Wednesday, 24 April 2002

South West MEP Graham Watson has warned that low electoral turnouts will benefit political extremists.  

He said: “The freedom to vote is like any other freedom: if you don’t use it, you risk losing it.  The danger of extremists thriving in a low electoral turnout is a lesson we must all heed.”

Mr Watson was speaking ahead of statements at the European Parliament by National Front leader and French Presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen.

He called for all democratic European political parties to take on the far right in debate and sign-up to the Charter of Political Parties for a Non-Racist Society.

He said: “Europe’s democratic political parties must face down racists and xenophobes so that they cannot take ownership of the immigration and crime agenda.  We must recognise the concern of citizens and make the case anew for tolerance and respect for fundamental rights. 

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Wednesday, 24 April 2002

South West Euro MP Graham Watson has welcomed tough new EU laws to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace.  He said the laws were “long overdue” after two years of negotiations between the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council of Ministers.

He said member states currently had a “hotch-potch” of laws regarding sexual harassment and discrimination.

The Equal Treatment for Men and Women at Work Directive, which comes into force in 2005, means employers must show they have taken preventative action against sexual harassment and is aimed at protecting men as well as women.

It covers physical contact, sexual jokes, remarks about someone’s figure, wolf whistles and staring.  A European Commission study found that as many as 50% of female employees across the EU have suffered sexual harassment.

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Wednesday, 24 April 2002

South West Euro MP Graham Watson is backing a grant scheme that encourages farmers to plant woodlands and forests.   He said the scheme would put new life into the countryside that would bring benefits now and for generations to come.

He praised farmers in Devon and Cornwall who this year will be planting woodland on areas the size of 1,583 football pitches but urged that more publicity be given to the scheme.

“The results of this planting will be a delight for current and future generations of local people and visitors to the countryside,” said Mr Watson. 

Under the England Rural Development Programme, farmers who convert farmland to woodland can receive grant aid from the Forestry Commission and annual payments under DEFRA’s farm woodland premium scheme.

Last year, applications from 220 farmers in the South West were approved.   Mr Watson said he hoped that more farmers in the region would consider the scheme and contact the Forestry Commission for details.

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Wednesday, 24 April 2002

South West MEP Graham Watson wants the European Parliament to take tougher action to combat forced prostitution and child labour.  He said these were “modern forms of slavery which should be considered as gross violations of human rights.”

Mr Watson backed a draft resolution calling on the European Commission and member states to draw up a list of products manufactured using child labour or forced labour which would indicate the country of origin.  He wants the EU to adopt a joint approach within the World Trade Organisation and International Labour Organisation on ways of fighting the problem.

Mr Watson said: “Fighting human rights abuses must be high on the agenda of EU committees and institutions.  The exploitation of vulnerable people cannot be tolerated.”

He is supporting the appointment of a European Parliament ‘ambassador’ for human rights to negotiate with other EU institutions and international organisations.

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Wednesday, 24 April 2002

The Charter of Political Parties for a non-racist Society was proclaimed at Utrecht on 28 February 1998. The text can be found on the internet at http://eumc.eu.int/projects/charter/charter_en.htm

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Tuesday, 23 April 2002

"Instead of simply using taxpayers money to buy fishing rights from developing countries, the EU should move towards an active role in regulating endangered stocks and helping developing countries to create a sustainable fishing and fish processing industry of their own."

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Monday, 22 April 2002

"The FDP's tremendous breakthrough in Saxony-Anhalt augurs well for an FDP come-back in this September's general election".

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Monday, 22 April 2002

In view of the second round and the subsequent legislative elections, Mr Watson called on "all democratic political parties to recommit themselves to the Charter of Political Parties for a non-racist society, adopted in February 1998 and signed by nearly 100 political parties."

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Monday, 15 April 2002

South West MEP Graham Watson is to lead a fact-finding trip to his constituency for Liberal Democrat members of the European Parliament ‘s foot and mouth committee of inquiry.

Mr Watson will be taking East Midlands MEP Nick Clegg and Dutch MEP Jan Mulder to a number of areas in Devon to hear first hand of the devastation caused by the outbreak and the steps now being taken to recover from it.

The fact-finding visit - on Friday, 26^th April - will include meetings with local farmers, businessmen, MPs, councillors and NFU representatives.  The group will visit a number of areas worst hit by the disease.

Mr Watson said: “This is part of a learning process to understand what went wrong last year and what we can learn for the future.  It is important that members of the inquiry have first-hand information and evidence about this devastating outbreak.

“The EU inquiry is the only parliamentary inquiry of its kind into the foot and mouth outbreak.  All attempts to hold such an inquiry in Westminster were blocked by the government.”

Mr Watson praised Devon County Council’s response to the outbreak.   “The excellent inquiry held and report produced is a model to follow.”

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Monday, 15 April 2002

Euro MP Graham Watson has praised a report by Bristol-based group, Our Common Future, which contradicts the assertion of the nuclear industry and the government that the continued use of nuclear power stations will help in lowering CO2 output.

The report has been drawn up by a working party which was set up following concerns about the use of depleted uranium in weapons and is in response to a DEFRA consultation paper, ‘Managing Radioactive Waste Safely.’

In its response to DEFRA, the group includes research showing, that over its lifetime, a nuclear power station generates as much CO2 as a gas powered station and that 80% of CO2 emission comes from cars.

Mr Watson said the report was a credible and persuasive contribution to the nuclear debate and should be given careful consideration by DEFRA.

“I salute the efforts of Our Common Future and will give them my active support in the European Parliament.   I have sent a copy of the group’s paper to the Energy Commissioner, Loyola de Palacio.”

The group says nuclear waste will affect the environment and health of future generations and cost billions of pounds to deal with.  It calls for the development of renewable energy sources.

* Our Common Future is a coalition of more than 30 organisations working for peace, the environment, development, human rights and racial justice.  It was set up in Bristol in 1995.

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Monday, 15 April 2002

Mr Watson will also meet the EU's Ambassador to Poland, Bruno Dethomas, and give a talk to students at the Warsaw School of Economics on "The European Union after 11 September".

Wednesday, 10 April 2002

South West Euro MP Graham Watson wants producers of computer printers and photocopiers to be stopped from making products that cannot be recycled.

He has supported an amendment to a draft electronic waste directive which requires EU governments to ensure that goods have not been designed to prevent their re-use.

Mr Watson said: “Britain’s re-manufacturers, who employ more than 30,000 people to repair equipment and refill printer cartridges, claim that electronic devices are being fitted to prevent used equipment being recycled.”

Mr Watson said this was anti-environmental and anti-competitive.  “The amount of discarded electronic waste is growing and the aim should be to encourage its re-use.”

It has been reported that one company has taken out a patent which enables ink jet cartridges to destroy themselves rather than be refilled and re-used.  When the level of ink falls, an electrical current is activated which burns out the printer head.

MEP raps Post Office closure threat

Wednesday, 10 April 2002

Local MEP Graham Watson said today that he was “appalled” at the threatened closure of up to 3,000 post offices.

Consignia, which is losing more than £1 million a day, has already suggested that as many as 30,000 jobs in the Royal Mail network could be shed.  

Post offices affected by the new threat are in town centres and suburbs.  As many as one in three urban offices could close. 

Problems for Consignia are likely to increase as the government-appointed regulator, Postcomm, opens up mail services to competition.  But Mr Watson, Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West, said post offices were vital community assets which should not be entirely at the whim of free market economics.

“Once again, the elderly and the less mobile will lose out.  Callous government policies are hitting the weakest people in our society. 

“The community benefits which local post offices can provide must be taken into consideration and it cannot just be left to the free market.  I am appalled that closure on this scale is being contemplated.”

Tuesday, 9 April 2002

Mr Watson concluded that "when international law is so blatantly ignored, such bloodshed is unavoidable", and invited Mr Sharon to reflect on whether he wished to be among the "first clients" of the Permanent International Criminal Court, whose statute enters into force this Thursday.

Monday, 8 April 2002

Local MEP Graham Watson wants the European Union to take a lead in planning for the “demographic revolution” of an ageing population.

Currently, one in 10 people is aged 60 or over.  The United Nations predicts that by 2050 one in five will be 60 or older and by 2150 this ratio will be one in every three people.   It is estimated that the number of centenarians will rise from 210,000 in 2002 to 3.2 million by 2050.

On Thursday (11 April), MEPs in Strasbourg will listen to a European Commission statement on the Second United Nations World Assembly on Ageing which is taking place this week in Madrid.

Mr Watson will call on the EU to require member states to prepare plans for coping with the challenges that an ageing population will bring and for the maintenance of state pensions.

He said: “Older people, with their knowledge, wisdom and experience, are a valuable resource for society, not a drain.  But there are implications for social and economic structures.  International communities must adjust policies, plans and resources to take account of this demographic revolution and to promote inter-generational solidarity.”  

On Friday, Mr Watson will be travelling to Florence, Italy, to discuss the issue of ageing in a country which has the lowest birthrate in Europe.

Monday, 8 April 2002

"I am particularly pleased that in a high turnout, the far-right Justice and Life Party has failed to secure sufficient support to gain representation in parliament. The fact that Hungarians have turned away from extreme nationalism augurs well for their country's accession to the EU. I am also tremendously heartened by the performance of our liberal friends in the Alliance of Free Democrats, and I wish them well for the second round".