Wed 14th Jul 2010:

Tailored support for South West business in Europe.

A local Euro-MP has called upon small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the South West to "look to Europe" for prosperity after a recently published report showed a positive link between exports and SME performance.

Mon 12th Jul 2010:

EU set to tighten animal testing rules.

The use of animals in scientific experiments could soon be reduced by new EU legislation which aims to strike a balance between improving animal welfare and assisting research against diseases.

ET phone…UKIP?

A member of UKIP's political grouping in the European Parliament has called on the EU to establish a "European UFO centre", and is seeking the support of his colleagues.

Fri 9th Jul 2010:

Wells welcomes Euro Commissioner.

Wells welcomed European Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou to the City on today when she visited the Cathedral School and attended a concert in the evening.

Thu 8th Jul 2010:

MEPs use Lisbon powers to safeguard citizen's privacy.

The European Parliament has approved a reworked EU-US agreement on access to Europeans' banking data for tracking of terrorist finance after rejecting an interim deal in February on grounds that it insufficiently safeguarded privacy.

European Parliament backs CAP reform .

The European Parliament has backed a report by a UK Lib Dem MEP that calls for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to make it fairer, greener and more sustainable.

Wed 7th Jul 2010:

MEPs cut down illegal loggers .

MEPs have taken an axe to the illegal logging trade today by banning the placing of illegal timber on the European market and setting up strict penalties for those caught doing so.

Bankers' Bonuses capped by MEPs.

MEPs today backed moves to crack-down on bankers' bonuses that encourage risky financial decisions and led to the recent financial meltdown. Banks were also told to hold reserves to guard against risky investments so they are not forced to fall back onto the taxpayer.

Tue 6th Jul 2010:

Euro-MPs give boat passengers new rights .

Boat passengers will have more rights as of 2012, after the European Parliament today approved new rules on the assistance and compensation an operator must provide in the event of delays or cancellations. Disabled passengers also secure the right to free assistance.

Thu 1st Jul 2010:

"Supergrid" would put South West on the Europe's renewable energy map .

Local Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson has called for a Europe-wide energy "Supergrid" that would enable projects like the Wave Hub in Cornwall to export green energy to Europe and beyond. He will travel to London on Friday (2 July) to discuss the idea with leading engineers, consultants and policy makers.

Watson welcomes stricter "roaming" rules for Brits abroad.

Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson has welcomed the introduction of stricter rules that mean mobile phone companies must offer customers an even fairer price when they use their phone in another EU country.

Wed 16th Jun 2010:

Right to interpretation a leap forward for European justice.

The European Parliament has today passed landmark legislation that will give all EU citizens rights to interpretation and translation when they are questioned by police or tried in another EU country where they don't speak the language.

First step for new food labels .

The European Parliament today voted in favour of stricter rules on food packaging labels including more detailed nutritional information and a "country of provenance" indication for meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables, and single ingredient products.

Tue 15th Jun 2010:

MEPs demand greater transparency on EU funding.

MEPs today called on the Commission to introduce greater transparency and public information on the way EU funds are spent by member states.

Democracy can stamp out criminal activity on the internet.

The European Parliament has called upon national authorities and regulatory bodies to work together to stamp out child pornography and other criminal activity on the internet.

Earlier Stories

Complete archive on the official site.

Graham Watson MEP News Stories, provided by Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/.

(c) 2010 Graham Watson MEP