Nieuws van de afdeling

8 April 2013

The great Turin asbestos trial

The motion recently adopted by the European Parliament on the health risks of working with asbestos and the need to remove all remaining asbestos materials reminds us of the sad fact that each year within the EU between 20,000 and 30,000 victims of asbestos are mourned. The motion also draws attention to the position of asbestos victims and their organisations. Particular mention is made of the stunning verdict of the Turin court, which on 13th February, 2012, condemned the owners of asbestos cement factories to long prison sentences, thus demonstrating that asbestos victims could, via the criminal law, receive recognition and satisfaction.

4 April 2013

De Jong urges new European asylum policy

For SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, the existing European asylum system crosses the border of the acceptable. ‘It’s not at all clear whether this system is cost effective, while countries such as Greece and with external borders or coastlines must process a great many more asylum seekers than do other member states. The SP wants to see a more economical, more just system under which asylum seekers are first brought directly to a European asylum centre and only complicated applications are divided amongst the different EU member states. This would quickly consign inhumane situations for asylum seekers in such countries as Greece to the past.’

4 April 2013

SP Senator Kox visits Middle East

SP Senator Tiny Kox will in the next few days visit Jordan and Palestine as part of a delegation from the Council of Europe. In Jordan he will meet with King Abdullah II and Premier Ensour, as well as paying a visit to the refugee camp at Za’atari, where more than 370,000 Syrians are finding shelter from their country’s civil war. In Palestine the delegation will hold talks with President Abbas, Premier Fayyad and Foreign Minister Al-Malki.

28 March 2013

Welcome to tax haven Netherlands!

By Emile Roemer

27 March 2013

Jansen: ‘Get housing associations out from under the Brussels yoke.’

SP member of Parliament Paulus Jansen today presented two proposals designed to rid housing associations of Brussels’ meddling. ‘By means of two simple interventions we could ensure that Brussels doesn’t interfere any longer with our housing associations,’ says Jansen. ‘In this way these European technocrats will no longer take decisions about Dutch social housing.’ The housing associations are long-standing cooperative organisations which offer affordable accommodation.

27 March 2013

Van Dijk pleased with stricter checks on arms dealers

Permits to export weapons can henceforth be refused in the event of doubts over the integrity of the applicant. The Senate yesterday signalled its assent to this enhancement of the law, whose name translates as ‘Promoting Integrity Assessments by the Public Executive’ and which is known by its Dutch acronym BIBOB. SP Member of Parliament Jasper van Dijk has been urging the move for some time.

International