THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS USED FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES
- more could have been done to minimise suffering.
Speaking immediately after the vote David said:
"Today’s vote in Strasbourg on ‘new’ rules with regard to scientific experiments on animals is a huge disappointment to me and the vast majority of my constituents. It is a lost opportunity. What we must move towards are clear restrictions on the use of non-human primates, a ban on the use of wild-caught animals, an unequivocal obligation to use non-animal alternative methods when scientifically available, and a ban on experiments which involve severe and prolonged suffering – today’s ruling fell woefully below this ."
The vote in the Strasbourg Plenary today approved a package of measures to minimise the exposure of animals to unnecessary suffering but the agreement could have gone further without jeopardising life-saving research. The revised directive will bring other EU countries in line with the higher standards used in the UK, but key provisions that would have firmly committed Europe to the reduction and replacement of the use of animals in experiments are missing from the revised legislation.
David is Scotland’s senior European MP and Vice-President of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Animal Welfare.
FAIRTRADE SCHOOLS STATUS FOR GLASGOW SECONDARY
David attended a Fair Trade Extravaganza at Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow last week where the school, teachers and pupils were awarded Fair Trade Schools Status and Certificate for their unstinting work (over 7 years now) in promoting and using Fair Trade Products. David enjoyed the many displays of handbags, food, and cakes made from Fair trade materials and a T Shirt with a winning Glasgow Fair Trade Logo, designed by Holyrood student Monica Sqouros. David also met up with Mairead MacRae who earlier this year had been to Strasbourg as part of the Citizenship initiative, and who spoke "as well as any politician I have heard in the Plenary at Strasbourg", commended David. "I was truly proud to be part of this event and am full of admiration for the school, its pupils and staff. Not only have they promoted Fair Trade within Holyrood but they also have links with schools in Malawi where many Holyrood students have gone to help in work to develop the educational system and infrastructure". Pic caption: David talks with Claire Wilson and members of Holyrood Fairtrade Group.
BRITISH COUNCIL MEETING
David had a very productive meeting with Paul Docherty and Julia Armour, Director and Deputy Director of British Council Scotland, where they discussed the positive outcome of the Indie project for inclusion and diversity in education.
Earlier this year students from Glasgow High Schools visited the European Parliament (click for link) and David was also interested to hear about the British Council’s work in 'Skills for Employability' which is aimed at meeting the global skills challenge.
MEETING WITH SOUTH KOREAN AMBASSADOR
Last week David met with Mr Choo, South Korean Ambassador to the United Kingdom, at the European Parliament Office in Edinburgh to discuss matters of mutual interest between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) including the current discussions around the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). David is a senior member of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee.
Labour Leadership Election
David Martin and Peter Skinner MEP, MEPs from the UK's most northerly and southerly constituencies, are backing David Miliband's bid to be Leader of the Labour Party after hearing the views of four of the five candidates.
"David Miliband was the first of the candidates to ask for our support, but we knew him already, as did a lot of MEPs, social democrats and those from across the political spectrum. David Miliband was well-known in "At a time when Europe is facing big challenges and opportunities in tackling climate change, reforming the banking sector, strengthening our commitment to international development and securing balanced trade agreements, we need a leader committed to pursuing a constructive and positive role for the David Martin MEP & Peter Skinner MEP
MORE HONEST LABELLING FOR
PROCESSED FOODS
A massive lobby by the food industry has defeated proposals by parliamentarians to require the use of "traffic light labels" on many processed foods, but manufacturers failed in their attempts to block more honest labelling about where products are produced. Food manufacturers must now accept the need to be more upfront and honest about the way they label their packages. In an important victory for consumers, the parliament backed rules to prevent products largely produced with imported ingredients from being misleadingly labelled as British - a move that will be welcomed by the National Farmers Unions and consumer groups. At present the processing of a food in the UK can allow companies to label it as British, even though the meat could have come from an animal that was reared and slaughtered abroad.
The failure to push through the traffic light scheme was, however, disappointing and it is still necessary to get EU governments to agree to these provisions - food manufacturers are already pushing hard for them to weaken the parliament's plans.
"If we're serious about tackling heart disease and obesity, we have to help people understand how much salt, fat and sugar is in their food. That's particularly true for products like ready meals and prepacked sandwiches where the label is the only way of knowing how healthy something is."
Labour MEPs will continue to campaign to give shoppers the right to know exactly what is in their food.
Left: David supporting the "traffic light" labelling system.
David Martin at the European Parliament
FOR DAVID MARTIN'S WORK IN BRUSSELS AND STRASBOURG,
visit: David Martin at the European Parliament
For enquiries write to: DAVID MARTIN MEP, Midlothian Innovation Centre, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RE
Telephone 0131 440 9040 Email: david@martinmep.com
‘Fair Politics Europe’ is a political campaign designed to make politicians aware of unfair policies and give developing countries a fair chance at development. Fair Politics has monitored David as a ‘Fair Politician’ for concerns expressed in his amendments to the INTA Opinion on Policy Coherence for Development, on his concrete examples of incoherencies in EU policy and his question concerning access to affordable medicines for poorer countries.
Click ACP-EU and INCOHERENCIES or TRIPS for links.
"Don't do deals with Columbia, the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist"
See David's question to the Commission on TOUCHSTONE blog.
