Greetings,

Last week I reported on problems with the Commissioner-designate from Bulgaria. This week she stood down after it became clear the MEPs would not approve her. The Bulgarian government has since nominated a lady called Kristalina Georgieva, currently a Vice President of the World Bank. She will come before us next week for consideration for the development aid portfolio which was also proposed for the candidate we rejected. This means we will not vote the investiture of the new Commission until 9 February, two days before the 27 heads of state and government meet to discuss the EU’s economic situation.

Parliament also voted this week to give the current EU Ombudsman another term of office. There were two candidates opposing him but he won reasonably comfortably. The finance ministers in Council voted to approve Luxembourg’s finance minister Jean Claude Juncker (who is also Prime Minister!) for another term of office as leader of the ‘Euro group’ (and now effectively the Euro-zone’s finance minister, since the role is formalised in the Lisbon Treaty); he has held the post since 2005. Were there any justice in the world, Juncker would be the EU’s new President rather than the colourless Herman van Rompuy, who visited London and addressed the Cabinet this week. But Juncker is too willing to speak his mind for the other national leaders to feel comfortable with him.

The debate about the public accounts in Greece led Commissioner Almunia to call this week for the EU’s auditors to be allowed to inspect the country’s books. I doubt the member states will allow it, but since Almunia will soon take up other duties he felt free to make an important point. Liberal Group leader Guy Verhofstadt made the same point in the debate with the new Spanish Presidency of the EU in Parliament on Wednesday: the ‘open’ method of co-ordination of economic policy, by which member states try to encourage each other into best practice, does not work well enough; a proper EU-wide economic policy, enforced by the Commission and the European Central Bank, may be needed to prevent a situation where other countries may have to bail out sinners like Greece.

The most interesting debate in parliament was about the transfer of bank account data from the EU to the USA through SWIFT, the interbank financial transfer organisation, in contravention of data protection rules. The national governments were instructed by the courts to abide by the law so have established a new agreement with the USA, but have refused to share it with Parliament. Under the Lisbon Treaty, however, they are obliged to give us a say. So the new agreement is a temporary mechanism, expiring on 31 October. MEPs can smell rats; we gave them what for! To watch the debate, click http://tinyurl.com/yd4ldnj.

I spoke in a debate late on Tuesday night in favour of better judicial safeguards for defendants who are extradited to face trial. Two of my constituents are currently detained in Hungary awaiting trial. UKIP tried to attack me, but the thrust of their argument is ‘cross a national border and you can escape the arm of the law’. It does not wash.

My favourite line of the week? Our Belgian leader inviting colleagues to a drinks reception with the words – at least, this is what it sounded like – “you are almost welcome”.

Regards,
Graham