“STUB IT OUT” – MEASURES TO HELP YOUNG SMOKERS QUIT

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee overwhelmingly voted in favour of a report that seeks to put in place wide-ranging restrictions on smoking with a particularly strong focus on deterring young people. The report drafted in response to a European Commission consultation paper says that 650,000 people a year die from smoking, including 80,000 from passive smoking, with children being particularly vulnerable. The British Medical Association has said that most smokers begin in adolescence; with evidence suggesting that the younger someone starts smoking the less likely they are to give it up. Figures released last year showed that 15% of 15 year olds smoke regularly. The report argues that Member States must commit themselves to reduce smoking among young people by at least 50% by 2025. Additional measures backed include very strong warnings to be mandatory on all tobacco products sold in the European Union (EU) and for tobacco smoke to be declared a class 1 carcinogen. MEPs also voted for measures to ensure that cigarette machines should not be accessible to young people. Member States should also ensure that young people could get hold of affordable products to help them kick the smoking habit.

TOY SAFETY TOP PRIORITY FOR EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Following the recent recall of 21 million toys by the US manufacturer Mattel over concerns that they may contain lead, the European Parliament has raised concerns about toy safety in the run-up to Christmas and has called for a strengthened Toy Safety Directive. Speaking in the debate I called for three courses of action. Firstly, manufacturers must take a greater interest in their supply chain and, if necessary, apply penalties to those who do not take an interest in the safety of their products. Secondly, the European commission must bring together the Member States to ensure tougher inspections in Europe to ensure adequate customs control and to ensure the application of the existing E U laws. And thirdly, with regard to China, we know that it often fails to respond to health and safety concerns, but it does respond to economic threats. The EU should consider banning the use of the European CE mark on all products from China until it establishes a clearly independent, high quality accreditation and testing centres in China. Only then can we have some confidence in the goods coming from China, and only through such action will China respond.

EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS MUST BE MADE MORE FLEXIBLE

New trade deals – known as European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - due to come into force at the end of this year between the EU and some of the world’s poorest countries threaten the wellbeing of up to 750 million people unless they are changed dramatically. That is why I used the platform of an Oxfam sponsored Roundtable in Scotland to call on the European Commission to take a much more flexible attitude in negotiations with the EU’s 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) partners. The EU has had a special aid and trade agreement with the ACP group for over 40 years, but because of a ruling by the World Trade organisation (WTO) the European Commission wants to change the nature of that arrangement which would require these countries to liberalise their imports from the EU. It has been calculated that if such a change was insisted upon immediately it could transfer £109 million a year from the poor ACP countries to the rich EU member states. This would be totally unacceptable. The European Commission must go back to the WTO and seek a waiver extension so that the ACP countries are allowed flexibility to plan, decide and time their own trade reforms to suit their own economies. While waiting on the outcome of this request the Commission must prepare a fallback position to keep much of the privileged access for ACP products in place. If this does not happen all the benefits of the Gleneagles aid and trade package will be wiped out. We cannot allow that to happen.

BURMA: EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT URGES TARGETED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

At a meeting of the European Parliament at the end of September MEPs added their voice to the protests mounting worldwide against the Burmese security forces’ violent repression of anti-government demonstrations. In a resolution MEPs backed the demonstrators, condemned the brutal reaction of the authorities and called for the international community to prepare “targeted economic sanctions” against the regime should it fail to respond. The European Parliament approved a brief but far-reaching list of demands, some directed at the Burmese Government but others aimed at the international community, including China, which many MEPs believe has failed to do enough in the past. EU sanctions currently in place include a travel ban on Burma’s leaders, an arms embargo and a ban on military cooperation but the European Parliament believe these should be extended to include a co-ordinated series of additional measures, including targeted economic sanctions.

NEW RIGHTS FOR PASSENGERS

The European Parliament has welcomed a new regulation guaranteeing that all rail passengers in the EU will enjoy a set of basic rights. The rights and obligations of rail passengers was originally intended to apply only to passengers on international journeys, but Labour MEPs fought hard to include passengers on domestic journeys, meaning train companies in the UK will not be able to avoid the legislation. Under the deal all rail passengers will enjoy a set of basic rights including:

• companies’ liability for passengers and luggage;
• compensation in the event of delays on cross-border services will be 25% of the fare for a delay of 60 minutes and more than 50% for a delay of 120 minutes and more if the operator can be held responsible for the delay;
• the right to transport for people with reduced mobility, including arrangements at unmanned stations;
• each train must have a specially designed area for baby carriages, wheelchairs, bicycles and sports equipment.

The regulation is due to come into force at the end of 2009.

EUROPEAN-WIDE RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR ALL AGES

The European Parliament has voted in favour of proposals to improve the ease with which qualifications are recognised across the European Union. The European Qualification Network ((EQF) is a practical way in which the EU can support the mobility of learners and workers between Member States. It makes the process of understanding comparative qualifications more transparent by placing the emphasis on learning outcomes – what a person knows, understands and is able to do once they have completed their training. The EQF will make a real contribution to the Lisbon Agenda of creating the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by strengthening the circulation of knowledge within the European internal market

MEPs BACK COMPULSORY CO2 CAP ON CARS

Because voluntary limits on CO2 emissions by European carmakers are not working the European Parliament’s Environment Committee want them replaced by mandatory caps. MEPs voted for binding limits for cars to be introduced by 2009 and have set a target of an emission level of 120 grams of CO2 per km by 2012. Under the present voluntary code carmakers have set themselves a limit of 140g of CO2 by 2008. However the report shows this will not be achieved.

EUROPEAN FORUMS

Over the coming months there will be a series of European Forums in which Catherine Stihler MEP and I will report on European Parliament matters: the next European Forum will be the Aberdeen Forum on Thursday 18 October, followed by the Ayrshire Forum on Saturday 10 November 2007 and then the Edinburgh Forum on Thursday 22 November.