Strasbourg Commentary 39 Plenary Session 18 – 21 Nov 2013

Strasbourg Commentary 39 Plenary Session 18 – 21 Nov 2013

Tuesday Voting The Plenkovic report on yet another Globalisation Adjustment Fund, to award yet more of your money to failed companies who can’t keep up, does not sound very exciting. But, this was for Spanish building firms in Valencia!!

Ever since I became an MEP I have received emails from desperate people who have fallen for the, “Retirement home in the Sun” scam. They have been to Spain on holiday, attend nice little UK gatherings where a smooth talker persuades them to invest. This means selling up in Britain using the cash to fund their home, only to find, in many cases, that it does not exist. Or, it does, but the local developer has had building permission for the complex from the Regional Council only to be overturned by the National Government. The bulldozers then move in and flatten their home; money gone. One famous case involved a time-share apartment of umpteen flats all taken by hundreds of North Europeans for their 2 weeks in the sun. Bulldozed like the rest, with no recompense.

Problem is, for UK buyers especially, they think that, as we are all in the EU now, all laws and so on are same everywhere, No they are not. Spanish conveyancing has always been tortuous and local solicitors are no help. Had lunch with Northampton Solicitors a few months ago and I asked them how they would go about dealing with acquiring Spanish property. “Not with a barge pole” was the reply.

Cyprus is no better. There they get the purchaser to sign the papers to deposit all the money required in a certain bank. They then have to appoint a lawyer to act for them to pay out the monthly in instalments,- before the keys are handed over!. No signature = no home = no money back. The only bank which will offer a Mortgage is the Alpha Panetti Bank. The only acceptable go-between lawyer is called Panetti!. I spent all afternoon with Cypriot lawyers and a UK lawyer trying to sort this out!!

Wednesday Votes included “Gender £balance …Directors Companies listed on stock Exchange” All our amendments were voted down. Then came the Fox-Hafner report on, “Location of the EU’s Parliament seats.”

Most of us wish to get rid of this Brussels/ Strasbourg monthly circus. To be clear it does not affect me too much, ditto others. I go the Brussels and come home, I go to Strasbourg and come home (in an hour or so, if you’ll let me!). But most of the Parliamentary Assistants live in Brussels, so they go to & fro, plus paperwork. Outside my door now is a cabin trunk into which I can put anything I like, John ditto. Sometime tomorrow it will be collected, join the other 745 other MEP trunks, be loaded onto trucks and off to Brussels. There to be unloaded and put outside my office. Friday prior to next Strasbourg all collected in Brussels again and off to Strasbourg, all of them. I put hardly anything in mine!!

The permanent staff of Parliament move between the two places, plus their paperwork. As do the Commission staff. And the Council staff. And a lot of the admin takes place in the Third seat of Parliament, Luxembourg. That’s where all our monies are administered, so any query…..

You would think that a re-arrangement would be a simple matter. Wrong! Strasbourg sittings are a matter of the Law, in that it is in the Treaties. At the moment there is work going on to amend the treaties, which is fraught with complexity and personalities. It will be ages before anything is done about the issue of where we debate and vote. And Cameron thinks he can re-negotiate our terms of membership within the Treaties!!!

My little one minute on Creutzman, “Competiveness etc” is on the website. My rough notes here below. I had the choice of speaking to this or to “Social Change and innovation”. Although the latter was more within my brief as employment spokesman I chose Creutzman as it was more interesting!. Actually, I had been approached by the Health Foods people mentioned in my opening line and promised them I would speak to this. No, I don’t normally respond to lobbyists because they are usually big companies after a free boost for their product. That usually takes the form of getting us to promote new legislation to favour them. Inevitably that works against the small guys, hence my support of the Small & Medium Enterprises”.

Thursday Creutzman was voted on today. Guess what, it was voted down, by 554 to 27 votes. Ah well. The point is, we never give up, they are going to hear what the only grown up democracy in Europe has to say. In which respect go to UKIP MEPs website and listen to a number of speeches of this last week from Paul Nuttall, Gerard Batten and Stuart Agnew, Enjoy!!.

http://www.derekclarkmep.org.uk/my-videos/

Entitled - EU shutting out small health food enterprises - UKIP MEP Derek Clark

Strasbourg Commentary (Part 2) Plenary session 13^th – 16^th Jan 2014

The outstanding event of the week was the appearance of the Greek Premier, Mr Samaras

His 40 minute presentation was to re-assure everyone that all in the Greek garden was lovely. Greece was now breaking even on the budget, that the current balance was OK. Yes, there was the outstanding Debt, he did not say how much!!, but they could now start paying back. They were on an even keel and there was social stability. He was grateful for the Solidarity shown by all the EU member states.

Then the round of lead speakers began.

Daul (EPP President) said Greek farmers would do better if they were not saddled with 10% on borrowing. They ought to reduce that, and that was the kind of Solidarity we need, MR FARAGE!

Swaobada Socialist) the demands of the Troika were not acceptable. It was destroying the social network in Greece., must be phased out. On a UK tack he complained that Cameron suppresses publication of benefit figures until after the Euro Elections.

Verhofstadt (ALDE) FARAGE wants to block worker movement when it is only 2.8% of working population. This is far too low, we want more movement, not less.

Harms (Greens) A mistake to say that reforms are working. The people do not buy into the systems. Public services are poor, Greece is in Depression, not recession. Greek jobs are being done in Brussels. Greece has foreign companies exploiting their resources.

Callanan (ECR) Samaras painted a nice picture but it is misleading.

Zimmer (NGL) It’s a social disaster in Greece with very high unemployment. There is a lot of illegitimate debt, ie conversion of private debt into Government debt.

So, not exactly a rosy Greek picture after all. You will have seen Nigel’s piece already, if not on this link. http://www.ukipmeps.org/articles_779_Farage-A-Battle-of-National-Democracy-vs-EU-State-Bureaucracy.html and I have never seen Nigel attacked by speakers before he got up to speak, still less two of them.

Personally I have been wrong on one count. I thought that they would all rally round Greece with the Euro elections in May so as to keep up the pretence of all being well, but not this week. Perhaps they will find some magic in April.

Derek Clark MEP 16^th Jan 2014

Derek Clark MEP Strasbourg 21^st Nov 2013.

Brussels Commentary 31 Employment Committee 5th Nov 2013

Brussels Commentary 31 Employment Committee 5th Nov 2013

This was just one afternoon and I do not always attend such short sessions, it takes me away from the demands of the office for a day and it costs the taxpayer just as much as a two day visit. However, I went on this occasion because I had been invited to dinner that same evening by the NFU. They were on a group visit the following day and had invited me because of the support I have been giving them. I have made a good number of visits to poultry farms, ploughed fields, milking parlours and so on. More usefully I have been to meetings to find out how elements of the revised Farm Support Scheme operates with a view to voting in their favour as and when it arises.

All useful time spent and hence their invitation which I accepted, of course, as a courtesy. Actually, I nearly missed out. The Employment meeting that afternoon was dominated by a voting session which went on for just over one and half hours and meant that I was rather late to dinner. The taxis in Brussels are hopeless.

In the votes we had, "Social dimension of the economic and monetary Union". Over 100 amendments and I am proud to tell you that my vote against stood on its own, to 41 in favour!.

On measures to "Facilitate rights involved re freedom of movement of workers", I had support! After 200 amendments it passed by 41 to 2. But the follow up vote, nominating a team to negotiate with Council (they expect problems!), came out as 40 in favour to 1 against. I think I have just been eliminated from several Christmas card lists.

I was one of 2 to vote against the last measure, "Regulation of the Globalisation Adjustment Fund". Not surprised, this is spending wads of money to help workers when a firm re-locates or otherwise closes because EU companies are so inefficient that they can't compete on the world stage. One of the latest closures was the Danish firm that builds these monstrous wind turbines. So now, when you see one being put up, you know it's not even keeping Europeans in work.

The first of these votes revealed some of the "smoke and mirrors" which we know is prevalent. The vote lists contained "Compromises", quite a common feature in which the rapporteur talks to "shadow rapporteurs" and to groups before the vote. You realise that these are popular with other MEPs because it includes amendments which might otherwise not stand up but which go through because it is rare for a compromise to be voted down. It also saves time in voting for the amendments it includes are not then taken. In this case three amendments were listed to vote before a compromise but which, if passed would cause the compromise to fall. They were passed, consternation all round.

The committee president ruled that this was so but complained. These compromises are always put together by a number of political groups, so they pass because of that wide support. On this occasion the president said that she was surprised that she had not been informed before hand of a certain group's change of mind!!

So if you were to see my committee voting you will not be surprised to see the rapidity with which the result is declared, it's all cut and dried before hand, she has no need to look up to see the size of "fors" and "against". It's called democracy, EU style.

Keep up the good work!!

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 6th Nov 2013

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session Oct 21st - 24th 2013

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session Oct 21^st - 24th 2013

Tuesday - The vote on In vitro devices included over 250 amendments. The whole thing is nonsense with simple stuff like sticking plaster being mixed up with implants which only a surgeon would use. See my speech about this where one minute was insufficient to cover the topic properly http://www.ukipmeps.org/articles_732_Medical-Devices-Its-all-about-the-big-companies.html

The report was approved by 525 to 25 votes but the legislative resolution was returned to committee for further work. Likewise the following vote on Medical Devices which had over 300 amendments.

The Estrela report on “Sexual and reproductive health and rights” was very contentious so the temperature rose considerably when a motion to postpone it passed by 351 to 319. Rapporteur most upset and continued complaining loudly in the lift lobby.

Apparently Education needs “Re-thinking”, well a vote of 556 to 105 against says so.

Wednesday - The Cadec report on the Fisheries Fund had attracted over 600 amendments, many of which were taken as one block vote, which passed in spite of our “No”! The report was adopted but legislation was postponed. Good, since it adopted provision for the subsidising of new vessels. The pictures circulated are of many subsidised new boats, such as British fishermen can only dream of, but all done with their money!

Do not be surprised to hear that the findings of the UN Climate Change Conference were well received, adopted by 524 to 120 votes.

Thursday - Included the Ulmer report on the Dangers of Ionising Radiation. All very well but this lot know nothing. When this came to the Employment Committee several different permitted levels of exposure were mooted, depending on the body part exposed, most of which ignored the UN recommendations, settling on several levels well above UN guidelines. Now we had this report of 150 amendments which was, of course, adopted, 455 to 102.

In the Brok report on Security Policy they voted for more EU involvement in the Balkans, I thought this region had caused enough trouble over the years. They also want Britain and France to abandon their nuclear weapons, apparently, this will persuade Iran to follow suit!

Most importantly was the La Via report, adopted by 428 to 44, on the shortfall of EU funds where I can do no better than to reproduce here the Europarl Press Release,-

So, back to Wednesday for voting on the budget, as usual in Oct or Nov. Very confusing this year. Up to now we have been presented with a comprehensive list of proposed expenditure set out line by line, each line showing the purpose of payment, with comment as to whether each was an increase or a decrease. With some 30 lines per page on 10 pages it gave clear identification of over 300 items of EU expenditure and we could cast informed vote. Not so now.

I should explain that all reports are an amending exercise. At each Employment Committee I am usually presented with a pile of 4 booklets, each of about 50 A4 pages, ie 100 sides. Number one starts with the original report, the rapporteur’s comments and then amendments, continued in the remaining booklets. I do not get this before the committee starts so John Tennant does the hard bit ready for me to vote. He reads all amendments, recommends which I should support, and which not, and converts this to a voting list. This is very tedious because, whereas the amendments are listed in the books in numerical order, on the voting lists the amendments appear in random order. These voting lists are not available until the evening prior to the vote! We sit down on the morning before the votes and discuss John’s decisions. That is quick because we of UKIP vote, normally, against everything and all I have to do is to check out any “Yes” John recommends. Votes in plenary follow a similar path.

By the way, before I had my own assistant to do this I had to do it myself. So I sat in committee all day, reading each report with its amendments, as debate continued. In between making an occasional intervention I marked up the booklets and hoped to get through them all by the time the voting lists came through at about 7.30pm. I took it all to my hotel and worked through before and after dinner, transferring my markings to the voting lists. You will realise that it is impossible to vote without a marked-up voting list. I did once try to vote from the amendment booklets, absolutely impossible. In any case changes come in overnight.

For the budget this year detail was expanded on several lines for each expenditure, so that there were 8 books of over 50 sheets each, making a pile some 5 inches thick. Impossible to use in the vote situation so the Budget Committee had collapsed all these lines into about 5 blocks per page, with minimal outline, on to voting lists of 10 pages of A4. For example “Block 1” was, ‘production levies, sugar storage, production charges, surpluses, financing the general budget’, all lumped together as one vote, with about 5 or 6 more blocks on each page. We were only able to vote by recommendation of our assistants and the fact that our senior assistant had copy of all 8 books of amendments.

Hence my comments above about how the voting takes place. The budget voting lists were just like all the others, as detailed above, but with over 1000 amendments! Our senior assistant, Aurelie Laloux, worked for two solid days on the voting lists for the budget.

To make matters worse the rapporteur addressed MEPs as the budget vote was about to start. She explained that six or seven amendments had alterations for us to note. Problem, plenary vote lists are just like committee lists and, instead of taking them one at a time as we got to it, she did it all together, identified by amendment number. So it was impossible to follow instructions. Hence my “Point of Order”, as per the link below, and please note the Presidential response! http://www.ukipmeps.org/articles_741_Voting-on-unknown-alterations-to-amendments.html

Did somebody say that the EU needs to be transparent, especially when spending billions of Pounds of taxpayers money?

This video, with extra footage, and further notes, will be going out on You Tube for all the world to see!

Lastly, if you have seen Nigel’s recent speech to the House you will notice that he remarked that when the Euro Anthem was played everyone stood to “Ramrod” attention. No they did not. I was just coming back in as the anthem began so I promptly departed and waited for it to stop. This is not my Anthem, I have a perfectly good one already. In any case, it is a dreadful way to treat Beethoven’s ninth symphony.

Derek Clark MEP Strasbourg Oct 24^th 2013

Brussels Commentary Employment Committee Sept 25th/26th 2013

Brussels Commentary Employment Committee Sept 25^th/26^th 2013

Two days dominated by voting on Wednesday, following debates on Tuesday.

These included ,”Implementing Council Directive...equal treatment in employment and occupation”. Remarkably this failed but only because of a disagreement. Any report is written by the rapporteur with cooperation from “shadow rapporteurs”. These are from political groups other than that of the main rapporteur. In this case the Socialists announced that they were withdrawing their support for this report because they claimed a lack of transparency and that the rapporteur had gone back on a previous agreement. It will now go to the Commission to be written, not a good idea.

However, this illustrates how this place works. Deals are done behind closed doors to ensure that reports go through, entailing “horse trading”. In this case the negotiations fell though. The actual value of the report does not seem to matter too much.

“Rule 81 of Parliament’s rules of Procedure on Consent Practices” was adopted, so now the EC is to be allowed to alter the terms of any report.

“Reindustrialisation of Europe to promote competitiveness...” was adopted by 33 -3. Fine ? It will cost 30 billion Euros for reconstruction. Who will find a large wedge of that?

To go with the previous item there was,”Towards a strong... European Car Industry”. Adopted by 34 -3, with no estimate of costs.

Then came,” Conditions of entry of third country nationals for research, pupil exchange, training (paid and unpaid) voluntary service and au pairing”. Adopted by 30 – 8 votes, leading to a two tier immigration policy, with the UK government powerless. (Third country means non-EU).

“National Roma Inclusion Strategies”, was adopted by 33 – 3, For future impact, but note the term, “Inclusion”.

Last item was a debate on an, “Integrated parcel delivery market....growth of e-commerce in the EU” . So having wrecked our Royal Mail system they will now work on commercial delivery firms. Apparently they have problems with cross border deliveries so now they think only of rules imposed from above. No chance of letting these firms sort it out themselves!

Now the parcel delivery report is being written by a socialist, Jutta Steinruck. She is also doing, “Effective labour inspections...improve working conditions, clamp down on illegals”. Like you I can see the outcome, -a mass of rules and regs, yet more Red Tape.

In a previous commentary I mentioned I had been subjected to a “Blue Card” question after speaking in the House. This was to ask me, “What was Red Tape?”. The questioner was none other than Ms Steinruck and here she is, proposing yet more of it!

By the way. All of the “No” vote figures quoted above includes me in every case.

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 26^th Sept 2013   

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session Sept 9th – 12th 2013

Strasbourg Commentary Plenary Session Sept 9^th – 12^th 2013

Nice to back!! – especially as little changes!

Actually, it does. I take you have seen newspapers comments on Barroso’s speech on the “State of the UKIP”, delivered on Wednesday. Take his comments about us as you like but I do not think he meant to compliment us. Perhaps he was trying to alert other UK parties to our threat, after all, people like him do not like to change tack to take on a different foe. However, I also hope you have picked up Nigel’s comments, especially his response to the really repulsive Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Lib-Dems.

Tuesday. Votes included report on “Right of access to lawyer in criminal cases etc” . Passed by 661 – 29. This simply illustrates how far behind they are. We take legal representation in court for the accused as a matter of course, but for much of the EU it is a step into the unknown. And they say we have to listen to them, ECHR and so on!!

Herewith my speech to the house on Europe’s Young Jobless, also on video via the link included.

High youth unemployment in the euro straightjacket - Derek Clark MEP

Speech delivered in the Parliament – Tuesday 10^th September 2013

http://www.derekclarkmep.org.uk/my-videos/

Thank you Madame President. From Britain, from the House of Lords, our upper chamber, I have received a note today. They are launching an enquiry into the proposals to help Europe’s young jobless. They note that the EU is going to spend 8 billion euros over the next 6 years and they want to know if that will add any value to these proposals.

They note also that there is a brain drain in Europe and what are we going to do about it with young people without a job leaving in such great numbers for work elsewhere. We all know that Spain has got some 50% youth unemployed. 280,000 young people left Spain alone last year to seek their fortunes either in the rest of Europe or in South America.

It’s no coincidence that Spain, together with several other European countries, is struggling. Ireland, Portugal, Greece and others, what have they in common,- the Euro, a straightjacket which is robbing them of their economy. No wonder they are in trouble, no wonder they have high youth unemployment. Let them sort out their own salvation with their own former currencies restored.

This may lead to low wage economies, but then you have to ask the question – do you want a low paid job or no job at all?

Wednesday Votes on Biofuels. Surprisingly a lot of amendments tabled by the Environment committee were defeated but do not be fooled. They are in favour of turning over land for biofuel production. That may be OK in the UK, up to a point, but in the third world of starving millions it is criminal. Actually, the vote to send this to be framed in legislation was not taken, it was decided to refer it back to committee, as was the whole report on assessing the effect of projects on the environment. This included a passage on Shale gas, did someone get cold feet?

Having spoken on Youth Unemployment on Tuesday evening (video on my website) I was depressed to see two reports on Youth employment, full of platitudes and wishful thinking, being passed, one by 612 – 55, the other by 592-81. Paul Nuttall also spoke on this, earlier on Tuesday evening, see UKIP MEPs website.

Thursday Two reports of deadly menace to the UK were adopted today. Both were on banking, ‘European Banking Authority and supervision of credit institutions”, and, ” Specific tasks for the European Central Bank .. supervision of credit institutions” . Our banks will be under the supervision, i.e. control, of the ECB. These reports passed by 556 – 54 and by 559 – 62. What made this worse was that the president, Martin Schultz, gave a long winded introduction to these reports which was tantamount to promoting them; “EU banking is good for you”. A but rich seeing that they can’t get the Court of Auditors to sign off the EU books,- 16 years now!!

This “Parliament?” also adopted a couple of reports on EU armed services, not that they actually called it that. One was on EU military structures, and talks of defence spending, streamlining an EU Army, “Sharing” etc. etc.

I was more alarmed by the second report, ”Maritime dimension of common security….” They want a maritime force to protect resource extraction… EU cooperation to deal with threats… maritime presence in the Black Sea!!.... if war breaks out in the Caucuses EU needs to mobilise…. Galileo for military use….. create a EU coast guard…. Wants to support an EU Navy….and wants to share overseas bases. Gibraltar is overseas!!!

How many more times do we have to deal with the Spanish Navy!??

As I said, nice to be back but keep an eye out for an extra. I did a bit of TV for our in-house cameras on Wednesday. All about the Syrian crisis, and our response to the call for military action. It should soon appear on the UKIPMEPs website, when it does I will send a link to an article published the following day, a letter from president Putin.

Derek Clark MEP Strasbourg Sept 12^th 2013

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More from Brussels

Brussels Commentary 30 Employment Committee 8th & 9th July 2013

Even in July no less than 16 reports to debate and four to vote on, covering 56 pages, with many amendments on each page. Do you wonder that all this stuff comes out as it does, meaningless tripe but armed with the requirement, eventually, of having to pass into the law of each member state?

Tuesday "Gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on the stock exchange". The women's committee, FEMM, sent an opinion on this one, so see Godfrey's contribution in that committee. http://youtu.be/4yqGu1cCrDc Naturally it passed, 27 to 5.

You might like to know that an Empl Cttee member, Mrs McIntyre, spoke vigorously against this report saying that, as the boss of a company she was insulted that people might think she gained that position as a token woman. "No", she said, "nothing of the sort, I got that on my own merits!

Wednesday mainly voting, nearly 2 hours

"Tackling Youth Unemployment" ran to 37 pages, about 350 amendments. (NB If you think I ought to know exactly please realise that the amendments are all numbered but do not come out in numerical order on the voting list. Add to that the 20+ amendments from other committees, also all over the place).

You might also like to know that the voting lists do not come out until about 7.30pm the evening before the vote and John then has the task of indicating how I should vote on each amendment. Before I had a personal assistant here I did that myself by going through the books of amendments, where they are in numerical order. I marked each one, some in the committee session as it went on, the rest at the hotel before and after dinner, then transcribed the indication for myself onto the voting list. John saves me an enormous amount of work. We meet before voting at 9.00 am and go through the votes for me to approve or otherwise. He's on the same wavelength so little difference of opinion.

Youth unemployment in the EU,-

23% across the Eu

15 % or less in Austria, Germany Netherlands

but 9% in Germany and Austria

55% in Greece

55% in Spain

Some NEETS (not employed, or in education or training), EU wide in 2011,-

7.-5 million in 15- 25 age range

6.5 million in 25 - 29 age range.

I remarked in an earlier commentary that I had no idea as to the nature of the "Youth Guarantee" aimed to combat youth unemployment. I now understand that it is a fund for companies to set up training schemes, wonderful! But, small firms, one or two employees, will not have the scope to make use of it, not enough variety, so the big companies, who could do this anyway, will get the cash and, once again, the SMEs left out.

Final comment. The behaviour of members in committee leaves a lot to be desired. MEPs are located in the centre with the wings of the chamber for assistants, the commission reps and so on. Always a few assistants come across to bring info to their MEP which we do not do. John gets it all tidied up before I get in. Today was like Paddy's Market, assistants all over the place, with, at one time, four assistants standing in front of me briefing their MEPs. There was even a 12 year old lad sitting with his father, even assistants are not allowed to sit with the MEPs.

To cap it all, no less than 5 times the president had to tell either the EPP group, or the S & D

MEPs, that there were too many of their group voting. The numbers of MEPs from each political group on the committee are regulated to reflect the groups' numerical strength in the parliament. The numbers of each group voting is available to the president when there is an electronic vote. This only happens in our committee as a check in a close vote and for the final vote on the whole proposal. So, if 5 votes had excess MEPs voting in electronic votes were they still there voting on the show of hands, which is 90% of the votes?

That's how the EU makes decisions which can/ will affect people in the UK.

This being the last committee, following the last plenary before the summer recess, so this is my last commentary until September 12th.

Have a good summer, I will!

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 9th July 2013

Brussels Commentary 30 Employment Committee 8th & 9th July 2013

Brussels Commentary 30 Employment Committee 8th & 9th July 2013

Even in July no less than 16 reports to debate and four to vote on, covering 56 pages, with many amendments on each page. Do you wonder that all this stuff comes out as it does, meaningless tripe but armed with the requirement, eventually, of having to pass into the law of each member state?

Tuesday "Gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on the stock exchange". The women's committee, FEMM, sent an opinion on this one, so see Godfrey's contribution in that committee. Carren please insert the link here Naturally it passed, 27 to 5.

You might like to know that an Empl Cttee member, Mrs McIntyre, spoke vigorously against this report saying that, as the boss of a company she was insulted that people might think she gained that position as a token woman. "No", she said, "nothing of the sort, I got that on my own merits!

Wednesday mainly voting, nearly 2 hours

"Tackling Youth Unemployment" ran to 37 pages, about 350 amendments. (NB If you think I ought to know exactly please realise that the amendments are all numbered but do not come out in numerical order on the voting list. Add to that the 20+ amendments from other committees, also all over the place).

You might also like to know that the voting lists do not come out until about 7.30pm the evening before the vote and John then has the task of indicating how I should vote on each amendment. Before I had a personal assistant here I did that myself by going through the books of amendments, where they are in numerical order. I marked each one, some in the committee session as it went on, the rest at the hotel before and after dinner, then transcribed the indication for myself onto the voting list. John saves me an enormous amount of work. We meet before voting at 9.00 am and go through the votes for me to approve or otherwise. He's on the same wavelength so little difference of opinion.

Youth unemployment in the EU,-

23% across the Eu

15 % or less in Austria, Germany Netherlands

but 9% in Germany and Austria

55% in Greece

55% in Spain

Some NEETS (not employed, or in education or training), EU wide in 2011,-

7.-5 million in 15- 25 age range

6.5 million in 25 - 29 age range.

I remarked in an earlier commentary that I had no idea as to the nature of the "Youth Guarantee" aimed to combat youth unemployment. I now understand that it is a fund for companies to set up training schemes, wonderful! But, small firms, one or two employees, will not have the scope to make use of it, not enough variety, so the big companies, who could do this anyway, will get the cash and, once again, the SMEs left out.

Final comment. The behaviour of members in committee leaves a lot to be desired. MEPs are located in the centre with the wings of the chamber for assistants, the commission reps and so on. Always a few assistants come across to bring info to their MEP which we do not do. John gets it all tidied up before I get in. Today was like Paddy's Market, assistants all over the place, with, at one time, four assistants standing in front of me briefing their MEPs. There was even a 12 year old lad sitting with his father, even assistants are not allowed to sit with the MEPs.

To cap it all, no less than 5 times the president had to tell either the EPP group, or the S & D

MEPs, that there were too many of their group voting. The numbers of MEPs from each political group on the committee are regulated to reflect the groups' numerical strength in the parliament. The numbers of each group voting is available to the president when there is an electronic vote. This only happens in our committee as a check in a close vote and for the final vote on the whole proposal. So, if 5 votes had excess MEPs voting in electronic votes were they still there voting on the show of hands, which is 90% of the votes?

That's how the EU makes decisions which can/ will affect people in the UK.

This being the last committee, following the last plenary before the summer recess, so this is my last commentary until September 12th.

Have a good summer, I will!

Derek Clark MEP Brussels 9th July 2013