In the whole of Europe, postal workers are sick to the back teeth of the liberalisation of the postal market. That’s why, from 12th to 15th April, there will be a European Action Week to demand a moratorium on the process. Today, the SP organised a meeting with postal workers from throughout Europe where they were assured of the full backing of the party. SP European Parliamentary group leader Dennis de Jong explains : ‘The postal workers are completely correct to take this action : they are having to do ever more work under ever deteriorating conditions of employment. In addition post offices are being closed down everywhere and delivery frequencies are decreasing. It’s not clear, either, what the consequences of all this will be for those living in thinly populated areas. Brussels has in the past sold privatisation with the assertion that it would bring lower prices and improved service, but this turns out not to be the case. Liberalisation should therefore now simply stop.’’
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Last week I was in New York for a UN women's conference. But you can't turn your back for a minute. By the back door, a decision was taken on the cultivation of genetically manipulated potatoes and the sale of GM maize in the EU. And I still haven't had an answer to my parliamentary questions of 22nd February on the subject. The spokesperson for the European Commission had explicitly reassured us with the announcement that no approval was in the offing. The first actual personal policy decision taken by European Commissioner for Health and Consumers John Dalli was the liberalisation of the cultivation of potatoes whose genome has been altered. This member of the Commission, who comes from the potato-growing island of Malta, has the improvement of public health and the safety of foodstuffs in his portfolio. In my view, food that has been tinkered belongs in neither category.