David
Sumberg MEP
Winter 2008
Conservative Member of the European Parliament for the North West of England Email: david.sumberg@europarl.europa.eu
LETTER FROM EUROPE
TIME TO SAY FAREWELL
MEPs have been particularly busy over the last few weeks and will continue to be so for a few weeks more. Apart from the usual meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg, legislation to consider and vote upon, members have been focusing on the European elections 2009. These may seem a long way off but all the political parties are in the process of choosing the people to go on their list of candidates for each UK region, including of course our own North West of England.
Each of the political parties tackles this issue in different ways but for all aspiring candidates, be they existing MEPs or new candidates, it is a vital process. The reason for this is – regrettably – that European parliamentarians are elected not as individuals representing a single parliamentary constituency but as a name on a list of party candidates. So it’s vital, if you want to succeed, to get a high place on your party’s list. The competition is therefore pretty intense at the moment.
I have been an MEP since 1999. Before that I spent fourteen very happy years in the House of Commons representing Bury South following a spell on Manchester City Council. I have decided, having had a good innings, that ten years in the European Parliament, is long enough. So I am not standing again in 2009 and I can therefore watch my colleagues from all the parties battling it out for a high place on their party’s list with a detached interest.
Readers of my Letters from Europe column over the years will not be surprised to learn that though it is always an honour and privilege to represent your party and country in a democratic body, my feelings about European politics and the way the European Parliament conducts its business are less than ecstatic. It’s time, I feel, to let others have a go at trying to resist the seemingly remorseless path to greater power moving from our country to Brussels.
If I had any doubts about this decision, events in recent days in Brussels will have removed them. The Parliament is not happy with dissenting voices wishing to protest at the lack of a referendum on the new European treaty/constitution. So a series of measures was rushed through which could effectively silence those MEPs like myself who believe that the people, certainly in Britain and elsewhere too in Europe, should have their say. It is astonishing that a democratic assembly is so focused on getting this measure through that it will bend the rules to silence any opposition.
So I shall be saying farewell to the regular journeys to Brussels and Strasbourg in eighteen months’ time. Of course I shall miss certain aspects of the job but the feeling of relief at not having to spend so much time travelling will help to compensate.
PESTICIDES SKULDUGGERY
Proposed regulations on an EU-side pesticide policy have been recently passed by the EU Parliament. Not really exciting you may say. Well actually, this regulation serves as a classic example of how the EU system works.
A series of radical amendments proposed a widespread ban on pesticides and spraying. The amendments were being backed by aggressive lobbying from an organisation called Pesticide Watch – a coalition of environmental NGOs such as Pesticide Action Network, the Health and Environment Alliance, European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth Europe, Soil Association UK and the Western Lithuania Consumer Federation.
And guess what – apparently all of these organisations are funded by the European Commission. In other words, the Commission is using taxpayers’ money to fund an environmental lobby to pressurise MEPs into passing a radical environmental policy that the Commission does not have the courage to put forward itself. Talk about going round in circles. It’s not illegal – but it’s wrong.