Commenting on the Foreign Affair’s Committee report on the UK’s relationship with the EU, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, Fiona Hall MEP, said:
“The report makes it crystal clear that the way to reform the EU is by engaging in a pan-European debate and negotiation and not by seeking special treatment as envisaged by the Conservative party. Continue reading “Yes to reform – No to repatriation” »
Ahead of tomorrow’s European Council on energy, MEPs in Strasbourg today sent a strong message to national governments in support of renewable energy calling for mandatory targets for 2013.
Fiona Hall MEP, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament and energy spokesperson, commented after the vote:
“The 2020 renewables target kick-started the industry and created jobs and growth in a time of economic downturn. We need to keep up the momentum – and continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. It is a win-win situation. Continue reading “Hall: We need mandatory renewables target for 2030” »
Responding to Lord Lawson’s call for the UK to leave the European Union Fiona Hall MEP, the leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation in the European parliament, commented:
“It is absurd to suggest that we must somehow choose between trade with Europe and with the rest of the world. We are on the cusp of a game-changing trade deal between the EU and the US, worth billions of pounds to the British economy, and major trade agreements with India and Japan are also in the pipeline. To leave the EU now would be ridiculous. We would be turning our back to the global economy and jeopardising crucial trade and investment.” Continue reading “Hall: Nigel Lawson short-sighted and reckless on EU” »
MEPs in Strasbourg today narrowly (334-315) rejected a proposal by the European Commission to delay the auctioning of greenhouse gas allowances to avoid a further drop in the price of carbon. The European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) was originally introduced to incentivise investments in low carbon technologies by putting a price on polluting greenhouse gas emissions.
UK Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies, the environment spokesman for the Liberal Democrat (ALDE) group in the European Parliament, commented after the vote:
“MEPs have turned their back on the future. Continue reading “Davies/ Hall: Conservative MEPs betray British business in carbon vote” »
Large oil, gas, diamond and logging companies will be obliged to disclose full information on all projects where payments to governmental authorities exceed a threshold of 100.000 Euros under new rules negotiated between MEPs and ministers from all 27 EU Member States last night.
The Leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation in the European Parliament, Fiona Hall MEP, who steered the legislation through the Development Committee and was a key MEP for the insertion of the county-by-country and project-by-project rule, commented: Continue reading “Lib Dem MEPs pave way for tough new rules on corporate transparency” »
Lib Dem MEPs have welcomed the Coalition Government’s commitment to ensure that cuts to European funding from 2014 onwards will be shared in a fair manner across the UK.
The Coalition Government has announced that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be subjected to an equal percentage cut of around 5% compared to the current 2007-2017 EU funding levels.
MEPs and national governments are currently negotiating the next long-term EU budget for 2014-2020. Although a final deal has yet to be reached, the EU’s budget is expected to be cut in real-terms for the first time in its history.
The leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation in the European Parliament, North East MEP Fiona Hall, said: Continue reading “Lib Dem MEPs lobby for fair distribution of EU funding” »
Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall welcomed today’s vote in the European Parliament’s Industry Committee to renew the procedure in which vehicles are tested on their emissions and fuel efficiency.
Current tests do not take place under real life conditions and turn a blind eye to the practice of taping over cracks around the doors and grill, over-inflated tyres, adjusting the wheel alignment and brakes, using special super-lubricants, minimising the weight of the vehicle, testing at altitude and at unrealistically high temperatures and on super-slick test-tracks.
Ms Hall was responsible for drafting a report in the Industry Committee on measures to help reach the EU’s 2020 targets of cutting CO2 emissions for passenger cars. Commenting after the vote, she said: Continue reading “Hall: MEPs push for more fuel efficient and less polluting cars” »
MEPs today voted in favour of mandatorily introducing acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS) in quiet vehicles such as electric and hybrid cars to protect vulnerable road users. Road safety organisations and organisations for partially sighted and blind people such as Guide Dog had called for these acoustic warning devices in order to avoid an increased accident risk for vulnerable road users.
Lib Dem MEP leader Fiona Hall, who visited a Guide Dog branch in Newcastle to talk about the challenges faced by visually impaired road users and take part in a blindfolded walk along a busy road, commented:
“Walking blindfolded along a busy road in Newcastle, I was struck by how overwhelming normal traffic situations are for partially sighted and blind people and how important our hearing is to judge whether it is safe or not to cross a road. Continue reading “Hall/ Davies: MEPs want quiet cars to make some noise” »
Commenting on David Cameron’s speech as Conservative party leader on the future of Europe and a possible in-out referendum in 2017, Fiona Hall MEP, leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation in the European Parliament, said:
“Today David Cameron spoke not as Prime Minister but as a Tory party leader backed into a corner by his outspoken tea-party backbenchers. He promised an in-out referendum on an uncertain renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU that leaves more questions than answers and creates a climate of uncertainty for investors.
“Instead of focusing all efforts on getting the British economy back on track, the Conservative party will now be tied up in its own internal renegotiation discussions that have very little to do with the reality of treaty change among 27 member states. Continue reading “Cameron speech against national interest” »
MEPs in the Legal Affairs Committee today voted in favour of tough amendments to European Commission’s proposals requiring oil, mining and logging companies to disclose payments to governments of countries in which they operate on a project by project basis. MEPs also succeeded in extending the scope of the legislation to cover the banking, construction and telecommunications sector. Continue reading “Fighting tax dodging and corruption: MEPs vote for tough new rules on corporate transparency” »