Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Leader of the Conservative MEPs, has denounced Geoff Hoon's attempt to 'restart the debate' on Europe in his first keynote speech on Europe this week as a smokescreen to disguise the fact that the Government has lost the will to reform the EU.
Timothy Kirkhope said:
"Geoff Hoon prefers debate to reform, words to actions. Do not be fooled. Labour say one thing and do another, and have done so on three key issues this week alone.
"Democracy: Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett's u-turn on allowing public scrutiny of the Council of Ministers contradicts Prime Minister Blair who said in June 2005 that there was a strong case for making Council meetings public.
"Reform: Europe Minister Geoff Hoon's keynote speech at the Centre for European Reform is empty of practical proposals for change contrary to the Prime Minister's June 2005 speech to the European Parliament.
"Waste: Labour's failure to support Parliament President Joseph Borrell's demand to end the Strasbourg Plenary despite the Socialist Leader in the European Parliament, Martin Schultz MEP, being in favour.
"Labour's u-turns are sad. The Blair that thrilled the European Parliament last year by championing openness and reform, now cannot prevent his new foreign secretary from closing the door on democracy or his new Europe Minister from making a speech which is neither an agenda nor new."
In a speech in the European Parliament, Timothy Kirkhope continued his attack on the Foreign Secretary over her decision to overturn the Prime Minister's commitment to hold Council Meetings in public.
Timothy Kirkhope said:
"The British Foreign Secretary said that she will try to overturn decisions on opening up Council meetings to public scrutiny. This is absolutely astonishing and worrying and is a U-turn in British Government policy. Mr Blair constantly preached the virtues of more openness during his Presidency and we got a specific agreement that we would get openness in relation to Council meetings and Council processes. It is absolutely essential that the other governments give the British Foreign Secretary a short, sharp shock at her first summit and ignore her attempts to preserve secrecy in this unfair and unacceptable way.
"What has she got to hide? It is a shameful move on the part of the British Government and I hope it will be soundly defeated!"
UK defence security threatened by EU naivety on giving public access to maps
The European Parliament passed amendments to an EU Directive (INSPIRE - Infrastructure for Spatial Information on the European Community) which aims to give unrestricted public access to spatial data. This apparently innocent agreement to share geographic and environmental information has potentially serious consequences for UK national security.
Conservative Defence Spokesman in the European Parliament, Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, commented:
"I am very concerned that, in spite of Conservative opposition, the Parliament has passed amendments that allow for unlimited public access to certain spatial data including oceanographic survey data.
"From this it would be possible to identify trends in sea areas that are being surveyed and the timescales involved. Analysis of such information over time could lead to conclusions about naval patrol routes. This has clear implications for the safety of Royal Navy vessels, including the nuclear deterrent force.
"I am surprised the Government was caught napping by agreeing the overall Common Position in the first place. Having realised its mistake, it dispatched MoD officials to Brussels on a damage limitation exercise, but clearly to no avail.
"The British government must now put a stop to this in the EU Council."
UK named and shamed for failure to fight flu threat
The Government has refused to support a scheme to prevent the spread of flu outbreaks to the UK from the former Soviet countries despite clear evidence from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control that an east-west health divide exists in Europe.
Conservative Health and Consumer Affairs Spokesman in the European Parliament, John Bowis MEP said:
"Labour has no excuse for this negligent approach to disease prevention. Flu outbreaks are rising in the poorer east and it is only sensible to stockpile anti-viral medicines. In the event of a flu outbreak we can nip it in the bud before it spreads from Moscow to Manchester.
"Money is not a problem. The European Commission and Parliament have agreed to use a separate Solidarity Fund to buy antivirals.
"It is right to name and shame the UK Government along with the Germans, Swedes, Dutch, Portuguese, and Slovaks, for failing to protect the health of the young and the old who are most vulnerable to influenza."
Labour votes for euro-sky marshals in key extension of EU power
Labour MEPs voted this week to give the Commission power over UK in-flight and airport security which means UK airlines will take their orders from Brussels in future on whether sky marshals are required on flights leaving from UK airports. Rapid response to terrorist alerts on the ground and in the air is threatened by the need for approval from the European Aviation Security Agency first, leading to more regulation and delay which could jeopardise passenger safety.
Conservative Transport Spokesman in the European Parliament, Philip Bradbourn MEP said:
"The Conservatives voted against this proposal because it is surely a matter for the UK Government in consultation with the airlines to agree how to legislate about passenger protection from perceived threats. It is sensible to listen carefully to the airlines and recognise that a one-size - fits-all EU law is too cumbersome a way of dealing with an ever-changing terrorist situation.
"This is not an issue for 'more Europe'."
(The European Parliament voted for this measure on Thursday which was contained in the Costa report on Common rules in the field of civil aviation security).
RESULTS OF THE VOTES:
Daul - Adaptation of the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania as regards rural development
Spokesman: Neil Parish MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Daul - Adaptation of Annex VIII to the Act of Accession of Bulgaria and Romania
Spokesman: Neil Parish MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Costa - EC-Bosnia and Herzegovina Agreement on certain aspects of air services
Spokesman: Philip Bradbourn MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Daul - Protocol on Mountain Farming attached to the Alpine Convention
Spokesman: Philip Bradbourn MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Seeber - Conclusion of various protocols to the Alpine Convention
Spokesman: Caroline Jackson MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Klass - Protection of groundwater against pollution
Spokesman: Caroline Jackson MEP
No final vote at second reading
Brepoels - Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE)
Spokesman: Caroline Jackson MEP
No final vote at second reading
Seeber - Flood assessment and management
Spokesman: Caroline Jackson MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Grässle - Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities
Spokesman: Richard Ashworth MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Resolution - Guantanamo
Spokesman: Charles Tannock MEP
Adopted- Conservatives abstained
Hughes - Protecting healthcare workers from blood-borne infections
Spokesman: Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Cashman - Deliberations of the Committee on Petitions (2004-2005)
Spokesman: Sir Robert Atkins MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Varvitiotis - European enforcement order
Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Brepoels - European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Roure - Protection of personal data
Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Gargani - Implications of Case C-176/03
Spokesman: Malcolm Harbour MEP
Adopted - Conservatives abstained
Zdanoka - Non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all
Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Adopted - Conservatives abstained
Resolution - European Council / Bulgaria and Romania
Spokesman: Geoffrey Van OrdenMEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Resolution - Period of reflection
Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Adopted - Conservatives against
Morillon - Data on landings of fishery products
Spokesman: Struan Stevenson MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Buzek - Seventh framework programme
Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Buzek - Nuclear research and training activities (2007-2011)
Spokesman: Giles Chichester MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Costa - Common rules in the field of civil aviation security
Spokesman: Philip Bradbourn MEP
Adopted-Conservatives abstained
Langen - Adoption by Slovenia of the single currency
Spokesman: Jonathan Evans MEP
Adopted - Conservatives abstained
Resolution - Tunisia
Spokesman: Charles Tannock MEP
Adopted - Conservatives abstained
Resolution - EU-Russia Summit
Spokesman: Charles Tannock MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Resolution - MIFID Directive
Spokesman: John Purvis MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Resolution - Strategy for sustainable development
Spokesman: Caroline Jackson MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Resolution - Racist and homophobic violence in Europe
Spokesman: Timothy Kirkhope MEP
Adopted - Conservatives abstained
Resolution - Light weapons and small arms
Spokesman: Geoffrey Van Orden MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Cramer - Deployment of the European rail signalling system
Spokesman: Philip Bradbourn MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
Ó Neachtain - Inshore fishing
Spokesman: Struan Stevenson MEP
Adopted - Conservatives abstained
Bösch - Protection of the Communities' financial interests
Spokesman: James Elles MEP
Adopted - Conservatives in favour
PARTY WATCH - where different from Conservatives in recorded final votes:
LABOUR
(+) Zdanoka - Non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all (A6-0189/2006)
(0) Motion for a resolution - Period of reflection (b6-0327/2006)
(+) Langen - Slovenia's adoption of the single currency on 1 January 2007 (A6-0200/2006)
(+) Resolution - Racist and homophobic violence in Europe (B6-0328/2006)
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
(+) Gargani - Implications of Case C-176/03 (A6-0172/2006)
(+) Zdanoka - Non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all (A6-0189/2006)
(+) Langen - Slovenia's adoption of the single currency on 1 January 2007 (A6-0200/2006)
(+) Resolution - Racist and homophobic violence in Europe (B6-0328/2006)
UKIP
(-) Daul - Protocol on Mountain Farming (A6-0199/2006)
(-) Varvitiotis - European enforcement order (A6-0187/2006)
(-) Pandemic influenza preparedness and response planning in the European Community
(-) Gargani - Implications of Case C-176/03 (A6-0172/2006)
(-) Zdanoka - Non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all (A6-0189/2006)
Motion for a Resolution - Period of reflection (B6-0327/2006) (Did not Vote)
(-) Langen - Slovenia's adoption of the single currency on 1 January 2007 (A6-0200/2006)
(-) Resolution - Racist and homophobic violence in Europe (B6-0328/2006)
