International

The meeting on 5th September between a cross-party group of likeminded MEPs led by SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, and a European Commission delegation got down to brass tacks in discussing the composition and working methods of the hundreds of official ‘expert groups’ which advise the Brussels executive. A large proportion of these groups are to be reformed, so that in the future representation on them will not be confined to the major corporations. Instead, smaller firms, trade unions, consumers, environmental organisations and other specialist interest groups will be represented. 'The Commission appeared contrite during the meeting and acknowledged that big corporations had been totally over-represented in the past,’ says De Jong. ‘All of the Commission’s services will now be given the task of drastically revising the composition and working methods of the expert groups.’

The European Central Bank’s decision to buy up unlimited quantities of state bonds comes as no surprise to SP leader Emile Roemer: 'It’s good that the ECB is now getting out its heavy artillery to tackle the speculators who are trying to destroy the euro,’ he says. ‘They are doing what I have long proposed. A question of sound judgement and of listening to what the international economists are saying. It’s a pity that the rest of the Dutch political parties never bother to look beyond our shores and prefer to rubbish my proposal. Next time they should think before they speak. A bit of friendly advice for our colleagues.’