David Martin, MEP

Strasbourg Round-up November 2011

Welcome to my Strasbourg Roundup. This is a very brief update to let you know what happened at the November plenary session of the European Parliament.

Bee Extinction
In Strasbourg Parliament voted on a resolution which called on the EU to invest more in research for new medicines in the fight against the very real prospect of bees becoming an endangered species. Bee mortality has been increasing at an alarming rate and could have very serious consequences for food production and environmental stability. The resolution states that national governments should work together with laboratories, beekeepers and farmers to improve their efficiency in tackling this problem. There should also be better access to new medicines, improved disease control in regard to the use of pesticides and more monitoring of imports to avoid importing new diseases from third countries. It is very important that we tackle this problem of increased bee mortality and Tuesday's resolution is a positive step forward.

Ban on Sovereign Debt Speculation
Parliament voted in new legislation which will put an end to short selling and trading in Credit Default Swaps (CDS). CDS is a financial product which insures against defaults. This type of speculation had increased market volatility and made it harder for Greece to sort out its financial problems. I am very pleased with this legislation which will make it impossible for speculators to buy CDS only to speculate on a country's default - an awful practice. Under the legislation there will be new requirements to report information to national and European supervisors which will make it easier to identify potential risks.

Cross Border Professionals
MEP's approved a report which gives its views on the 2005 Professional Qualifications Directive which allows for the free movement of professionals such as doctors, midwives dentists and architects to work anywhere in the EU. The report looks to ensure mobility while at the same time guaranteeing the safety of consumers and patients. The report calls for a "proactive alert system" to be established which will address the problem of professionals who have been "struck off". Further it called for reasonable time limits for the approval process and to introduce voluntary "professional cards" which would certify academic and professional qualifications across the EU.

Action against Illegal Fishing
Parliament voted on a resolution which called for action to fight illegal fishing and protect law-abiding fishermen. As two thirds of the world's oceans are beyond national jurisdictions we need international cooperation to combat this problem. In order to achieve sustainable management of marine resources we need to put a halt to the practice of illegal fishing which is currently makes up around 15% of the world's catches. The resolution from Parliament calls on the Commission to liaise with major markets such as the US, Japan and China to set up international legal instruments to put an end to the practice through prosecution and punishment of those caught fishing illegally. There should also be a register of fishing vessels which are authorised to fish and a blacklist for those caught illegally fishing..

Roma Discrimination
MEP's criticized the Commission for not combating the problem of Roma discrimination effectively. Discrimination against the Roma has been on the increase in recent years with a variety of incidents throughout the EU. In April the Commission adopted a report which set out its Roma strategy aiming to improve housing, education, jobs and healthcare.