Graham's blog Friday 23 January 2009

Published on Fri 23rd Jan 2009

Spending Monday in my constituency this week meant I missed the chance to meet the Turkish prime minister, who was visiting Brussels to press his country's case for speeding up EU accession negotiations. But I learned a lot about the spending of EU funds in Bristol: a lot of money has been ploughed into community facilities in the city's less-well-off areas such as a community centre in Withywood, a creative media centre for young people in Knowle West, educational facilities at Bristol Academy and a childrens' scrapstore. By and large I think it has been well targeted. If the city wins the EU's 'green city' award (it is among seven shortlisted) it will benefit even more from support.

I had the rare opportunity in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday to speak to both Commission President Barroso and EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana. I am disappointed with the latter's failure to put more pressure on Israel and I told him so. Other MEPs were similarly angry with Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who told incredulous members of our foreign affairs committee "Israel is listening to us". The utter cynicism of Israel's withdrawal before Obama's inauguration, leaving the international community to pick up the tab for rebuilding houses, hospitals and schools in Gaza is appalling. Development Aid Commissioner Louis Michel (Belgian LD) will visit Gaza on Sunday and Monday to assess the scale of the task.

Humanitarian aid workers brought compelling evidence to the EP's human rights committee of Israeli use of white phosphorus shells; and Israeli diplomats showing MEPs images of human shields allegedly used by Hamas had forgotten to remove from their slides the date '2004' revealingly displayed in one of the lower corners.

It was a busy week in the Council of Ministers and in the European Commission. The agriculture ministers voted to decouple support to farmers from food production, to increase milk quota gradually before it is abolished in 2015 and to cut the purchase of meat and grain stocks for 'intervention' (rigging the market to keep prices high); 27 finance ministers pledged yet again to consolidate public finances while actually allowing deficits to grow to dangerous levels; and the home secretaries reviewed the operation of mutual recognition of judicial decisions (of which the most effective example is the EU arrest warrant which I piloted through Parliament in 2001 and which has made extradition to face criminal charges much faster and easier).

The Commission threatened Microsoft with further legal action for tying Internet Explorer to its Windows software, thus breaking competition law. They also looked at the latest reports from member states about fish stocks, which again show a dangerous decline and the need for heavy cuts in fishing activity to allow fish (especially demersal species) to escape extinction.

The high point of my week was the Burns' Supper organised by my compatriots each year and always a merry occasion; the low point was the morning after, when I had to record a number of TV interviews before taking eleven members of my staff on a 'weekend' (Thursday pm to Sat am) training and motivation session.

On Saturday I address Lib Dem County Council candidates in Wiltshire. I was due to deliver The Immortal Memory at a Burns Supper in Frome but alas the event has been cancelled. Pity. It is after all the 250th anniversary.