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Parliamentary Highlights This is for people who want more information on actual reports/legislation going through the Parliament. For further details visit the Press Service section of the European Parliament website Review of Strasbourg Session (13-16 November 2006) Services Directive clears its final hurdle One of the most significant pieces of legislation to have been considered by the European Parliament since the 2004 European Elections cleared its final hurdle this week. The Services in the Internal Market Directive, championed by Conservative Spokesman on the Internal Market, Malcolm Harbour MEP, will liberalise the services sector in the EU, could add £20 billion to the bloc's GDP and create up to 600,000 new jobs across Europe. Although free movement of services is a founding principle of the EU, many companies - especially small firms - continue to be deeply frustrated by obstacles to trade across the borders within the EU. One study identified around one hundred different barriers that discourage companies from offering services in Member States other than their own, even though the services sector accounts for 70% of all wealth and jobs generated in the EU. The objective of the Services Directive is to force the removal of unjustified barriers to cross border trade and to cut red tape by requiring that all the information that new businesses need is provided at a single point. Malcolm Harbour MEP said: "Conservative MEPs have long been vociferous champions of liberalisation in the European Parliament and in the debate on this directive argued strongly that the protectionism advocated in some parts of Europe serves only to undermine economic performance. It is a significant achievement for the British view on how the EU will develop." "I am delighted that it was possible to conclude this crucial piece of legislation at second reading after more than two years of deliberations and tough negotiations. Now there is no need for a conciliation procedure with the Council." Pressure drops on British barometer as ban threat averted The traditional British barometer has been saved once again by Conservative MEPs who led the European Parliament's vote to defeat a proposed law to outlaw the use of mercury in the ancient weather instrument. Earlier this year, the European Parliament voted to exclude barometers from the EU's strategy on mercury. However, despite this, an EU directive on mercury was published and the anticipated protection for barometers was missing. The renewed threat prompted Martin Callanan MEP - Shadow Rapporteur on the report 'Measuring devices containing mercury' and a Member of the Environment and Public Health Committee - to resurrect the campaign to save the British barometer. He tabled an amendment (which Labour voted against) to exempt the 400-year-old tradition from the proposals. Mercury is a heavy metal which can be toxic to humans, ecosystems and wildlife, but Mr Callanan believes appropriate safety warnings and careful controls will allow the continuation of barometer manufacturer and repair, and safeguard many jobs and small businesses in the UK and the rest of Europe. The British Government offered no support to British business and supported the Commission's proposed ban. Martin Callanan MEP said: "Labour abandoned the barometer industry and today we saved it. "Mercury does need to be controlled but banning the traditional household barometer is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The Commission must now see sense and provide an exemption for the barometer. "A ban would have seen the end of the tradition of barometer making which was begun in the mid 1600s when mercury barometers were first introduced. "Barometers are only made by a small group of people in Europe, predominantly located in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium who also carry out the repair, maintenance and recycling of historic instruments. "If this mercury ban was implemented, these businesses would have closed down, and repairing barometers would have been impossible. "Appropriate product safety warnings and carefully controlled usage will mean people can continue to use barometers as they have for centuries without a threat to the environment or to public health." Bonfire of barriers should bring new flexible mortgages in Europe In a vote this week, the European Parliament adopted a report by John Purvis MEP on mortgage credit. This report seeks to create a new approach to house buying in Europe by reducing barriers to mortgage credit. Mortgages have a major impact on the economy with over £3 trillion outstanding in the EU. Over the past 5 years, the average growth in mortgage lending has been around 9.4%. John Purvis MEP said: "What I want to see is a mortgage credit market in Europe with a broad range of products at competitive prices. This is why I am arguing in favour of concentrating future action on making it easier for lenders to establish their businesses in other EU countries and to enhance competition with targeted measures aimed at removing specific barriers. "The development of common standards via non-legislative means should be encouraged where practicable with input from both industry and consumer organisations. Such aspects could include access to quality credit information, certainty of title and land registers, valuations, APR calculation, early repayment and repossession processes. "We must be careful not to act in a way which could be detrimental to this booming business sector or which is detrimental to consumers." Results of the votes: Daul - Rules for direct support schemes under the CAP and establishing certain support schemes for farmers and amending Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) Adopted - Conservatives in favour Descamps - EC - Canada agreement on cooperation in the fields of higher education, training and youth Adopted - Conservatives in favour Descamps - EC - USA agreement in the field of higher education and vocational education and training Adopted - Conservatives in favour Matsouka - Social security schemes for employed persons and members of their families moving within the Community Adopted - Conservatives in favour Morillon - Aquaculture: alien and locally absent species Adopted - Conservatives in favour Morillon - Common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture Adopted - Conservatives in favour Korhola - Conclusion, on behalf of the EC, of an amendment to the Convention on access to information, public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters Adopted - Conservatives in favour Tannock - Exemption from valued added tax and excise duty of goods imported by persons travelling from third countries Adopted - Conservatives in favour Lewandowski - Third Community Contribution for the Chernobyl Shelter Fund Adopted - Conservatives in favour Catania - United Nations Convention against corruption Adopted - Conservatives in favour Mulder - Support for rural development by the EAFRD Adopted - Conservatives abstained Wallis - Request for defence of immunity and privileges of Gabriele Albertini Adopted - Conservatives in favour Lehne - Request for defence of immunity of Gιrard Onesta Adopted - Conservatives in favour Lienemann - Community action in the field of marine environmental policy Adopted - Conservatives in favour Sornosa Martinez - Measuring devices containing mercury Adopted - Conservatives in favour Goepel - Voluntary modulation of direct payments under the CAP Report referred back to committee Hennicot-Schoepges - Joint Undertaking for the European air traffic management system (SESAR) Adopted - Conservatives in favour Garcia-Margallo Y Marfil - 2006 annual report on the euro area Adopted - Conservatives abstained Kukis - Thematic Strategy on the Marine Environment Adopted - Conservatives in favour Purvis - Mortgage Credit Adopted - Conservatives in favour Joan I Mari - A new framework strategy for multilingualism Adopted - Conservatives against Joint motion for a resolution - EU's generalised system of preferences Adopted - Conservatives in favour Gebhardt - Services in the internal market Adopted - There is no final vote at second reading Proposal for a second regulation - EU-Mauritania fisheries agreement Adopted - Conservatives in favour Joint motion for a resolution - The situation in Gaza Adopted - Conservatives in favour Joint motion for a resolution - Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention Adopted - Conservatives abstained Stubb - A Baltic Sea Strategy for the Northern Dimension Adopted - Conservatives in favour Von Wogau - The implementation of the European Security Strategy in the context of ESDP Adopted - Conservatives against Gargani - Succession and wills Adopted - Conservatives against Gomes - Women in international politics Adopted - Conservatives abstained Bauer - Fighting trafficking in human beings Adopted - Conservatives in favour Schwab - Ombudsman's 2005 annual report Adopted - Conservatives in favour Herrero-Tejedor - European communication policy Adopted - Conservatives against Party watch - where different from Conservatives in recorded final votes:
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