GILES CHICHESTER MEP
for the South West and Gibraltar

Swissair to the rescue

For the February Strasbourg session my travel story came at the end of the week.  My flight home had been cancelled because the flight out from Heathrow did not arrive.  My heart sank briefly but fortunately BA was able to re-book me on a Swissair flight to London City at about the same time.

Vacancy to be filled

Votes in plenary at noon are next and I am able to snatch a swift lunch in the canteen before my next meeting at 2pm of all Committee Chairman.  This is not an exciting affair, generally speaking, but one needs to be there in case.  It was my opportunity to ask for electronic voting facilities.  I had to leave prompt at 3pm to attend our Conservative MEPs meeting for the vote on our candidate for the post of EPP-ED (European Peoples Party – European Democrats) Group Vice-President.  This became necessary when the incumbent Tim Kirkhope was elected Chairman of the UK Delegation (aka British Conservative MEPs) and announced he would stand down as Group Vice-President.

Respect for Ukraine’s new President

On Wednesday, the big event was the appearance of Victor Yushenko, the newly elected President of the Ukraine at a Formal Session of the Parliament.  These events always take place in the middle of voting so as to ensure as big an audience as possible.  As a modest protest against this ploy, I generally use the time to go off for a coffee break or do some other work but on this occasion I stayed as a mark of respect for this man who has come through a pretty torrid time and is seeking to link his country with the west and Europe.  A significant move I feel.

Snowy white

The trip out went smoothly and to time.  The countryside was covered with a dusting of snow so all looked white and serene.  My main task of the Monday evening was to chair a long voting session of my Industry, Research and Energy Committee because we were being pressed by the Council and the Commission to complete our work on our Report on guidelines for the 7^th (and next) Framework Programme of Research.

President Patricia?

After the delegation meeting at 5pm, I have a meeting with Patricia Hewitt MP, the UK Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, about the forthcoming UK Presidency of the Council in the second half of 2005.  Now, you may well ask what’s a nice Conservative chap like me doing hobnobbing with a Labour lady? But at European level I am Chairman of the committee dealing with a large chunk of the files she would inherit if she is still in the same job by July 1^st and it is my job to interface with whom ever holds the Presidency.

More money for research

On Thursday, I lead the debate on an Oral Question we had put to the Commission asking how they propose to achieve their target of doubling spending on research in the next, Seventh Framework Programme. At present, the annual level of spending, adjusted for the ten new Member States’ contribution to the budget, runs at roughly €3.5 bn or about £2.4 bn so a doubling would add up to a pretty significant sum.
 

Hands up to be counted

The reason being the Commissioner wants to know the Parliament’s views before finalising and submitting his proposal to the Competitiveness Council in April.  There were some 225 amendments and we had to do it without the benefit of an electronic voting system.  This meant counting votes manually while the MEPs hold theirs hands up. Very high tech I don’t think and I can report that I whacked in a request for electronic voting facilities to be installed asap.  We have them in Brussels’ committee rooms.

Orienteering my way

Next on my programme come two receptions, one with the said lady and one with the Ordnance Survey, out in Strasbourg to strut their stuff.  I manage to time my presence rather badly and hear speeches in both events before having to move on to the European Energy Forum where I have to take the Chair (as President of the EEF) for a dinner debate on the Security of Electricity Supply in Europe.  This is a topic for which I am Rapporteur, so I have a double interest.

A whole 5 minutes

I have a very precious 5 minutes to ask the question and make some suggestions as to how to persuade the Member States to agree to put more money into Research while keeping within an overall target of an EU budget capped at 1% of GDP (European gross domestic product).

Busy Tuesday

Tuesdays are generally my busiest day and this week was no exception.  I start with meeting the head of my committee secretariat to discuss out- standing matters to do with running our agenda; then see 2 representatives from ENEL making a presentation about the Italian energy market and their business within it.  After that, it is the turn of two representatives from CEFIC, the European Chemicals Industries Federation, about REACH; the Chemical regulation that is absorbing so much of our time and energy.

Speaking time is precious

And then, to round off a long day, I have to go into the hemicycle (the Chamber) for a debate on a proposal for a Directive on River Information Services.  I have two precious minutes speaking time as the draftsman of my committee’s opinion.  One of the responsibilities of a Committee Chairman is to make opinions when the political groups cannot agree on who should do them.

No comment!

I’ve run out of space for Comment this month, it will re-appear next time.