Nieuws van de afdeling

6 September 2012

SP initiative leads to major clean-up of European Commission’s expert groups

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.’

6 September 2012

Gesthuizen: 'Deporting settled children is inhuman’

On Thursday SP Member of Parliament Sharon Gesthuizen attended the demonstration for a children’s amnesty, a suspension of deportations of minors. Christian Democrat Immigration and Asylum Minister Gerd Leers received a petition containing 130,000 signatures in support of such an amnesty, but made it clear he was prepared to do little for these children.

6 September 2012

Roemer on the ECB: 'If the cap guns don’t work, you have to bring out the cannon'

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.’

3 September 2012

Van Bommel urges earlier withdrawal of Dutch police trainers from Kunduz

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel wants Dutch police trainers pulled out of the Afghan province of Kunduz earlier than planned. Explaining his concern, Van Bommel says ‘During the last few months an increasing number of Afghan police officers and military personnel have shot NATO trainers. This is the umpteenth indication that NATO's mission in Afghanistan is impracticable. More and more countries are withdrawing their troops, in some of them earlier than originally planned. That’s what the Netherlands should be doing too.’

30 August 2012

European Commission gives in to demands of cosmetics industry

A ban on testing cosmetics on animals is once again threatened with postponement as the European Commission seems to be yielding to the cosmetics industry lobby in Brussels. In answers to parliamentary questions, the Commission has announced that the ban could be postposed and - according to SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, fellow Dutch MEPs Judith Merkies (PvdA – Labour Party) and Bas Eickhout (Green Left), and Marja Zuidgeest of anti-animal testing group Proefdiervrij – is ignoring the possibility of applying animal-free methods.

29 August 2012

Cooperation between labour inspectorates needed to combat exploitation

The SP’s team in the European Parliament have been joined by colleagues from Dutch centrist party D66 in urging improvements to cooperation between EU member states’ labour inspectorates in combatting exploitation of workers. ‘The member states’ labour inspectorates last May called on the European Commission to draw up a proposal for European legislation aimed at improving cooperation,’ explains SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong. ‘This concerns exchange of information, legal support and common actions against illegal labour contractors. We support this call, because both workers and honest employers are coming up increasingly against illegal practices involving workers from other member states.’

International