Nieuws van de afdeling

2 July 2010

European Commission wants pensions privatised

The SP group in the European Parliament has been examining a leaked version of the European Commission discussion document on pensions. The document contains no definitive proposals but makes it clear that whatever else, the European Commission wants to see pensionable retirement ages increased and pension security reduced. In the view of SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, "it's obvious that the Commission sees pensions primarily as a financial market. It's the old story: we must offer consumers a choice, but as for solidarity between old and young, between the sick and the well, or between men and women, forget it."

1 July 2010

Parliament supports SP: patents on plant properties must be reviewed

A parliamentary majority and Minister of Agriculture Gerda Veerburg yesterday gave their support to an initiative from the SP which would ensure that the free cultivation of plants would no longer be hindered by patents owned by multinational corporations. SP Member of Parliament Henk van Gerven explains: “Research has shown that innovation is hampered by the granting of patents on plant properties and that this could eventually jeopardise the food supply. Seeds become more expensive and development of new crop plants which build positive new features into existing varieties is prevented. And all of this solely to the greater glory of the multinationals, and at the expense of the farmer and the market gardener.”

30 June 2010

De Jong: "European Court protects lobbyists"

The SP has described as 'disappointing' yesterday's decision on transparency by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The case concerned Bavarian Lager beer, but has gained wider significance, becoming a symbolic action in relation to greater access to documents. The ECJ ruled that the European Commission may refuse access to documents on the grounds that revealing identity could have consequences for lobbyists' private lives. "It's a pity that the Court has in this way missed a major chance to increase transparency," says SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong.

30 June 2010

Cluster bombs banned – now it's time to put a stop to transit and investments

From 1st August cluster bombs, when more than a hundred countries will bring the treaty containing the interdiction into force, will be banned. And the SP can claim some of the credit for the fact that the Netherlands signed. "This is a big step forward in the abolition of gruesome weapons, weapons which cause enormous suffering," says Jasper van Dijk, Member of Parliament for the SP. "Ratification by the Netherlands is partly down to former SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen, who fought for years to bring it about. At the same time, it's only a first step. We must now also tackle the transit of cluster munition and the investments by firms in cluster munitions.”

27 June 2010

SP Euro-MP presents signed declarations of support to Iranian resistance

On 26th June tens of thousands of Iranians gathered in Paris to express their opposition to the Iranian regime. Also present were representatives of twenty-three national parliaments and of the European Parliament. The Netherlands was represented by SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong, who presented international resistance movement president Maryam Rajavi with two books of signed declarations from the majority of members of both houses of the Dutch national parliament. The declarations called for protection of Iranian refugees in Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

25 June 2010

Defence Ministry has no problem with Magazine on Srebrenica

Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop has no problems with the publication of an issue of the military magazine De Onderofficier ('The Junior Officer') on the subject of the Srebrenica massacre of 1995, when Dutch UN troops allegedly failed to protect the local population in what was supposed to have been a safe enclave. Van Middelkoop said this in response to SP Member of Parliament Jasper van Dijk during a parliamentary debate on veterans policy. Two days later, however, the publication continues to be banned by an army communications department anxious to avoid any negative reports regarding defence during the formation of a new government, negotiations over which continue following the general election of June 9th.

International