Welcome to my Strasbourg Roundup. This is a very brief update to let you know what happens at the plenary meetings of the European Parliament. Plenary sessions in Strasbourg are now fully underway after the return of to Parliamentary work in September. This month was a busy session, which was mainly concerned with a vote on the EU budget for 2010.

EU Budget 2010
The Parliament voted on the EU budget for 2010, and voted strongly in favour of the proposed budget. This now forms the basis for negotiations which the Parliament will enter into with the Council of Ministers next month. An agreement over the final budget must be agreed between the Parliament and the Council, including a range of amendments concerning specific funds and priorities. Of particular interest to me was the issue of the Emergency Aid Reserve.  I voted for an amendment which asks the Council to ensure adequate amounts of money are available for humanitarian emergency aid, to ensure humanitarian disasters can be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Freedom of Information in Italy and other Member States
I voted in favour of a resolution calling for stricter rules on media ownership and monopolies in Europe.  This issue has been highly controversial within the Parliament, and has mainly focused on the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his ownership of media in Italy. The vote was incredibly close, and in the final count the resolution was rejected by just 3 votes. The support of the centre-right parties in Europe has meant Mr Berlusconi has avoided official condemnation, and the rules on media ownership in Europe remain insufficient. I was disappointed at the result, but I was pleased to see how united the centre-left was on this issue.

Statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
I supported the motion on the EU joining the Agency. The IRENA works to promote the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, and the EU is able to become more involved in the Agency's work.  As we approach the Copenhagen conference on climate change, it is vital we continue to support research, development and implementation of renewable energy initiatives in order to seriously address the environmental challenges we face.

Animal Welfare
While in Strasbourg I re-joined the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation on Animals. The group is an opportunity for MEPs and NGOs to come together and promote animal welfare in the Parliament. At our meeting we discussed the importance of making animal testing history, and our objectives for animal welfare in the new Parliament. I am also lending my support to written declarations calling for alternatives to animal testing, and an end to the long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter.  Finally, I formally asked the Commission about the enforcement of the Transport Regulation for the long-distance transportation of animals, and I look forward to the Commission's reply.

Human Rights in Sri Lanka
I met the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the EU this week, and raised my concerns over the human rights situation in the country. A recent report published by the Commission has highlighted the widespread human rights violations, particularly in the camps where many Tamils are currently living until allowed to return home. The Commission is recommending the withdrawal of trade preferences from Sri Lanka, and I strongly support the move. On Thursday in Strasbourg the Parliament issued a declaration denouncing the human rights abuses, and would fully support further calls for the end of preferential trade agreements.

Human Rights in Colombia
I also continued to press for stronger action in Colombia, where trade unionists are being persecuted and murdered. In Strasbourg, my colleague and I met representatives of the Justice For Colombia NGO, and once again pledged our support to work within Parliament and with civil society to demand the basic human rights of trade unionists are respected.