CHAMPIONING SCOTCH WHISKY IN EUROPE AND THE WORLD

The Scotch whisky industry can raise a glass to what looks set to be a good 2007 in Scotland, Europe and the world. Proposals backed by Labour members of the European parliament (MEPs) will put in place an improved ‘whisky’ definition, which expresses current practice more clearly, better reflecting traditional methods in Scotland, as well as providing enhanced protection for Scottish whisky as a geographical brand. This news was welcomed by the workers and management at the Bells whisky plant I visited recently (in Shieldhall, Glasgow), employing over 400 staff it is the biggest Scotch whisky packaging plant in the world: a proposed £7 million expansion, creating a new bottling line for Jonnie Walker, will create even more jobs. Much of the whisky the site produces goes to our European partners with Spain, France, Greece and Turkey being the biggest customers. Scottish businesses do well in the EU in part because of the strong, positive influence our representatives have in the European Commission and Parliament. We speak with one robust voice for Scottish industries. This voice would be weakened if Scotland were to become independent from the United Kingdom. Our success is enhanced in Scotland, Europe and throughout the world by having a strong Scottish presence in a collective UK voice. The Scotch Whisky Association has also welcomed the EU’s decision to seek a ruling from global free trade watchdogs on India’s controversial decision not to cut import duties on spirits. Labour’s UK Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has taken the dispute to the World trade Organisation (WTO).

BERLIN DECLARATION

MEPs last month welcomed the European Council President, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, to the European Parliament to discuss the Berlin Declaration. The declaration signed by the Presidents of the Commission, Council and Parliament only a few days prior to the meeting with MEPs, recognises the history of the EU and restates the Union's common values. Importantly, the declaration also points to the major challenges the EU has a key role in addressing, such as energy security and climate change, and the institutional reforms required in a Union of 27 Member States.

PARLIAMENT CREATES CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITTEE

The European Parliament is to set up a temporary committee on climate change, following majority support for the Socialist Group proposal. Climate change is becoming a key issue of the EU and the the Parliament, with the Socialist Group calling for a worldwide alliance of parliaments to promote action on climate change. Europe has reached a historic point and with its 50th anniversary many Europeans are now too young to remember one of the prime reasons for its establishment – desire to make war between European nations impossible. With the spectacular success of our first objective we now need a new challenge and purpose: combating the dire effects of climate change could provide that challenge and purpose. The UK Environment Secretary, David Milliband, is aware of this challenge and, while speaking in Brussels at a renewable energy conference, has called for the European Union to become the Environmental Union.

EU-US "OPEN SKIES" DEAL ON AIR TRAVEL

At the March Strasbourg session, the Parliament voted to give its support to the air travel agreement brokered between the European Commission and the United States. The deal is expected to slash the price of transatlantic air travel for consumers through allowing EU airlines to fly to the US from any European airport. During the debate however MEPs rightly voiced concern over the agreement's environmental impact, and will be fighting to ensure that tough limits are set when the proposal to include airlines in the emissions trading scheme passes through parliament later this year.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The European Parliament has backed a report which recognises that increasing social and environmental responsibility by business, linked to the principle of corporate accountability represents an essential part of the European Social Model, Europe’s strategy for sustainable development, and for the purposes of meeting the social challenges of economic globalisation. The report recognises that corporate giants must act responsibly when they operate globally. Companies must play their part in combating climate change and global poverty. Strong new measures on corporate social responsibility will mean corporations having to report on the environmental and social impacts of their work and could see victims affected by abuses perpetrated by European companies allowed to take cases against an offending company through our courts.

THE LONG ROAD TO GENDER EQUALITY

MEPs adopted a report on equality between women and men. The report calls on the Commission to give better practical effect to its 2006-2010 ‘Roadmap for Equality between Women and Men’. Whilst women are now taking up 3 out of 4 new jobs created in the EU, significant gaps remain, particularly in relation to employment rates and pay. Despite higher educational achievements, women’s employment rate is still 15% below that of men’s, with the gender pay gap at the same level. The report calls for a series of actions including: for the Commission to revise the Directive on Equal Pay; for Member States to appoint a national officer in charge of gender equality under the Lisbon Strategy’s employment and growth objectives; for the Commission, in collaboration with the Member States and the social partners, to encourage the creation of policies to reconcile work and family; and to strengthen measures to protect women and children from all forms of violence and from human trafficking.

TORY WOMEN MEPs ENDANGERED SPECIES

The sole female Tory MEP, Caroline Jackson, who plans to step down ahead of the 2009 election, is reported as saying: “I am not a militant feminist but I do think we need to have representation in Strasbourg and Brussels that better reflects the make up of our society. The Conservative record of getting women elected to the European Parliament is not good. Currently I am the only woman out of 27 Conservative MEPs”.

THE EU SHOULD RESUME AID TO PALESTINIANS

The ‘Mecca Agreement’ on the formation of Palestinian Government of National Unity between the leaders of Fatah and Hamas should open the door to the EU resuming funding to the Palestinian Authority. The current arrangement of diverting funds through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is inefficient and unsustainable; millions of Euros are being wasted on bank charges in order to circumvent the Hamas government. This helps no one but international bankers and hurts the Palestinian people. According to Oxfam, more than a million euros each month of EU aid for the Palestinians is being paid to the HSBC Bank in charges for transferring allowances for over 140,000 Palestinian people on low income. European efforts should be concentrated on the restoration of adequate financial assistance directly to the Palestinian people suffering from a deep humanitarian crisis despite the Temporary International Mechanism set up by the Commission.

TRADE POLICY MUST DELIVER FOR CONSUMERS

This month in Strasbourg I called on the Commission to modernise the EU's trade policy to take account of the realities of a globalised economy. In order to avoid situations, such as last year's "bra wars" which saw the reintroduction of quotas for Chinese made clothing, consumers need to be given more of a voice in trade investigations. Jobs and labour and environmental standards should also be a key consideration, hence I asked the Commission to examine the possibility of using trade instruments to deter social and environmental "dumping".

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