News Releases
Showing: October 2011
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.
Cameron's Brussels bullseye
Posted,10/31/2011 10:00:00 AM
David Cameron "hit the bullseye" with his criticism of Brussels bureaucrats, the leader of Britain's Conservative MEPs said. In accusing Brussels of putting City of London finance businesses "under constant attack", the Prime Minister higlighted a severe problem that urgently needed to be addressed, said North East MEP Martin Callanan. "It seems like hardly a month goes by without the EU coming up with some new proposal that stifles the smooth operation of businesses in the City and threatens to make London less competitive," he said. "And now President Barroso is threatening to impose a Financial Transactions Tax, which would quite simply be a tax on the City of London. "The PM hit the bullseye. London is the leading financial centre in Europe with good reason - we provide the right environment and conditions. Every single measure Brussels introduces that undermines that competitiveness is an encouragement for trade and jobs to pack up a go elsewhere."
Robert Sturdy addresses Conference on EU-South Korea FTA
Posted,10/28/2011 11:00:00 AM
Brussels, Friday 28th October 2011 - Robert Sturdy, Vice-Chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee and East of England MEP, was a keynote speaker yesterday (Thurs) at a conference in Brussels on the implementation of the EU-South Korea Free Trade Agreement, which came into force on July 1.
Summit outcome buys more time for the Eurozone
Posted,10/27/2011 12:00:00 PM
Following last night's marathon meeting of the Council of Ministers and the Eurozone Summit, Kay Swinburne (UK spokesman for Economic and monetary affairs in the European Parliament) commented:
Summit sticking-plaster on a gaping wound
Posted,10/26/2011 5:00:00 PM
The EU's "Save the Euro" Summit in Brussels is in danger of putting a sticking plaster over a gaping wound, a senior MEP has warned. Martin Callanan MEP, leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, said no summit solution would work that did not address the fundamental problems at the heart of the eurozone crisis. "Once again we are being told this is the make or break summit," he said. " We were told same on Sunday and the same before the summit before that. I believe there have been 14 such summits in a little over 18 months, but the problem they meet to address just becomes deeper. They march us to the top of the hill and march us down again. "None of them has worked because none has addressed the fundamental problem at the heart of the Euro project:that is the yawning gap between the economic viability of Greece and Germany. It cannot be mended without formal and legal machinery for one to subsidise the other, and that does not currently exist. The other alternative is for Greece to exit the Eurozone. "They may come up with another short-term fix, but it will all be based on borrowed money and shuffling of debt. Without addressing the fundamentals, it remains a sticking plaster on a gaping wound."
Conservatives vote for pay freeze in bid to halt EU budget hike
Posted,10/26/2011 2:00:00 PM
Conservative MEPs were today (Wednesday) arguing forcefully for a freeze in the European Union's budget, in acknowledgment of the global economic crisis and austerity measures being implemented by domestic governments across the continent.
Sajjad Karim MEP wants a more robust approach to Syrian struggle
Posted,10/26/2011 12:00:00 PM
British North West MEP, Sajjad Karim, is to host a high level discussion on the current state of Syria in a bid to get EU bosses to exert more pressure on the Syrian regime.
Vicky Ford MEP warns EC: don't put oil industry safety at risk
Posted,10/26/2011 12:00:00 PM
European Commissioners have been warned not jeopardise safety in the UK offshore oil and gas industry by sweeping away our existing world class standards.
EU maternity leave plans are over-reaching, expensive and unnecessary
Posted,10/26/2011 10:00:00 AM
Strasbourg, 25 October 2011 – Controversial EU proposals for 20 weeks of paid maternity leave were condemned in a speech today by Conservative MEP for London Marina Yannakoudakis. Mrs Yannakoudakis accused the European Parliament of not listening to Member States on the contentious Maternity Leave Directive. Member States had registered reservations about the European Parliament’s proposals.
EU smart borders plan helpul, but no substitute for the human touch
Posted,10/25/2011 5:00:00 PM
Strasbourg, 25th October 2011 -- Proposals put forward today by the European Commission to introduce a new 'smart borders' scheme may help to protect the external borders of the EU but they must not be seen as a substitute for 'old fashioned' techniques, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, European Conservatives and Reformists group spokesman on justice and home affairs, said today.
Tories condemn bid to ban credit rating agencies
Posted,10/25/2011 12:00:00 PM
Conservative MEPs have condemned "arrogant and fanciful" plans by the Eurocrats to ban credit-rating agencies (CRAs) from delivering their verdicts on EU states. Under a proposal expected to be unveiled by the European Commission tomorrow (Wednesday), the EU´s financial markets watchdog, the ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority), would be handed powers to stop publication of credit ratings of countries that need a financial rescue programme. Ashley Fox MEP, who has fought previous European measures to interfere with the independence of CRAs, said the proposal was a classic case of shooting the messenger. He said: "This is no more than an attempt to ban bad news and criticism. CRAs simply offer an opinion. No one is compelled to pay any attention to it. But of course the markets do pay attention because, on balance, the opinion is carefully-considered and usually accurate. "I cannot imagine how a ban would work. After all, the CRAs are based in America, so for Europe to attempt to gag them would be both arrogant and fanciful. "CRAs are an integral part of the financial system and this ban is a clear attempt to stifle the the free flow of financial information and to silence open economic debate. In the long run, that can only depress investor confidence further.