JEAN LAMBERT NEWSLETTER: NOVEMBER

Brussels

Other European Events

London - Constituency Activities

Jeans Report on Asylum - an Update

Current Affairs - Jean's comment on the "politics of terror"

Dates for the Diary

Previous Newsletters

Brussels

• The annual SOLIDAR Silver Rose awards this year honoured the National League for Democracy of Burma, Graça Machel, Narodna Dopomoha and Tom Benetollo as outstanding in their commitment to social justice. Jean's guests included friends from the Social Platform, Fair Trials Abroad, AGE, IDSN and the CCME.

• Due to recent staff changes Jean now has a completely new London team who were welcomed to Brussels at the beginning of November to discuss future strategy. For the full team go to the Contact Jean section of her website.

• In recognition of her work with the Kurdish community and her understanding of the issue Jean was invited to chair a session entitled Turkey’s European and International Obligations at the Conference on EU, Turkey and Kurds.

• Jean was delighted to be given the chance to put a Green slant on the CSR agenda when she was invited by British Retail Consortium to kick off discussions on industry's response to the challenges set by the Commission. At the meeting which included representatives from Tesco, Boots and ASDA, Jean reminded participants that base standards needed to be met by legislation to act as a safety net where voluntary agreements fail.

• Jean held an informal meeting with Maureen O'Neill previously the Director of Age Concern Scotland and recently appointed Queen Margaret University College Co-Director for the Centre for Older Person's Agenda to discuss the inter-group as well as strategies for the new services directive.

• As an initial introductory meeting and an opportunity to discuss the general progress of work in the LIBE Committee, Jean met with Caroline Flint MP. Caroline set out the general priorities for the UK Presidency of the EU from July next year and some issues around asylum, security and justice were discussed in more detail.

• Jean was invited by the Royal College of Nursing to the EPSU European Parliament joint dinner. With the aim of strengthening a Social Europe, the evening provided participants with an opportunity to discuss their concerns about the Working Time Directive and Services of General Interest amongst other topics.

• At a racial equality lunch with Trevor Philip Jean discussed a possible meeting on Immigration policy perhaps to be organised by the Group next year.

• Jean met with Finnish MP Rosa Meriläinen a member of the Administration Committee in the Finnish Parliament to discuss the migration policy at European level and the Hague Agreement. She has been active in Attac, especially in issues concerning trade policy, social policy, equality and social rights.

• Jean in her capacity as Vice-Chair of the British Beer Club welcomed MEPs and guests to a Celebration of Beers and speciality foods from the London and South East regions. In her speech Jean reiterated that Britain had more to offer than warm beer! Indeed the many guests clearly enjoyed the wide selection which included organic and fair trade ales.

Other European Events

Netherlands

• On 18-20 November the EAPN held its fifteenth General Assembly in Groningen. This year the key note theme was: “Tackling poverty and social exclusion in an enlarged EU”. Jean gave a speech in which she highlighted that to reach European social inclusion solutions a long term multi faceted approach is required. For Jean, policy should include coherent "green" training strategies, high standard energy efficient housing, better investment in public services, stronger anti-discrimination measures and greater social security.

Ireland

• Speaking at the 'Living to work-working to live' Conference held by the Dublin Foundation, Jean reminded participants how our level of income can greatly affect choices we have in balancing work and life. Long working hours and the failure of flexible working to meet the needs of employees are major issues for London’s workers. Jean used the conference to promoteher latest publication Flexible Working.

London - Constituency Activities

• Following Bush's re-election Jean gave a speech at the Climate Change rally outside the US embassy in London where she registered her protest against damage done both in the States and in this country because of our policy on fuel emissions. At the event, Phil Thornhill, Campaign for Climate Change coordinator, exhorted America to "Wake up to the reality of the destabilisation of global climate" other speakers included Bryony Worthington from Friends of the Earth, Dave Timms from the World Development Movement.

• Jean spoke on the subject of climate change to the AGM of the Redbridge Green Fair organisation, in Ilford Central Library stressing the implications for London.

• Jean spoke to the Ecological Committee in Buckhurst Hill on the role of the European Parliament in addressing environmental issues.

• Jean spoke to a meeting set up by WWF and the Women’s Institute to explain the Green Group’s position and strategy on the Chemicals Directive.

• Jean arranged for a representative of the Royal College of Nursing to attend the public hearing on the Services Directive, which, if applied to health, could have huge impacts on London’s health service. Jean is challenging the inclusion of health in the Directive.

• Jean often visits schools in London to discuss with pupils green politics and the role of an MEP, this month she spoke to the Politics Society at Highgate School.

• Jean attended a high level meeting on Crossrail, accompanied by the Green Party’s Transport Speaker, Alan Francis. Jean will continue to liaise with Green colleagues over the project, and respond to constituents’ concerns. A joint report was submitted to the Crossrail planners on behalf of Jean, the GLA Green Group and Alan Francis.

• Jean spoke at a demonstration in Walthamstow condemning the local council’s backtracking on an arts centre development, supported her local party’s by-election campaign.

• Jean attended a demonstration in support of Families for Justice.

• Jean’s assistant attended the AGM of the Thames Gateway Forum on her behalf when she was in Strasbourg. The Thames Gateway Forum is a forum of community groups interested in, and affected by, the proposed Thames Gateway developments.

Jeans Report on Asylum - an Update

Jean's Report and amendments were voted on in the Civil Liberties Committee where the Report passed by one vote! Contentious issues included the level of enforcement, the role of the UNHCR, Protected Entry Points, and standards of resettlement. To bring the issues home to the key players Jean will be organising a cross party meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday 14th December entitled EU Asylum Policy - the next steps. The final vote will take place at the December Session.

Current Affairs - Jean's comment on 'the politics of terror'

This month we heard the Queen's Speech which focused heavily on new anti-terror measures. The Parliament (though not the Green Party) has since approved a report which allows for biometric facial and fingerprint data to be included on new EU passports.

This new direction, supposedly emphasising preventative measures, will have a significant impact on our civil rights with the justification that there is a threat to our security under the current system. Apart from the enormous cost implications, Parliament has yet to be assured against risks of abuse, technological flaws and lack of transparency and data protection. These measures have been rushed through without first having been thought through. We don't even know if they will give us any more security.

I find it very depressing that the British Government is prepared to sacrifice rights and throw away money in the name of protection while at the same time public services are vastly unprepared and lack the resources necessary to cope in the event of an attack.

Hospitals often run at 85% capacity, Fire and Police forces have not received full training to deal with the consequences of such an attack. Yet we know that thousands of people would be put at risk if the worst case scenario were to occur.

What does this say about our government? Why is there such concern to tighten civil liberties when there is little emphasis on dealing with the fall out? Presumably the government doesn't feel the threat is great enough to warrant more spending and better planning here.