Brussels Commentary Plenary session 1st -2nd Feb 2012

Brussels Commentary               Plenary session     1st -2nd Feb 2012

The major debate this week was on the new so-called Treaty to resolve the financial crisis. According to Von Rompuy and Barroso its just one element in EU Government reforms, everyone needs more discipline, more responsibility and the system must have compliance regulations. It will be a compact treaty and will be irrevocable!

Only came about because there was no unanimity first time round (but Czech republic seem to have joined us)  so it is as close as possible to existing treaties. Again the Community method was endorsed but at least the call for less red tape to help SMEs to survive was heard again (but will have as much effect as the first time this was mentioned).

All the usual comments about stability, youth employment....

By now you may have caught the two videos featuring Nigel. The first is his speech the second is of a blue card question to him and includes the entirely improper comments by Schultz. The rules clearly state that the President may sum up but not offer an opinion. Should he/ she wish to do so they must vacate the chair.

We had another taste of the Schultz method in voting today. The report on Sport in the EU (which includes the issue of EU logos on national team shirts!) had 22 RCV (Roll call votes). Schultz took 8 of these then said that all the others should be taken together. Uproar. The point is that anyone can look up the result of these RCVs on the Parliament web site and see how any MEP voted. ButMEPs would very likely want to vote yes to some no to others, so how do they explain to constituents why they voted the wrong way on certain amendments?  

All to no purpose, it went ahead under the Schultz steamroller. Taking the hint Gerard asked if all the votes on the next report could  be blocked together also,- there were no RCVs in it. Got no response at all!

I'll finish on a more cheerful note. The vote on the Duff report was taken in Constitutional Affairs last week This is the proposition to elect 25 MEPs on the proposed European Political Parties, which was debated, and voted on, in UKIP recently. It fell!! That is, it was 11 - 11 which means it was not adopted, it falls. Do not bother to put out the flags just yet. It will go on the shelf, ready to be taken down, dusted off and re-presented one day, under a new name, of course!

Derek Clark   MEP                                Brussels Feb 2nd 2012