Please find below the latest newsletter from Graham Watson, our Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar:

Greetings,

I’ve heard many excuses in my life for missing a canvassing session, but try this one for size: a cloud of volcanic dust closed down the airports of a quarter of the continent and I was stuck at work! It’s crazy but it’s true. And I regret it’s the reason why I’ll be on the boulevards of Brussels rather than those of Barnstaple this afternoon. Moreover, I missed the first televised debate of the election campaign yesterday evening. In Brussels we receive BBC TV by cable, but ITV (via Sky) is available only on satellite.

There are many things I could report of Brussels this week, including a special ceremony in parliament to honour the victims of Poland’s tragic air crash, but let me start with what I think is the most significant event to take place here in years. On Tuesday afternoon the European Climate Foundation unveiled a study on how to decarbonise the EU’s economy by 2050. It is a massive and hugely impressive piece of work, based on conservative assumptions about everything from the future of oil price to the development of human behaviour vis-à-vis climate change. It shows that the EU could quite easily (and relatively cheaply, if we start now) cut its carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 and become self sufficient in energy production. It outlines three pathways to achieving it: all involve the decarbonisation of all sectors of the economy, starting with heating and transport; one involves providing for our energy needs with 40% renewables (plus 30% nuclear and 30% high carbon fuels with the carbon output captured and stored), the second with 60% provided by renewables (plus 20% nuclear and 20% fossil fuels plus CCS) and the third 80% renewables (plus 10% and 10%). You can see the whole study at www.roadmap2050.eu. If Barroso is looking for a ‘big idea’ – and the EU could do with one – this is it.

One should always beware in politics of raising false hopes. At the risk of so doing, however, I sense that something is moving in the area of access to justice for those ripped off by property developers in sunny climes in southern Europe. There have been so many complaints from citizens of so many EU countries about investments in second homes that the European Parliament (and hence the European Commission) are being spurred into action. I hope to report again as things develop. But beware: in such matters the wheels of government often grind very slowly.

Last Sunday evening the finance ministers from the Euro-zone revised and improved the bail-out plan for Greece. It is highly unlikely the Greeks will call on the money made available, since to do so would be to admit bankruptcy to the financial markets, but in any case an offer is on the table of EUR 45 billion over the next year (EUR 30 bn from the EU and EUR 15 bn from the IMF).The finishing touches have been put too to a plan for a European rescue fund for banks which get into trouble in the future, which will be financed by the banks themselves.

Finally, the euro-Mediterranean ministerial meeting in Barcelona this week to put the finishing touches to a long term strategy on management of water supplies collapsed as a result of a dispute on how to name the occupied Palestinian territories. Most depressing.

Regards,

Graham

Graham Watson MEP
Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for South West England and Gibraltar