 |
 |
Graham's blog Friday 10 June 2011
June 10, 2011 11:41 AM
Originally published by Sir Graham Watson MEP
Originally published by Sir Graham Watson MEP
It is now almost ten years since I piloted through parliament the legislation creating the European Arrest Warrant, much vilified by the UK's anti-Europeans but the one really effective tool the EU has for tackling cross border crime. It was the subject of parliamentary debate this week with many praising its usefulness but calling for greater safeguards against poor implementation or frivolous use of the procedure by member states and improvement of unacceptable detention conditions in some countries. These are all things Parliament sought ten years ago, but member states have been slow in reacting. To learn more about the issue, see the BBC TV programme The Record Europe [http://tinyurl.com/3brkvzg ] or follow the parliamentary debate here.
Much of the most important news of the week, however, concerns the economy and trade. The European Commission released on Tuesday its assessment of the economic conditions in each member state and what measures are needed to improve them; this new method of policing each others' observance of fiscal discipline is in its infancy but nonetheless important. Indeed, ECB governor Jean-Claude Trichet used his acceptance speech for the Charlemagne prize at the beginning of the week to call for a European finance ministry, to prevent countries like Greeceputting the whole EU edifice in jeopardy. (For the text of his speech, click here.) On the trade front, where the EU already has a single policy, the World Trade Organisation published a report which praises the EU for being one of the most open, democratic and lenient traders in the world, though many - including me - seek greater openness and frequently call for greater market access for agricultural products from the developing world
Russia's ban on EU farm produce in the wake of the e-coli outbreak was centre stage for some in Parliament's debate on this weekend's EU-Russia summit. I did not mention it in my speech (click here); because if the boot had been on the other foot I have no doubt we would have banned their produce immediately. Nonetheless the action of the German authorities in blaming Spanish produce without any conclusive evidence it was the source of the outbreak has been widely condemned. The 27 Agriculture Ministers agreed inLuxembourg on Tuesday to compensate farmers for losses incurred as a result of false allegations. As I write, the source of the outbreak has still not been traced.
I was invited to see President Barroso on Tuesday evening following my letters to him of December and May, co-signed by other MEPs and MPs, calling for more of the EU budget to be spent on renewable energy, I met Commissioner Piebalgs over breakfast the following morning, with others, and pressed him to spend more on renewable energy in developing countries to which we give aid. I have no doubt of Barroso's determination to use a greater percentage of EU funds to promote a low carbon economy. Indeed, he undertook to meet some of our spending demands. But the battle with member states over the next five-year budget will be a hard one. Parliament voted on Wednesday its priorities for the next 'multiannual financial framework'; the Commission will agree its position within the next six weeks; then it will be down to horse-trading with the member states in the autumn.
Parliament voted on Tuesday to grant full membership of the Schengen border-free area to Romanians and Bulgarians. This follows considerable progress by each country in controlling its borders. The Commission had announced the previous day its intention from now on to carry out and publish a regular study of corruption in member states, to name and shame the offenders into shelving their corrupt practices.
Justice and Home Affairs ministers meet this weekend, along with Energy ministers, both sets hopelessly overworked as a result of current global challenges. But among the pieces of good news is that each year over 200,000 students in the EU now do one year abroad during their university study through participation in the Erasmus Programme, which costs the EU less than half a billion pounds but gives huge return in terms of the development of a European consciousness.
I will be at the LibDem western counties region conference inTaunton
on Saturday at the Holiday Inn by Junction 25 of the M5. Come and join me!
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats