International

On 18th September. SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong and staff member Meltem Okcu paid a working visit to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki. The trip provided a treasure-trove of information concerning who gets to take the decisions when it comes to the use of chemical substances and in particular on the role of the industry itself. What prompted the visit was the widespread anger about the discharge of a dangerous substance, known by its brand name GenX, by chemical company Chemours in Dordrecht, Netherlands. The SP has fought on the local, regional and national level against this substance being omitted, which nevertheless turns out now to be present even in drinking water. Yet no action has been taken, despite the government having the power to restrict GenX and even to move to have a total ban instituted at European level. This would require them to be active in the responsible committee of the ECHA.

Together with the European Parliament political group to which it is affiliated, the SP has nominated Riffian protest leader Nasser Zafzafi for the Sakharov Prize. The prize is awarded annually by the European Parliament to an outstanding defender of human rights and freedom of expression.

The last forty years have seen little progress in terms of disposable income for most families in the Netherlands. A great many people were already aware of this from their own experience, but the Rabobank, a major Dutch bank, has calculated it precisely.

Investigation and prosecution are the job of the Dutch national authorities, not the EU. On Thursday the Dutch National Parliament debated the proposed broadening of the tasks of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (PPO). In the SP's view, however, the PPO is like the caterpillar in the children's story that could never eat enough. Even before the PPO is properly established there's already a proposal that its mandate be extended to include combating terrorism. Parliament agreed with the SP that this was a bad idea.

Today the European Parliament votes on the enforcement of authors' rights on internet platforms, such as Youtube. The SP has always stood up for the rights of creative artists, but opposes unnecessary censorship.

In his last ´State of the Union´ address as president of the European Commission, delivered today in Strasbourg, Jean-Claude Juncker showed just how trapped he is inside the Brussels bubble. Commenting on Juncker's speech, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said, “He's got a cheek, calling himself a friend of Greece while most Greeks have been plunged into deep poverty in recent years as a result of European policies; or calling for more migrants from outside the EU when unemployment in so many member states continues to rise. If Juncker has achieved anything, it's that the heads of governments, like lambs to the slaughter, have given ever more power to Brussels. That's why Juncker feels free in relation to policy areas such as taxation, justice, the euro and foreign policy to demand still more power for the Brussels bubble. Just like our own prime minister Mark Rutte, Juncker loves the EU. And both of them love the multinationals. So the task for the European voter next year will be to burst the bubble in a single blow.”

SP Member of Parliament and foreign affairs specialist Sadet Karabulut is demanding a thorough enquiry into how it is possible that Dutch support for rebel groups in Syria has gone directly to Jihadists and human rights abusers. “Dutch support for extremist rebel groups in Syria is completely unacceptable,” she says. “The Syrian president Assad must be driven off the political stage, so western powers have joined Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar in supporting radical Islamist militias. Yet while millions in taxpayers' money has gone to Jihadists, Assad sits ever more firmly in the saddle and the war in Syria has been prolonged. That's not only disastrous for Syrians, but means that peace has been shoved further out of sight. The SP urges the end of this permanent war, so an enquiry which turns over every stone is crucial and it's vital that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is completely open about its findings.”

European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has taken a close look into the appointment of Martin Selmayr and concluded that there have been four counts of maladministration. 'These judgments confirm what the European Parliament itself decided in July, that the Juncker Commission acted incorrectly in the appointment of Selmayr,' says SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong. 'So it's of the greatest importance that the discussion about political appointments in the European institutions is accorded the highest priority. The most recent proposals from Commissioner Günther Oettinger are in danger of being quickly hidden away behind closed doors. We mustn't let that happen.'

As Parliament returned from recess this week, SP leader Lilian Marijnissen marked the occasion with a speech to the think-tank The Machiavelli Foundation, based like the national legislature in The Hague. People, she said, want a coherent account of what is going on “in our country”. And quite rightly.