Graham's blog entry Thursday 29th November

Written by Graham Watson MEP on Thu 29th Nov 2007

Parliament held one of its occasional plenary sittings in Brussels this week to approve new rules covering advertising and product placement in audiovisual media. The law will now be extended to cover new technologies such as TV on the internet and strict rules will limit product placement to sport and light entertainment, with the sponsors clearly identified at the start of the programme. Advertising will be banned from most children's programmes.

We also gave a first reading to measures on the inter-operability of trains (a further step in creating an integrated EU rail network) and stricter laws on gun control.

My week started in Italy with a series of meetings with political leaders who are trying to create a single centre left political party, along the lines of the US Democrats. I wish them well; it's a brave enterprise: but I suspect much will hinge on the fate of the current government and in particular on its ability to push Liberal reforms through parliament.

The EU's budget for 2008 was agreed by member states on Monday. Nearly three and a half billion euros will be provided over five years to get the Galileo satellite system up and running and €300 million for a European Institute of Technology. The deal was struck in large part due to the efforts of Finnish Liberal Kyosti Virrankoski, who was this year's Budget 'rapporteur' for the European Parliament. Member states also agreed on Monday to ban the import and sale of cat and dog pelts.

Back in Brussels from Tuesday to Thursday I saw the permanent representatives (ambassadors to the EU) of Italy and Germany, two of the countries which supported an amendment which disallowed the use of the name cider brandy in the labelling of spirit drinks. I will be doing the rounds of all five countries which supported this in an effort to persuade them to change their minds.

While the USA hosted a conference in Annapolis to persuade the Israelis and the Palestinians to make peace, the EU hosted one in Baden in Austria for Kosovo. At the latter there was no agreement. So the 'troika' (EU, Russia, USA) will visit Serbia and Kosovo next Monday for a last-ditch attempt before reporting to the UN Security Council. Prospects for peaceful coexistence look shaky. Which is why, I told a conference of MEPs and others on Tuesday evening, we must waste no time in building an effective EU military capability.

MEP Saj Karim left us this week to join the Conservatives. Leadership candidates Clegg and Huhne join us next week for a Leadership hustings in Brussels. Both served longer as MEPs than they have as MPs and we know them well. On ideology, ability and articulateness there is little to choose between them. But their characters are very different. I and most of my colleagues are backing Nick Clegg.

Other visitors this week included party members from the UK with the Lib Dem European Group; and the Prime Minister of Spain. For my address to the latter, see http://www.grahamwatsonmep.org/speeches/000123/the_future_of_europe.html .

This weekend I take my press office team to France for a two-day retreat to plan for the 2009 European elections.