More Questions to the Commission
UK and the Eurozone
On what grounds did the President of the Commission claim that opinion in the UK was moving towards joining the eurozone?
Is the Commission not aware that the contrary is closer to reality?
Is the Commission also not aware that the rumoured source of this claim, the former Commissioner for International Trade, is one of the most discredited politicians in the UK and his original appointment to the Commission was made simply to get him out of Britain? Do the Commission not yet realise that comments on future of British government policy from such a source are greeted in the UK by ridicule?
Is the Commission not aware that any suggestion of the UK joining the eurozone, especially in its current parlous state, from the British government or anyone else would create uproar in the UK?
For the record, it would also demolish any remaining faint hopes of Mr Brown's administration surviving the next election.
An Afterthought …
Even if the British decided to join the euro in the next few years the EU could allow it only by breaking its own rules. The country’s budget deficit is far beyond the Maastricht criteria of 3% of GDP. Neither would Britain’s pound and the euro exchange rates have been seen to move together for at least two years.
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Energy in the Wrong Places
Why is the Commission continuing with its energetic dash for control of CO2 and equally energetic dash for the expansion of wind farms, when the first has been totally discredited by the science and the latter has been totally undermined by the costs?
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Cultural Identity in Cyprus - Mark 2
Perhaps the Commissioner for Enlargement would be kind enough to answer my question (E6167/08) about cultural identity in Cyprus. His previous attempt fell woefully short and did not address the essential point at all.
Does he not understand that my question was - and still is - about the unique protection of national identity in Cyprus, whilst it is being systematically diluted all over the rest of the EU and has been for many years?
Dealing with Cyprus with a unique sensitivity right now is understandable. But will cultural dilution start immediately the EU has control of the north? If so, does either side realise that hazard exists?
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Fight Against Organised Crime is a Mismatch
Why is the Commission still pouring millions of euros of public money into countries known to be riddled with corruption and organised crime to the highest levels, whilst at the same time making threatening demands for information about money-laundering to churches and well-intentioned charities?
Is the commission aware that I refer to the application of the EU's so-called Third Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Directive (2005/60/EC), which is now being used to demand and check the personal circumstances of individuals connected to religious and charitable organisations on the pretext that they might, just might, be planning terrorist attacks?
Does the Commission deem it acceptable that such enquiries to such people are based on threats that "non-compliance with your regulatory obligations" would be "serious"?
Is the Commission aware that no distinction can be made between Catholic and Protestant churches and those run by radical Muslims - or the resentment, disruption and undermining of volunteer support this creates?
Is this another one-size-fits-all EU policy that ends up generating more unacceptable bureaucratic lunacy - to say nothing of the waste of officials' time on indiscriminate trivia?
And while the wild fire of theoretical criminal corruption and organised terrorism in village churches in England goes under the microscope of EU officialdom, the little matter of 11 billion euros of EU taxpayers' money given to organised corruption in Bulgaria, for example, is largely ignored. Why?
Is it because the EU is simply incapable of finding the will-power, strength, resources or determination to deal with the huge problems resulting from the organised crime which passes for substitute government and dominates parts of Eastern Europe and - for that matter - southern Italy, and has done for years?
How long is this mismatch of priorities likely to continue?
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"Recovery" of British Taxpayers Funds by the EU
What precisely did the British government and its agencies do wrong that resulted in the "recovery" of £230 million of British taxpayers money by the European Commission following the discovery of "irregularities" relating to grants from the European Regional Development Fund going back to 1997?
What purposes included in the original payments could not have been undertaken directly by any British government at any time without any potential "recoveries" being involved?
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Waste of Good Food
Can the Commission estimate the total value of the edible food wasted between the introduction of its regulations concerning the size and shape of some 26 types of fruit and vegetables, and the recent reversal of those same regulations?
Does it not occur to the Commission that the future may see similar 180-degree reversals of current policy in many other policy areas? And does that question not suggest to the Commission that they should start asking themselves whether new legislation in other areas is actually needed at all?
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Green Line in Cyprus is Leaking Badly
Since my written question E-3098/08 about uncontrolled migration from mainland Turkey through Cyprus new facts have come to light, in addition to the recent report on the subject.
The serious and growing traffic in illegal migration from Turkish-held northern part of Cyprus to the south is out of control. Does the Commission appreciate that, in addition to the effectively open border between mainland Turkey and Turkish-held northern Cyprus, large numbers of migrants are also arriving in the north on regular ferry crossing from Beirut and Syria?
Is the Commission further aware of the ease with which these migrants can cross to the Greek south of the island? Access is easy, especially at night. It involves little more than a stroll across open unfenced land and then through the lightly patrolled British sovereign base.
Is the Commission also aware that, faced with such facts, the Turkish authorities in the north complain that they are not being given enough "technical resources" (their words not mine) to deal with the challenge? If so, does the Commission believe such Turkish claims, or does it prefer to acknowledge that the border is leaking badly and the Turks are happy that it should?
Either way, what precisely is the Commission planning to do about this running sore?
By Croydonian(Croydonian)
"Review potentially-restrictive regulations at national and/or EU level. Regulations that restrict market entry need to be scrutinised and removed where appropriate while keeping in mind their environmental and social goals. ...
The Croydonian - http://croydonian.blogspot.com/
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