NEWS FROM FIONA HALL MEP on Corus, energy saving and others

WELCOME TO MY E-NEWSLETTER AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

hope you had a good Christmas and New Year. 2009 went out with good news and bad. The bad news was the failure of the Copenhagen climate conference to come anywhere near to achieving a binding global agreement. If you'd like to read about what the last day of the negotiations felt like on the ground, see my blog http://www.fionahall.org.uk/articles/000007/dday_in_copenhagen_update_from_denmark.html

The better news was that the Lisbon Treaty finally came into effect, meaning more say in European law-making for both MEPs and MPs. Please read on for more about what that has meant, and other news stories from the past few months.

Best wishes

Fiona

CORUS

The threatened mothballing of the Corus TCP plant in Redcar has been devastating news for the whole region and my thoughts are with workers facing an uncertain future. I've called on the Government to apply for European money from the Globalisation Adjustment fund to help workers re-train and find new jobs if necessary. I've also written to Business Secretary Lord Mandelson asking for clarification about what is going to happen to Teesside Cast Products' 7 million tonnes of CO2 allowances if the plant is mothballed. If Tata is allowed to sell its carbon permits, it could make a windfall profit. If instead the Government takes over the responsibility for the carbon allowances and sells them off, I feel any profits should be invested back into Teesside. I'm also concerned that if these allowances were indeed sold, that would mean no prospect of the plant re-starting. I'm hoping Lord Mandelson will clarify these points quickly.

DURHAM CALLING COPENHAGEN - "40:20 - JUST DO IT!"

While I was at the Copenhagen climate conference, I faced twenty pupils from five Durham schools via a live video link. With the help of Climate Durham, the pupils presented their vision of living in a low carbon world with a 40% reduction in emissions by 2020 and proposed practical local action.

Bethany Lilly from Durham Johnston commented on the video-conference: "Our message to Copenhagen is '40:20 - Just Do It'. As the generation that will have to live with climate change, we want to prove that local action will secure our future. Negotiators, MEPs and heads of state need the confidence to know that challenging targets can lead to effective action such as we are putting forward."

I presented the Durham schools' proposals to Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs who agreed with me that world leaders needed similar commitment.

ZERO ENERGY BUILDINGS CRUCIAL FOR CUTTING EMISSIONS

I was very pleased that the Council and the European Parliament have agreed that from 2020 every new building constructed in Europe should need "nearly zero" energy for heating, cooling and lighting. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive also requires that all major building renovation must meet cost-effective energy standards.

As the Liberal Democrat negotiator on this directive I was very pleased that agreement was reached. Today, 40% of the energy used in Europe is consumed in buildings. These efficiency measures for new and existing buildings are arguably the biggest step that Europe will take towards meeting its carbon reduction targets. With zero energy buildings and improved renovation standards, a 30% emission reduction target becomes very doable for the EU whatever the rest of the world signs up to.

ACTION ON BATTERY DISPOSAL

As a main sponsor of the European Parliament's 4th Battery Collection Day, I'm aware how much more needs to be done to raise public awareness about safe battery disposal. The UK government should follow the example of other European countries. In France and Belgium, battery collection points are much more common than they are over here. Distinctive disposal boxes help to raise public awareness that batteries should not be thrown into the general waste bin. Special facilities for battery disposal do exist in the UK at household waste centres - but very few people know about them and use them. That means that batteries and the metals they contain are too often ending up in landfill. What is needed is much more publicity about safe disposal and more convenient facilities. Lib Dem run Newcastle City Council has been showing great leadership on this.

NORTH EAST LEADS ON LOW CARBON LIGHTING REVOLUTION

The recently announced £20m boost of Government funding for Sedgefield's Printable Electronics Technology Centre (PETEC) is good news for local lighting manufacturer Thorn Lighting in Spennymoor, Co Durham. PETEC is currently developing a groundbreaking new technology of paper-thin and highly energy-efficient organic LED lighting.

It is exciting that such cutting edge technology is being developed here in the heart of County Durham. I agree with lighting experts that we need high energy efficiency targets for lighting and common standards across Europe to help drive the technology forward and make demand for it take off, and I'm helping PETEC push this forward in the European Commission. We must also ensure that our workforce in the North East has the necessary skills.

COMMISSION HEARINGS

With the Lisbon Treaty in place, attention turned to the 26 new commissioners nominated to serve under President Barroso. MEPs have just spent an intensive ten days grilling these candidate commissioners, who were each subjected to a three-hour-long interview. Bulgarian candidate commissioner Rumiana Jeleva failed to answer questions about her financial interests and showed very little knowledge of her humanitarian aid portfolio. MEPs therefore refused to give her the thumbs up and under this pressure the Bulgarian Prime Minister replaced her with another nominee. For more details of the commissioner hearings, see http://fionahall.org.uk/articles/000006/eu_commissioner_hearings.html

DEMOCRACY IN MOZAMBIQUE

This autumn, I spent a week in Mozambique as the Chief Observer in charge of the EU Election Observation Mission covering the country's parliamentary and presidential elections on October 28th. Although there were some shortcomings and legal weaknesses, polling day itself was mainly well-organised and voting was conducted in a peaceful and calm atmosphere. I expect to return to Mozambique for a brief visit in February to present a detailed report with recommendations for future elections.

DOW MUST ACT ON BHOPAL

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, I called for action to help half a million people in this city who are still suffering from contamination.

Union Carbide, the company which owned the Bhopal pesticide plant at the time of the explosion in December 1984, is now owned by chemicals company Dow, which recently hit the headlines because of plans to close its operations on Teesside, with the loss of more than 200 jobs. Dow is refusing to take any responsibility for the decontamination of the Bhopal site.

I've signed a Written Declaration in the European Parliament condemning the inadequate compensation package for victims of the Bhopal disaster and the lack of progress on clean-up.

The failure to decontaminate the Bhopal site and compensate victims properly means that the terrible impact of the disaster continues to echo down the generations, with children today still being born with birth defects. Dow Chemicals should take responsibility for the clean-up of the site and the EU should offer support to the Indian government and the Madhya Pradesh state government to make this happen.

HIV PATENT POOL

Concerned by the rising prices of AIDS medicines, I've called for the creation of a patent pool that would help make treatment more affordable and effective for patients suffering from the disease. I've signed a Written Declaration in the European Parliament calling on governments to support steps taken by UNITAID, an international drug purchasing facility, to create a voluntary patent pool for AIDS medication.

The aim is to get different patent-holders to make their patents and other relevant intellectual property available to others, in exchange for royalties from those who use the patents. Although AIDS medication has improved over the years, only a third of the 10 million people in need of antiretroviral treatment have access to it and with prices on the rise an increasing number of patients struggles to afford therapy.

COMMISSION MUST ACT TO PREVENT FOOT AND MOUTH THREAT

I've warned the European Commission that it must do more in order to guarantee that there is no risk of a further outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Earlier this year, inspections were carried out in Brazil by the Food and Veterinary Office which found that Brazilian meat export standards did not meet EU requirements.

Brazil has made some improvements to the traceability of its meat, but it is still falling short of the safety standards that British consumers expect. Foot and mouth disease is still present in parts of Brazil so the EU authorities must insist that Brazil fully implements the necessary control measures. The Commission needs to carry out another inspection in Brazil as soon as possible. If standards are not being met, then I take the view that Brazilian beef should be banned.

Farmers, taxpayers and consumers must not suffer a repeat of the 2001 FMD crisis. The North East cattle industry is worth around £46 million and also has a crucial role to play in the environment of the region. Suckler herds in the upland areas of North East England not only produce top quality breeding and store cattle but also help maintain traditional landscapes by grazing. It is crazy to put all of that at risk by allowing dodgy beef imports."

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.