News from
David Sumberg MEP
Summer 2005
Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the North West of England
LETTER FROM EUROPE
KNOCK KNOCK WHO’S THERE?
I am sure that you are all delighted that it’s over - the General Election, I mean. No more party political broadcasts, no more interruptions to your favourite TV programmes. Above all, no more canvassers disturbing your evenings asking if they could count on your support.
Having fought so many European, Westminster and local elections over the last thirty years, I am beginning to wonder whether the traditional street activity that all the parties engage in has real benefits for them. When I first started my political career there were many many more people willing to trudge the streets in the weeks leading up to polling day. As a result, a full constituency canvas and a full knock-up of supporters on election day was possible.
But today those foot soldiers are not there for any of the political parties and we politicians will increasingly have to rely on the national campaign, telephone canvassing and also on the internet to contact our voters. That is as well a reflection of how businesses sell their products - door-to-door salesmen are largely a thing of the past.
But politicians sometimes lag behind modern business practice. After all, like it or not, we are all selling a package, sometimes to a reluctant buyer. And if the best way to market the product is different to times past, politicians should begin to recognise the need for change.
Of course, candidates for political office must be seen on the streets during an election campaign. But those working on their behalf could be far more effective and meet, or at least connect with, more electors, by following the example of all those firms who are constantly ringing or emailing you with details of their products or services. At least they get an answer whilst a knock on the door can easily be ignored.
MONEY MONEY MONEY
One of the questions which constituents always ask me is how they can tap in to all that money allegedly slushing around in European institutions. So just to show there are some times advantages to our membership of the European Union, particularly for North West business people, I thought I would tell you about the website of the European Commission (www.europa.eu.int/business) and especially the part aimed at helping firms get the most out of the EU.
The site is particularly helpful for small to medium-sized firms about to stick a toe into EU waters for the first time but who may lack expertise in specific areas. It includes advice on how to bid for public contracts, where to find funding opportunities and how to go about finding a business partner in the EU. As public procurement represents more than 720 billion euros annually, checking on how it works could be the first step towards widening your company’s market share. There are a whole range of funding opportunities for businesses in the EU but the correct one for your business could be tricky to track down because they come under different European community policies. Dialogue with Business, as the site is called, provides clear and easy access to this information.
European community funding is complex but usually takes the form of grants, loans or guarantees. I know it all sounds somewhat technical but I hope the information provided by the website might enable firms in the North West to get back some of our British taxpayers’ money which goes into the EU since this will then benefit North West businesses and the people who work for them.
BOOK WORMS
I am afraid that the EU continues to spend taxpayers’ money in a manner for which any government of the UK would be hauled over the coals if it followed similar practices. A recent example of this which was brought to my attention is the European Commission’s libraries in Brussels and Luxembourg which are costing the taxpayer £6.2 million a year, working out at £2,138 per book borrowed in the Luxembourg library and £1,379 in the Brussels library - and the libraries are not even open to the public.
Only staff and officials of EU institutions have free access to the facilities with researchers, diplomats and academics able to apply for similar access although they must fulfil strict criteria to gain entry and even then are not allowed to take a book out. Professionals are only allowed entry if they can provide specific proof of ‘appropriate specialisation’ in European affairs.
Only 459 loans are made at the Luxembourg library, with annual costs of £981,429. The larger Brussels-based library, with running costs at a staggering £5,218,571, has loans totalling 3,785.
I don’t know about you but I think these figures are scandalous. How can the EU waste taxpayers’ money on this scale? I am afraid it is typical of so much of the European Union which treats public money as its own.