65,000 march to end animal testing

I recently joined more than sixty five thousand people on a ‘cyber march’ calling for an EU ban on unnecessary experiments on animals.

I met the organisers of the protest from the Dr. Hadwen Trust in Brussels and discussed a new and stronger European law. More than twelve million animals are used for experiments every year across the European Union and the UK is one of the biggest users of animals for testing. The aim of the campaign is to replace animal tests with effective alternatives.

I published a report in the European Parliament in 2002 which looked at how the law could be strengthened to ensure strict conditions on the use of animals, ensuring there were alternative methods of testing, and providing incentives to develop such alternatives. I’m now involved in the negotiations on a new law.

Seven years on from my original report animals, millions of animals are still suffering because of unnecessary scientific experiments. This cyber march, which is supported by more than 65,000 people and rising, shows the tremendous strength of feeling on this issue.

For me, the priorities are using animals only when there is no other alternative and reducing their use as technology develops; phasing out experiments on primates and an immediate ban on the use of monkeys caught in the wild; and ensuring there is strict supervision of testing. There should be centres to actively support and promote the development of alternative methods.

Our long term goal must be to replace experiments on animals. It has taken several years to get this new law discussed. I know from my constituents in Wales that they are following developments and demanding that Europe moves ahead in terms of animal welfare. That is why so many have written to me and joined the cyber march. We cannot do less.

The Cyber March which can be seen here .

Promoting multilingualism within the EU

During an extremely busy week in Strasbourg, I met Slovakia’s Maros Sefcovic, the new EU Commissioner for Culture, Education and Training.

I reminded the new Commissioner of our group’s (European Free Alliance – E.F.A.) priorities in terms of promoting multilingualism. I emphasised the need to make progress on improving the status at EU level for Welsh, Catalan, Galician and other languages which are official in their own territories but are not yet full official EU languages. E.F.A. is pushing for interpretation to be made available so that these languages can be used in the European Parliament.

Wales and Europe Moving in the Right Direction

For the first time, the European Parliament has voted for a tax on international financial transactions. Following the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh, parliament recognised that a tax like this would reduce financial speculation and help make our economy more sustainable.

As well as this, parliament gave its backing for a wider range of indicators to judge the state of the economy rather than just GDP. The One Wales government already uses headline indicators which together measure the numbers living in low income households, progress on the Biodiversity Action Plan and Wales’s ecological footprint, as well as economic factors. We can’t solve the economic or climate crises by using the same policies that created them in the first place. We’ve already recognised this in Wales. It’s good to see others are beginning to as well.

News of a Referendum…and not in Ireland

Arenys de Munt in Catalonia has a population of just over 8,000. On 13th September 96% (of the 40% who turned out) voted in favour of Catalan independence in a local referendum. Now other towns and cities across Catalonia are organising similar referenda.

The Spanish government took out a court order banning municipal authorities form holding referenda. But Arenys de Munt got around that by not doing it officially as an authority. We await the ruling of the Spanish Constitutional Court on the bigger issue of a statute on Catalan autonomy but no amount of legal edicts can prevent the people of Catalonia moving towards independence.

It is interesting too that the Spanish government allowed a demonstration in Arenys de Munt on referendum day by the Falangists, supporters of Franco’s dictatorship, who waved Spanish flags and made fascist salutes. There were only a handful of them and they were hopelessly outnumbered by the huge crowds who were there to support independence, but a demonstration like this would have been banned in some other European countries – not in Catalonia with a desperate Spanish government fighting against a surge of support for autonomy.

Every referendum held in the next few months will increase pressure on the government to listen to and respond to the demands of the Catalan people for independence and democracy. Europe is changing – and it’s not because of the Lisbon Treaty!

It’s not just Lisbon!

So today Ireland goes to the polls as the Irish people are asked to ratify or reject the Lisbon Treaty.

Ireland is an independent country, and as such the Irish people are able to voice their opinion. Not only do they have the right to vote, but they have also negotiated a good deal for Ireland into the bargain.

It’s different in Wales of course; we’re denied a debate and a referendum by the London government, and we lose out because we are part of the UK.

As part of their deal, Ireland will now always have a Commissioner who’ll be representing the views of the Irish people at the heart of Europe.

In contrast, the people of voiceless Wales will hardly notice the difference if the Lisbon Treaty goes through. Even the person put forward to be the UK Commissioner is decided upon by Gordon Brown. In order to claw back some of the democratic deficit, the very least we are demanding is that the person put forward appears before the National Assembly to explain how they would represent Wales’s interests. The Assembly should also have to give their collective approval before the candidate can go forward.

We need change and that’s why we ARE having a full debate and referendum on constitutional change in Wales.

The same debate is also happening in countries like Scotland, Catalonia, the Basque Country, etc. There’s change happening right across Europe – it’s not just Lisbon!

Made in Wales

If it’s Monday, it means I’m usually travelling to either Brussels, or one week every month, to Strasbourg. I try to travel by train as much as possible, at least 1 in 4 journeys, but today I was flying to Brussels from Cardiff via Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

As I made my way through Shiphol’s shopping mall to catch my connecting flight to Brussels, I was pleased to see a prominent sales display for Ty Nant mineral water advertising proclaiming it a “Must buy!” But nowhere did it mention that Ty Nant was Welsh.
As far as the legions of people passing through that part of the airport were concerned (Schiphol is the world’s third largest in terms of international passenger traffic!), Ty Nant water could have been produced anywhere.

Wales is missing a huge promotional opportunity here. I decided I would write to Ty Nant when I got to Brussels pointing this out. Imagine my surprise when during my flight I was served with a carton of orange juice, made by a Wrexham-based company called, ‘Calypso.’ I checked the container, but nowhere could I find, ‘Made in Wales, only a postcode.

Striking a deal to supply one of the world major airlines, or having your product displayed in one of the world’s largest airports is a real achievement and I congratulate the companies on their success. But I will also be reminding them that we produce quality products in Wales and we should let the world know!

It’s official – Welsh in Europe!

I’m so pleased! From this week Welsh speakers will be able to correspond with the European Commission in Welsh.

It’s been a long campaign, but on Thursday, when the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU signs the memorandum in Brussels, it becomes official.

Its another step forward in boosting the status of Welsh at European level and raising the profile of Wales.

Although it’s fantastic news that Welsh speakers can now deal with the European Commission in the language of their choice, I won’t be stopping here. When the new president of the parliament is elected next week, I’ll be meeting him or her and continue to push the European Parliament to adopt better rules, allowing further use of the language.

Reforming Europe in my new role

I was incredibly honoured this week, when I was elected as president of the European Free Alliance Group (EFA) and vice president of the Greens/EFA in the European Parliament.

The European Free Alliance was formed in 1981 to work for a Europe in which nations, regions and language communities would have the right to their own identities and would work together to help shape a democratic and effective union. EFA brings together like minded parties from nations seeking independence or greater autonomy and those campaigning for minority rights.

It is such an important time in Welsh and European politics, and if the European Union is to effectively support us through the economic crisis and lead the way in fighting climate change then it needs the input of all of us. That includes Wales, Scotland, Catalunya, Corsica, Flanders and all the nations and regions that are not yet represented in their own right in the EU.

We believe the European Union has a key role to play in these issues as well as in protecting public services, defending human rights and contributing to international peace and disarmament. But it has to be a Europe in which people feel they matter.

The European Parliament is a parliament for Wales as much as the House of Commons is, but it is seen as irrelevant and distant. The most effective way to reform Europe is to base that reform on the real Europe that exists rather than on the so-called nation states.

In my new role I will be working with MEPs from across Europe and with the people of Wales to achieve that reform.

Trains and boats and planes

I’m pleased to see Plaid’s Carmarthen councillors raising the vital issue of better mainline rail services [here].

It’s something I’m fighting for all the time. High speed rail services are essential for Wales’ economy, environment and citizens. My position is clear. Wales must have, as soon as possible, HST services from Holyhead and Fishguard, across our north and south coasts connecting to the European mainland. This makes sense in so many ways, so why isn’t it happening?

First, the UK rail industry is much too Anglo-centric. For them, it’s all about services radiating from London. (It’s the same argument about airports). From that stand-point, Wales is always on periphery and doesn’t justify investment. The new High Speed 2 company’s brief excludes Wales, despite passenger demand. None of their 4 future scenarios includes Wales.

If you don’t take a narrow Anglo-British view, it all looks so different. Our north and south coastal routes could be part of the pan-European network from Ireland to the mainland: trains and boats. Think how many more jobs this would create in Welsh ports. Increased use would also improve train services right across Wales.

As an internationalist, my argument isn’t just for us. The whole of the British Isles would benefit. I’m sure the Scots government would join in, but so too would North English regions and all of Ireland.

But by far the biggest reason we don’t have a proper transport infrastructure is UK government priorities. They prefer to spend that money on warfare. Labour’s international policy – a function of British nationalism – is the problem and where the big money goes. The UK military configuration follows Labour’s political demands. So the boats we get are two large aircraft carriers – HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, mark you – costing £4 billion. Their planes – of US manufacture (no ‘British jobs for British workers’ here) will cost £12 billion. They ordered the first of these this March.

Labour’s other boats are replacements for the Trident missile-carrying nuclear-powered submarines. (You know, the ones that bump into their French allies). This little project is estimated to cost £20 billion. As you know, I’ve fought against these weapons of mass destruction all my political life. Now, maybe, we can see a glimmer of hope. British generals think they’re outdated. Even some Tories appear think so too.

If UK nuclear weapons were abolished, that would be brilliant. But I can’t see it myself. We all know that the only way we’re going to get decent public services – including 21st century European trains – here is when Wales becomes a member state of the European Union. Then we wouldn’t need Labour’s boats and planes. We would have proper defence forces like the Irish and work with the United Nations.

For Mandelson?

I’m glad to see my proposal made last March (click HERE) for a Welsh member of the European Commission has now been raised by Plaid Cymru in the British House of Commons:

“In the spirit of partnership between the nations of these islands, what does the Secretary of State think of my party’s proposal that each of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom should take its turn in nominating the UK representative as commissioner in the European Commission?”

Unfortunately, the British Secretary of State here, Paul Murphy, chucked it out straightaway:

“In my view, only the sovereign state Government is able to nominate for the role of commissioner.”

We all know that nominations can only be made by member states, but that doesn’t stop internal, legally binding arrangements among the 4 UK constituent governments to rotate the post as I suggested. After all, Labour changed horses to get Peter Mandelson back into the UK cabinet. He resigned mid-term and was replaced as Commissioner by Catherine Ashton last year.

So, with the political will, it can be done. Labour did it for Mandelson but is not prepared to do it for Wales. To misquote the killer line in Robert Bolt’s fabulous A Man For All Seasons: “For Mandelson?”