ndeva@europarl.eu.int

Dear Friends,                                               

I have been extremely busy over the last few weeks.  Firstly, with chairing another of my post-tsunami briefing conferences.  This provided a forum for representatives of NGOs working to bring assistance to those areas hit by the tsunami to have an exchange of views with the Ambassadors from the affected countries. They reported that the relief work is going well, but there is still a long way to go. What was clear however was just how grateful the people affected by the disaster are for the overwhelming generosity which they have witnessed from people like yourselves all over the world.

I also chaired a series of meetings in Brussels for Desmond de Silva QC, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal in Sierra Leone which is doing excellent work bringing to justice people accused of the most appalling crimes against humanity.  Finally, as Chairman of the EU-India Chamber of Commerce I chaired a high level conference on EU-India relations last week attended by nearly 200 people, including representatives of some of the largest companies doing business between the two countries.  India has a rapidly growing economy, and we were able to thrash out a few innovative ideas for how Britain and India can work together in the future.  With India producing more than two million graduates a year, doing nothing to foster greater personal links is not an option. 

Over the past month my constituency mailbag has received an extraordinary large volume of post about the REACH Chemicals Directive (a new EU regulatory framework for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). The aim is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the properties of chemical substances.  I was very pleased with the level of interest in this: from representatives of manufacturing companies, to young mother’s concerned about the use of potentially unsafe chemicals in children’s toys, many people have contacted me to raise their concerns. The Directive was voted on in Strasbourg this week, and the Conservatives in the European Parliament played a leading role in making sure that REACH is a sensible package of measures which supports the need for a strong, safer and competitive European chemicals industry while addressing the concerns people have about health and environmental issues.

We believe in ensuring a safer environment and better protection of human health - and this legislation must provide that balance before it can be approved at second reading.  A competitive and profitable EU chemicals industry will pay dividends in terms of enhanced research and development, and will speed up the launch of substitute chemicals which are safer to human health. This legislation goes along way towards addressing concerns about health. I am confident that the safeguards built in to the legislation on testing and industry compliance will ensure this. I am also personally pleased that this proposal has now minimised animal testing.

It came as no surprise that during this weeks plenary session in Strasbourg the EU’s auditors are expected to give a negative "statement of assurance" for the 11th year running, saying there is not enough information to sign off the EU's books. It seems that Member states create the biggest accounting hole by refusing to give details on what they do with over 80 percent of the €100 billion a year that Brussels doles out. How could any business get away with that?  I will be supporting moves in the European Parliament to make the EU more accountable for the money it takes from us.

Finally, isn't it amazing that Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, the European Commissions Vice President for Communication strategy, is claiming that the EU has "failed to connect" with the public and is planning therefore to spend  hundreds of thousands of pounds of our money on conferences and "national debates".  She is even planning to recruit sports stars, pop stars and other "celebrities" to tour the continent as goodwill ambassadors for the European Union.

Has it not occurred to Ms Wallstrom and other eurocrats that the public is well aware of what they are trying to do, and simply do not want it? The way to avoid future humiliating defeats in national referenda, as happened in Holland and France, is not more propaganda, but for the eurocrats to try to understand that the people want a Europe of nation states, working together for mutual benefit.  They do not want over-mighty European judges and bureaucrats telling them what to do and interfering in decisions that best be made at the nation state level.

Please also find as an attachment the Post Plenary Briefing Note which is a discussion of the votes held in Strasbourg this week. 

Allow me to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and enjoyable holiday season.

As ever,

Nirj

UK Presidency

The Hampton Court informal summit of EU leaders last month symbolised the British Presidency of the EU - big on spin but lacking in any substance or worthy achievements, said Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament.

Speaking in a debate on the summit which was attended by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Mr Kirkhope said the Presidency's lack of leadership and reluctance to grapple with key issues facing Europe had undermined the UK's standing across the political spectrum.

Mr Kirkhope said that in several policy areas - future financing of the EU, economic reform and the post-constitution future of Europe - the Government's leadership had been woeful. He added that the Government must not be seduced by the prospect of favourable headlines after the December EU summit and bargain away the British rebate.

Mr Kirkhope said:

"The lack of any substantive progress on most of the dossiers in Tony Blair's European in-tray is a telling commentary on the state of the Presidency as it approaches the end game. 

"I urge the Presidency, even at this late hour, to show some leadership on the budget, the reform of the social agenda, the urgent need to tackle the competitive challenges from India and China - and on what kind of Europe it envisages post the failure of the constitution.

"Drift and indecision have been the fundamental characteristics of the British presidency. Hampton Court merely served to underline the poorly-disguised fact that the presidency and the prime minister have no strategy. 

"Mr Blair gives every appearance of drifting from summit to summit - unable or incapable of providing the kind of leadership he seemed to promise in June." 

REACH

Reacting to the vote on the REACH chemicals legislation, Conservative Health Spokesman in the European Parliament John Bowis MEP said:

"We gave qualified support to the REACH proposals at first reading.

"We very much welcome the compromise position on registration, which we think is sensible and workable. We welcome the progress on reducing animal testing. We support the principle of "One Substance One Registration", as well as a lighter touch regulation for smaller firms.

"The British presidency and the Council must now craft a better compromise on authorisation and scope before the legislation returns to the Parliament for second reading."

European Court of Auditors

The EU Court of Auditors' refusal to give a positive statement of assurance for the EU accounts - for the eleventh successive year - will become a permanent feature of the EU unless Member States face up to their responsibility to ensure funds channelled through them are better accounted for, said James Elles MEP, Conservative Spokesman on Budgetary Control in the European Parliament.

The British Government's reluctance to tackle the problem of accountability of EU funds during its presidency of the Union does not bode well for the future, he said. Faced with an opportunity to take the lead in ensuring Member States are held responsible for funds disbursed at national level, the UK Government has dodged the issue.

Mr Elles was commenting as the Court of Auditors released its report on the EU accounts. The Court was once again unable to sign off the accounts.

Mr Elles said:

"Earlier this year MEPs called for member states to face up to their responsibility to ensure money channelled through them is properly accounted for.

"The Commission always gets the blame but the situation is more complicated than that. Eighty per cent of EU money is spent at national level. Member States should not be passing the buck.

"The British Presidency of the EU has had a good opportunity to grasp this problem. But Gordon Brown is yet again saying one thing and doing another. He says he wants everyone to do their bit to improve the situation but he's not prepared to take the lead himself."

Lib-Dems support eco-taxes

Caroline Jackson, South West MEP and Conservative spokesman on the Environment in the European Parliament, today criticised Lib Dem MEPs for backing the introduction of European eco-taxes.

She was speaking after MEPs voted on a resolution about climate change.

She said:

"Liberal Democrats clearly voted to introduce eco-taxes at Community level, called on the Commission to put forward such proposals, and on the Member States to adopt the first European eco tax by 2009 at the latest.

"Let's be clear what this means. It means that they are happy to move decisions on what taxes we pay and on the rate at which they are levied from Westminster to Brussels and Strasbourg. They are happy to add resources to the EU budget at the very moment when the European Court of Auditors has once again highlighted the inadequacy of controls over how that budget is spent."

"The Liberal Democrats have been trying to conceal their European federalist sympathies but this shows that they are still there. I wonder how Liberal Democrat MPs feel about this shift of power from Westminster to Brussels?"

"Conservatives are strongly against EU eco-taxes so we abstained in the final vote. But we supported many points in the climate change resolution, particularly its reference to the need for energy savings, and the need for the enhanced use of energy-efficient low carbon and carbon free technologies. For us that means nuclear energy. Liberal Democrat MEPs do not support nuclear energy either so they would be very dependent on high eco-taxes and, of course, wind turbines."

Transparency in Council

Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Leader of Conservatives in the European Parliament, has for some time been calling for Council of Ministers' meetings to be held in public when acting in its legislative capacity, and raised the matter again in his speech to the Parliament on Wednesday.  The Foreign Secretary, responded to him directly and promised that this item would be on the agenda for the next General Affairs and External Relations Council Meeting.

Mr. Kirkhope said:

"I welcome moves towards holding Council meetings in public. I raised this issue in my speech and the fact that Jack Straw made a point of responding to it suggests there may be some movement.

"I hope the Presidency will be active in promoting the idea when it comes before the other Member States."

RESULTS OF THE VOTES:

Chichester - Programme for the dissemination of good practices and monitoring ICT take-up

Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Chichester - Public radio paging

Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Berès - EBRD's financing of operations in Mongolia

Spokesman: Jonathan Evans MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Daul - Common organisation of the market in seeds

Spokesman: Neil Parish MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Daul - Common organisation of the market in hops

Spokesman: Neil Parish MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Daul - Common organisation of the market in wine

Spokesman: Neil Parish MEP

Adopted - Conservatives abstained

Zappalà - Visas for the 2006 Winter Olympic and/or Paralympic Games

Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Toia - Social security schemes

Spokesman: Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Maat - European eels

Spokesman: Struan Stevenson MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Gargani - Privileges and immunities

Spokesman: Malcolm Harbour MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Brejc - Social dimension of globalisation

Spokesman: Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP

Adopted - Conservatives against

De Veyrac - Information to air passengers

Spokesman: Philip Bradbourn MEP

Adopted - Conservatives abstained

Harms - Bohunice V1

Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Resolution - Northern Dimension

Spokesman: Charles Tannock MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Resolution - Digital switchover

Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Harms - Decommissioning nuclear power plants

Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Wijkman - Beating global climate change

Spokesman: Caroline Jackson MEP

Adopted - Conservatives abstained

Sacconi - REACH

Spokesman: John Bowis MEP

Adopted - Conservatives gave qualified support

Sacconi - Adaptation to REACH

Spokesman: John Bowis

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Böge - Mobilisation of the Solidarity Fund

Spokesman: Richard Ashworth MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Garriga Polledo - Draft amending budget No. 7/2005

Spokesman: Richard Ashworth MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Scheele - Humane trapping standards

Spokesman: John Bowis MEP

Rejected and returned to Committee - Conservatives supported the rejection

Romeva i Rueda - Arms exports

Spokesman: Geoffrey Van Orden MEP

Adopted - Conservatives abstained

Kristovskis - Weapons of Mass Destruction

Spokesman: Geoffrey Van Orden MEP

Adopted - Conservatives abstained

Wuermeling - Defence procurement

Spokesman: Geoffrey Van Orden MEP

Adopted - Conservatives against

Resolution - Recent statements by the President of Iran

Spokesman - Charles Tannock MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Martens - Development strategy for Africa

Spokesman:  Nirj Deva MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Wijkman - Community development policy

Spokesman: Nirj Deva MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Rule 115 - Resolution - Kashmir (access to humanitarian aid)

Spokesman - Charles Tannock MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Rule 115 - Resolution - Philippines (death sentence on Francisco Larranaga)

Spokesman - Charles Tannock MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

Rule 115 - Resolution - Burma

Spokesman - Charles Tannock MEP

Adopted - Conservatives in favour

PARTY WATCH - where different from Conservatives in recorded final votes:

LABOUR

(+)        De Veyrac - Information to air passengers

(A6-0310/2005)

(+)        Wijkman - Beating global climate change (A6-0312/2005)

(+)        Wuermeling - Defence procurement (A6-0288/2005)

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

(+)        De Veyrac - Information to air passengers

(A6-0310/2005)

(+)        Wijkman - Beating global climate change (A6-0312/2005)

(+)        Wuermeling - Defence procurement (A6-0288/2005)

UKIP

(-)         Daul - Common organisation of the market in hops (A6-0299/2005)

(-)         De Veyrac - Information to air passengers

(A6-0310/2005)

(-)         Resolution - Northern Dimension (RC6-0584/2005)

(-)         Wijkman - Beating global climate change (A6-0312/2005)

(-)         Sacconi - REACH (A6-0315/2005)

Letter Page 2005