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18 May 2006

The Tragedy of Asbestos: Revised edition contains wealth of new material

A new edition of the English language version of The Tragedy of Asbestos, by Bob Ruers and Nico Schouten, is now available on the website of the Socialist Party of the Netherlands (SP), at / The new version contains all of the material included in last year’s publication, enhanced by a wealth of historical material previously available only in Dutch.

16 May 2006

SP: European decision on health claims ‘doesn’t go far enough‘

The European Parliament today adopted a compromise text designed to check the huge growth of health claims on the labels of food and drink products. The SP is pleased that legislation has finally been enacted, but is greatly concerned at the scope of the exceptions allowed by the new regulation.

12 May 2006

‘Big Brother’ Directive: No American conditions

Representatives of the American government have expressed an interest in the telecommunications data of Europeans which the European Union plans in the near future to record and preserve. SP Members of Parliament Jan de Wit and Harry van Bommel fear that this will create American-style conditions and have asked the Minister of Justice for clarification.

10 May 2006

SP tells left MEPs: ‘Enlargement increasingly unpopular in Netherlands’

On May 8th-9th the United Left Group of the European Parliament (GUE/NGL), in which the SP participates, met in Prague to discuss the results of the enlargement of the EU in May, 2004. SP Euro-MP Erik Meijer told the meeting that “The Dutch public is becoming increasingly critical of the EU and of its enlargement. And in the new member states themselves the downside of the process is coming increasingly to the fore.” He found little dissent from this view.

9 May 2006

European Affairs Secretary playing a dishonest game in discussion over future of EU

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel is incensed over the fact that Secretary of State for European Affairs Atzo Nicolaï is seeking a prolongation of at least a year of the official “period of reflection” over the future of the European Constitution. “Mr Nicolai is playing a dishonest game,” said Van Bommel. “He has previously said that the European Constitution is 'dead'. And a dead constitution has no future in the Netherlands or anywhere else.”

8 May 2006

Kartika Liotard: Safety of aspartame not established by EU food watchdog evaluation

The conclusions drawn by the EU's food safety watchdog, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), regarding the sweetener aspartame (Nutrasweet) are far from reassuring. They are in places completely at odds with the findings of the Ramazzini Institute, which conducted the actual research into the possible carcinogenic properties exhibited by the substance. Reacting to EFSA's statement, SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard, a member of the European Parliament's Public Health Committee, said, “When it comes to food it's always the case that any doubts must be dispelled, not played down and wished away as EFSA seems to have done. The safety of aspartame is still not guaranteed.”

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