Nieuws van de afdeling

7 December 2008

Government answers Senate's questions on Dutch involvement in Iraq war – at last

This week the Senate is at last to receive an answer to its hundred questions on the government's involvement in the war against Iraq. SP Senator Arjan Vliegenthart, who put the questions together with Senators from the Labour Party (PvdA), Green Left, D66 (centrist liberals) and the PvdD (Animal Rights' Party), is curious. "The cabinet has taken almost six months to give an answer to our questions," he said. The length of time taken should mean that we get really good answers. Evasive and wishy-washy answers will not be acceptable."

4 December 2008

Expert groups: oil on the wheels of our democracy... or sand in the engine?

The EU remains in the grip of commercial interests who have used positions in 'expert groups' to exercise an unregulated influence on policy. The European Commission has reacted tardily and sporadically to demands for more openness. SP Euro-MP Erik Meijer is determined to see this change.

4 December 2008

Council of Europe launches investigation into effects of credit crisis

SP Senator Tiny Kox, chair of the United Left Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), is pleased with the announcement that an enquiry will be launched into the credit crisis. The assembly, which consists of parliamentarians from every European country, is extremely concerned about the consequences of the crisis for the citizens of the Council of Europe member states and of the rest of the world.

3 December 2008

European Parliament votes to delay EU-Israeli trade deal

On a proposal from the European United Left political group, to which the SP belongs, the European Parliament today decided to delay a vote on a new trade treaty between the EU and Israel. Known as an 'Association Agreement', the deal would deliver a range of trade advantages to Israel, but as a result of the Parliament's vote, which was in protest at the continued occupation of the Palestinian territories and other Israeli abuses of human rights, it will remain for the time being on ice.

3 December 2008

Not a cent!

A few days ago the government announced that relatives of victims of Dutch war crimes in Indonesia would not be receiving damages, however much they harped on about it. The mass murder in Rawagedeh of hundreds of innocent men and boys happened, after all, such a long time ago. The lawyer working for Premier Balkenende stated this quite literally when he wrote that "insofar as your clients have a claim, this claim is in any case out of date." This implies that the fact of large scale war crimes having been perpetrated remains in doubt and that there is no responsibility to be taken. This is incredible audacity.

2 December 2008

Novel foods will be better regulated thanks to SP report

The SP is winning increasing support in the European Parliament for its view that meat from cloned animals must not be smuggled on to our plates via the back door. "We must not recognise cloned meat as a novel food under the new regulation," said Kartika Liotard following today's vote on her report on the proposed new regulation in the European Parliament Committee on the Environment and Public Health.

International