Monday 21
GENOCIDE
Attention: Wales, Eastern, Yorkshire & the Humber, North East, South West.
Soon after the session opens on Monday at 5 pm local time, when MEPs debate budgetary priorities for 2009, they’ll debate crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by totalitarian regimes. This may well involve Zimbabwe, in which case expect comment from Glenys Kinnock (Lab, Wales), Geoffrey Van Orden (Con, Eastern) and Fiona Hall (Lib Dem, North East). But it may also involve China, involving Edward McMillan-Scott (Con, Yorkshire & the Humber) and Glyn Ford (Lab, South West). But any of your favourite despots will do in this context.
CROSS-BORDER CRIME & Terrorism
Attention: West Midlands, London, South West
This is to do with what’s called the “Prüm Treaty”, aimed at stepping up cross-border co-operation over terrorism, crime and illegal immigration. Anti-terrorism and measures against cross-border crime are the only part of it in which Britain is involved; Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Austria are full signatories. Basically, it’s about sharing data, including DNA, fingerprint (dactyloscopic) and vehicle registration data. Sounds basic but it isn’t happening. UK members of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee (from which this report originates) include Michael Cashman (Lab, West Midlands), Claude Moraes (Lab, London), Roger Knapman (UKIP, South West), Baroness Sarah Ludford (Lib Dem, London), and Philip Bradbourn (Con, West Midlands).
VOLUNTEERING
Attention: Scotland, Northern Ireland
This report, by Irish MEP Marian Harkin, calls for the European Commission to declare 2022 as European Year of Volunteering. She’s also launched a Written Declaration (like an EDM) to that effect. She wants EU support for volunteer workers, said to account for up to 7% of GDP in most countries. In her native Ireland, for instance, an estimated 1½ -million people do voluntary work. Other members of the Regional Development Committee include Elspeth Attwool (Lib Dem, Scotland), Bairbre De Brun (Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland), Jim Nicholson (OUP, Northern Ireland) and Catherine Stihler (Lab, Scotland).
Tuesday 22
BUDGET DISCHARGE
Attention: North West, West Midlands, South East, Northern Ireland
Not as dull as it sounds as this will bring in such touchy subjects as MEPs’ pensions (somewhat generous), the employment of family members and the notorious Internal Audit Report, now under investigation by the Commission’s fraud office, OLAF, in which it’s suggested that some members are fiddling their funds and pocketing the results. This was exposed by Chris Davies (Lib Dem, North West) but is also a matter of interest for all of them. Neena Gill (Lab, West Midlands) sits on the appropriate committee, as does James Ellis (Con, South East). Jim Nicholson (OUP, Northern Ireland) chairs the College of Questors, which represents members’ interests regarding the administration. Some members, of course, have allegedly transgressed and been punished for it.
CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY
Attention: Wales, Eastern, South West, North East
Most of the day is given over to technical issues. The evening, however, sees a debate on the effects of China’s foreign policy on Africa. Bear in mind that China’s drive for raw materials to feed its rapid industrialisation has led to it effectively underwriting some very nasty regimes. Comments likely from Glenys Kinnock (Lab, Wales), Geofrey Van Orden (Con, Eastern), Glyn Ford (Lab, South West and Fiona Hall (Lib Dem, North East).
Wednesday 23
EU-US VIEWS ON JUSTICE
Attention: West Midlands, South West, London, Wales, North West, South East
This debate is a follow-up on the EU-US ministerial talks last month, which were aimed at defusing a crisis over visa waivers. The US is refusing the treat the EU as an entity for visa waivers, insisting on dealing with each member state bilaterally. Additionally, there is still strong disagreement among MEPs over just how much the EU should be prepared to concede for the sake of slightly easier access for Europeans travelling to the US. After all, the chair of Homeland Security in the US, Michael Chertoff, told the European Parliament once that Europe doesn’t understand terrorism because we’ve never experienced it (he also told them that the IRA “never targeted civilians”. It’s encouraging to see such a well-informed man in a position of such authority.) Anyway, the debate involves the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee, whose UK members include Philip Bradbourn (Con, West Midlands), Michael Cashman (Lab, West Midlands), Roger Knapman (UKIP, South West), Baroness Sarah Ludford (Lib Dem, London) and Claude Moraes (Lab, London). But it also concerns the Delegation for US Relations, chaired by Jonathon Evans (Con, Wales) and including Philip Bradbourn (Con, West Midlands) and Baroness Sarah Ludford (Lib Dem, London) again, as well as Arlene McCarthy (Lab, North West), Peter Skinner (Lab, South East) and David Sumberg (Con, North West).
BIODIVERSITY
Attention: London, North East, North West, Wales, South West, Yorkshire & the Humber, East Midlands
The afternoon sees two debates on the Convention on Biological Diversity (the Cartegena Protocol). Both are the work of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, whose members include John Bowis (Con, London), Martin Callanan (Con, North East), Chris Davies (Lib Dem, North West), Jill Evans (Plaid, Wales), Dr Caroline Jackson (Con, South West), Linda McAvan (Lab, Yorkshire & the Humber), Glenis Willmott (Lab, East Midlands).
Thursday 24
ORGAN TRANSPLANTS
Attention: Yorkshire & the Humber, London, North East, North West, Wales, South West, East Midlands
This has been rendered especially topical by the recent news story of Rachel Leake, who was refused a kidney transplant from her daughter, Laura Ashworth, who died at Bradford Royal Infirmary following an asthma attack. The report, by a Greek Communist, deals with trying to establish an EU policy on organ donations and transplants. In some countries, like Spain, permission to harvest organs from people who’ve died is assumed unless expressly refused. In Hungary, organs “belong” to the state because a one-time Habsburg royal was a keen anatomist. A political policy on an issue with ethical and moral undertones may prove difficult, of course. Again, this report originates from the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, whose members include John Bowis (Con, London), Martin Callanan (Con, North East), Chris Davies (Lib Dem, North West), Jill Evans (Plaid, Wales), Dr Caroline Jackson (Con, South West), Linda McAvan (Lab, Yorkshire & the Humber), Glenis Willmott (Lab, East Midlands). |