Brussels to Belfast
EU budget up 1.86% for 2012
After pressure from national governments, the EU’s 2012 Budget has been limited to a 1.86 per cent increase in payments, effectively a freeze when inflation is factored in. The Commission had sought a 4.9 per cent rise and the Parliament went further, calling for 5.2 per cent. The new total is £129.1 billion.
Jim Nicholson said it was “vital” for Europe to help governments deal with budget cuts. Any increase was “undesirable” to Diane Dodds, who said it was “somewhat ironic” for Conservatives to claim victory as they made “drastic cuts” at home.
“If the planned increase were used properly, it would not be enough and if it were not used properly then it would, indeed, be too much,” said Bairbre de Brún. Sinn Fein’s proposals include maintaining agricultural and structural funds and moving the European Parliament to one location.
New Parliament President
German Socialist MEP Martin Schulz is tipped to take the European Parliament presidency in January, when Jerzy Buzek steps down. Buzek, a former Polish Prime Minister, has held office since 2009 and Schulz will continue until the 2014 elections. Schulz is a former bookshop owner and has been an MEP since 1994; German MEPs represent the whole country on national lists. He currently chairs the Socialists and Democrats group.
A code of conduct for MEPs is seen as Buzek’s main achievement. This was brought forward in June after a Sunday Times investigation in which reporters posed as lobbyists. The Commission and Parliament now also share a joint register of lobbyists. Other parliamentary achievements in 2009-2011 have included new rights for boat passengers, limits on animal testing and stricter capital rules for bank trading.
Local funding demanded
Jim Nicholson and Diane Dodds pressed for continued European funding for Northern Ireland during Commission question time on 15 November.
Dodds stated that the province still experienced high unemployment, social exclusion and low-level paramilitary violence. Employment Commissioner László Andor said that the Commission wanted to “respond to the concrete needs on the ground” but allocations had to be agreed with national governments.
Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn gave Nicholson “the all clear” on Commission support for a continued Peace funding programme, but this depended on UK and Irish Government backing. Hahn was confident of a solution.
Irish web call
Fianna Fáil MEP Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher has called on the European Parliament to translate its whole website into Irish. The site is translated into 22 of the 23 official EU languages, with Irish being the exception. Bairbre de Brún has pointed out that MEPs’ remarks in Irish are already published accurately in the official record. Jerzy Buzek pledged to look into the case personally.
