Welcome to my Annual Review for 2007. A year is a long time in politics, but I hope this report gives you an insight into some of the work, projects and campaigns I have been involved with over the past 12 months.

The roaming regulation was a big victory for the socialists against the centre-right parties who wanted to water-down the legislation.

The following is from my blog:

 

Television Without Frontiers

It has been a long time coming, but at the end of November Parliament finally passed the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

I have been working on this directive for several years now, so it will be a great relief to finally see this signed into law. I have been particularly keen to ensure that London retains its status as an international media hub. Many international broadcasters base their European operations in London so we have one of the most diverse television markets in the world.

Mary with Stephen Twigg and Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.

Some of the biggest changes in this directive involve the use of product placement, which will be allowed in European made productions for the first time. We have been very careful to limit the types of programmes in which product placement will be allowed. For example it will be prohibited in news or children's programmes. However as people are finding different ways of watching TV and are increasingly watching programmes on digital personal video recorders (like TiVo or Sky Plus), we thought it important that free-to-air broadcasters were still able to fund their programming.

European Institute of Technology

Like many MEPs, I am concerned that Europe is lagging behind the United States in terms of innovation. Britain has many excellent universities and we lead the world in scientific research. However Europe has traditionally had a problem converting this scientific achievement into useful technology.

This is why I have long supported the idea of a European Institute of Technology. I see the EIT as a one of the tools for improving innovation in Europe, but have been concerned that the EIT does not try to replicate the work that is already going on in British universities. This is why I was against the EIT awarding its own degrees.

Partly because funding has been a problem for the EIT, the initial scheme will act as a pilot project, if and when the funding is agreed.

The Olympics are coming

The London Olympics are set to be the most successful games ever. In particular the plans focus on the sustainable regeneration of the East End. Fantastic new leisure and sports facilities, radically improved transport networks and economic rejuvenation will all be part of the Olympic legacy.

At least 3000 new jobs and 4000 new homes will be created in the East End, contributing to the regeneration of one of London's most deprived areas.

The Olympic Village in Stratford will be converted into affordable housing and the sports facilities will be adapted for use by both the local communities and elite athletes. The International Broadcast Centre and main Press Centre in Hackney Wick will continue to offer employment opportunities in the media and attract talent to the area. Improved transport links, such as the expansion of the Docklands Light Railway and the upgrading of Stratford Regional Station will make East London more accessible and continue to draw people to the area long after the Games are over.

Robert Evans MEP, Ken Livingstone, Mary Honeyball MEP and Claude Moraes MEP

The following is from my blog:

Combating violence against women and children

Across the EU, one in five women are thought to have been victims of violence by their male partners. In May the European Parliament adopted the Daphne III programme which will run from 2007 until 2013. The programme funds various projects which aim to combat violence against women, children and young people. Daphne is just part of the EU's campaign against domestic violence, sexual violence and bullying. I and my Labour colleagues were proud to support this scheme.

Some of the funding has been used to establish telephone helplines and awareness campaigns. It is vital that this important funding programme continues.

NGOs in the London area that have benefited from the support of the Daphne programme include:

a. The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit
b. Hammersmith Women's Aid (HWA)
c. Pakistan Women's Welfare Association
d. Women's Safe Transport (WST)

Mary and Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Minister for Women, in Mary's office in Brussels.

Equal Pay It is a sad fact that women are still not paid as much as men. The median salary in Britain in April 2007 was £24,000 for men compared with £20,500 for women, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics. The gender pay gap is only 0.3% less than last year.   Women working full-time are paid on average 17% less than men: this is the same as men being paid all year & women working for free from 30th October

As well as supporting legislation to guarantee equal pay and working rights, I have also written to the European Commission asking them to explain the low proportion of women in senior positions in the European Commission.

Just one in six top European Commission jobs goes to a woman. If the Commission is serious about gender equality then it needs to start by putting its own house in order.

There is no reason whatsoever why women who do the same work as men should not receive the same level of pay.

 

Osteoporosis Interest Group

I have been Chair of the Osteoporosis Interest Group in the European Parliament for a number of years.

The aim of the group is to stimulate much needed policy developments at both national and European level by both increasing political awareness about osteoporosis and supporting relevant legislation. The group has MEPs from 24 EU member states.

Osteoporosis, a disease in which the quality and density of bone is reduced, is one of the most common and debilitating chronic diseases in Europe.

More people suffer from osteoporosis than breast and prostate cancer combined. It currently affects one in three women over the age of fifty. In the European Union, someone suffers a fracture as a result of osteoporosis every 30 seconds. It is estimated that in Europe 611,000 women and 179,000 men will suffer hip fractures. In 2000 the total number of osteoporotic fractures in Europe was estimated at 3.79 million. The Interest Group works closely with the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). The IOF is currently researching the provision for detecting and treating osteoporosis across the EU. The findings will be discussed at a conference next year.

Mary with Professor Juliet Compston, Professor of Bone Medicine at the University of Cambridge.

Every year the IOF holds an "Osteoporosis Day" in Brussels which includes providing a mobile bone scanner. It is therefore possible to check the bone density of anyone in the Parliament, a very important service that is unlikely to be adequately provided in member states. Early diagnosis is an important step in combating the disease.

I was happy to host a lunch for the IOF in October. The aim was to raise awareness of osteoporosis among MEPs. It was a productive meeting providing considerable information. We followed this with a lively discussion on the action we should take to tackle this largely treatable condition.

 

Getting the message across

Many of you will know by now that I am an avid blogger. I have included some of my blogs in this review. You can either sign up to my blog using RSS or read it via my website. This year I have also pioneered the use of video podcasts on my website.

You will also find me on Facebook. If you haven't done so already why not look me up and become my 'Facebook friend'

It is increasingly difficult for MEPs to communicate directly with their constituents. Much of the British press aren't interested in stories about Europe. This is why it's particularly important that as MEPs we find novel ways to communicate directly with the electorate.

With my blog and email bulletins I can communicate directly with constituents. Now that my blog is up and running I welcome comments on any of the stories that I write about. It's an excellent way to give me your views.

 

My Video Podcasts In the last year I have started to broadcast some of my meetings and speeches via the popular video sharing website, YouTube.

Podcasting Parliament It is not just MEPs, assistants and translators who sit in on European Parliament meetings. Many committee meetings draw a large crowd of interested companies, lobbyists and concerned members of the public who want to follow a particular piece of legislation. Such is the interest that some of our committee meeting rooms often get full, particularly during controversial legislation. This means it's often difficult for everyone to follow the meeting. I believe that all meetings should be as open as possible.

I am still running my campaign to persuade the European Parliament to podcast all its committee meetings.

The European Parliament currently broadcasts all plenary sessions over the internet. I believe that any attempt to open up its workings to a larger audience can only be a positive move.

 

Have you visited the European Parliament website yet?

See how your MEPs vote.
See all legislation and amendments.
Current news stories and verbatim report of proceedings (like Hansard).

The European Parliament website contains a wealth of useful information from how the Parliament works to how every MEP voted on important issues. www.europarl.europa.eu

 

Withdrawal of state health cover from Britons living in France

In August I was contacted by constituents past and present who were going to be directly affected by proposals put forward by the newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy. These proposals sought to remove state health cover from non-working British citizens under the age of 65 living in France.

These “inactifs” as the French termed them fell into several categories including early retirees, women with young children whose partners had taken early retirement and those who had worked in France but whose health had deteriorated so they had to retire early.

All these people had paid a percentage of their incomes in France to the French government. This enabled them to obtain full access to the French health system. This payment was in effect very similar to the National Insurance we pay for our NHS cover. Some of those affected had exemplary records of public service in the UK, including a police woman who had been injured in the line of duty. Sarkozy’s proposals were riddled with inconsistencies. Retired French citizens under the age of 65 were still eligible for health cover, even non-EU citizens such as Americans also remained eligible. What is more, Sarkozy is in danger of undermining the principle that EU citizens can move freely across the countries of the EU to live and work.

Mary with Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP

I raised the whole matter with the British government, and the Minister for Europe Jim Murphy took the issue up with his French counterparts. I also publicised the issue in the media, working closely with British citizens in France who set up an excellent campaigning website www.frenchhealthissues.com

I launched a Written Declaration (similar to an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons) calling for full reciprocity of health care across Europe. The Declaration has been signed by dozens of my MEP colleagues across Europe and the different political groupings. At the time of writing, the French government have still withdrawn cover. In early 2008 thousands of people living in France face the prospect of losing state health care, as a result of which they could well have impossible bills for operations and prescriptions. I will continue fighting to prevent this happening.

Casework Worldwide During the course of the year, I received a large number of letters from constituents asking for support on a wide range of issues. These included demands for sanctions against Zimbabwe, calls for the EU to do more in Darfur to prevent killings and criticism of the EU's withdrawal of financial aid following the election of Hamas in Palestine. There were also many letters urging support for action to bring peace and justice to the Middle East, particularly in the Gaza Strip. The illiberal attitude of the Polish government towards gay people was also a subject for concern.

Mary working at her desk in Brussels

Climate Change

The largest number of letters came from constituents worried about various aspects of climate change. They expressed wide-ranging views on the EU emissions trading scheme, the reduction of CO 2 emissions from passenger cars and requests to further strengthen emission controls.

Many constituents were extremely concerned about the negative impact of the increase in demand for biofuels. Reassurances were given about the EU’s recognition of the need to ensure that alternative energy sources are environmentally sustainable.

A cause for concern amongst cyclists in particular was the European Commission’s proposal to adopt the use of low intensity headlights turned on during daylight hours. The cyclist organisation, CTC, organised a very large campaign urging the EU to reconsider adopting this rule because of safety risks to vulnerable road users. As part of the same campaign, CTC members also urged MEPs to support the introduction of cycle carriage facilities on all trains.

Animal Rights

Animal welfare issues always form a large part of my postbag. The demand for the withdrawal of subsidies to farms which breed bulls for bullfighting was the subject of one of the biggest campaigns this year and as a result a written declaration was signed and submitted by a very large number of MEPs. Spring hunting of migrating birds in Malta and the flouting of the EU Directive by the Maltese Government was also a worry. A large and sustained campaign was launched to ban the use of experiments on all primates.

After seven years one of the longest running campaigns aimed at banning the barbaric trade in cat and dog fur which results in the death of about two million dogs and cats every year in China, will come to an end. The European Parliament passed a new law to put an end to the import and export to and from the EU of cat and dog fur and products containing such fur.

 

Democratic engagement

It's a sad fact that fewer and fewer young people are choosing to vote in elections and get involved in politics.

I recently met Bridget Prentice MP, the Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, to discuss these issues and talk about youth engagement in politics.

It was good to talk to Bridget in her new ministerial role. Among other ideas, we talked about the Heads Up project, which is part funded by the Ministry of Justice. Heads Up is an " online debating space for under 18s to share their views on political issues and events ". The latest forum is about discrimination. The website encourages under 18s to debate these issues with politicians. I am pleased to be involved in the Heads Up forum on discrimination. Discrimination affects many young people in different ways and young people are bound to have different ideas about tackling it. Politicians should always be willing to consider new ideas and suggestions.

Mary and Bridget Prentice MP discussing democratic engagement

Non-stop campaigning

We all know that campaigning never stops, the latest round being the Mayoral and GLA elections in May 2008. :

There were also many important London Borough Council by-elections during 2007. These are some of the by-elections where I managed to put in an appearance. Bensham Manor, Croydon - JANUARY East Barnet, Barnet - FEBRUARY Abbey Road, Westminster - MAY Haverstock, Camden - JULY Hornchurch St. John´s, Havering - JUNE Shadwell, Tower Hamlets - AUGUST Springfield Ward, Hackney - DECEMBER Riverside Ward, Southwark - DECEMBER

Mary campaigning in Riverside Ward

Campaigning in proportional elections Proportional representation allows every single voter to make a difference. Unlike first past the post elections, PR means that every vote counts. Given that GLA elections have a proportional element and that the European Parliament elections are carried out under a PR system, it is important to fight these elections in a way which engages all electors across the whole of London. In order to put forward ideas on this, I contributed a chapter to a recent Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform pamphlet entitled "Reversing Labour Retreat - the challenge and change of electoral reform".   I believe the European Parliament should have just one seat - it should be in Brussels. Why not join our online campaign at www.oneseat.eu

Mary with electoral reformer Oona King

The following is from my blog:

 

Keeping politics and religion separate

The 9/11 atrocity and to a lesser extent the July 7 bombings in 2005 have led to a higher public profile for religion. Although terrorist outrages have not been the only cause, it has been noticeable that religion has gained more media coverage in the last few years. This has been the case in Britain as well as across the rest of the EU. The accession to the EU of very religious countries from Eastern Europe such as Poland has made this trend even more visible.

As a secularist and humanist, I believe this religious resurgence should not go unchallenged as far as it impacts on government. While I am very strongly of the view that personal beliefs should be respected and would not wish to oppose any faith provided it did not cause harm to others, I also think that organised religion should not have undue influence within either the European Union or the United Kingdom.

I have therefore joined the recently formed Labour Humanists, who are, amongst other things, doing good work pointing out the problems associated with faith schools and opposing Church of England bishops having seats in a reformed second chamber.

In addition to the work being done in the UK, there has been considerable activity in the European Parliament. An all party working group on the separation of religion and politics, established in 2004 following the refusal of the European Parliament to confirm the proposed Italian Commissioner Rocco Buttiglione on the basis of his avowed homophobia, has been a useful forum for discussion. Its most recent work has been a critique of the Reform Treaty as far as it deals with the separation of church and state.

A group of secularists in the European Parliament have also recently begun holding "free thinking" breakfast meetings once a month during the Strasbourg session. I have attended several of these and found them very engaging.

Mary addresses a "free thinking" breakfast meeting in Strasbourg

 

Visits to the European Parliament

I am always delighted when constituents come and visit the European Parliament. Everyone who visits the European Parliament goes away with a much better understanding of the work we do.

This year I had the pleasure of hosting a visit by the London Labour Mayors' Association. I look forward to welcoming more constituents in 2008.

Sadly our good friend and a former Mayor, Bob Hall, died in 2007. He will be sadly missed by everyone.

Mary with London Labour Mayors Association

 

 

Cyprus

I continued my long standing work on Cyprus this year. I again met with many of the community leaders. I visited Cyprus in October and addressed the Morphou Rally, calling again for a solution to the division of the island. Morphou, a town in the north, is symbolic of the division of Cyprus. I paid tribute to the work of Haris Sophoclides who has stood down after a period of distinguished service to the community as President of the National Federation of Cypriots to be succeeded by Peter Droussiotis.

Mary and fellow MEPs Richard Howitt and Robert Evans at the Green Line in Cyprus

Mary addressing the Morphou rally