News Releases
Showing: December 2008
Here you can find an archive of all the news items that have been on this website as well as any comments, polls or surveys.
Euro-MPs must reject 'barmy' labelling laws
Posted,12/27/2008 1:00:00 PM
Brussels, 25th December 2008 -- Many food labels would have to become bigger than the product itself in order to accommodate EU proposals for a new food labelling law, Conservative MEP Chris Heaton-Harris, has warned. The European Commission has proposed new rules, which would see nutritional information and Guideline Daily Amounts become mandatory on packaging. However Mr Heaton-Harris is attempting to amend the regulation to remove a requirement that all product nutritional information be printed in a font no smaller than 3mm - far larger than on most current packaging. For example, if the current proposals became law, a small tin of Nestle cream would need a label twice the size of the product in order to accommodate all the information. A bottle of Coca-Cola lite would just about be able to incorporate the information on its current labels, but it makes branding the label almost impossible. Mr Heaton-Harris has also warned the plans could add substantial new costs onto small businesses, who would also have to provide nutritional labelling for their foods. He said: "The EU is trying to prevent obesity, but it is the smaller portions of food that will be placed under threat. Companies will have to produce bigger portions just to fit all the information on the side. "This Christmas, we will throw away huge amounts of unnecessary packaging, and this law will only make that worse. "This is a perfect example of well-meaning bureaucrats coming up with a barmy idea that is unworkable in the real world. Consumers must be informed about the products they purchase but the EU has gone for overkill and these plans need to be amended."
EU Parliament: African countries must intervene in Zimbabwe
Posted,12/18/2008 6:00:00 PM
Strasbourg, 18th December 2008 -- The European Parliament has today passed a tough Resolution on Zimbabwe, calling on the African Union to prepare to actively intervene to defend civilians, and harshly condemning the "oppressive, manipulative, and self-serving Mugabe regime".
MEPs vote for safer toys for Christmas future
Posted,12/18/2008 3:00:00 PM
MEPs vote for safer toys for Christmas future
Greater protection for consumer and small business bank deposits
Posted,12/18/2008 1:00:00 PM
MEPs vote to increase coverage of bank deposits
Boost for Gibraltar's tax independence
Posted,12/18/2008 12:00:00 PM
Boost for Gibraltar's tax independence
Brussels annual fish haggle begins
Posted,12/18/2008 11:00:00 AM
More gloom expected from fisheries ministers
Climate change package: EU now has tools in place to help tackle climate change
Posted,12/17/2008 12:00:00 PM
The EU now has tools in place to help tackle climate change, and to secure an ambitious agreement at Copenhagen next year, John Bowis MEP, Conservative environment spokesman in the European Parliament, said today after MEPs adopted the EU's Climate and Energy package.
Working Time opt-out in jeopardy
Posted,12/17/2008 12:00:00 PM
Working Time opt-out in jeopardy MEPs vote to scrap the opt-out Strasbourg, 17th December 2008 -- The Working Time directive opt-out is in jeopardy after MEPs voted to scrap it, Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP, Conservative employment spokesman in the European Parliament, warned today. Immediately after the vote, Conservatives called on the British government to 'dig in' to ensure the Council of Ministers does not back down on its position of supporting the opt-out. As the European Parliament and Council of Ministers now have differing opinions, they will now enter a period of 'conciliation' in an attempt to reach a compromise. Mr Bushill-Matthews said: "Socialist MEPs have won the battle today, but they must not be allowed to win the war. "The British government must dig in and defend the opt-out. 15 EU nations now take advantage of the flexibility provided by the opt-out and none of them should back down. "It should never be the place of the European Parliament to tell people they cannot work - particularly during a downturn. Scrapping our Working Time opt-out is even more nonsensical in today's economic climate than ever before. "This is a double failure of Gordon Brown. Not only has he failed to control his MEPs, but he also naively signed up to a package deal that saw Britain give ground on the Agency Workers Directive in exchange for our Working Time opt-out. His folly was to assume the Left in the European Parliament would not sabotage the deal. British businesses have been given two damaging pieces of employment legislation for the price of one."
MEPs demand action on small business scams
Posted,12/16/2008 7:00:00 PM
Business directory mis-selling causes misery
Imperial measures safe to the pint of no return
Posted,12/16/2008 2:00:00 PM
EU vote confirms measures are safe