Kangaroo and Carousel

8.30 Successfully find concierge and get meter readings, walk to Parliament via Rue Montoyer and the ELDR Office and get to Group meeting about 9.30 in time to hear the discussion on Liz Lynne's amendments to the rail passengers directive. This is about upgrading station platforms for the disabled when refurbishments are done, provisos needed about it being viable. We then discuss the voting next week for the new president, vice presidents and questors. There may be several rounds so we could be in and out of the hemicycle like yo-yos. It will make it difficult to plan other meetings. This is all new to me because I was not here two and a half years ago. A new extreme right political group is being formed, the UEN are now the fourth largest group (we are third), the Greens drop to fifth. We discuss the Germany Presidential programme. I sign all the amendments on Kashmir along with Saj, Liz, Bill and Sarah. Rachel (Saj’s assistant) will have to stand by the fax machine for ages to check they all go through.

11.00 Go to the bank and en route back call in to see Rachel. She says Annamie Nyets likes most of our Kashmir amendments, which is good, and means I do not have to seek her out. Back in my office I start to draft questions for the Commission and the UK Parliament on Carousel fraud.

12.45 Kangaroo Group lunch on roaming charges for mobile phones. The Commission proposals would put a cap on both wholesale and retail charges. It is not clear whether the cap is at the right level – industry says it is too low. The intention is that it should not be the price everyone charges but that competition on lower prices and packages can continue. However, the mobile operators have overcharged for so long they have low credibility. The Southern countries still want to be able to benefit from tourists and claim it is needed for the extra infrastructure. The socialist shadow on the lead committee (industry) mentions a sunrise clause for texts – that is good: similar thinking to me so proposing it for data as well may find allies.

14.30 Back to the office. I complete carousel questions, Vince Cable will table the UK ones. I write a letter to the FT on the same subject: it is topical as a 15 year sentence has just been given to a fraudster. Then set about clearing my desk, which I never finished before Christmas. Finish at 8pm and go back to my flat to pack. Meet John Purvis and Richard Ashworth en route out of Parliament and we have a discussion about carousel fraud. It seems Richard sees white vans from France every day where he lives, and one day when they had a big crash they were full of mobile phones. Of course the import is probably legal, it is the next steps where it can go wrong.