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28 March 2014

European banking union: a huge European trap

In the SP’s view the Europhoric vote on the concluding agreement for the banking union is misplaced, because the idea that forms the basis of such a banking union is fundamentally flawed. The SP argues instead for a return to human scale in the banking sector, rather than hanging on to a failing system.

28 March 2014

Nuclear weapons in Europe squander money

Last Tuesday the biggest summit ever held in the Netherlands, the Nuclear Security Summit, concluded with a declaration. Dozens of world leaders committed themselves to making greater efforts to better secure nuclear material, yet their statement contains not a word about NATO’s atomic weapons in Europe. That’s odd when you consider that it recently became known that the security of these American arms does not meet the stated demands and that more money must be found if it is to do so.

26 March 2014

Talks on EU-US trade and investment pact still secret

The European Union and the United States are clinging tenaciously to their intention to conclude an agreement on trade and investment, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). So stated President Barak Obama, European Commission President Jose Barroso and European Council chairman Herman van Rompuy today in Brussels. Commenting on the delaration, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said that ‘in it they state that support for the agreement amongst the people must be increased. At the same time concerns amongst the public over this treaty are growing by the week, and so they should be, because it is going to have radical effects on our legislation. You won’t get rid of these fears by keeping the negotiating texts secret. The first demand is therefore that there should be openness regarding the question of what exactly the negotiations are about. I don’t see anything about this in the declaration, however.’

25 March 2014

Kox: Major concerns surround Ukraine

After the bloody February revolution in Kiev and the brutal annexation of Crimea by Russia, the situation in Ukraine remains extremely unstable. The new government has little authority, the country continues to be divided and attempts by Russia, the United States and the European Union to increase their influence there are only making the problems worse. Support for a thoroughgoing democratic, economic and social reform of the almost bankrupt country ought to be the priority. That goes also for continuing to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. If that doesn’t happen, the consequences will be unforeseeable and perilous. These were the observations of SP Senator Tiny Kox, who is in Ukraine as a representative of the Council of Europe.

24 March 2014

De Jong supports manifesto for decent asylum policy

On 20th March Amnesty International staged the ´SOS Europe Beach Protest´, an action to demand decent treatment for asylum seekers. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong attended and signed the manifesto. `For years I have been trying in the European Parliament to set in motion a reform process in relation to European asylum policies,’ he explained. ‘Existing policies lead to degrading situations, especially in countries with long exterior borders, because they have to process the most requests for asylum. That’s why the SP advocates a European asylum centre which should guarantee proper treatment of requests for asylum.’

24 March 2014

Nuclear summit is above all a missed opportunity

The government has succeeded in holding an international conference in The Hague on nuclear safety. On the eve of this gathering a great deal of attention is being paid to security measures and the arrival of trade delegations, when its content should be the subject of criticism. The fact is that most important nuclear-related subjects are not being discussed at this summit.

International