workers in the North West, who are effectively being denied the minimum wage by employment agencies through all sorts of spurious deductions.  They’re also getting ripped off with hefty charges for very poor and unsafe accommodation.  That’s why migrant workers still need better protection.”

Crackdown on “nationalism” in EU energy markets

During this month’s plenary session, the European Commission announced a crackdown on “nationalism” in EU energy markets.  The move came after an inquiry had found clear evidence of certain continental energy suppliers fixing the market to force up prices, especially for UK consumers.  The Commission declared that a common energy strategy to secure Europe’s needs will not work while countries continue to protect their own national energy companies.  In recent weeks, both France and Italy have come under fierce criticism for blocking takeovers of their national electricity suppliers by other EU companies.  Welcoming the move, Gary said:  “This crackdown on economic nationalism will finally break down the protectionist walls of the energy markets.  If we can create a truly competitive energy market, it will be a real milestone.  Fuel bills will be driven down, benefiting both business and domestic customers alike.”

Strasbourg Round-Up no more?

Regular readers of the ‘Round-up’ will know just how much Gary loathes the monthly trek down to Strasbourg.  It costs millions of pounds and wastes so much precious time.  This month, Gary led the charge of a large group of disgruntled MEPs, who tried to ditch the Parliament’s planned Strasbourg programme for 2007.  Speaking to a packed chamber, he said:  “Trips to Strasbourg cost £200 million a year – money which could be far better spent on investment in jobs or more help for the developing world.  We need to reform the European Parliament so it is more effective and trusted by people.  As long as we have this travelling circus to Strasbourg, people will rightly say that the EU is wasting money – Strasbourg is a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

And Finally....

Just before MEPs gathered in Strasbourg, EU leaders held a summit in Brussels.  Although the meeting was generally seen as a success, it wasn’t without controversy.  French President Jacques Chirac stormed out in protest after a French employers’ representative abandoned his mother tongue and addressed the conference in English because “it is the language of business”.  Last year at the same summit, the French president caused a stir when he branded Finnish food “the worst in Europe”.  This led Finnish MEP Alex Stubb and his British wife to formally invite Mr Chirac to their place for dinner.  Needless to say he declined.  Apparently now a second invite is already in the post for a crash course in English, chez Stubb.

Gary Titley MEP