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Leading Government Ministers, Party Leaders and European Commissioners from Liberal Democratic parties across Europe are meeting in London today at the invitation of South West England and Gibraltar MEP Sir Graham Watson, in his role as president of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform party (ELDR) together with UK Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg. The main topics being addressed are the European economic growth; the eurozone and treaty change and the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the European Unions long term budget strategy. A number of key Lib Dem Ministers will attend including Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander and Business Secretary Vince Cable.
Prior to the meeting, Sir Graham commented: "Finding a credible solution to the economic crisis remains the number one priority. This will inevitably require greater fiscal coordination, discipline and solidarity among Eurozone countries. The draft Reinforced Economic Union (REU) Treaty under discussion at present is one step in this regard. But fiscal austerity alone cannot solve our problems. Unless we tackle the underlying cause of the crisis - Europe's chronic lack of competiveness in the global economy - this crisis will be the first of many more to come."
Thank you for the many thousands of e-mails requesting my support for reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). My inbox has been flooded with e-mails on this topic.
I welcome your views on this matter and I deplore the amount of fish that is currently wasted by the EU's quota system, requiring fishermen to discard stock once they catch a certain amount. This affects all marine species and damages biodiversity immeasurably; this problem must be resolved.
EU Commissioner John Dalli has revealed that action has already begun at European level to punish Member States who have made little or no effort to conform to new egg welfare laws.
The Commissioner said that letters have already been sent to Member States informing them they will be taken to court for failing to comply with laws to outlaw battery cages.
Of the three speeches I made in the House this week the two important ones - on the outcome of last week's European Council (Summit) and on the future of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme - went largely unreported in the UK, while my attack on the European Food Safety Agency for preventing prune sellers claiming prunes have a laxative effect was widely reported and went viral on social networking sites.
South West and Gibraltar Liberal Democrat MEP and President of the ELDR party Sir Graham Watson has called for the UK to come back to the negotiating table in a European Parliament debate.
Speaking in the chamber, Sir Graham said:
"The Liberal Democrats deeply regret the outcome of last week's summit. It is bad for Britain and divisive for Europe."
Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar Sir Graham Watson has raised the issue of prunes and their laxative qualities in the Strasbourg chamber of the European Parliament.
Watson's comments have arisen from the refusal of the European Food Safety Agency to recognise the high fibre quality of fruits such as berries, pomegranates and the infamous prune.
The European Council meeting (heads of state and government summit) of 8-9 December 2011 ended in agreement by 23 member states to press ahead with a new treaty to forge a closer economic and fiscal union. Two other member states said they would join subject to ratification by their parliaments, and a third is now in this category, bringing to 26 member states the number which intend to proceed. Their intention is to agree the new treaty by March 2012. The UK said it would not join them.
This is a week in which so much has happened here I can hardly do justice to it in a newsletter which endeavours not to exceed one side of a piece of A4 paper. The preparations for the EU summit, the jockeying for position of the major players, the clash over a heads of state and government supper which went on far too long last night and the denouement leave nobody with much credit. The EU's traditional way of doing things is a big loser. But among the member states the UK has lost the most.
Speaking after a high level meeting of European Liberals this morning, South West MEP and European Liberal Democrat and Reformparty President Sir Graham Watson MEP said:
"Just as national leaders within the centre-right European People's Party have played fast and loose with constitutional niceties, so now Europe's establishment - predominantly from the EPP - has re-written EU rules in a dangerous way."
Commenting on the outcome of the European Council meeting, South West Liberal Democrat MEP and President of the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Sir Graham Watson said:
'The agreement by EU heads of state and governments is a decisive step forward in the management of Europe's economy and the Euro.'
