by the European Movement and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 18.00

The European Movement and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung are organising a Briefing ahead of the 1-2 March EU Summit.

The purpose of the event is to inform journalists, policy experts and EU public affairs practitioners about what is on the Summit's agenda and debate the possible outcomes and policy initiatives to come out of another very crucial gathering of EU leaders.

The panel discussion will feature:
- Charles Grant, Director, Centre for European Reform
- Olaf Cramme, Director, Policy Network (tbc)
- Julian Callow, Managing Director and Chief European Economist, Barclays Capital

If you would like to attend please send an e-mail to lena.donner@euromove.org.uk with your full name and organisation.

Venue:
Doubletree Hilton, 30 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4DD

Date and Time:
Tuesday 28 February 2012, 18.00 - 19.30

Commenting on the re-election of Edward McMillan-Scott, Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire & Humber, as Vice-President of the European Parliament with the portfolio for Democracy and Human Rights, as well a new responsibility for Transatlantic Relations, British Foreign Office Minister and Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton Deane, Jeremy Browne said:

"I am delighted at Edward's re-election. He has proved a passionate, determined and highly effective campaigner for human rights and democracy.
"As the British Foreign Minister responsible for human rights and a fellow Liberal Democrat, I am greatly looking forward to working with Edward to pursue this agenda, which is so central to the enlightened interests of the UK and Europe as a whole.

"With the Arab Spring continuing and tentative steps towards political reforms in Burma, the presence of strong and credible voices, fighting for human rights and democracy at home and abroad, is absolutely essential.

"I am convinced Edward is the right man to help ensure that we maximise the collective weight of the European Union in defending and promoting human rights and democracy."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:
Edward McMillan-Scott is the only Briton on the European Parliament's governing Bureau. He was first elected as an MEP for Yorkshire & Humber in 1984 and first elected Vice-President in 2004. He was re-elected on 18 January 2012. On 27 January he once again received the portfolio for Democracy and Human Rights and gained responsibility for Transatlantic Relations.
Edward McMillan-Scott was the first outside politician to get to Cairo the day after Hosni Mubarak's fall. He recently wrote about the Arab Spring in a Yorkshire Post article which can be read here: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/debate/columnists/edward_mcmillan_scott_spark_of_liberty_flickers_as_arab_spring_hopes_fade_1_4245920
Last week, Edward McMillan-Scott met activists who had travelled to Strasbourg from Homs to appeal for support.

Angelika Schneider
Press Officer

ALDE Group
European Parliament
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Please sign the link below if you support the idea of job sharing in politics. It could potentially enable more women to stand for parliament.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/17076

Ahead of a Debate on the Floor of the Commons on the pay, pensions and organisation of EU staff, Senior Lib Dem MEP George Lyon, Vice President of the European Parliament's Budget Committee and author of a report to modernise the EU Staff Regulations, has spoken out in support of a major reform to the salary, pensions and working hours of EU civil servants which could save an estimated €1000 million between 2013 and 2020.

I welcome Julian Huppert's important contribution towards updating our party's science policy and along with others, their efforts in making the case for science in politics.

In his 30^th January article in LDV, Julian, quite rightly, made the point that UK science and research is definitely world class, and it's in all our interests to not be complacent about that.

Ahead of forthcoming presidential elections in Russia on 4th March in which Prime Minister Putin is expected to emerge as victor following a deal to swap roles with current President Medvedev, the European Parliament adopted a critical resolution today in Strasbourg.

The Liberal and Democrat group has played a key role in underlining the shortcomings of Russia's managed democracy. Kristina Ojuland (Estonia, Reform Party) is the ALDE spokesperson on Russia and lead negotiator on Parliament's resolution:

MEPs in Strasbourg have today voted to freeze their own allowances until mid-2014 and cap the travel budget at the present level in order to meet demands that all EU institutions cut their administrative spending.

Senior Liberal Democrat MEP and Vice President of the Parliament's Budget Committee, George Lyon, who is pushing for the EU budget to be radically restructured and independently evaluated to find further savings, commented after the vote:

"At a time when people across the country struggle to make ends meet, it is important that MEPs show some leadership in keeping the Parliament's costs under control.

"Freezing allowances and travel expenses is a good start. But I believe that we can make many more savings. In order to ensure that taxpayers are getting maximum value for their money, we need to have an independent evaluation of the EU budget to get rid of any inefficiencies and waste.

"I am very pleased that once again MEPs have also voted to push for a single seat of the European Parliament. It is an outrage that Member States still insist that the House travels between Brussels and Strasbourg each month. MEPs are quite right in calling for an urgent evaluation of this situation."

Liberal Democrat MEPs have been on the forefront of the Single Seat Campaign which calls for the European Parliament to be permanently set up in Brussels. Liberal Democrat MEP and Vice President of the Parliament, Edward McMillan-Scott, who co-chairs the Single Seat Campaign and is launching an EU-wide public petition against its controversial 'travelling circus' added:

"The pollution, cost, inefficiency and remoteness of this travelling circus are indefensible. The 1.27 million people who signed up to the OneSeat petition in 2007, calling for the EP to be located only in Brussels, have been ignored by the EU. But Europe's public today cannot be ignored against a backdrop of economic crisis and pressing environmental concerns."

ENDS

Note to editors:
The full report on the guidelines for the 2013 budget can be found here:

Guy Verhofstadt, President of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, and the Leaders of the VVD and D66 delegations have tonight issued the following joint statement on the hotline launched last week by the PVV via a website where complaints about Central and Eastern Europeans can be posted.

"We strongly condemn the website launched by the Dutch PVV for complaints about Poland and other Eastern Europeans and ask for its immediate closure.

"The website, as stated by commissioner Reding, goes against all European values of dignity and liberty. Furthermore it risks destroying the very basis of the Union, which is non-discrimination and free movement ".

"Wilders' response with the comment that 'Europe can get stuffed' is astonishing considering that the Netherlands is an integral part of the EU and one of the founding member states".

Phil Bennion has been officially confirmed as the new Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands region at the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg this week.

The Staffordshire farmer and economic policy expert takes over from Liz Lynne who stood down from Parliament earlier in February after more than 12 years due to the extensive travelling required in the job. He was elected to second place on the Lib Dem list of candidates at the last European elections in 2009.