Green MEP warns Cameron's EU renegotiation could mean race to the bottom on environment and health

In discussions on the UK’s future place in Europe, Green MEP Molly Scott Cato today warned the European Parliament that Cameron’s renegotiation agenda risks bargaining away citizens’ rights and creating a race to the bottom on environmental protection and health standards. She also said that the many in the UK who want the country to remain as part of the EU back a genuinely positive vision for the future; a vision based on a stronger, more effective European Parliament with greater decision-making powers and upholding the rights of citizens.

Molly Scott Cato was speaking during a plenary session in Strasbourg ahead of a European Council meeting later this week. The Council meeting will include a discussion on the European referendum and address some of the remaining political issues before a concrete proposal is adopted in February. David Cameron wrote to Council President Donald Tusk in November setting out four areas where he is seeking reforms as part of negotiations on the UK’s membership of the European Union.

In her one minute address to the Parliament, attended by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Nicolas Schmit, representing the Presidency of the Council, Molly Scott Cato said

I am speaking about the very serious threat that my country may soon leave this Union. David Cameron wants us to believe his renegotiation ‘vision’ is the only show in town when it comes to EU reform. His pro-austerity, regulation-lite, anti-migration rhetoric is more nightmare than vision. And it appears he now wants to export and inflict this nightmare on the rest of Europe. 

But it is clear that his fake negotiation is unravelling. His pledge to ‘reduce red tape’ sees him doing his bit for the corporations, eager to eliminate anything that stands in the way of their profits. And his support for dodgy trade deals like TTIP show he is happy to see a race to the bottom on workers’ rights, environmental protection, and health standards.   

But many in the UK want to be a part of a genuinely reformed Europe, with a stronger, more effective European Parliament with greater decision-making powers and scrutiny over the Commission and Council.

Greens say yes to the EU, yes to real reform, and yes to upholding the rights of all citizens which Mr Cameron is so keen to bargain away.

Caroline Lucas makes case for staying in Europe despite Greece

Caroline Lucas has contributed to the debate reported below LINK where iIsaid that some Greens were looking critically at our 3 Yeses Policy (Yes to Referendum, Yes to Refor, Yes to staying in Europe).

This is part of what she had to say:

The EU is far from perfect, but turning our backs on it is a risky strategy. Profoundly re-imagining what a reformed EU might look like shouldn’t just be left to David Cameron. We should be building a progressive case for Britain’s membership of a radically reformed union that works better for all of us. Completely reappraising the values and end goals that lie at the heart of the European Union.

With the European council made up of ministers from each member state, it often simply reflects the prevailing currents in European politics. The imposition of austerity in Greece – forcing a population to pay the price for a crisis they didn’t cause – is simply an extension of an economic logic that spans our continent.

It’s easy to blame the EU when free-market economics tramples across our continent’s welfare states, but it’s governments like our own who have overseen the EU becoming a byword for greater liberalisation, deregulation and privatisation. The left lost the last election in Britain – giving Tories a seat at the top table in Europe. Perhaps we’d be better off reflecting on our own failings to successfully inspire hope and unity, rather than kicking out at the EU.

The full article is HERE


Green Party policy of course remains decided by Conference, rather then the leader or our single MP (something the media sometimes find hard to grasp) and it is essential that a discussion happens at Conference in September.

A vital aspect will be the question of where we will stand, if as seems likely, that any 'reforms' that Cameron negotiates will undermine the positive social aspects of the EU that the Green Party supports.

Natalie Bennett: 'TTIP is a huge threat'

 John Hilary of War on Want explains TTIP at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation

As the General Election nears more people are asking about TTIP when we are leafleting although it is still shrouded in mystery for many. John Hilary of War on Want  tries to explain the issues in 10 minutes in the video above.

Speaking at the Green Party’s Spring Conference, Natalie Bennett attacked the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and its supporters for promoting a corporate agenda over the rights and interests of EU citizens. 

The controversial proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and United States, which could be agreed by the end of the year, aims to gradually remove all regulatory differences between the US and the EU. The European Commission has called it “the biggest trade deal in the world”. Yet many people are not aware of the proposals and the secretive decision making process behind them has been criticised as being wholly undemocratic. 

Bennett said:

“TTIP is a huge threat to hard-fought-standards for the quality and safety of our food, the sources of our energy and our privacy and risks undoing decades worth of EU progress on issues like worker’s rights.”

Bennett stated that the proposed deal threatened to “blow apart the power of our democratic decision making.” She raised the spectre of the Edward Snowden revelations to demonstrate that the US state was “profoundly untrustworthy”.

This is Natalie's full speech

It’s not surprising, really, when we hear Lib Dems trumpeting the proposed US-EU free trade deal as some kind of economic saviour. The Lib Dems are the lapdogs of corporate Europe, while the Tories are its war horses. In their support for the trade deal, the Lib Dems are reiterating the propaganda of multinational companies interested only in swallowing up new markets, consuming new societies whole. 

Let’s make no mistake, the proposed free trade deal is a huge threat to hard-fought-for standards for the quality and safety of our food, the sources of our energy, workers’ rights and our privacy. One of the great contributions of the EU is to set a foundation of these standards – not good enough, not high enough – but a start. The proposed free trade deal is a supertanker of dynamite that would blow those foundations apart.

And more, it would blow apart the power of our democratic decision making. The deal provides corporations with new rights to sue the Government for legislating in the public interest – that’s definitely not acting for the common good. 

The banking lobby is so happy with the financial services proposals it has said that the text could have come straight from its own brochure – that’s acting in the interests of the 1%, not the common good.

And there’s more. It’s a deal being proposed with a state that the bravery of Edward Snowden demonstrated is profoundly untrustworthy. Yet there’s no openness – no democracy – about the negotiations: the mandate that the EU Council gave to the Commission is still classified as ‘secret’.

A Global Day of Action Against TTIP is being planned for April 18th. LINK

Greens welcome European Parliament vote on recognition of Palestinian statehood

The European Parliament yesterday adopted a resolution with a large majority ( 498 in favour, 88 against, 111 abstentions) calling for the Palestinian state to finally be recognised.

 Immediately in response to the vote, Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London said:

The European Parliament has today joined the growing international momentum for the recognition of the Palestinian state. The Greens/EFA group has long supported a two state solution and views the recognition of Palestine as an important step towards a peaceful solution of the Middle East conflict, which puts pressure on both sides to this end.

For too long, Palestine has received mixed messages from Europe so I also welcome that MEPs supported a Green proposal to set up a 'parliamentarians for peace' initiative with deputies from Europe, Israel and Palestine.’

 

Greens welcome new report showing net contribution of EU nationals in UK

At an event yesterday in the European Parliament to launch a new report, [1] Jean Lambert said of the study:

This study shows, yet again, that the Government’s portrayal of EU nationals in the UK as being takers rather than givers is just not backed by evidence.

Covering the period from 2007 – 2013, the findings from four countries: the UK, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands shows that EU migrants made a positive contribution to their respective state budgets. The total taxes paid in exceeded the total benefits received by EU migrants by between 0.2 and 0.9 % of GDP, on conservative estimates.

Directly responding to some member states, the UK included, who want to restrict the right to free movement of people in the EU, the new report from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) [2] further showed that:

·      EU migrants received, on average, 50% less in terms of social benefit expenditure than the average citizen of the countries studied

·      Even when pension-related benefits and contributions are not taken into account, the net positive contribution remains for the UK

Hosting the launch event in the European Parliament, Green London MEP Jean Lambert concluded:

While these findings are welcome the conclusion isn’t new, and you certainly wouldn’t know it based on the reporting of the mainstream UK press.

If the Prime Minister really wants to reduce benefit payments, he should concentrate on ensuring people are paid decent wages so they don’t need state top-ups. Pay is a national responsibility.

[1] http://www.ecas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fiscal-Impact-of-EU-migrants.pdf

[2] http://www.ecas.org/

At an event yesterday in the European Parliament to launch a new report, [1] Jean Lambert said of the study:
‘This study shows, yet again, that the Government’s portrayal of EU nationals in the UK as being takers rather than givers is just not backed by evidence.’
Covering the period from 2007 – 2013, the findings from four countries: the UK, Austria, Germany and The Netherlands shows that EU migrants made a positive contribution to their respective state budgets. The total taxes paid in exceeded the total benefits received by EU migrants by between 0.2 and 0.9 % of GDP, on conservative estimates.
Directly responding to some member states, the UK included, who want to restrict the right to free movement of people in the EU, the new report from the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) [2] further showed that:

• EU migrants received, on average, 50% less in terms of social benefit expenditure than the average citizen of the countries studied

• Even when pension-related benefits and contributions are not taken into account, the net positive contribution remains for the UK

Hosting the launch event in the European Parliament, Green London MEP Jean Lambert concluded:
‘While these findings are welcome the conclusion isn’t new, and you certainly wouldn’t know it based on the reporting of the mainstream UK press.
‘If the Prime Minister really wants to reduce benefit payments, he should concentrate on ensuring people are paid decent wages so they don’t need state top-ups. Pay is a national responsibility.’
-ends-
Notes To Editors
[1] http://www.ecas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Fiscal-Impact-of-EU-migrants.pdf
[2] http://www.ecas.org/
- See more at: http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/2014/11/13/eu-migrants-pay-take-another-study-finds/#sthash.OeInKzTv.dpuf

Greens celebrate election of three MEPs in Euro poll

I was relieved this morning this morning to find that Jean Lambert had been re-elected as a London Green MEP.  In the face of UKIP's gains and signs that the other parties are moving right in an effort to match their anti-immigrant policies, it is important the Jean's principled anti-racist voice has a platform.

In spite of the national swing to UKIP, the Green Party has been able to overturn the odds and now has triple the number of MEPs that the Lib Dems do. The wins, powered by 1.2 million people voting Green on May 22, come on the back of extremely positive local elections results which saw the Greens become the official opposition on Solihull, Liverpool, Lewisham, Norwich and Islington Councils.

Jean Lambert, who has been Green MEP for London since 1999, said:

I am delighted and honoured that Londoners of all backgrounds have supported the Greens in this European election and voted again for a strong Green voice in the European Parliament. Greens will continue to put forward positive policies to tackle the growing inequalities between rich and poor, whether in London or beyond, and to continue the push to a low carbon economy, which combats climate change while creating new jobs.

I was delighted to see Molly Scott Cato elected as the new MEP for the South West and reacting to her win she said:

It is fantastic that the South West now has a Green voice in Europe. I would like to thank everyone who voted Green on Thursday and I am looking forward to representing the South West in Brussels.

Keith Taylor was also returned again as Green MEP for the South East region. He tweeted:

So very proud to be re-elected as an MEP. Will stand up for my constituents, wherever they come from, every single day.

Green Party Leader, Natalie Bennett, put the wins in context:

The growth of our number of seats in the European Parliament reflects growing support for Green Party policies and values around the country. Increasing numbers of voters are inspired by our message of positive change for the common good. They support, as do a majority of the public, our views on many issues, from renationalising the railways and reining in banks, from banning fracking to making the minimum wage a living wage.

THE ALTERNATIVE: Vote Green in Brent and European Elections Today

In Brent Labour wants you to forget about the closure of half the borough's libraries, the cuts in street cleaning, the failure to secure affordable housing in new developments, the summonsing of thousand of needy residents for non-payment of council taxes, their failure to support Gladstone Park Primary School and Copland Community School against forced academisation - and much else.

Lib Dems locally shrug off any responsibility for the Coalition cuts in local authority funding that have deprived Brent of cash and, with a few honourable exceptions, have failed to mount an effective opposition to the Labour adminstration. The Conservatives locally are confused and barely exist on the ground.


It is time to get fresh voices and fresh approaches on Brent Council. This is what the Greens stand for:

Safeguarding local services Brent has already lost millions in funding under the Coalition. The 2015-2016 Brent budget is likely to require cuts that will cause untold damage to the local population. The Green Party is anti-austerity and pro-social justice and so opposed to the Coalition’s attack on the poor and vulnerable. We will oppose any such cuts.

Accountability and Transparency  Many residents have experienced being ignored, bulldozed or mislead by Brent Council. We will make sure the Council is accountable for its  actions and transparent in its dealings with the public. We’ve signed up to Keep Willesden Green’s pledge to submit ourselves, if elected, to recall by 51% of the votes cast in a ward at this election.

Climate Change Greens are working at a national and international level to combat climate change. We will also press for local action including, encouragement of green jobs through a Brent Green Industries zone with start-up subsidies, a programme of energy  efficiency in council and BHP properties including double glazing, insulation and solar panels and a pilot Low Carbon Zone.

Clean Air Air pollution is not just an irritant, but an unseen killer, strongly linked to asthma, lung cancer and cardiovascular illness. Over 4000 Londoners die early each year as a result of it. We will work with Green Assembly members for action at the London level to tackle high polluting vehicles and reduce dependency on cars. Locally we support the London Cycling Campaign’s ‘Space for Cycling’ initiative, will press for better public transport to reduce car use, especially the ‘school run’, and encourage a diversity of shops in our local high streets to encourage ‘walkable’ local shopping.

Housing We will support local developments on viable brown field sites that include at least 50%         genuinely affordable housing and that are accompanied by infrastructure improvements including health and education facilities to support the additional population. We will press for the urgent  delivery of the delayed family housing in the Wembley Quintain development. We will oppose evictions of tenants who have defaulted on rent payments because of the unfair bedroom tax.

Education We would strengthen the role of the local authority and its accountability in terms of school improvement and Special Educational Needs provision and campaign for it to be able to build new schools where needed, rather than rely on the costly and undemocratic free schools and academies. We will support the emerging collaborative arrangements between schools that aim to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the borough.

Green Spaces Brent’s increasing population makes green and urban open space even more important and extreme weather requires flood management for Brent’s streams and rivers. We will defend those green open spaces where they exist and insist on their sustainable maintenance as well as supporting the creation of new pocket parks and town squares. New developments will be required to provide play spaces for children and growing spaces for residents. The new Chalkhill Park has shown what a major impact a green space can make on a community both environmentally and in terms of bringing a community together.

Libraries We will press for restoration of accessible local libraries across the borough.

Give voice to the alternative-vote Green in Euro & local elections

Greens are polling ahead of the Lib Dems in the Euro elections and because of the voting system every Green vote counts towards increasing our number of MEPs. This interview on Open Democracy with Jean Lambert MEP gives more information on our European record and stance: LINK

Here again is our local election manifesto for Brent:

We will:
· Campaign for REAL accountability
· Fight cuts to local services
· Tackle climate change
· Combat air pollution
· Press for affordable housing for local people
· Oppose bedroom tax evictions
· Support our local schools and oppose their privatisation
· Protect and enhance our local green and  urban spaces
· Press for restoration of  local library provision

Safeguarding local services Brent has already lost millions in funding under the Coalition. The 2015-2016 Brent budget is likely to require cuts that will cause untold damage to the local population. The Green Party is anti-austerity and pro-social justice and so opposed to the Coalition’s attack on the poor and vulnerable. We will oppose any such cuts.

Accountability and Transparency  Many residents have experienced being ignored, bulldozed or mislead by Brent Council. We will make sure the Council is accountable for its  actions and transparent in its dealings with the public. We’ve signed up to Keep Willesden Green’s pledge to submit ourselves, if elected, to recall by 51% of the votes cast in a ward at this election.

Climate Change Greens are working at a national and international level to combat climate change. We will also press for local action including, encouragement of green jobs through a Brent Green Industries zone with start-up subsidies, a programme of energy  efficiency in council and BHP properties including double glazing, insulation and solar panels and a pilot Low Carbon Zone.

Clean Air Air pollution is not just an irritant, but an unseen killer, strongly linked to asthma, lung cancer and cardiovascular illness. Over 4000 Londoners die early each year as a result of it. We will work with Green Assembly members for action at the London level to tackle high polluting vehicles and reduce dependency on cars. Locally we support the London Cycling Campaign’s ‘Space for Cycling’ initiative, will press for better public transport to reduce car use, especially the ‘school run’, and encourage a diversity of shops in our local high streets to encourage ‘walkable’ local shopping.

Housing We will support local developments on viable brown field sites that include at least 50%         genuinely affordable housing and that are accompanied by infrastructure improvements including health and education facilities to support the additional population. We will press for the urgent  delivery of the delayed family housing in the Wembley Quintain development. We will oppose evictions of tenants who have defaulted on rent payments because of the unfair bedroom tax.

Education We would strengthen the role of the local authority and its accountability in terms of school improvement and Special Educational Needs provision and campaign for it to be able to build new schools where needed, rather than rely on the costly and undemocratic free schools and academies. We will support the emerging collaborative arrangements between schools that aim to improve the quality of teaching and learning across the borough.

Green Spaces Brent’s increasing population makes green and urban open space even more important and extreme weather requires flood management for Brent’s streams and rivers. We will defend those green open spaces where they exist and insist on their sustainable maintenance as well as supporting the creation of new pocket parks and town squares. New developments will be required to provide play spaces for children and growing spaces for residents. The new Chalkhill Park has shown what a major impact a green space can make on a community both environmentally and in terms of bringing a community together.

Libraries We will press for restoration of accessible local libraries across the borough.

YOUR GREEN CANDIDATES

Alperton - Yusuf Akram, Barnhill - Giovanna Dunmall,  Brondesbury Park- Rai Shamon, Dollis Hill - Pete Murry,    Dudden Hill - Simone Aspis, Fryent - Claire McCarthy,   Harlesden - Simon Erskine, Kensal Green - Sally Ibbotson, Kenton - Graham Allen,

Kilburn - Nas Belazka,   Mapesbury - Scott Bartle, Northwick Park - Mimi Kaltman, Preston - May Erskine,

Queensbury - Adlen Biloum,  Queens Park - Alex Freed, Stonebridge - Brian Orr,   Sudbury - Manish Patel, Tokyngton - Khalid Akram, Welsh Harp - Jafar Hassan, Wembley Central - Kolos Csontos,

So what have Greens been doing since the last election?

Brent Greens  have campaigned on library  closures , the loss of the Willesden Bookshop, the forced  academisation of Gladstone  Park Primary School,  the Harlesden Incinerator, the free schools shambles,  protecting the Welsh Harp from over-development , construction of Chalkhill Park, and the  building of affordable housing rather than luxury  housing for overseas buyers. We opposed the cuts in street cleaning that have left our roads litter strewn. We have relentlessly  tried to hold the council to account despite not holding office. We work WITH campaigns and don’t try to take them over. Elected or not, our campaigning will continue.

Bennett calls for Europe to find Snowden a place of safe asylum

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has called on the EU’s diplomatic leader to act to find US whistleblower Edward Snowden a place of safe asylum.

Mr Snowden is currently believed to be in the transit area in a Moscow airport, and a plane carrying the Bolivia’s president home from Russia was refused permission to fly over several European states on the suspicion that Mr Snowden might be on board, causing a serious diplomatic incident.

Ms Bennett said Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security should be taking a lead in view of the fact that Mr Snowden had clearly acted as a whistleblower, exposing in the PRISM and Tempora programmes what the EU Justice Commissioner has identified as breaches of what should be “mutual trust and good practices in relations between friends and allies”. (1)

Ms Bennett said: “The UK, and many other European states, have whistleblower legislation that explicitly protect individuals who speak out about wrongdoing, and it is clear that Mr Snowden were he a national of those states would be eligible for that protection. Additionally, European states owe him a debt for exposing the action that the US was taking against them.

“The United States should be treating Mr Snowden in this manner, but given this seems unlikely, the European Union, and individual EU states, as beneficiaries of his revelations, have a responsibility to act in ensuring his security.”

The French, German and Finnish Green Parties have each respectively called on their countries to offer asylum to Mr Snowden.

Ms Bennett added: “The normal requirement for someone being in the country in which they are requesting asylum should clearly be waived in this case. Mr Snowden should be given a chance to peacefully and safely reveal further information, and to rebuild his life in a safe haven, whether in Europe or outside it.”

1. http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-607_en.htm

Grant whistle blower Snowden asylum say European Greens

The recent revelations about the borderless spying activities against so-called friend EU countries and their institutions by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the British secret service must lead to a rapid political response according to European Greens.

Rebecca Harms and Dany Cohn-Bendit, Co-Presidents of the Greens/EFA group in the European parliament want to use the debate and resolution already scheduled for next week's Strasbourg plenary session to launch an investigation.

Commenting on the revelations, Rebecca Harms said:

"A special committee of the EU parliament must be launched immediately. We must not postpone the decision to after the summer break. The EU should cancel the agreements on Swift and PNR with the US. Before starting negotiations on a future trade agreement (TTIP) with the US, we need a debate about the infringement of international law by PRISM and Tempora. The last few days have shown how urgently we need an international agreement on data protection."

Daniel Cohn-Bendit added:

"Whistleblower Snowden has stood up for human and civil rights, especially those of European citizens. Granting him asylum now is a question of European values.. To leave him stuck in limbo in a no-man's land is ignoble and damages the EU's image.

"We will propose Snowden for the European parliament's Sakharov prize."

Green's '3 yeses' on Europe: referendum, reform, remaining

 Green Party leader Natalie Bennett said today that the Green Party stood for "Three Yeses - yes to a referendum, yes to major EU reform and yes to staying in a reformed Europe".

Natalie urged people to consider the first "Yes" in a different context to David Cameron's promise of a referendum - only if the Conservatives win a majority in the 2015 election - which has more to do with political game-playing and trying to hold together a deeply divided party that is failing in government.

The Green leader said: "The Green Party believes in democracy and self-determination. On important issues like this, voters should be given the opportunity to express a clear view."

On a reformed EU, the Green Party believes that decisions should be made at the lowest possible appropriate level, closest to the lives of the people it affects. It supports democratic decision-making - not the imposition of dictats from above, such as the austerity that has been forced on the people of many states in south Europe.

Natalie added: "'Yes to the EU' does not mean we are content with the union continuing to operate as it has in the past. There is a huge democratic deficit in its functioning, a serious bias towards the interests of neoliberalism and 'the market', and central institutions have been overbuilt. But to achieve those reforms we need to work with fellow EU members, not try to dictate high handedly to them, as David Cameron has done."

On 'yes to staying in a reformed Europe', the Green Party believes Great Britain should not abandon the European Union, but instead work from inside to make it into a fair and democratic union rather than just a vehicle for international trade.

The European Union is well placed to enact policies on crucial issues such as human and workers' rights, climate change and international crime. It is through EU regulation that our renewable energy targets have been set and hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created.

European action on air pollution, meanwhile, is forcing the British government to take the issue seriously, and the EU is leading the way on a financial transactions tax while Britain, in the grip of the City, resists.

Natalie concluded: "We need to continue to work with our European partners to build strong, locally democratic communities that decide their own way within the framework of minimum standards on workers' and consumer rights, the environment, and on human rights - and which work together to build a more peaceful and sustainable world."