Blog Archive
Food labelling vote victory for consumers
Posted on April 20, 2011 by Shane Griffin
Nessa Childers MEP today welcomed new EU-wide food labelling rules as one of the most important pieces of European legislation in years. She said: "This vote by the Parliament's powerful Public Health & Food Safety Committee (64 MEPs) is a victory for European consumers. "We need these new food labelling rules to help consumers make healthy choices. Massive public health problems such as heart disease and obesity are greatly increasing and are costing billions of euros every year to our health services. People want to how much salt, fat and sugar is in their food.
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Closing of Light House Cinema a "Damaging Precedent for culture in Ireland"
Posted on April 15, 2011 by Shane Griffin
Labour MEP Nessa Childers has today described the closure of the Light House Cinema in Smithfield as a 'dangerous precedent for culture and the Arts in Ireland'. Ms Childers sits on the European Parliament's Culture and Education Committee, and is currently involved in drafting a report for the European Parliament on the digitisation of cinema in Europe. She said "Several months ago I began researching the current state of cinema in Ireland, as part of my work for the European Parliament. I was dismayed to discover that, having initially fared well during the economic crisis, cinema is now in a sorry state. Unfortunately cultural or art-house cinemas will be the first to go, as we have seen with the Light-House."
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Getting the most from European funding
Posted on April 06, 2011 by Shane Griffin
As well as offering grants themselves, the EU also runs several programmes which aim to make sure that the money is spent efficiently and that the European citizen gets a bang for their buck.
In my Ireland East constituency, there are three programmes in particular which are potentially of enormous benefit- JERMIE, JESSICA and JASMINE.
The girls names may help you to remember the schemes, but they have the potential to be quite powerful for a constituency- These schemes represent a shift away from the traditional once off grant schemes that are sometimes unsustainable, and instead they provide sustainable support through repayable assistance.
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Sex crimes must mean automatic prosecution in all EU countries
Posted on April 05, 2011 by Shane Griffin
Europe's women do not have equal protection against male violence across the EU, as national laws and policies differ from one Member State to another. In several Member States, rape is not treated as a state offence and does not lead to automatic prosecution.
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Irish debt crisis requires political as well as fiscal response from EU
Posted on April 04, 2011 by Bronwen Maher
This week in Strasbourg Irish MEPs will be briefed by EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn, this meeting will give us an opportunity to discuss the Irish debt crisis.
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Criminal investigation into the MEP bribery scandal needed
Posted on March 27, 2011 by Bronwen Maher
The latest European Parliament cash-for-amendments scandal is exposed in the British press today, and there must be a full criminal investigation in these bribery allegations and swift response from the Parliament to tighten regulations around lobbying.
I have been calling for stricter rules on lobbying in both Dublin and Brussels for a long time. Furthermore the latest report from the Moriarty Tribunal shows how we need to introduce an Irish law against ‘trading in influence’ to ensure transparency around political decision making, Dublin also needs to legislate on political lobbying and strengthen our laws on political donations.
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Funding in Europe- Museums and Arts groups
Posted on March 02, 2011 by Shane Griffin
Like many areas of economic and social life, the EU offers support for those who are in need of funding in order to maintain or develop certain areas of their operation. However, as with most EU funding, it is available in the Arts by and large only for those projects which include a strong European element.
The European Commission encourages and supports museums within the framework of the EU's Culture Programme. Supporting and increasing the collaboration between different museums and institutions in EU countries is one of the main objectives of the Culture Programme. Many museums are supported every year through this Programme.
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Internships open right now
Posted on March 01, 2011 by Shane Griffin
There is a constant turnover of internships (or stages) in Brussels, and these can provide vital experience for those who wish to get involved in politics or have just finished university, particularly during these times when jobs can be hard to come by.
One of the best internships in Brussels, the European Parliament internship, will open its application process for the October Stage later this month. Applications can then be submitted until May 15th, and the stage will begin on October 1st.
Gaining a place on these programmes is not easy, but it is easily within the reach of anyone with a university degree and an interest in European politics. See more information from the European Parliament website below:
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Gilmore vindicated by Rehn response on bailout renegotiation
Posted on February 16, 2011 by Shane Griffin
Ollie Rehn confirms there is "room for discussion on particular measures" of bailout deal in written response to Nessa Childers MEP
European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Ollie Rehn has written to Labour MEP Nessa Childers to inform her that there is "room for discussion on particular measures" of the Irish bailout deal, in response to a question Ms Childers tabled on whether or not the incoming government will have any scope for renegotiation.
Childers has welcomed Commissioner Rehn's response as "vindication for our party leader Eamon Gilmore, who has long since argued that the EU/IMF deal negotiated by Fianna Fail involves considerable room for discussion. From the outset other political parties, including Fine Gael, indicated that this was not the case."
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Commission mulling over new CAP deal before launch later this year
Posted on January 31, 2011 by Bronwen Maher
With much of my Leinster constituency being made up of rural, agricultural land, I have made sure to keep a close eye on negotiations for the new Common Agricultural Policy (beginning 2014) over the last 18 months.
In that time I've been to at least a dozen seminars, conferences and workshops in the European Parliament on the make up of the new CAP. One of the most striking details of these seminars is that they have been hosted by members of almost all political groups across the board- European Greens, Liberals, Socialists and Conservatives, and Jim Nicholson MEP of the Ulster Unionist Party, who is often aligned with the right-wing groups, hosted one of the most interesting seminars on the subject.
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