Welcome to my Strasbourg roundup which keeps you informed on what happens in Strasbourg during the Plenary.
 

Free Fruit for School Children
I and fellow Labour MEPs voted to introduce free fruit for children at school.  The scheme is modelled on the UK government's successful free school fruit scheme in England, set up in 2000.  The EU has pledged more than £420 million to the scheme which will help the next generation of Scots to reach their '5 a day' target of fruit and vegetables.  The scheme will help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes by giving all school children a healthier diet.

Labour MEPs slams EU over CAP
I and my colleagues called for urgent and radical reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).  Labour MEPs voted to reject the weak proposals to reform CAP on Wednesday, instead wanting to change the emphasis away from direct subsidies for crops to a more market orientated system that would benefit farmers in the UK and allow money to be put into rural sustainability including environmental protection.  This should help our farmers, our rural communities and not least our shoppers.
 
Europe hypocrisy on cluster bombs ban
I voted on a resolution calling for support from all EU states to ban cluster bombs.  At the same time as one third of EU countries are refusing to sign the convention banning cluster munitions at an international conference next month.  Over 100 countries worldwide have agreed to back the convention, it is ridiculous that there are EU states unwilling to ban cluster bombs which cause excessive harm to civilians wherever they are used.

Seal Ban Proposal
I met with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the  Humane Society International (HSI) to discuss the content and structure of the report I am writing for the International Trade Committee on banning  seal products. The European Commission before the summer  recess brought out a proposal to ban the import into the EU of seal  products from countries such as Canada where annual seal hunts take place  under cruel conditions. Having been to Canada with IFAW, I have seen the  way in which these animals are killed. Working with IFAW and HSI over  the next few months, I hope we can make this proposal as robust as  possible in particular in terms of removing the derogations to the import ban for seals that have been "killed humanely".

Meeting with Trade  Commissioner Catherine Ashton
Now a month into the role, I met again this week with Peter  Mandelson's replacement as Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton, the former  leader of the Labour group in the UK House of Lords. Colleagues and I  discussed with the Commissioner many of the current issues in European  trade policy such as the Doha multilateral trade talks at the WTO, the  bilateral trade negotiations with emerging Asian economies such as South  Korea and the new trade regime the Commission is negotiating with former European colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific - Economic  Partnership Agreements. The Commissioner, like myself and   colleagues, want to see a conclusion to the Doha talks by the end of  this year. Aside from other benefits a successful Doha round can bring a  decrease in American agricultural subsidies, thereby hopefully preventing  farmers in developing countries from being priced out of their domestic  market by foreign subsidised produce.

Trade Justice  Movement Debate
Before I came to  Strasbourg this week, I gave a speech and took part in a panel debate with  UK civil society organisations at the Annual General Meeting of the Trade  Justice Movement, a coalition of UK NGOs working to make EU trade policy  fairer. We discussed the outcome of the G20 meeting in Washington last  weekend (Saturday 15 Nov). There was a general consensus that any reform  of the financial system must take into account the views and voices of  developing countries. These countries are currently marginalised in the  decision making process although they are affected equally if not more  than Western countries by the current financial crisis (The livelihoods of  many in developing countries are dependent on Western consumers buying  their products. As we, as consumers, cut back on spending, sales of  products made in developing countries for the Western market decrease). Next  year will be important as the UK takes over the  Presidency of the  G20. Please get in touch with me if you are interested in suggestions for  campaigning  around the upcoming UK Presidency.

The next Strasbourg Roundup will be published shortly after the next plenary session which takes place 15-18 December 2008.