News from Fiona Hall MEP

Hello and welcome to my e-newsletter for April.

Since my last newsletter I have been kept very busy in both the North East and the European Parliament. On top of all our preparations for the European Elections on 4th June, I am still working on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive - the aim of which is to set cost-effective standards of energy efficiency for new and renovated buildings of all sizes. The end result of this should be really exciting - not only could it help kick start the economy in the North East and create hundreds of jobs but it could also help towards bringing down bills and cut CO2 emissions so I am hoping to get everything done before Parliament ends in May.

Please read on to see all my latest news and please continue to contact me on fiona@fionahallmep.co.uk with your concerns. I will do what I can to help.

Happy Easter and best wishes,

Fiona

NORTH EAST DEVELOPS INTO 'GREEN' TRANSPORT LEADER

I am delighted by the news that the European Investment Bank has approved a loan which will be used to research and develop projects towards cleaner and greener cars at the Nissan plant in Sunderland. We need to develop low carbon transport alternatives now and this loan is an important incentive for the car industry in the North East. In the long run, this is good news for the economy also, for the safeguarding of jobs and because of the region's already well regarded reputation as a major research and manufacturing hub for green vehicles and technologies.

The EIB loan comes weeks after One North East's £30m pledge to develop an electric vehicle infrastructure in the region and I now think the North East has a good chance to become the lead region of electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing. Forward thinking companies such as County Durham based electro-scooter firm Elecscoot, which I visited a couple of weeks ago, already provide an environmental and sustainable alternative in the region to today's standard petrol-guzzling vehicles, whilst also being the key to beating the crippling costs of petrol, road tax and insurance.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SLAMS SPANISH 'LAND GRABBING' METHODS

Over the years I have been contacted by a number of constituents who have bought homes in Valencia, Spain - many spending their life savings on the purchase of their dream house or land - only to find local authorities using unjust Spanish laws to grab land back after the contracts have been signed. I am supporting the European Parliament's recommendation for action at a European level to protect British people who buy homes in Spain.

The laws were designed by the Valencian authorities to help deliver low cost housing for local residents by preventing holiday home developers and speculators banking land, but at worst, properties bought by foreign holidaymakers have been demolished or left worthless by property developers exploiting the rules. And unlike the English compulsory purchase scheme, where compensation can be received, in Spain the property owners also have to pay the developers considerable funds for the privilege of having as much as 30% of land taken away in some cases.

Understandably, this has driven people to breaking point. Many British people have worked hard for decades to achieve their dream of retirement in the sun only to be forced to give up part of their property without compensation and in some cases also footing massive bills from property developers. I am delighted that the European Parliament, in its report voted last week, recommends the freezing of all community funds for Spain until such abuses are resolved. I have called on the European Commission to act swiftly and decisively in accordance with the recommendations of the Parliament's report.

BAN CHEMICAL WHICH POSES HEALTH RISKS IN BABY BOTTLES

I have joined calls in the European Parliament to ban Bisphenol A (BPA) in all baby bottles after scientists have found that the chemical leaches from the plastic containers.

Bisphenol A mimics the effect of the hormone oestrogen in the body and can cause damage to animals and probably humans during critical stages of their development, affecting reproductive, neurological and immune systems. Although there are plastic bottles on the market that do not contain Bisphenol A, the chemical is also used in bottles, toys, in the lining of food cans and dental sealants.

Even though the level of risk is uncertain, many parents aren't even aware there is a risk and therefore don't know which bottles to avoid. This lack of awareness is frightening. Because there is a lack of knowledge about the possible long term health risks associated with BPA, I believe that there is a case for putting Bisphenol A on the EU's 'REACH' list, which is a list of potentially harmful substances and checmicals. And it is important that if bottles aren't banned then at the very least they and other items that could end up in a baby's mouth are clearly labelled to spell out any possible dangers to parents.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 'SIGNED UP' AND SET TO 'SWITCH OFF' FOR EARTH HOUR

I am very happy to report that, after some lobbying, the European Parliament joined many of the region's most iconic landmarks in switching off its lights for WWF's Earth Hour. Newcastle City and Gateshead Council jointly agreed to black out the Sage, Millennium and Tyne Bridges and Durham Cathedral turned off the floodlights on the building's renowned central Tower.

The European Parliament quite rightly joined the list of global well known building taking part in Saturday's Earth Hour. The sheer number of people switching off for Earth Hour across the globe - some tens of millions of people - clearly showed that climate change is an issue weighing heavily on people's minds. That is why I hope that world leaders will take this extraordinary example of people power as a cue to commit to a meaningful global strategy on dealing with the effects of climate change, when decision makers meet in Copenhagen later this year. Only by working together will the world be able to do something about climate change and this is exactly the ethos behind Earth Hour.

'CLIMATE DURHAM' REACHES OUT TO COMMUNITY

I am delighted that 'Climate Durham', a new grassroots movement to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change at the community level in Durham, has been publicly launched on the 19th of March and is now actively reaching out to the community.

Climate Durham was set up by a coalition of Durham residents, businesses and institutional representatives in October 2008, building on the success of the Durham-wide Plastic Bag Reduction Partnership. The movement is coordinated through its website where individuals, businesses and organisations can share their contributions towards meeting climate change targets, team up with other like-minded people, organise and join projects in their neighbourhoods and get practical advice on how to reduce their carbon footprints - and save money at the same time!

The thing that makes Climate Durham so important is the fact that it is completely community led. Local people want to be part of something which can really make a difference when it comes to climate change. The fact that everyone shares this environmental concern makes Climate Durham a great vehicle for applying pressure on councils and political representatives to put climate change right at the top of their agenda. It is also a way in which individuals and businesses can work together to change the way they behave when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint. They don't have to go it alone and can share tips, ideas and support one another. I think that is what makes Climate Durham so exciting.

ROAMING CHARGES WILL COME DOWN ONCE AGAIN

I am disappointed that mobile operators are still fighting cost caps. In 2006, they were warned about the cost of roaming voice calls but failed to bring the charges down until MEPs forced them to. Similarly, they were warned about excessive text and data charges, to no avail. So now it is time to act again to slash the cost of using a mobile abroad.

For UK consumers, the cost of sending a text message when abroad is often as high as 41p per text. Compared with just 4p with a Latvian mobile phone user, this is scandalous. This report means that UK operators will be able to charge no more than 9p for a text message sent whilst aboard. The actual cost to the operator is less than 1p.

The new regulation on data charges will put a stop to the nasty shocks that people have received when they return from holiday, open their bills and see they have been charged a small fortune for simply checking the football scores on their mobiles. As well as lower charges for data, mobile companies must now offer cut off limits to stop charges silently mounting up. Once again, action at an EU level has greatly benefitted the consumer.

POLLUTION RULES INAPPROPRIATE FOR NORTH EAST FARMERS

I have spoken up in Parliament and criticised new European measures to control industrial pollution because they bring in by the back door bureaucratic rules which will affect even small farmers.

The new rules are designed to control pollution from global industrial giants. But tucked away in the text are measures which affect manure spreading and poultry raising. Integrated pollution prevention and control measures (IPPC) are designed for industrial emissions not small farm waste, which is in any case covered by other regulations such as the Nitrates Directive.

The Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament was not even asked for its opinion. I believe the Parliament's approach on this piece of legislation has been seriously flawed. Fortunately, there is still some way to go in the law-making process. I will keep on fighting the elements of IPPC which are inappropriate when applied to farms.

CLOSING BISHOP AUCKLAND HOSPITAL A&E IS A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW

I am very disappointed by the final decision to close the A&E unit of Bishop Auckland Hospital. This is a bitter blow to the people of Bishop Auckland who have fought so hard to keep their A&E facility. The strength of local support has been remarkable. People have signed up to petitions and countless Facebook groups and turned out it in huge numbers to Save Our Hospital rallies.

I remain concerned that the hospitals in Darlington and Durham are simply too far away to provide a timely A&E response, not least for people living in the remote communities of upper Weardale. There is a danger that the downgrading of facilities in Bishop Auckland will mean a downgrading of the quality of emergency treatment available to people in this area. It is up to the authorities who have taken this decision to prove that the alternative they are proposing actually works.

Keep up to date with all the latest news from Fiona, along with details of what Fiona has been doing in the North East and in the European Parliament, by visiting her website, www.fionahall.org.uk.