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Reform Treaty

One of the big talking points in Strasbourg this month was the new Reform Treaty that EU heads of government had agreed in Lisbon a week earlier. Echoing the verdict of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Labour’s Leader in Europe, Gary Titley, welcomed the treaty as a great success for Britain. It must now be approved in each of the 27 member states.

Essentially updating the EU rule book, the treaty will speed up the decision-making process and make it more transparent. Under its provisions, no EU legislation can be adopted without first being scrutinised by national parliaments. It also gives MEPs more power to change legislation. Moreover, the UK won special ‘opt outs’ in several sensitive areas such as law and order.

Commenting on the agreement reached at the Lisbon summit, Gary said: "This really is the best deal the UK could have hoped for. The treaty will make the EU more responsive to citizens. It will now allow Europe to move on and deal with the real challenges facing us like climate change, energy security and creating jobs."


Curbing carbon emissions from cars

Car manufacturers need to do more in the battle against climate change. That was the key message Labour MEPs delivered from Strasbourg this month. A recent EU report revealed that cars account for 12% of carbon dioxide emissions in Europe and said that drastic cuts were needed to meet ambitious climate change goals.

With that in mind, Labour MEPs gave strong backing to stringent emissions targets for new cars to be brought in by 2012. However, to the surprise of many observers, British Lib Dem and Tory MEPs joined forces to weaken the European Commission proposals and set a more relaxed target to be phased in by 2015.

Speaking after the debate, Gary said: "Conservative and Lib Dem MEPs talk the talk about tackling climate change, but fail to deliver when it actually comes to voting for concrete steps to cut carbon emissions."


‘Blue Card’ plan gets mixed reaction

A plan for an EU ‘Blue Card’ for skilled immigrants, based on the American ‘Green Card’ scheme, was unveiled in Strasbourg this month - to mixed reaction. It is predicted that the EU will need 20 million skilled workers over the next twenty years in key areas such as engineering and computer technology.
The ‘Blue Card’ would allow qualified people and their families to come to Europe and plug that gap in the labour market. To be eligible, new immigrants would need to show a recognised diploma and have at least 3 years professional experience. They would also need the offer of a job, which could not be filled by an EU citizen, with a minimum one-year contract.
The measures, which are more restrictive than the U.S. ‘Green Card’ scheme, first need the approval of all 27 EU member states. Under the recently signed Reform Treaty, the UK would be able to exercise its special ‘opt out’ if it did not like the shape of the final plan.

Gary said: "These proposals are still very much in the early stage. The British government will not sign up to this scheme unless it is properly thought through. Ultimately, member states must be able to keep control of who comes in and out of their countries. Nonetheless, we cannot deny the need for skilled workers in the future if we are going to compete with the likes of China and India."

Protection from pesticides

Protection for people from the harmful effects of pesticides, whilst ensuring that they can still be used in a safe and sensible way, will soon be improved after a vote in the European Parliament this month. The use of pesticides in public areas such as schools and playgrounds or residential areas will be reduced as much as possible under the new EU measures. At the same time, pesticide spraying on crops will continue only when pests cannot be controlled by non-chemical means.

"This is another example of EU legislation playing a role in protecting our general health and well being,” Gary explained. “These measures will be crucial in protecting lakes and rivers from contamination whilst preventing disease."


A smoke free Europe

A hard hitting report, released by the European Commission this month, showed that 650,000 people a year die in Europe from smoking related illnesses, including 80,000 from passive smoking. In response, MEPs approved wide-ranging measures by a large majority to restrict smoking in public places and make it harder for underage people to buy cigarettes.

Commenting on the move, Gary said: “Children and young people are still too often placed in serious danger when it comes to smoking. With these measures, we are committing ourselves to slashing the numbers of young smokers by at least a half by 2025.”


And finally…

There was outrage amongst hard-line Tory eurosceptics this month when it was revealed that the party’s former national headquarters in Smith Square – the building synonymous with their heroine Margaret Thatcher's election triumphs – was on the final shortlist as a possible home for new European Parliament offices in London. The move to house the European Parliament and Commission offices under one roof will save millions of pounds a year. No decision has yet been made, but the idea has certainly got the Conservatives up in arms about Europe once again!


Gary Titley MEP
October 2007