International

SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong has slammed the European Parliament's so-called Socialists and Democrats group, which brings together Labour and other centre-left parties, for their failure to vote in favour of granting gay couples the same rights as other co-habitees. "The SP does not believe that Brussels has the right to decide whether or not EU member states introduce gay marriage,” says De Jong. “This is a matter for national parliaments. Recognising the rights of people who live outside their country in other parts of the European Union, however, is another matter. A Dutch homosexual couple should have the rights granted to them under Dutch law, and they should keep these rights if they go to stay or to reside in another member state. This applies to very many legal contracts and this case should be no exception."

At the beginning of September the Davids Commission realised that it needed more time before it could present its findings on the Netherlands' involvement in the war on Iraq. It is costing the commission a great deal of time to study all public and reliable information, some of it new, while various whistleblowers have announced that they still wish to be heard.