Nieuws van de afdeling

15 April 2012

European Parliament supports SP proposal to set limits to EU criminal law

SP-Euro-MP Dennis de Jong describes himself as ‘delighted’ by the near-unanimous support for his report ‘Limits to European Criminal Law’ considered last week in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. De Jong: ‘In an increasing number of policy areas the European Commission is adding criminal law provisions to its proposals, for example in relation to the environment, or dishonest trade practices. This creates the danger of a haphazard approach in which separate bits of criminal law are created which fail to correspond with each other. My report establishes clear boundaries, introducing criteria in order to establish whether something can indeed be enforced by means of the criminal law, or whether a less heavy-handed means can be employed. It also includes a strict test to determine whether it should be dealt with via European regulation. Not everything in the area of criminal law qualifies. Lastly the report provides for measures to maintain the cohesion of different criminal law provisions.’

6 April 2012

Van Bommel demands openness on use of F16s in Afghanistan

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel is demanding that the government come clean on the uses to which Dutch F16 military aircraft are being put in the skies above Afghanistan. In principle the F16s are there to detect roadside bombs and protect military personnel who meet urgent difficulties on the ground. Yet according to Van Bommel the planes take to the air not only to go the aid of Dutch soldiers but also of personnel for other countries. In his view, the government should be open about this and not hide behind implausible agreements whose purpose is to prolong the mission.

1 April 2012

'There’s still room for an honest left in Europe'

The Left is doing well again in Europe. One of its standard-bearers is Emile Roemer. The agreeable leader of the crimson-red Socialist Party outshines Premier Mark Rutte and PVV chief Geert Wilders as the Netherlands’ most popular politician van Nederland. Together with Flemish PVDA (Labour Party) president Peter Mertens, the Antwerp newspaper De Gazet van Antwerpen looked Roemer up.

29 March 2012

Dennis de Jong in special European Parliament committee on organised crime

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong was today appointed a member of the special European Parliamentary committee on organised crime, corruption and money laundering. De Jong was one of the MEPs who put their names to the initiative which led to the committee’s establishment. Before he was first elected to the European Parliament, De Jong worked for many years in the Dutch national civil service in the fight against corruption. In that context he organised an international conference on the subject and was amongst those responsible for drafting the UN Convention against Corruption. ‘Corruption makes an effective approach to the crisis in southern Europe impossible,’ he says. ‘Combating corruption must therefore also become the EU’s top priority.’

29 March 2012

Gesthuizen urges ban on return of criminals from other EU countries to the Netherlands

Referring to members of roving criminal gangs who, having served their sentences, then take advantage of EU rules on free movement of persons to return to the Netherlands, SP Member of Parliament Sharon Gesthuizen said, ‘Criminals from EU member states should from now on have to serve their sentences in their own country. They should also be banned from coming back to the Netherlands.’ Gesthuizen’s statement came during Wednesday’s debate with the government in Parliament. ‘The so-called mobile gangs are a plague on Dutch businesses. Their members should have to serve their sentence in their own countries. But it makes no sense to send them packing if afterwards they can simply come back to the Netherlands and resume their old activities.’

29 March 2012

Van Gerven: end trade in hunger

'An end must be put to speculation in foodstuffs. To that end the government must agree as soon as possible a binding code with Dutch banks and other financial institutions. Certainly banks which receive state aid must stop this trade in hunger immediately.’ So said SP Member of Parliament Henk van Gerven in today’s debate on food prices.

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