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5 July 2006

SP: Add Nox to emissions trading, tax aviation fuel

“The SP supports the Commission's proposal by which it intends to put a stop to air transport's rapidly growing contribution to climate change. The inclusion of the air transport sector in emissions trading cannot be the only instrument to achieve this, but must rather form part of a package of measures including the introduction of a tax on aviation fuel, VAT on tickets, and a congestion tax for airports," argues SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard, who sits on the European Parliament's Environment Committee, yesterday evening at the Parliament's Strasbourg plenary.

5 July 2006

Clean up your own nuclear rubbish!

SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard spoke yesterday in the European Parliament on the subject of nuclear waste, arguing that while member states certainly had a responsibility in relation to the storage or processing of atomic waste, this meant principally that each country should "clean up its own nuclear rubbish.".

30 June 2006

Van Bommel urges protest against Israeli abuses of international law

SP foreign affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel is urging the government to condemn in the strongest possible terms Israel's recent and ongoing actions against the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said this week: “The world has had enough of the Palestinians. Up to now we have reacted with restraint. That is now over.” According to the SP, Foreign Minister Ben Bot must make his strong disapproval of this statement clear.

29 June 2006

Government falls: time for the voters to have their say

SP leader Jan Marijnissen has welcomed the resignation of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and his centre-right government and hopes to see the swift organisation of elections. "Outside parliament this government has long lost its support; yesterday it lost it inside parliament as well. It is good that premier Balkenende realises this. I think that a great many people, for example those who are out of work, dependent on benefits, ordinary working people and those employed in health care or education are anxious to see a change to more socially-minded policies. After four years of Balkenende it's now time to let the voters to have their say.”

29 June 2006

EU should ratify European Convention on Human Rights

The European Union should ratify the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) at the earliest opportunity. The convention obliges all European countries to respect human rights, but the European Union itself has so far failed to ratify it. This must change, according to SP Senator Tiny Kox and his Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) colleague Ed van Thijn, both of whom are members of the Netherlands' delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The two Senators today presented a motion to this effect to the PACE meeting in Strasbourg.

28 June 2006

Dutch Parliament: Left and right unite in air quality debate to demand EU-critical attitude

SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen and her colleague Paul de Krom of the centre-right liberal have expressed their satisfaction with the EU-critical statements regarding air quality policy made by Christian Democrat Secretary of State Pieter van Geel. The Environment Secretary has by his own account protested against a further tightening of norms which takes no account of the particular circumstances of such a densely populated country as the Netherlands, for which the new standards are simply unreachable unless drastic measures are taken.

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