Graham's Blog entry Friday 25 January 2008

Published on Fri 25th Jan 2008

The main news of this week is the Commission's publication of a package of draft laws to combat climate change. Parliament held a special plenary meeting (sitting of the full House) on Wednesday to hear Commission President Barroso present his proposals and I was surprised at the absence of the Leaders of the European People's Party, the European Socialists and the European Greens from the hemicycle (parliamentary chamber). Do these people think climate change unimportant? I made a short speech of welcome on behalf of my Group (see www.europarl.europa.eu) and left the meat of our response to my excellent colleagues Chris Davies (Environment spokesman) and Lena Ek (Industry). But I felt it important to be there: this is the most important action thus far of Barroso's term of office. Parliament will be hard pressed to adopt the four legislative and two flanking measures proposed before the House dissolves in fourteen months time, but we'll give it our best shot.

My week started with a day in London, where the House of Commons voted to give a second reading to the Bill to approve the EU's Lisbon Treaty. I'm pleased to report that all the LibDem MPs present supported it. The House of Commons authorities refused to accept an amendment calling for an "in or out" referendum (very sensibly, in my view, since the question arises only if there is to be a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty).

Being in London, I missed the fun and games when President Musharraf of Pakistan told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee that his country enjoys complete press freedom and that there are no political prisoners. His human rights record may be marginally better that Benazir Bhutto's, but only marginally, and my colleagues sent him away with a flea in his ear.

Tuesday was devoted to monetary policy. MPs from all 27 member states came to Brussels for an inter-parliamentary meeting to discuss an impending financial crisis as the American Federal reserve made its biggest cut in interest rates in over 50 years. The European Central Bank has remained icily calm: thus far, the countries in the euro-zone have weathered the gathering storm. I suspect that as things get rougher we will hear more UK voices suggesting that joining the euro might be a wise move.

Chinese political prisoner Hu Jia, an AIDS activist, was the focus of the ear bashing we gave to a hapless official from the PRC embassy at wednesday's meeting of Parliament's delegation for relations with China. We intend to step up gradually our pressure on the communist regime to respect human dignity as the Beijing Olympic Games approach. But the high point of my day was the Brussels Burns Supper at which my former boss David Steel gave the immortal memory address: and further whisky drinking later into the wee small hours that night with Torbay's MP Adrian Sanders, visiting Brussels with a delegation from the House of Commons culture, media and sport committee.

Best news of the week? The announcement by Turkey's Justice Minister that their Parliament will vote next week on an amendment to the infamous article 301 of the Turkish criminal code, which is used regularly against writers or journalists using their freedom of speech. If they amend it, as I expect, it will be due at least in some measure to EU pressure.

Today I have gathered together some of my parliamentary colleagues for a brainstorming session at a mountain retreat. Tomorrow I address the 60th anniversary congress of the main Dutch Liberal party, the VVD, at the Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterdam. On Sunday I hope to pursue my research into why none of the one hundred and sixty two million euros released to the UK from the EU solidarity fund has yet reached my many constituents who suffered flood damage last year in Gloucestershire.