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Blog post: Being in Europe is good, but MEPs must share financial burden
November 1, 2011 12:05 PM
By George Lyon MEP
By George Lyon MEP
Since the European Parliament resumed its work at the beginning of September, in my role as Coordinator of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, I have continued to pressure for a fairer, greener and more sustainable approach to the reform of the CAP.
I am very privileged to have been asked my political group to represent them in the crucial negotiations as one of the five MEPs who will sit round the negotiating table to hammer out the final details of the CAP reform.
With reform proposals to the Common Fisheries Policy published earlier this year, I have also been liaising closely with the European Commission and the Scottish fishing industry to ensure that the best deal is brokered for the Scottish fishing fleet, guaranteeing a fair and sustainable future for European fishing.
However, despite what you may believe, MEPs deal with a lot more than farming and fishing!
Last week, I voted against the proposed increase in the European Parliament's budget, arguing that MEPs should share more of the burden.
European institutions must not be immune to the budget pressures being faced. People across Scotland have to tighten their belts, and so must MEPs. Increasing the European budget at this time is irresponsible and only helps to heighten antipathy towards Europe.
Speaking of which, on the home front, the biggest issue in my mailbag this month is EU Membership and the ongoing concerns over the Eurozone.
Let me first say that I understand the concerns that have been raised. One thing that the unnecessary vote in Westminster on an in/out referendum has started is a debate on Europe and how we can be served better by its institutions. I welcome this debate, and as a Liberal Democrat I will argue strongly that the UK's membership of the European Union provides considerable advantages to our country, in terms of potential economic growth and security.
To tackle the Eurozone crisis, we need real leadership by Germany and France to put together a substantial rescue package that convinces the markets that they are serious about stabilising the Euro and supporting the Eurozone countries that are in trouble. The agreement hammered out at the summit last week appears on the surface to provide the answer but until we see the detail the jury remains out.
In terms of trade with our European neighbours, a stable Eurozone is vital for the future prosperity of the UK.
There has also been a great deal of correspondence following last month's tragic execution of Troy Davis in the U.S., I welcome the European Parliament redoubling its efforts to oppose the death penalty and signed Written Declaration 29/2011 which called for a ban on the export of drugs from the EU to the US and elsewhere for the use in lethal injections.
Although this move cannot influence the judicial decisions taken by other countries, it is a move that can halt any European association with the death penalty - something we should all welcome.
What would you like to do next?
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