October Plenary Roundup: EU Budget And Maternity Leave
Strasbourg, 18-21 October 2010
We report on the highlights of the European Parliament's October plenary session in Strasbourg, where discussions were held on the EU's budget, MEPs voted on the Estrela Report on maternity leave, and Timothy announced that he was stepping down as leader of the Conservatives in Europe.
EU budget does not reflect the times in which we live
On Wednesday the European Parliament voted on and adopted the report of the Budgets Committee, which pushed for a 5.8 percent increase on the 2010 budget. Conservatives had argued vigorously that such an increase could not be justified at a time when Member States were introducing austerity measures at home. The ECR tabled amendments that would have reduced the parliament's administrative budget, but these were rejected.
The vote followed discussions in the Commission which are beginning to focus on plans to introduce a set of "European" taxes. The Commission has sought to ensure a dedicated revenue stream for itself beyond 2013. The European Voice outlined the Commission's thinking in an article last week. The plans set out by EU Budgets Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski have also threatened to end Britain's rebate.
Timothy has come out strongly against these plans and was unhappy at the increase in the EU's budget. He said:
"Austerity seems to be a taboo subject in the European Parliament. This budget does not reflect the times we are in. As national capitals look at ways of cutting their own deficits or improving the fiscal situation, it is not appropriate that MEPs ask them to increase their contributions to the EU."
Costly maternity leave proposals adopted by a whisker
One of the most controversial issues of last week was the Estrela Report on maternity leave. On Wednesday the European Parliament voted today to force women to take 20 weeks of maternity leave on full pay - by the slimmest of margins.
European Conservatives and Reformists women's spokesman and London MEP Marina Yannakoudakis said that the position of the parliament would impose crippling cost onto businesses. She demanded an impact assessment into the costs of the new rules which showed that the total cost to the EU would be €121 billion between now and 2030. The study also showed that if the law were to be implemented unamended it would cost the UK £2.5 billion a year.
In addition to the huge additional costs, it has been argued that the new rules would represent a setback for women's choice. Like many other well-intentioned equality bills, the effect could negatively impact the standing of women in the job market. Timothy has argued that employers would think twice about employing a young woman if the new rules were to come into effect.
He said:
"There are no benefits to the EU dictating the maternity provisions that national governments can offer. Mothers and fathers should not be told by Brussels how much time they must spend with their families.
"For a parliament that claims to be in favour of women's rights and against discrimination, I fear that we have short-sightedly increased the chances of young women being indirectly discriminated against in an already tough marketplace.
Conservatives have called on the government - which has co-decision powers over the directive - to stand fast in opposing the parliament's position.
In brief ** In brief ** In brief **
Last week, the European Commission stated that the offspring from cloned animals can enter the food chain. Crucially the Commission has decided not to label foods from the offspring of cloned animals leaving consumers completely in the dark about what they are buying and eating. Currently countries like America, Canada, Argentina and Brazil who are major exporters of beef and semen to the EU have cloning which is widespread and unregulated. Conservatives strongly opposed the statement, arguing that EU farmers and consumers need more information in order to make sure they were completely safe.
Conservatives welcomed tougher EU Rules on the late payment of bills, a real problem for small companies. The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to endorse a deal reached with the Council setting down a standard 30-day deadline for payment, unless another date is fixed in the contract. It's good news for businesses in the current economic climate because late payments for goods or services can mean the difference between staying in business and going bankrupt.
A dispute on the European Parliament's calendar for 2011 ended in stalemate last week. Timothy's Conservative colleague Ashley Fox MEP had tabled an Amendment to combine two Plenary sessions into one (meaning one less trip to Strasbourg), thereby saving the tax payer at least €15 million in one fell swoop. Mr Fox had argued that this was a small and reasonable step to make, and reflected the belt-tightening in the current economic climate. Over 190 MEPs signed up to the initiative and we were all set to vote on Wednesday, but the vote was postponed.
