Nieuws van de afdeling

18 October 2012

‘Bring Dutch soldiers and police trainers home from Kunduz’

SP member of Parliament Harry van Bommel will take advantage of the next debate on the Dutch mission in the Afghan province of Kunduz to bring forward a proposal that the operation be ended earlier than scheduled. His decision was prompted by reports that the operation has been halted. ‘According to the government it seems that police officers trained by the Netherlands are being deployed outside of Kunduz,’ says Van Bommel. ‘This is contrary to agreements made with Parliament. There are, furthermore, now enough Afghan trainers in Kunduz capable of giving basic training to police officers. With a bit of luck our boys and girls can be home for Christmas.’

16 October 2012

Visa liberalisation for Balkans: De Jong wants Commissioner to comment on likely consequences

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong wants to hear what European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström has to say about the liberalisation of visa requirements for citizens of Balkan states. Six EU member states have asked the Commissioner to clarify the rules, known as the ‘emergency brake procedure’, which will kick in to suspend visa liberalisation in the event of problems arising. ‘The spokesperson for the European Commission speaks in terms of “major concerns”,’ says De Jong. “I want the Commissioner to say how many people this involves. I also want the Commission to produce a speedy elaboration of this proposed procedure.’

15 October 2012

Van Bommel: ‘Don’t make Europe into a debt union’

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel is urging outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte to cast his veto in Brussels against plans for a ‘Euro-budget’, a European Union ‘national debt’ and an EU finance ministry. These proposals for far-reaching European integration may be brought forward this week, and Van Bommel wants the national parliament to return from recess on Wednesday in order to hold a debate on the matter with the government, which in the interim until a new coalition agreement is reached continues to have the same make up as it did before the elections. In this debate Van Bommel will be seeking guarantees that these proposals will be subject to a Dutch veto at the earliest possible stage of the procedure.

11 October 2012

Enquiry into EU agencies confirms SP’s suspicions over conflicts of interest

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong believes that the European Court of Auditors’ enquiry provides confirmation of the conclusion of an earlier investigation commissioned by the SP, that the danger of conflicts of interest arising in EU agencies is extremely grave. The investigators state that there remain, despite previous calls for action, no clear rules governing conflict of interest. ‘The Agencies under investigation have not dealt adequately with affairs involving conflicts of interest,’ says De Jong. ‘For that reason I will be requesting a plenary debate in which those responsible must be held to account.’

11 October 2012

European Parliament proposal to tackle market manipulation puts journalists at risk

The European Parliament Economic Affairs committee today voted in favour of proposals designed to tackle market manipulation. The SP is in full support of proposals to, for example, stamp out insider trading, but included in the existing proposed measures journalists are threatened with unjust arrest. ‘Journalists’ articles in, for example, a newspaper, which as a result of their being newsworthy prove profitable for the paper in question, would become, if this goes through, open to prosecution,’ explains SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong. ‘Because of the Economic Affairs Committee’s sloppy work, journalists run the risk of finding themselves behind bars just for bringing the news to their readers.’

10 October 2012

Dutch Parliament ignores growing European support for a transaction tax

A majority in the Dutch national Parliament’s main legislative chamber have voted to reject a motion supporting the introduction of a tax on financial transactions. SP leader Emile Roemer’s proposed earlier in the year that the Netherlands join those European countries pushing for such a tax. ‘This tax – also known as the Tobin Tax – would make the financial system more secure, because rapid cross-border transactions would be made less profitable,’ explains SP Member of Parliament Arnold Merkies. ‘Eleven European countries have already expressed their support, but the right-wing majority in Parliament prefers to bury its head in the sand.’

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