September Roundup: Journalism, Iran and Cloning
A look back at some of the major decisions taken last week in Strasbourg:
Parliament report on journalism turns into a "how can we sell Europe" manifesto
Tuesday 7 September 2010 - MEPs passed a resolution which essentially hijacked a report on journalism and turned it into a manifesto on how EU institutions can better sell themselves to the public.
The report recommends that national broadcasters should include more EU content and that the EU institutions should step up social networking in order to reach 'citizens'. Rather than letting this happen organically, it has outlined prescribed methods on how to 'better' inform people about the Union. The resolution calls for a training programme for young journalists in European affairs, a fund to support student radio and TV broadcasters to cover EU matters, and more EU money for Parliament information offices and EU communication. In effect this means that millions will be spent on infomercials, posters and flyers at a time when Member States strain to cut budget deficits.
Timothy, a substitute member on the European Parliament's Culture and Education Committee, voted against the report and the resolution along with other Conservative colleagues. Commenting at the time Timothy said:
"To force broadcasters to include more EU content is surely interference on press freedom. And to increase the taxpayers' money spent to promote the European Union would be utterly counter-productive at a time when everyone is tightening their belts."
MEPs condemn stoning sentence on Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani
Wednesday 8 September 2010 - The death sentence on Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani was strongly condemned in a resolution adopted on Wednesday with the support of all the European Parliament's political groups. MEPs said that, regardless of the facts, a sentence of death by stoning can never be justified or accepted. They urged the Iranian authorities to set aside the sentences imposed on Mrs Mohammadi-Ashtiani and review her case. It came as MEPs called on the establishment of a "European Year of Combating Violence against Women", within the next five years, backed by a majority of MEPs, who signed up to a written declaration urging the Commission to take action.
Conservatives concerned at the EU's vague approach to cloned animals in food
Thursday 9 September 2010 - Scottish Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson said that farmers, consumers and parliamentarians needed more certainty in legislation affecting imported foods from cloned animals and their immediate descendants entering the EU food-chain.
The European Commission today outlined their position on cloned animals saying that the offspring from cloned animals could enter the food chain and that more research was needed on any health hazards associated with cloned animals. Timothy agreed with Mr Stevenson who argued that this was not good enough.
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. While a ban on all meat and dairy products and semen from these countries would cause an all-out trade war, the EU must lay down measures to make sure that food is appropriately labelled.
What Mr Stevenson is asking for is reasonable. He's asking that unless these countries can provide us with a certificate guaranteeing the products do not come from cloned animals, then we must label these products as 'May come from a cloned animal.' This would give consumers a choice. Fearing a trade war, the Commission has opted for a meek and nuanced response to growing consumer concerns. This limbo is simply not good enough.
