Last polls: up and better than in 2004

According to Predict 09, a European site summing up national polls, the Greens/EFA would get 42 seats out of 735, if elections had been held around 21May. The result is two seats up from the end of April, and slightly better than the score in 2004, when the Greens/EFA won 43 seats out of 785.

'Los Verdes - Grupo Verde Europeo' - European Elections

The 'Los Verdes - Grupo Verde Europeo' chose to launch their campaign for the European elections at the Biocultura 2009 exhibition of environmentally friendly products held this week in Barcelona.

The 'Grupo Verde Europeo' is the coming together of various regional Green Parties within Spain to form a coalition to present a united list of candidates for the European Parliament elections on the 7th June.



The list is headed up Kristien Lesage, who is spokesman for Los Verdes del Mediterráneo. Originally from Belgium, Kristien is now resident in Mislata in Valencia. She is a member of the Heerlen Group, a network of members of different Green Parties of Europe that work to promote the direct participation in taking European decisions.

Position two on the list is held by Esteban Cabal, a writer. In 1991 he was the first Los Verdes Councillor to be elected in the Madrid Comunidad. In 1999 he headed the list of European candidates and obtained the support of 150,000 votes. Professionally his links are in the field of natural and alternative therapies.

Josep Lluis Freijo, founder of 'Els Verdes de Cataluña' holds the third position and in addition is the coordinator of the electoral campaign. As a green entrepreneur, his work is related to the field of bio-and ecological projects.

The three candidates, accompanied by a group of members and supporters, toured Bioculture 2009, the natural products trade show being held in Barcelona, where they unveiled Green Party proposals to emerge from the ecological crisis.

All of them wore a green work helmet as a symbol of the 20 million jobs which could be created in Europe if the European Union implements the proposal from the European Green Party entitled "Green New Deal", an ambitious public investment in energy alternative and sustainable business sectors. "

The candidates of the 'Los Verdes - Grupo Verde Europeo' pledged to boost , from the EuroChamber, organic farming and the market for natural products, as well as bio-construction and the recognition of natural medicines.

The 'Los Verdes - Grupo Verde Europeo' expects to achieve half a million votes in the European elections of June 7, which will surely result in becoming the third political force in Spanish politics and give them representation in the European Parliament.

Think Again Vote Green

For those Ex-Pats who are going to vote for the European elections in the UK - Think Again Vote Green.

European Green Party - JOBS

Think Big - Vote Green European Green Party 2009

Having mentioned the European Green Party election campaign vidoes here is the first.

UK Green Party - Euro-election campaign videos

Are you a UK citizen registered to vote in the forthcoming European Elections in the UK as an overseas elector rather than here in Spain?

If you are then don't forget that if you agree with the ideals of the European Green Party you can show your support in the European Elections by using your vote in the UK to send more Green MEPs to the European Parliament.

The party will be putting forward a full list of candidates for the elections on the 4th June 2009 throughout the constituencies in the UK.

To compliment the series of election videos produced by the European Green Party, the UK Green Party is producing its own videos for the local and European elections. Caroline Lucas, the UK Green Party leader and MEP for the South East of England, asks us to look at areas of the country where the Greens are doing phenomenally well.

Caroline Lucas, in the first video, says it is important to have "people know, for example, that in Norwich, the Greens are the official opposition on Norwich City Council. Having people know that Brighton Pavilion is on the cusp of having its first Green MP. Places in London, like Lewisham are looking incredibly positive ... There's every evidence that when people believe that the Greens can actually get voted in, they will vote for us."

Future videos will outline support from prominent Green Party supporters in the UK.

The European elections will be on the 4th of June, 2009 in the UK, don't waste your opportunity to vote Green.

You can see a list of the UK Green Party European election candidates, region-by-region, here:

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/elections/euro-elections2009.html

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Decicisions of the Strasbourg Plenary Session

Earlier this week I reported on some of the items to be included in the parliament session held from the 21 - 24 April. Amongst them were the following items that have been agreed as reported in European Parliament press releases.

This first one will certainly please residents and visitors who have to use mobile telephones as their only form of telephonic contact to individuals and for web access.

Lower charges for mobile roaming from 1 July

Charges for calling, texting and mobile internet surfing while travelling abroad in the EU will be cut from 1 July 2009.

The amended regulation was adopted by 646 votes in favour, with 22 votes against and 9 abstentions.

Cutting the charges for roaming phone calls
The regulation does not fix roaming prices at rates set by the EU, but sets ceilings beneath which mobile operators can compete by offering lower prices. The existing 2007 roaming regulation lays down that from 1 July 2009 consumers will have to pay a maximum of €0.43 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.19 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

The new legislative text sets roaming phone call caps for 2010 and 2011 - i.e. home operators may charge their customers for a roaming phone call:

• from 1 July 2010: a maximum of €0.39 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.15 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls;
• from 1 July 2011: a maximum of €0.35 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.11 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

From 1 July 2009 operators would have to charge their customers by the second but can apply an initial minimum charging period of 30 seconds, says the text.

Cheaper data roaming services
MEPs and the Council Presidency agreed with the Commission that a roamed text message (SMS) should cost a maximum of €0.11 (excluding VAT) from 1 July 2009. (Art.1, para 7, point 2).

Other data roaming services (such as sending emails and pictures or web-browsing from mobile phones or laptops) will be regulated at wholesale level – i.e. there will be a price cap for the rates the host operator charges a roaming customer’s home operator, calculated on a kilobyte basis:

• from 1 July 2009: a maximum of €1.00 per megabyte (excluding VAT);
• from 1 July 2010: a maximum of €0.80 per megabyte (excluding VAT);
• from 1 July 2011: a maximum of €0.50 per megabyte (excluding VAT).

To prevent "bill shocks", roaming customers would be able to opt free of charge for a maximum financial limit from 1 March 2010, stipulates the new regulation. One of these financial limits should be set at €50 (excluding VAT) or the corresponding data volume, agreed MEPs and the Presidency. This limit would automatically apply to all customers who have not made another choice by 1 July 2010, says the text.

The new legislation says that providers will have to warn their customers when 80% of the agreed limit has been reached. Once the limit is reached, another notification should be sent, indicating the procedure to be followed if the customer wishes to continue data roaming. If the user does not respond the provider should cease all data roaming services.

Tyre labels to show fuel efficiency, safety and noise.

Tyre buyers will be better informed about their fuel-efficiency, safety and noise performance thanks to a mandatory tyre label proposal adopted by the European Parliament. Like the European energy label, the tyre label will use fuel-efficiency classes ranging from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class). It will also show the tyre's wet grip and noise performance.

The amended regulation was adopted by 642 votes in favour, with 23 votes against and 8 abstentions.

Fuel efficiency, wet grip and noise label
From November 2012, suppliers must show fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise classes in any technical promotional literature for C1, C2 and C3 tyres (fitted to passenger cars, light and heavy duty vehicles) propduced after 1 July 2012, says the report drafted by Ivo Belet (EPP-ED, BE). Distributors must also include these values in their bills, says the amended draft legislation.

The label will also have to be attached, e.g. as a sticker, to C1 and C2 tyres, says the European Parliament.

Low noise mark for very quiet tyres
To promote low-noise tyres, the European Parliament inserted a provision in the text for a new "low noise mark", showing a tyre with earmuffs if the noise level is below 68 decibels (C1), 69 decibels (C2 tyres) or 70 decibels (C3 tyres).

Europe must deliver a common immigration policy, say MEPs

The European Parliament is proposing a blue-print for a common policy on European immigration. The report recognises the importance of legal immigration, in the face of Europe's ageing population and declining workforce, but also urges Member States to jointly tackle the problems caused by illegal immigration. They also propose to reinforce migrant's rights, by allowing them to vote in local elections.

MEPs describe immigration as "one of the foremost challenges that Europe is currently facing", and believe that it will remain a significant challenge for the coming decades. Furthermore, a common approach to immigration is vital as shared European borders mean that "action or inaction by one Member State has a direct impact on others and on the EU as a whole." If migration is poorly managed, it will not only have a negative impact on the countries of destination but also to the countries of origin and the migrants themselves.

The European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report drafted by Simon Busuttil (EPP-ED, MT) on Wednesday, by 485 votes in favour, 110 against and 19 abstentions.

Migrants have always played "a vital role in the development of the EU", and the report stresses the importance of recognising their past and continuing contribution. Therefore, Europe should continue to be a welcoming environment for migrants; especially as, according to Eurostat statistics, the European working age population is expected to fall by 50 million workers by 2060. Well managed immigration could help to provide crucial economic stimulus to the EU in the coming years.

MEPs call for Member States to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil

Crude oil is one of the main energy sources of the EU, and is likely continue to be for several decades. The Commission estimates that in 2030, European demand will be one third higher than it was in 2006, which is of concern as demand was already outstripping supply in 2006. Therefore, the European Parliament is calling on Member States to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil as a barrier to protect against any unexpected cuts in supply.

MEPs are concerned that a sudden shortage of crude oil could be extremely damaging to the economies of Member States, and that could also "compromise" national military capabilities. The risk of an unexpected shortage of oil has increased in recent years due to increasing global demands, the concentration of oil supplies in often unstable areas and decreasing resources within the European Union. In light of this, the report drafted by Miloslav Ransdorf (GUE/NGL, CZ) calls for increased energy security and more effective monitoring of oil stocks in the EU. The report was adopted with 629 votes in favour, 24 against and 8 abstentions.

Highlights of the Strasbourg plenary session 21-24 April 2009

This week is the penultimate plenary session of the European Parliament (21-24 April 2009) before the European elections on the 4-7 June 2009. The MEPs face a packed agenda during the session and I highlight here a few of the matters for discussion.

Safer and easier e-money transactions
The offer of e-money services should be enhanced by boosting innovation and improving consumers' confidence with a legislative report put forward by John PURVIS (EPP-ED, UK) for the Economics Committee. Updating the existing legislation on e-money business to achieve a true single market allowing this industry to expand is the objective of the report.

Electricity and gas market: MEPs to debate and vote on deal with Council Presidency
Europe's electricity and gas markets will be further liberalised while the rights of energy consumers are strengthened. Parliament will debate and vote on a wide-ranging package of energy market legislation.

Charges for calling, texting and mobile internet surfing
Charges for calling, texting and mobile internet surfing will be cut from 1 July 2009. MEPs negotiated a compromise with the Czech Presidency on the extension of the 2007 which will be debated and voted on in Strasbourg. The informal compromise negotiated by Industry Committee MEPs with the Czech Presidency still needs to be backed by the whole Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

Tyre labels to show fuel efficiency, safety and noise
Tyre buyers will be better informed about their fuel-efficiency, safety and noise performance thanks to a mandatory tyre label proposal put forward by the Industry Committee. Like the European energy label, the tyre label will use fuel-efficiency classes ranging from best-performance (green “A” class) to worst (red “G” class). It will also show the tyre's wet grip and noise performance.

Nuclear safety measures in the EU must be improved, say MEPs
The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy is backing a report from the Commission/Council which is calling for an EU-wide nuclear safety framework, based on the principles of the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to the report, drafted by Gunnar HÖKMARK (EPP-ED, FI), nuclear installations should be operated so as "to achieve the highest safety standards that can reasonably be achieved taking into account economical and social factors."

Report calls for Member States to maintain minimum stocks of crude oil
MEPs are concerned that a sudden shortage of crude oil - one of the main energy sources of the EU - could be extremely damaging to the economies of Member States, and that could also "compromise" national military capabilities. The risk of an unexpected shortage of oil has increased in recent years due to increasing global demands, the concentration of oil supplies in often unstable areas and decreasing resources within the European Union. In light of this, the report drafted by Miloslav RANSDORF (GUE/NGL, CZ) calls for increased energy security and more effective monitoring of oil stocks in the EU.

Clearing away the obstacles to cross-border healthcare
The general aim of the draft directive on cross-border healthcare is to ensure that there are no obstacles to patients who seek treatment in a Member State other than their own. It also clarifies the right to be reimbursed after a treatment in another Member State. These rights have been confirmed in European Court of Justice Judgments but are not yet included in EU legislation. The directive also aims to ensure high-quality, safe and efficient healthcare and to establish healthcare co-operation mechanisms among Member States. Parliament will vote at first reading on plans to give patients the right to seek healthcare abroad more easily and be reimbursed for the costs. The Environment and Public Health Committee's report also calls for patients to be properly informed about their rights when treated outside their home Member State.

War on hospital bugs
The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee is urging Parliament to back measures designed to reduce the millions of infections picked up by patients in hospitals each year. The recruitment of specialised nurses, better education, support for research and better information for patients are among the measures proposed. Patient safety is of increasing concern in healthcare systems everywhere. The most common problems are healthcare associated infections, medication-related events and complications during or after operations. Many such problems could be avoided fairly easily.

Action plan for urban mobility
Sixty per cent of Europeans lived in urban areas in 2005, and that number will rise to eighty per cent in 2020, making urban transport a major component of goods and passenger transport in Europe. A significant proportion of greenhouse gases are generated by road traffic in urban areas. Parliament will vote on a report by the Transport Committee that seeks to prompt EU action on problems relating to urban mobility such as congestion and pollution.

New rights for bus, coach and ship passengers
Parliament will vote at first reading on two regulations designed to replicate for bus, coach and ship passengers certain rights already granted to air travellers under EU rules. There will be stricter rules on compensation for delays and cancellations and on payments in the event of accidents and assistance for disabled passengers. The Transport Committee is tabling the two reports, one by Gabriele ALBERTINI (EPP-ED, IT) on rights of bus and coach passengers, the other by Michel TEYCHENNÉ (PES, FR) on the rights of passengers travelling by sea and inland waterway.

Deforestation and forest degradation
Recent studies show that there is potential for reducing global greenhouse emissions by 40 % by 2030 and that, at a cost of less than half of one percent of global GDP, wind, solar and other sustainable renewable energies could provide almost a third of total global power needs; whereas energy efficiency could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than a quarter and whereas deforestation could be almost halted. Parliament will debate the challenges of deforestation and forest degradation to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss following a statement from the Commission. MEPs will also vote on a resolution on this topic.

Strengthening the fight against nuclear proliferation
The next Review Conference of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is scheduled for 2010, and according to MEPs, it should be a chance to put the production, use and disarmament of nuclear weapons under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The conference also presents an opportunity to reach a consensus on a treaty to end the production of fissile material for military purposes.

Europe must deliver a common immigration policy, say MEPs
An own-initiative report by Simon BUSUTTIL (EPP-ED, MT) is proposing a blue-print for a common policy on European immigration. The report recognises the importance of legal immigration, in the face of Europe's ageing population and declining workforce, but also urges Member States to jointly tackle the problems caused by illegal immigration.

MEPs call for stricter legislation to protect citizens from the effects of profiling
At a time when our personal data is accumulating on the internet and in data-bases, a Parliamentary report, drafted by Sarah LUDFORD(ALDE, UK), warns against the dangers of 'profiling' of European citizens on the basis of criteria such as ethnicity, religion, gender or age, especially by the police. MEPs are warning against the excesses of the system and call on Member States to shed light onto these practices.