8.30 The later start enables me to find the concierge and give her a spare key for the new lock to my flat. I then arrive at the office do the emails and go to Committee. I feel tired as the Industry innovation report inaccuracies have been buzzing in my head and I send out a few emails on the subject.
9.30. In Committee. We get to votes at 10, and it is just a single vote as all the 117 amendments can be taken en blok as we are in agreement. Must be a record. We all applaud the rapporteur for getting to grips with the problems and making it so simple for us. I do my two presentations and we also discuss the Russia report to which I have submitted an amendment. The PSE shadow rapporteur has decided he does not agree with me on one of my amendments on the PPP report, but the EPP shadow does. I will be seeing the Commission and Council on the same point next week, so I can wait to see what they say. At the moment I still prefer my line and obviously could get it through committee with EPP support.
12.45 The EPFSF (European Parliament Financial Services Forum) lunch. This is usually interesting and the topic today is competition sectoral enquiries into banking services.
14.15 I have a meeting with Gauzes, the EPP rapporteur on payments. This is really just to check out that he has no surprises up his sleeve for next week’s trilogue with the commission and council. He has been having a bit of a hard time since the last one and though I do not agree with everything he does he is trying very hard to be fair and responsible. We both agree that we have switched from being optimistic about reaching agreement with council to being pessimistic. Anyway, this will help keep the Parliament side together as much as possible.
14.30 This afternoon and evening, and indeed tomorrow morning, there are ECON interparliamentary debates with national parliament members. However as I have to meet an amendment deadline on the innovation strategy reports for both ECON and Industry of next Tuesday and we have a Party Conference this weekend and a trilogue next Tuesday I decide I have to get everything organised today. So spend the rest of the day on amendments and circulating them to other MEPs who may want to be alerted. Leave at 20.30.
Wednesday 28 February 2007
Tuesday 27 February 2007
Solvency II
8.00 I go to the Parliament to swot up on the Solvency ll people I have to introduce in the Hearing later this morning and generally do a bit of preparation for that.
9.15 The Hearing on Solvency ll starts. This is in the round room with the interesting perspective views again, but as I am in the chair for one of the sessions I sit with the other chairs with my back to the window. The first two sessions are on industry and reinsurance. I find the presentation by Swiss Re on reinsurance particularly helpful. My session is on supervision and audit. I have as speakers Paul Sharma from the FSA who chairs the CEIOPS life and non-life issues, Jaroslaw Boguszynski a Director from the Polish Supervisory Commission and Philippe Foulquier from the EDHEC Institute. Sharma is fine, I have a good stab at the Polish name but he says ‘yes it is difficult to pronounce’ so obviously it was not quite good enough, and although the French pronunciation of Foulquier is ok he then proceeds so fast in French that I have to interrupt on behalf of the translators who just can not keep up. I am amazed how some people can get words out so quickly. The discussion gets lively, I take the third presentation as a question back to Sharma, then kick in a question myself about ‘on call’ capital. There is a big difference between the supervisors in how they see things and the panellists from the previous sessions also join in so I am able to keep bringing different people in and it all flows very well. We could have kept going for a lot longer I think if time had permitted. Others enjoyed it too and told me so afterwards, thanking me, but really it was just the way it fell rather than my skill.
13.00 Back to the office and emails about the proposed oral question on levies and completing the voting list for damages actions for ECON votes tomorrow.
15.00 Claire Bury, deputy head of cabinet for McCreevy comes to see me. We discuss the patent situation generally and exchange views on what we are picking up. She leaves at 16.00 and Thaddeus Burns arrives with Todd Dickinson (GE). Todd is their main patent counsel and used to be in charge of the US Patent Office, so is always interesting concerning what is happening in the US.
17.00 The Prep meeting of ALDE before tomorrow’s ECON votes. Most of the time is taken up by me explaining to Wolf how I have negotiated the compromises in the damages actions report and how I think what I have done should satisfy the spread of views within the Group. Karen who is actually our shadow is not there.
18.00 Back to the office and I work until 19.30 on various papers and preparing my presentation for tomorrow. I have both innovation strategy and Purchasing Price Parities to do. It also becomes apparent that it is proving to be as difficult as expected for the JURI votes on damages to be blended in to our voting schedule (we are the lead committee, but we have to vote on things from them that fall more in their competence). However the final voting list has still not turned up when I need to leave to get to the supermarket. On the way out I see Pervenche Beres, our ECON chair and she tells me that the vote is to be postponed, so the meeting will not start until 9.30 instead of 9.00. Back at the flat I read through the Industry Committee draft Report on innovation and find several really bad bits about patents and open standards. The draughtsman is asking for things that would be completely contrary to TRIPS . I will have to put amendments in to that committee as well as my ECON opinion.
9.15 The Hearing on Solvency ll starts. This is in the round room with the interesting perspective views again, but as I am in the chair for one of the sessions I sit with the other chairs with my back to the window. The first two sessions are on industry and reinsurance. I find the presentation by Swiss Re on reinsurance particularly helpful. My session is on supervision and audit. I have as speakers Paul Sharma from the FSA who chairs the CEIOPS life and non-life issues, Jaroslaw Boguszynski a Director from the Polish Supervisory Commission and Philippe Foulquier from the EDHEC Institute. Sharma is fine, I have a good stab at the Polish name but he says ‘yes it is difficult to pronounce’ so obviously it was not quite good enough, and although the French pronunciation of Foulquier is ok he then proceeds so fast in French that I have to interrupt on behalf of the translators who just can not keep up. I am amazed how some people can get words out so quickly. The discussion gets lively, I take the third presentation as a question back to Sharma, then kick in a question myself about ‘on call’ capital. There is a big difference between the supervisors in how they see things and the panellists from the previous sessions also join in so I am able to keep bringing different people in and it all flows very well. We could have kept going for a lot longer I think if time had permitted. Others enjoyed it too and told me so afterwards, thanking me, but really it was just the way it fell rather than my skill.
13.00 Back to the office and emails about the proposed oral question on levies and completing the voting list for damages actions for ECON votes tomorrow.
15.00 Claire Bury, deputy head of cabinet for McCreevy comes to see me. We discuss the patent situation generally and exchange views on what we are picking up. She leaves at 16.00 and Thaddeus Burns arrives with Todd Dickinson (GE). Todd is their main patent counsel and used to be in charge of the US Patent Office, so is always interesting concerning what is happening in the US.
17.00 The Prep meeting of ALDE before tomorrow’s ECON votes. Most of the time is taken up by me explaining to Wolf how I have negotiated the compromises in the damages actions report and how I think what I have done should satisfy the spread of views within the Group. Karen who is actually our shadow is not there.
18.00 Back to the office and I work until 19.30 on various papers and preparing my presentation for tomorrow. I have both innovation strategy and Purchasing Price Parities to do. It also becomes apparent that it is proving to be as difficult as expected for the JURI votes on damages to be blended in to our voting schedule (we are the lead committee, but we have to vote on things from them that fall more in their competence). However the final voting list has still not turned up when I need to leave to get to the supermarket. On the way out I see Pervenche Beres, our ECON chair and she tells me that the vote is to be postponed, so the meeting will not start until 9.30 instead of 9.00. Back at the flat I read through the Industry Committee draft Report on innovation and find several really bad bits about patents and open standards. The draughtsman is asking for things that would be completely contrary to TRIPS . I will have to put amendments in to that committee as well as my ECON opinion.
Monday 26 February 2007
Committee Week Begins
Leave home for Heathrow at 10.00. Flight is a little delayed so I do not get to Brussels with any time to spare before committees start at 3.00
3.15 Rush straight into the Legal Affairs Committee in time for the discussion on designs. It is packed out again, and as far as I can tell very little progress has been made in trying to get the French and German car industry to accept that they should not monopolise the spare parts markets. I talk to Piia-Noora Kauppi about the proposed Oral Question on copyright levies. As I am to represent the Group at the coordinators meeting because Diana Wallis who is the coordinator can not be there, I agree with the EPP coordinator that we will raise it and we get agreement in principle to proceed, ideally also with the Internal Market Committee . I will now circulate a draft before the next coordinators meeting and we should get it on to the plenary for April.
17.30 I return to the office and send out emails about the coordinators agreement, and go through the JURI voting list for tomorrow on damages actions. We have a few differences from the proposals from the Wallis Office and Carol goes to explain our reasoning. I find the JURI report very difficult to make compatible with what we have managed to agree in ECON, they are much more focussed on consumer protection and the outcome of ECJ decisions than with tackling the discovery of more abuses.
18.45 Proceed to the ‘cocktails’ with the insurance industry people here for tomorrow’s Hearing on solvency 2. The expression ‘cocktails’ seems to mean a glass of wine, champagne or orange at the cocktail hour. Only crisps and nuts and I suddenly realise the usual Monday problem of there having been no food all day. Useful conversations held and it gets to around 9.00 before I leave to go to the flat.
3.15 Rush straight into the Legal Affairs Committee in time for the discussion on designs. It is packed out again, and as far as I can tell very little progress has been made in trying to get the French and German car industry to accept that they should not monopolise the spare parts markets. I talk to Piia-Noora Kauppi about the proposed Oral Question on copyright levies. As I am to represent the Group at the coordinators meeting because Diana Wallis who is the coordinator can not be there, I agree with the EPP coordinator that we will raise it and we get agreement in principle to proceed, ideally also with the Internal Market Committee . I will now circulate a draft before the next coordinators meeting and we should get it on to the plenary for April.
17.30 I return to the office and send out emails about the coordinators agreement, and go through the JURI voting list for tomorrow on damages actions. We have a few differences from the proposals from the Wallis Office and Carol goes to explain our reasoning. I find the JURI report very difficult to make compatible with what we have managed to agree in ECON, they are much more focussed on consumer protection and the outcome of ECJ decisions than with tackling the discovery of more abuses.
18.45 Proceed to the ‘cocktails’ with the insurance industry people here for tomorrow’s Hearing on solvency 2. The expression ‘cocktails’ seems to mean a glass of wine, champagne or orange at the cocktail hour. Only crisps and nuts and I suddenly realise the usual Monday problem of there having been no food all day. Useful conversations held and it gets to around 9.00 before I leave to go to the flat.
Monday 12 February 2007
A frustrating journey to Strasbourg
5.30 Taxi arrives to go to Luton airport. Easyjet have sent out an email saying allow an extra 45 minutes on your journey because of road works – a bit much really when the journey should take us less than 30 minutes. I allow an extra half hour. I bet all this does is cause everyone to be extra early so that we get queues for security again. This turns out to be the case.
We land on time 10.05 (9.05 UK time) and there is no car in sight. Eventually a driver turns up who is also collecting for the next flight in. I decide I want to know in advance if that is the case. I will have a word with the Strasbourg desk. The next flight in from City airport is late.
A wet and rainy journey to the Parliament follows, which gets in after 12.00 so no chance of putting amendments in on the Lisbon paper. Annoying.
We land on time 10.05 (9.05 UK time) and there is no car in sight. Eventually a driver turns up who is also collecting for the next flight in. I decide I want to know in advance if that is the case. I will have a word with the Strasbourg desk. The next flight in from City airport is late.
A wet and rainy journey to the Parliament follows, which gets in after 12.00 so no chance of putting amendments in on the Lisbon paper. Annoying.
Thursday 8 February 2007
9.00 Get to office and have meeting with Jorgo Chatzimarkakis and BASF about a dinner they are planning for 12 June.
11.00 Meeting with people from the International Federation of the Recording Industry about the Zingaretti Report on Criminal Sanctions for IP. They reckon nothing much is gained by it at the cost of a lot of problems – I agree but the signal of dumping it would also be wrong.
11.45 Go to the Stanhope for lunch with Thaddeus and Francisco. We discuss Russia, a bit on copyright levies and the EPLA situation. I detect a cooling off on EPLA from industry, which has also come to me from other quarters. Not surprising I suppose because when it looked like a relatively quick option it was attractive, but the price of ‘Communitising’ it looks like a lot of delay, complexity and I do not know how the ECJ would fit in well without specialist judges. Anyway, I do not see a quick fix any more. Pity because it would have been good to get a proper feedback loop from the courts to the European Patent Office functioning.
14.00 Back to my office for a French lesson. I learn all the vocabulary for changing locks that I did not have earlier this week.
16.30 Get back to the flat with yet another cushion cover as a sample to see whether it matches; think I may have got it right this time.
18.00 Meet David Griffiths for dinner at the Rennaissance. He is over for a meeting tomorrow of the ELDR steering Committee to discuss budgets. I am also on the Committee, but the way the discussions on payments seem to be going I doubt whether I will get there, so David will have to cope alone. Go back to flat at 8pm and pack.
11.00 Meeting with people from the International Federation of the Recording Industry about the Zingaretti Report on Criminal Sanctions for IP. They reckon nothing much is gained by it at the cost of a lot of problems – I agree but the signal of dumping it would also be wrong.
11.45 Go to the Stanhope for lunch with Thaddeus and Francisco. We discuss Russia, a bit on copyright levies and the EPLA situation. I detect a cooling off on EPLA from industry, which has also come to me from other quarters. Not surprising I suppose because when it looked like a relatively quick option it was attractive, but the price of ‘Communitising’ it looks like a lot of delay, complexity and I do not know how the ECJ would fit in well without specialist judges. Anyway, I do not see a quick fix any more. Pity because it would have been good to get a proper feedback loop from the courts to the European Patent Office functioning.
14.00 Back to my office for a French lesson. I learn all the vocabulary for changing locks that I did not have earlier this week.
16.30 Get back to the flat with yet another cushion cover as a sample to see whether it matches; think I may have got it right this time.
18.00 Meet David Griffiths for dinner at the Rennaissance. He is over for a meeting tomorrow of the ELDR steering Committee to discuss budgets. I am also on the Committee, but the way the discussions on payments seem to be going I doubt whether I will get there, so David will have to cope alone. Go back to flat at 8pm and pack.
Wednesday 7 February 2007
9.00 I wait for the locksmith to come to my flat so that the lock can be checked and in due course changed. He does not arrive by 9.30 so I lock up to go. I meet the concierge and collect new keys for the building and explain to her, rather badly, that the locksmith is coming to my flat and she thinks I intend to change the complete door. Anyway, all is saved when the chap turns up, so all is well.
10.00 Arrive in Parliament. My lunch with Thaddeus Burns and Francisco Mingorance has been put off, so we rearrange for tomorrow, I then go down to Group where we discuss the European Parliament work program and the work on the Lisbon strategy report for the Spring Council. I would like to put in some amendments to the competitiveness section, but I would have to draft it by Monday noon. Some of the IRC people are in the room as guests, hope they noted the short timescale we have to operate to. We also discuss the SWIFT data issue. How many banks are there handing over info to the US that we have not found out about?
12.30 Back to the office. I draft my report on innovation. We are only allowed 1500 characters so it has to be very compact. It can be fleshed out by amendment. I manage to squeeze in all the key points we wanted to flag, but I am sure the compactness of my drafting will give the translators something to think about.
15.30 Go down to talk to the IRC people. They are running about 30 mins late, so Fiona does not finish her session with them until 4pm and I only just get started when Graham arrives. So after a few minutes I let him on because he will have to go by 4.30. I then sweep up at the end but I think they are all a bit on overload by then..
17.00 Continue with emails and finalising report. Go back to the flat at 8pm.
10.00 Arrive in Parliament. My lunch with Thaddeus Burns and Francisco Mingorance has been put off, so we rearrange for tomorrow, I then go down to Group where we discuss the European Parliament work program and the work on the Lisbon strategy report for the Spring Council. I would like to put in some amendments to the competitiveness section, but I would have to draft it by Monday noon. Some of the IRC people are in the room as guests, hope they noted the short timescale we have to operate to. We also discuss the SWIFT data issue. How many banks are there handing over info to the US that we have not found out about?
12.30 Back to the office. I draft my report on innovation. We are only allowed 1500 characters so it has to be very compact. It can be fleshed out by amendment. I manage to squeeze in all the key points we wanted to flag, but I am sure the compactness of my drafting will give the translators something to think about.
15.30 Go down to talk to the IRC people. They are running about 30 mins late, so Fiona does not finish her session with them until 4pm and I only just get started when Graham arrives. So after a few minutes I let him on because he will have to go by 4.30. I then sweep up at the end but I think they are all a bit on overload by then..
17.00 Continue with emails and finalising report. Go back to the flat at 8pm.
Tuesday 6 February 2007
Feet first
9.00 The legal opinion from the Parliament’s services on EPLA has arrived. It seems a bit over the top and with inaccuracies, over emphasising where there is overlap with EU legislation, but that is what I would expect from institutions. Following last night’s meeting a letter to the Times on Eurostar has been drafted by the Ashworth office, so we slightly amend and agree. This will go from the 4 MEPs. We send off first drafts of our business letter for consideration.
11.30 Go to working group C. We discuss child soldiers. I intervene on some amendments on trade relations with Mediterranean countries (non EU) that Saj Karim has put in, backing up his arguments. We have a bit of a battle of free traders (me) versus Southern European colleagues being protective of their fruit markets. So the matter is deferred to full Group with the expectation that some compromise text can be worked out.
12.45 I go to the Rennaissance Hotel for a meeting of the European Enterprise Institute at which the Nobel Prize winner for Economics Prof. Edmund Phelps is speaking on the spirit of entrepreneurship. In theory EEI is a cross party organisation but as far as the platform is concerned they are all from the EPP. There are a few useful references made, but not surprisingly he seems to speak the lingo of an economist rather than of an innovator/entrepreneur. So no help for my report on innovation.
15.30 Back to the Parliament for working Groups A and B. The oil prices report and my single amendment is up for presentation. I explain how all my amendments are already in the report and the only amendment I now wish to make is to delete a phrase on hedge funds that is in the wrong place, and so unbalances the report. The only reason it is there is because it got inserted as part of a compromise, which it was not, and the EPP got their voting wrong when I asked for a separate vote. We actually smell a bit of a rat in how it was sneaked in (we suspect the PSE chair of the committee exerting undue influence). The EPP have asked me to put in my amendment to delete again – presumably it is a bit embarrassing for them to go to their Group and admit they got confused! Anyway, no problems, I get the agreement.
We then have a discussion on incinerator efficiency. None of the UK’s incinerators would pass the new proposals for 70% efficiency. In France only 8 would pass. Germany and the Scandinavian countries do better. Hot countries that do not need to produce heat will have a different formula. We then discuss definitions of waste for the waste directive. It seems that products, or rather by products, that have an economic value should not be classed as waste, e.g tallow. Also animal carcasses not meant to be covered. Then we have a brief discussion about European Coastguards. Good idea, but there may be subsidiarity problems in such a proposal.
16.30 Back to the office. More work on roaming amendments, emails on EPLA.
17.30 I get down to Group in time for discussion on CIA flights. Sometimes we are very frustrated at not getting information, and that will surely change now the US Congress is looking at the issue. However there are legal actions pending in Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as the US Congress inquiry, largely due to the European Parliament work on special rendition.
18.30 Go to the launch of the Women Inventors and Innovators network, of which I have agreed to be a patron.
19.15 Go to the ELDR offices for Lex’s leaving party.
20.00 Go to dinner with members of our UK Lib Dem International Relations Committee, of which I used to be co-chair. I have a session to talk with them tomorrow. Andrew Duff says he has never known anyone find their feet in the Parliament as quickly as me (thank you Andrew) then says he thinks I came in feet first – I think he meant it in a favourable way…..
11.30 Go to working group C. We discuss child soldiers. I intervene on some amendments on trade relations with Mediterranean countries (non EU) that Saj Karim has put in, backing up his arguments. We have a bit of a battle of free traders (me) versus Southern European colleagues being protective of their fruit markets. So the matter is deferred to full Group with the expectation that some compromise text can be worked out.
12.45 I go to the Rennaissance Hotel for a meeting of the European Enterprise Institute at which the Nobel Prize winner for Economics Prof. Edmund Phelps is speaking on the spirit of entrepreneurship. In theory EEI is a cross party organisation but as far as the platform is concerned they are all from the EPP. There are a few useful references made, but not surprisingly he seems to speak the lingo of an economist rather than of an innovator/entrepreneur. So no help for my report on innovation.
15.30 Back to the Parliament for working Groups A and B. The oil prices report and my single amendment is up for presentation. I explain how all my amendments are already in the report and the only amendment I now wish to make is to delete a phrase on hedge funds that is in the wrong place, and so unbalances the report. The only reason it is there is because it got inserted as part of a compromise, which it was not, and the EPP got their voting wrong when I asked for a separate vote. We actually smell a bit of a rat in how it was sneaked in (we suspect the PSE chair of the committee exerting undue influence). The EPP have asked me to put in my amendment to delete again – presumably it is a bit embarrassing for them to go to their Group and admit they got confused! Anyway, no problems, I get the agreement.
We then have a discussion on incinerator efficiency. None of the UK’s incinerators would pass the new proposals for 70% efficiency. In France only 8 would pass. Germany and the Scandinavian countries do better. Hot countries that do not need to produce heat will have a different formula. We then discuss definitions of waste for the waste directive. It seems that products, or rather by products, that have an economic value should not be classed as waste, e.g tallow. Also animal carcasses not meant to be covered. Then we have a brief discussion about European Coastguards. Good idea, but there may be subsidiarity problems in such a proposal.
16.30 Back to the office. More work on roaming amendments, emails on EPLA.
17.30 I get down to Group in time for discussion on CIA flights. Sometimes we are very frustrated at not getting information, and that will surely change now the US Congress is looking at the issue. However there are legal actions pending in Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as the US Congress inquiry, largely due to the European Parliament work on special rendition.
18.30 Go to the launch of the Women Inventors and Innovators network, of which I have agreed to be a patron.
19.15 Go to the ELDR offices for Lex’s leaving party.
20.00 Go to dinner with members of our UK Lib Dem International Relations Committee, of which I used to be co-chair. I have a session to talk with them tomorrow. Andrew Duff says he has never known anyone find their feet in the Parliament as quickly as me (thank you Andrew) then says he thinks I came in feet first – I think he meant it in a favourable way…..
Monday 5 February 2007
Save Ashford International
10.00 leave for Heathrow. I am on BMI today and the plane arrives ahead of schedule and as it is a tad earlier than the BA departure I get to the Parliament by 2.45, which would be in time for a 3.00 committee meeting in other weeks. Now that they also do online check in and they go from terminal 1 which is nearer and cheaper taxi ride, the balance of convenience swings to them again, bad luck BA.
15.00 Check through amendments on roaming and the latest timetable proposals for the Payments Services Directive. Compose letter to businesses concerning the proposed stopping of Eurostar services to Brussels from Ashford. Check though emails and various other upcoming amendments.
18.00 Leave Parliament and go to a meeting about Eurostar via my flat to drop off suitcase. The meeting is at the new offices of Kent County Council, not far from the old ones. They are obviously one of the first in to the building and the refurbishment is not complete. The lift still has cardboard all over the inside with hole poked through to get at the controls. We have a cross party meeting on the save Ashford International campaign with a local campaigner Edith Robson. Assistants are there for Peter Skinner, Caroline Lucas and Richard Ashworth, but I am the only MEP that turns up. I tell them we have drafted a letter. We finish at about 8pm which makes it too late for me to get to the European Cruise reception.
15.00 Check through amendments on roaming and the latest timetable proposals for the Payments Services Directive. Compose letter to businesses concerning the proposed stopping of Eurostar services to Brussels from Ashford. Check though emails and various other upcoming amendments.
18.00 Leave Parliament and go to a meeting about Eurostar via my flat to drop off suitcase. The meeting is at the new offices of Kent County Council, not far from the old ones. They are obviously one of the first in to the building and the refurbishment is not complete. The lift still has cardboard all over the inside with hole poked through to get at the controls. We have a cross party meeting on the save Ashford International campaign with a local campaigner Edith Robson. Assistants are there for Peter Skinner, Caroline Lucas and Richard Ashworth, but I am the only MEP that turns up. I tell them we have drafted a letter. We finish at about 8pm which makes it too late for me to get to the European Cruise reception.
Thursday 1 February 2007
Speech and Votes
8.00 Arrive in office and start to organise papers to take back to the UK.
8.45 The constituent meeting of ECON. As for JURI yesterday it is in the room opposite the hemicycle, which is quite sensible as it means it is close for those who are engaged in debates. This enables me to be present and then get to the chamber in time for the start of the debate at 9.00 because I am due on at 9.08. Astrid Lulling is in the Chair as the oldest Member, and I now realise is it obviously the form to make jokes about tying to occupy that place for as long as possible. Anyway she does her amusing bits. Events are a bit more formal with the nominations for positions including a plug for the worthiness of the individuals. We re-elect, by acclamation, Pervenche Beres as Chair/President. We then do the same for four vice presidents, only they are done individually then summoned up to the front, so Astrid manages to spin things out longer. But no surprises.
9.00 Into plenary. This is Diana’s first time in the chair of a session so Elspeth and Andrew have also turned up to give moral support. She speaks very clearly, as do all the Brits, which is more than can be said for some others. My speech seems to work OK, making my points without putting backs up. I congratulate Diana, as have others, apologise to the rapporteur for intervening when I had not at the committee stage and make my point. I use about three and a half minutes.
10.00 Back to my office and UKRep comes to update me on the latest on payments. There is still no real progress at Council level on the capital requirements. Carol is having another meeting with the Rapporteur’s assistant Cecile this afternoon. I do a telephone radio interview, continue sorting papers then Liz raises a query on one environment committee vote, which I settle with Chris Davies.
11.30 Votes. Poettering is in the chair again, but he establishes a rhythm and it is much better than his first go at Strasbourg. I lose concentration at one point where some votes fall and we have to skip to the next page and manage to vote the wrong way on the recorded vote discussed with Liz! It does not make any difference to the end result, indeed it is one of those things where one agrees with what is said, but it is not within the EU’s remit and in factual terms is a little inaccurate, so a vote in any direction is possible. I usually abstain on such occasions so I will have to amend the record to that. (MEPs can inform of mistaken votes and have that shown on the record so their actual intentions are known, but it can not change the result of the vote that was taken).
12.30 Back to the office. I send an email to the Lib Dem MEPs about the vote mix up in case anyone else was caught on the hop, sign the amendments we are submitting on PPP; Russia we have already done. Head for Eurostar at 2.00. I have the same driver as last week, but no accidents this time. Get home a bit before 6pm. Tomorrow I am having discussions about VAT, Tax and fiscal fraud with PriceWarterhouseCooper.
8.45 The constituent meeting of ECON. As for JURI yesterday it is in the room opposite the hemicycle, which is quite sensible as it means it is close for those who are engaged in debates. This enables me to be present and then get to the chamber in time for the start of the debate at 9.00 because I am due on at 9.08. Astrid Lulling is in the Chair as the oldest Member, and I now realise is it obviously the form to make jokes about tying to occupy that place for as long as possible. Anyway she does her amusing bits. Events are a bit more formal with the nominations for positions including a plug for the worthiness of the individuals. We re-elect, by acclamation, Pervenche Beres as Chair/President. We then do the same for four vice presidents, only they are done individually then summoned up to the front, so Astrid manages to spin things out longer. But no surprises.
9.00 Into plenary. This is Diana’s first time in the chair of a session so Elspeth and Andrew have also turned up to give moral support. She speaks very clearly, as do all the Brits, which is more than can be said for some others. My speech seems to work OK, making my points without putting backs up. I congratulate Diana, as have others, apologise to the rapporteur for intervening when I had not at the committee stage and make my point. I use about three and a half minutes.
10.00 Back to my office and UKRep comes to update me on the latest on payments. There is still no real progress at Council level on the capital requirements. Carol is having another meeting with the Rapporteur’s assistant Cecile this afternoon. I do a telephone radio interview, continue sorting papers then Liz raises a query on one environment committee vote, which I settle with Chris Davies.
11.30 Votes. Poettering is in the chair again, but he establishes a rhythm and it is much better than his first go at Strasbourg. I lose concentration at one point where some votes fall and we have to skip to the next page and manage to vote the wrong way on the recorded vote discussed with Liz! It does not make any difference to the end result, indeed it is one of those things where one agrees with what is said, but it is not within the EU’s remit and in factual terms is a little inaccurate, so a vote in any direction is possible. I usually abstain on such occasions so I will have to amend the record to that. (MEPs can inform of mistaken votes and have that shown on the record so their actual intentions are known, but it can not change the result of the vote that was taken).
12.30 Back to the office. I send an email to the Lib Dem MEPs about the vote mix up in case anyone else was caught on the hop, sign the amendments we are submitting on PPP; Russia we have already done. Head for Eurostar at 2.00. I have the same driver as last week, but no accidents this time. Get home a bit before 6pm. Tomorrow I am having discussions about VAT, Tax and fiscal fraud with PriceWarterhouseCooper.
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