Nieuws van de afdeling

29 March 2012

Euro-MPs refuse to cut their own budget

SP proposals to prune the European Parliament’s budget were today rejected. Commenting on the result, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said ‘Throughout Europe we’re seeing spending cuts, except for within the European Parliament itself. I proposed taking a firmer grip on MEPs’ spending and put a stop to double reimbursements. I note that it was those with the loudest voices in favour of cuts in their own country, such as our own two ruling parties the Christian Democrats and the Liberals of the VVD who voted against these proposed economies.’

28 March 2012

European Parliament tackles airlines which evade the rules

The SP’s team in the European Parliament has described the report on the rights of airline passengers as ‘an important step forward’. In the report, due to be adopted by the EP tomorrow, member states are called upon to act more vigorously against airlines which are careless of consumer protection, while the European Commission must act against member states which remain negligent. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong: ‘Because passengers often don’t know what rights they have, airlines get away with a great deal. That’s why the rules on information and consumers’ rights are being tightened up. When you’re flying you need to know that there’s a right to a refund in the event of delays of more than three hours and that the price advertised has to be the actual price of a ticket. In addition there is as things stand a lack of clarity as to when airlines can claim force majeure or an “Act of God”. I would also expect enforcement of one’s rights to be made rather easier.’

27 March 2012

European Parliament attacks EU agencies

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong describes himself as ‘pleased’ with the exceptionally critical report from the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control on the subject of EU agencies. Almost all of his proposals to examine the effectiveness of the agencies were accepted. In addition, the European Parliament has refused approval for payments to three agencies where serious forms of conflict of interest were evident. De Jong: ‘The failure to function correctly of European agencies has been under the radar for far too long. The SP has for years been urging more transparency on the part of these agencies. That will now at last come into being and I see this as a major victory.’

26 March 2012

Europe downgrades the right to strike

In recent years workers’ right to strike has come under pressure where the strike in question is a cross-border affair. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has, in a number of rulings, shown that it places little value on the protection of basic rights within the EU internal market. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong has made the European Commission aware of his concerns, while the Dutch trade union federation, the FNV, and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) have on a number of occasions sought an explanation of these developments from the Commission, demanding that fundamental rights not be subordinated to the workings of the internal market. With an eye to crumbling public support for the single market project, Mario Monti made the same points some years ago. And indeed, how can the public and working people in particular be expected to support the internal market, if they can have no confidence that the protection of basic rights is of a higher order than purely economic motives?

21 March 2012

European Commission leaves workers out in the cold

Today the Commission has at last produced its proposals on the rights of workers in relation to the internal market, but in the SP’s view these are extremely disappointing, as Euro-MP Dennis de Jong explains: ‘This concerns the right to strike at foreign firms and to be paid an equal wage for equal work. On both fronts the Commission is leaving things as they are: the right to strike will be subordinate to economic freedoms and the Commission refuses once again to guarantee equal pay for equal work in all cases. This is a direct attack on the position of workers in Europe.’

21 March 2012

Euro-MPs look after their own

The European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control this morning discussed the Parliament’s 2013 spending plans. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong: ‘This Committee’s proposal that the constant flitting between Brussels and Strasbourg be ended is a fine step, but it’s extraordinarily hypocritical of the Members of the EP to refuse to put an end to their own exorbitant expense payments. In addition to an enormous salary MEPs receive expense payment which overlap, such as the daily allowance and the allowance for distance from home, or those which are not expected to be reimbursement for sensible spending, as is the case for office costs. That allowance could certainly be lowered somewhat and made more transparent.”

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