Nieuws van de afdeling

4 July 2007

Arms Export Policy Not Properly Enforced

SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen has discovered that on 20 February 2006 a cargo of illegal tear gas grenades passed through Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on their way to Uganda. This is in conflict with the Netherlands’ policy on arms exports and for this reason Van Velzen will be demanding an explanation from the ministers responsible.

3 July 2007

137.000-plus signatures handed to Senate in demand for Iraq enquiry

Today 137,555 signatures in support of an enquiry into the Netherlands' support for the war in Iraq were handed to the country's Senate. Almost 100,000 of these were collected by SP activists.

2 July 2007

Council of Europe slams NATO over secret prisons

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has expressed its regret over NATO's refusal to cooperate in an investigation into the secret prisons and prisoner transports whose existence was recently confirmed by a report commissioned by the Assembly. PACE called on NATO to reveal details of the 2001 agreements concerning its involvement in this CIA operation, voting to support a proposal to that effect from the United European Left (GUE), the political group chaired by SP Senator Tiny Kox. .

2 July 2007

"Openness over Iraq" petition big success - SP contribution decisive

Harry van Bommel, Member of Parliament for the SP and one of the instigators in March of the petition for "Openness over Iraq", expressed his thanks to all of the peace activists who have worked so hard to collect a total of 126.000 signatures. This enormous number was assembled by activists of the group Openness over Iraq as well as the broad peace group Stop the War, two small parliamentary parties, the Green Left and D66, and above all by the SP.

26 June 2007

Moratorium on cluster bombs should include total ban on use and possession

The Dutch government has at last announced a moratorium on clusterbombs, but this should include a complete ban on the use or possession of these armaments, argues the SP.

23 June 2007

New EU Treaty will weaken position of member states

Heads of state and government meeting in Brussels as the European Council have reached a compromise over a new EU Treaty stripped of its "constitutional" frills. The agreement nevertheless represents a weakening of the position of the member states, with veto rights being surrendered in a number of policy areas. Nor will national parliaments be given the power to return proposals to the European Commission for reconsideration. On balance, the SP is for these reasons far from happy with the summit's results.

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