European Elections 2009 NI: Alban Maginness

[Contents page "Asking the Candidates" here].

I've just got a reply from the SDLP camp. Again, thanks for taking the time out to reply to my questions. I'm very happy with the response I've had so far - with 4 out of a possible 7 responses despite the busy time and close polling day.

Alban Maginness' answers to my questions:

An important task of the European Parliament is to confirm the next Commission. As an MEP, will you back or oppose a second term for Jose Manuel Barroso and why? If you oppose him, is there an alternative you would support and why?

As a member of the Party of the European Socialists (PES) we will not be supporting a second term in office for Jose Manuel Barroso. Only the PES can deliver on a pro-Europe agenda, responding positively to the challenges facing the EU and deliver an effective economic recovery plan, unlike the EEP (conservative group), who have delivered little for the people of Europe.

Over the next 5 years, we want to see a strong, credible and progressive European Commission. This will only be achieved by ensuring that the PES forms a majority in the European Parliament which means the current dominance of the right will be replaced by a forward-thinking socialist at the head of the Commission.

The CAP is an important issue, and there seems to be a lot of talk about its reform. What would you like being done differently, and what aspects of CAP would you retain?

We want to see the money spent on CAP going to the farmer and ensure it is not absorbed in administrative costs and red tape.

We will work with our Socialist colleagues in the European Parliament to ensure that the budget made available for farming beyond 2013 takes into account the needs of Northern Ireland’s farming industry and its unique contribution to our rural economy. We will use the opportunity of CAP reform to integrate health goals into the CAP, with a view to better linking health, environment, infrastructure and agriculture.

CAP reform is also an opportunity to address the global food crisis and tackle the inherently unfair current situation whereby in Africa alone, the number of people vulnerable to hunger has now reached 400 million.

The Common Fisheries Policy has been widely criticized. What would you like to see being done differently, if anything?

We in the SDLP recognise the severe impact that EU cutbacks in days at sea and fishing quotas has had on the fishing industry. We want to work in the European Parliament and with the other institutions to find solutions that restore the worst-off stocks and guarantee that fishing can continue to be a reliable and sustainable source of revenue for local trawlermen, the fish processing industry and our coastal communities.

Financial regulation has become a big issue because of the recession. How do you think the EU should (if at all) regulate the financial services? Do you support the Larosiere report?

The SDLP recognises the important role that Europe has to play in tackling the economic crisis. If Europe is serious about responding to current problems then we need to work towards an end to tax avoidance, curb excessive pay and bring in new regulation for the whole financial sector including hedge funds and private equity.

The de Larosière report clearly highlights the problems with the financial sector that need to be addressed. The 31 recommendations are a starting point for the EU to begin a process of regulating the financial sector and responding effectively to the financial crisis, and thereby restoring public confidence in the financial system.

What do you think will be the most important issues for you as an MEP?

When elected as MEP on 4 June, I will:

· Through my membership of the influential PES group, help create more jobs and ensure economic recovery in our region.

· Protect our workers’ rights and interests by ensuring that positive initiatives in other EU regions are implemented here - including wage subsidy schemes and new training opportunities.

· Use European measures and new ideas to ensure we champion and lead on innovation, and use this as a platform for our future economic development.

· Bring jobs to rural communities, including through green technologies. Push for a sustainable future for rural dwellers by protecting vital services and addressing infrastructure needs.

· Campaign for a Commissioner for small & medium sized enterprises, who will eliminate red tape and champion the needs of local businesses at the heart of EU decision-making.

· Stand strong for a fair deal for our farmers during negotiations on CAP reform and a real future for our fishermen and coastal communities.

· Demand the EU lives up to the promises of increased aid, and delivers on the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

· Develop this region’s renewables industry, help drive down energy costs and support an urgent and ambitious global climate change policy.

· Use Europe as a platform to uphold the SDLP’s founding principles of equality, human rights, social justice and reconciliation in Ireland and throughout the world.

· Just as John Hume championed a “Europe of the regions”, campaign for a new regional policy for the 21^st century that allows all regions to better respond to today’s difficult economic environment.

European Elections 2009 NI: Jim Nicholson

[Contents page "Asking the Candidates" here].

Jim Nicholson and his campaign have responded to my questions and I'd like to thank them for taking the time out to reply. Only 2 days to go!

An important task of the European Parliament is to confirm the next Commission. As an MEP, will you back or oppose a second term for Jose Manuel Barroso and why? If you oppose him, is there an alternative you would support and why?

The Barroso-led Commission, predominantly centre-right in its make-up, has taken positive steps towards deregulation in an attempt to realise the potential of the Single Market. It is therefore likely - along with my Conservative colleagues - that I will be backing Barroso for a second term.

The CAP is an important issue, and there seems to be a lot of talk about its reform. What would you like being done differently, and what aspects of CAP would you retain?

During my time in the European Parliament I have witnessed great change in the Common Agriculture Policy. Having been through the McSharry reforms, the Fischler reforms and most recently the CAP Health Check I have always worked hard to bring some common sense to the debate on CAP reform. Within the context of EU Budget negotiations, the future of the CAP is being examined and it is important that Northern Ireland farmers have a strong voice in those negotiations. Food security and energy security are the twin challenges facing Europe in the years ahead. Farmers will be at the centre of meeting these challenges. Future reform of the CAP must reflect the central importance of farming to the economy, to society and to the environment whilst acknowledging consumer concerns about food quality and food security. Hard working farmers and farm families have had to adapt to significant reform of the CAP in recent years. The challenge for the future is to provide stability for farmers whilst helping them become more responsive to market demands.

Working with my Conservative colleagues we will fight to ensure that any reform of the CAP in the future must be introduced uniformly across Europe so that British farmers are not unfairly disadvantaged. All we ask is that our farmers have a level playing field to compete upon. I also oppose unnecessary red tape and will work to reduce the administrative burdens placed on Northern Ireland’s hard-working farm families

The Common Fisheries Policy has been widely criticised. What would you like to see being done differently, if anything?

The Common Fisheries Policy has been little short of a disaster for the fishing industry and fish stocks in Northern Ireland and across Europe. It has completely failed to meet either its environmental or its economic objectives. It has failed to develop sustainable fisheries or to tackle over-capacity in the fishing fleet, failed to address poor compliance and uneven enforcement, and failed to address dwindling fish stocks and the unacceptable practice of fish discards, which currently produces 800,000 tonnes of by-catch a year in EU waters. The next major review of the CFP is due to conclude in 2012 and I will be working with my Conservative colleagues to secure much needed reforms. Specifically I will insist that more needs to be done to conserve fish stocks and ensure our seas are used in a sustainable way. This can be achieved through more decentralised and rights based management of fisheries. There must be concerted effort to tackle illegal fishing practices and more action taken to promote conservation of the marine environment.

The practice of fish discards is a scandalous aspect of the CFP. Throwing dead catch back into the sea is wasteful and environmentally destructive and makes no economic sense. I will drive our plans to end the scandal of fish discards. I will also press for proper scrutiny of fisheries agreements with developing countries. I will also fight to ensure that recreational anglers are not included in countries’ fishing quotas under the CFP. We need to reform the problems of commercial fleets and illegal fishing, as opposed to penalising recreational and tourist activities.

Financial regulation has become a big issue because of the recession. How do you think the EU should (if at all) regulate the financial services? Do you support the Larosiere report?

The crisis in the banking system and the consequent recession means that all countries in the EU and European institutions must look at how the financial services are regulated. However, thriving and properly functioning financial markets are crucial to the UK’s prosperity and wealth creation across the world. We need the right kind of regulation to make sure that financial services never again subject the global economy to dangerous risks, like those the banks and other financial services allowed to take in the last decade.

With regards the Larosiere report, we will resist plans for an EU ‘super regulator’ in any given sector, and instead promote better co-ordination between national regulators. We are at risk of rushing into an ill-considered future regulation, instead of facing the immediate challenge of rebuilding confidence in European banks. I am an advocate of US style Stress-tests, as recommended by the IMF. They would highlight any ongoing weaknesses and failings in the European financial sector - and ensure that action is taken to prevent a repeat of the crisis that provoked the global economic downturn. The EU-wide stress tests should follow the United States and make the relevant information public to rebuild confidence. Any banks with insufficient capital should set out a plan for repairing their balance sheets. To build confidence in the financial services and the wider economy meaningful reform as opposed to unhelpful regulation is needed.

Along with my Conservative colleagues I will be particularly vigilant where new legislation is concerned. All new regulations must be subject to proper consultation and research, including monitoring the operations of the markets and products and be subject to appropriate review mechanisms. We must respond to the financial crisis however, that response needs to be measured rather than fundamental. We must ensure that we create a framework that protects our industry and citizens as far as possible from future crises without damaging our competitiveness.

What do you think will be the most important issues for you as an MEP?

The next European Parliament must get to grips immediately with a number of very challenging issues, which is why Northern Ireland needs an MEP who is ready to lead and get the job done on day 1 after the election.

No-one has been left untouched by the economic crisis; whether through problems with the banks, in the housing market or through the heartbreak of another job loss announcement. To the extent that Europe can deal with this problem, the European Parliament must be at the forefront of offering common sense solutions – for example arguing for a reduction in the regulatory burdens placed on our SMEs.

In Northern Ireland, we have been lucky to have benefited from almost 2 billion Euros of PEACE funding. It looks unlikely that the Commission will renew this funding for a further 7 years and so all of us who have been involved in this process must have a constructive conversation about what will take its place.

I look forward to a change of government taking place during the next European Parliament, seeing change in Westminster, and working with my conservative colleagues in London and Brussels to demand the transfer of more powers from Brussels to National Parliaments and arguing for real change at the heart of Europe.

European Elections 2009 NI: Steven Agnew

[Contents page, "Asking the Candidates" here].

Steven Agnew of the Greens has replied to my questions. I'd like to thank him for replying and answering my questions despite the little time I've given the candidates to reply before the poll on Thursday. The answers I've got from candidates so far have been very helpful and interesting, and hopefully I'll get more responses. Here's Steven Agnew's reply:



Due to restraints on time I couldn't answer the questions in more detail. For further information go to our website election section:
http://www.greenpartyni.org/candidate.aspx

An important task of the European Parliament is to confirm the next Commission. As an MEP, will you back or oppose a second term for Jose Manuel Barroso and why? If you oppose him, is there an alternative you would support and why?

I would not support a second term for Barroso as I do not believe that his performance stands up to scrutiny as his commission has;

• A passive approach to the economic crisis
• Oversaw reckless deregulation at the cost of social policy
• Neglected climate change and environmental degradation
• Failed to promote democracy and human rights in the EU

I back the European Greens campaign to see the next Commission President directly elected.

The CAP is an important issue, and there seems to be a lot of talk about its reform. What would you like being done differently, and what aspects of CAP would you retain?

Public money must be used for public good and therefore I would like to see CAP reformed to ensure that subsidies are linked to good environmental management and high animal welfare standards. This will ensure that good practice is rewarded and incentivise others to raise their game.

The Common Fisheries Policy has been widely criticised. What would you like to see being done differently, if anything?

The Common Fisheries Policy provides a framework to ensure that we have sustainable fishing industries across Europe. However failure to enforce CFP rules by member states has seen the rules been flouted by some putting at a disadvantage those in compliance. I would like to see better controls introduced.

Financial regulation has become a big issue because of the recession. How do you think the EU should (if at all) regulate the financial services? Do you support the Larosiere report?

We have seen the disastrous consequences of the lack of regulation of financial services. The near collapse of our banking system has shown that we must find a balance between profit maximisation and the needs of wider society which an unregulated market can provide no provision for.

I believe the de Larosiere report points us in the right direction.

What do you think will be the most important issues for you as an MEP?

The Green New Deal must be the blueprint for the tackling of the economic crisis and for moving Europe towards a low carbon future. We must make the shift to renewable energy and end our over reliance on imported fuels. Creating our own energy will ensure that we can end the fluctuation in prices that saw thousands of families driven into fuel poverty over the winter, create jobs in new industries and reduce CO2 emissions. We also require efficient public transport infrastructure across Europe and sustainable waste solutions. Incineration will only add to the problem therefore cannot be part of the solution and that is why I would work to ensure that incineration cannot be used to meet member states’ renewable energy production targets.

European Elections 2009 NI: Ian Parsley

[Contents page "Asking the Candidates" here].

Ian Parsley of the Alliance party (ELDR) was the first to reply to my questions. I'd like to thank him for his quick reply, especially since it's so close to the polling day.

Here's his answers:

An important task of the European Parliament is to confirm the next Commission. As an MEP, will you back or oppose a second term for Jose Manuel Barroso and why? If you oppose him, is there an alternative you would support and why?

Yes, I would support Barroso, for a few reasons: firstly, he is already a well established and successful politician in his home country, and therefore has some understanding of the need to ensure the EU institutions react to popular will and maintain popular support; secondly, he is well placed, as a Portuguese, to balance reform of the institutions to ensure large countries are fairly represented while smaller countries are not left out of decision-making; thirdly, his taskforce has already done some outstanding work in Northern Ireland, and we can be sure we have a friend at the top of the Commission for as long as Barroso is in place.

The CAP is an important issue, and there seems to be a lot of talk about its reform. What would you like being done differently, and what aspects of CAP would you retain?

I would retain very little of the current policy (CAP). The foundation of any replacement policy has to be maximising fair competition - our producers have nothing to worry about from that, as our produce is among the best in Europe. We must also have a more flexible policy, taking account of the different land and crop types across the 27 member states; promotion of schemes such as Farm Modernisation, but in a way which is less bureaucratic; and more appropriate means of ensuring farmers do not just have representation in Europe, but a direct voice themselves - again, we have nothing to fear there, as the Ulster Farmers' Union and others are already well placed to deliver that for us in Northern Ireland.

The Common Fisheries Policy has been widely criticized. What would you like to see being done differently, if anything?

The Common Fisheries Policy appears to be even worse, from the discussions I have had! In principle, the same basic foundation must apply as to the CAP above. However, the various quota systems appear even less appropriate; disputes over territorial waters have not been fairly resolved; and it remains too difficult for our marine producers to export even within the EU. All of these need to be resolved more effectively, and I would work with fishers to ensure this.

Financial regulation has become a big issue because of the recession. How do you think the EU should (if at all) regulate the financial services? Do you support the Larosiere report?

Yes, the EU should regulate financial services, as they impact not just upon business, but upon personal banking and basic household finances - the downturn and near collapse of financial services is not just a matter of collapse of an industry, but also of students, working families and pensioners left to struggle to get by (especially those whose hard-earned savings suddenly disappeared).

I broadly support the de Larosiere Report. It offers not just an outline of a fair way to regulate financial services across the EU, but also to promote global responsibility. Furthermore, it promotes simplification of financial "products" in a way to ensure individuals and families can better understand what is being offered, and what the impact on household finances would be.

What do you think will be the most important issues for you as an MEP?

Firstly, we must engage more effectively on behalf of all the people of Northern Ireland - linking not just with the NI Executive, but also with local councils and, outside politics, with community groups, business organisations, and the local voluntary sector; secondly, we must re-build our economy and do it in a way which is promotes responsibility, not just profit (and so that our young people can look forward to successful careers right here in Northern Ireland); thirdly, we must change our attitude to the environment, basing tackling climate change not just upon what may happen in the distant future, upon the immediate potential positive economic and health benefits of developing renewable energy sources, promoting more efficient construction and electricity, and delivering more ambitious public transport projects - we in Northern Ireland must seek to lead on such issues, not just follow.

In short, we must think not just of what we in Northern Ireland can get out of Europe, but also what we can put into it.