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Strasbourg Round-Up May 06

EU Enlargement

Romania and Bulgaria have come a long way in their quest to join the EU – but not quite far enough. That was the verdict the European Commission delivered this month after assessing the two countries’ progress towards EU membership. Accordingly, it has decided to delay its final decision until the autumn on whether the two countries can join on 1st January next year.

Commenting on the Commission’s announcement, Gary Titley, who spearheaded previous rounds of EU accession, said: “Further accession is in everyone’s interest. New business opportunities will open up and new jobs will be created. But membership doesn’t come easily. If both Romania and Bulgaria want to join our democratic club, they will have to shape up. Bulgaria needs to get to grips with rooting out corruption, while Romania needs to speed up its agricultural reforms.”


False food claims sent packing

We all feel good about ourselves when we choose foods that claim to be ‘fat free’ or ‘low in sugar’. Yet, just how healthy is the food we tuck into? That is a question, which up until now has been difficult to answer. But not any more. This month, MEPs passed a new law, which will make food manufacturers prove that their products are healthy and do exactly what it says on the packaging. That should be welcome news for consumers. A recent survey by Which? found that 99% of people want health claims on food fully checked out before products go on sale.

Gary warmly welcomed the new rules. He said: “All too often people are conned into thinking they are eating healthy food, when there is often little evidence to back this up. Food labels hugely influence consumers’ choice. We all have a right to expect that the claims on tins and packaging are not false or misleading. Only hard facts about the food we are buying will help us to make informed choices to control the threat of heart disease, stroke and obesity – fast becoming one of the biggest killers in the UK today.”


Proposal to resolve Strasburg crisis

Labour’s deputy leader in Europe offered the French a “credible alternative” this month, if they agree to abandon their veto on moving the European Parliament’s seat away from Strasbourg. Richard Corbett MEP tabled a parliamentary resolution calling on the European Council to name Brussels as the European Parliament’s permanent home and arrange for regular summit meetings of EU heads of government to be held in Strasbourg.

Under current treaty law, the European Parliament is required to hold twelve sittings a year in Strasbourg – at a staggering annual cost to European taxpayers of £200 million. For his part, Gary is pressing Prime Minister Tony Blair hard to support switching the Parliament from Strasbourg to Brussels on a permanent basis.


Labour MEPs vote to overturn plan to plunder African waters

This month Labour MEPs voted against an EU fishing deal which could deprive a developing region in Northern Africa of vital fish stocks. The EU-Morocco fisheries agreement could have allowed EU registered vessels to trawl in waters off the disputed region of Western Sahara, which is still under Moroccan control despite its native Saharwi people being promised a referendum on their future way back in 1991. The continuing Moroccan occupation means that Western Sahara has no say over agreements, which allow fishing in its waters.

Explaining why Labour MEPs were opposing the agreement, Gary said: “The Saharwi people depend on fishing to survive and make a living. They should have a right to be heard over something that rightly belongs to them. It would be wrong to strike a fisheries deal with Morocco, when the people of Western Sahara, who it will affect, have no say. Until the people of the Western Sahara can democratically negotiate the use of their waters, European fleets should stay away.”


Welcome back to a familiar face

This month Gary welcomed good friend and former colleague, Geoff Hoon MP, back into the European fold. Following the recent cabinet reshuffle, the Prime Minister gave him the job of overseeing the UK’s European policy. Geoff Hoon is no stranger to the European Parliament. He was Labour MEP for Derbyshire from 1984 until 1994 and also had a brief spell as Europe Minister in the early years of the current Labour government. Welcoming the appointment, Gary said: “Geoff Hoon has vast experience of European policy and politics. Labour MEPs look forward to working closely with the new Europe Minister.”


Anti-Israel tirade costs North West Lib Dem MEP his job

It has not been a good month for the Liberal Democrats. After a poor showing in the local elections where they lost some of their key seats, the Lib Dems found themselves in more hot water in the European Parliament. North West MEP and Lib Dem leader in Europe, Chris Davies, was forced into an embarrassing climb-down, after telling a supporter of Israel to “enjoy wallowing in your own filth”.

Davies, who will remain an MEP, was forced to quit as head of the Lib Dems’ 12-strong group in Europe after being summoned to London to explain himself to the party’s recently elected leader, Sir Menzies Campbell. In his apology, Davies confessed to “10 seconds of madness” during an email exchange, in which he accused Israel of pursuing “racist policies of apartheid”.


And Finally....

It’s a bit rich for disgraced former chat show turned MEP, Robert Kilroy-Silk, to claim that the new football coverage packages for Premiership games do not represent value for money. This comes from someone who is renowned as being the MEP who gives least value for money to his constituents. Kilroy-Silk has one of the worst attendance records of any MEP, often misses key debates, and refuses to sit on any parliamentary committees.


Gary Titley MEP
May 2006