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Brussels 2006
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Welcome to LDEG!
The Liberal Democrat European Group (LDEG) is the association for UK Liberal Democrats interested in European politics.
Membership of LDEG is open to all members of the Liberal Democrat Party and of allied European political parties.
News from the European Parliament
Sat 3rd May 2008
Bill Newton Dunn, MEP for the East Midlands, tells us that ratification is proceeding slowly through each of the 27 national parliaments of the EU. Hopefully the treaty will come into effect in January 2009 and will improve the EU because it will make decision-making between the 27 national governments in the EU more effective than it is now. First, however, there has to be a referendum in Ireland. The date will be in the second week of June and the result is predicted to be close. Already a Danish anti-EU MEP has been to Ireland and said that the Lisbon Treaty will make abortion easier - totally untrue, but successfully creating an unpleasant anti-EU fear.
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Read "News from the European Parliament" in full (411 words).
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Helen Wallace Lecture
Sat 12th Apr 2008
The Charlemagne Lecture 2008 is to be given by Professor Helen Wallace CMG FBA on Tuesday 20th May at 5.30pm and is entitled "A Bigger Europe - But is it Better?"
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Read "Helen Wallace Lecture" in full (281 words).
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One President for Europe?
Wed 9th Apr 2008
A campaign has been launched to merge the post of president of the European Commission with the new post of president of the European Council created under the Lisbon treaty. The argument is that the Commission president is more legitimate but the European Council president is more powerful therefore power can be made legitimate by merging the posts. What do you think?
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Read "One President for Europe? " in full (68 words).
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LDEG at Liverpool
Sun 16th Mar 2008
The LDEG event at the Liverpool Spring Conference included Phil Bennion (LDEG chair) discussing the conclusions of the "Making Europe a Vote-Winner" break-out group from the Liberal Democrat one day conference held at the LSE earlier this year. Also, Catherine Bearder (vice chair) commented on the European elections and Andrew Duff MEP gave us an update on the Lisbon Treaty.
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Read "LDEG at Liverpool" in full (86 words).
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CELEBRATES 50TH BIRTHDAY
Sun 16th Mar 2008
The European Parliament celebrated its 50th birthday on the 12th March. In 1958 it was known as the European Assembly and consisted of 142 members who could only be consulted. It now has 785 MEPs with substantial legislative powers and the number of official languages has increased from four to twenty-three. The European Parliament has the right to dismiss the Commission and approves the EU's budget. It also has a co-say with the Council in a number of policy areas and is the world's only directly elected multinational legislature.
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Read "EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CELEBRATES 50TH BIRTHDAY" in full (194 words).
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How to Reduce Aircraft Emissions by 12% at a stroke
Sat 15th Mar 2008
At a briefing for MEPs given by the European Air Safety Agency (EASA) we are told that they "could reduce aircraft emissions by 12% at a stroke". Challenged to explain how, the EASA answer is to "create a single European air space". At present, aircraft weave their way across Europe, being subject to instructions from each separate country's air traffic controllers. The result is a zig-zag flight-path across European skies. If air traffic controllers controlled a single European air-space - as there is for the USA - aircraft could come in to land on a straight line and thus save lots of fuel. Why doesn't this happen ? Because each national government in Europe wants to keep control in its own hands, rather than seeing the overall beneficial European picture. - From Bill Newton Dunn MEP
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Read "How to Reduce Aircraft Emissions by 12% at a stroke" (136 words).
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EU to give UK £120m for flood repair
Sat 15th Mar 2008
MEPs in Strasbourg have voted to approve the European Commission's proposals for £120m of Solidarity Funding to go to the UK to help with repairs following the flooding last summer which caused chaos across the country. Liberal Democrat South East MEP Sharon Bowles has welcomed the move, "As the UK takes a battering from the worse storms this winter the timing of this approval could not be more apt. Eight months after the clean up in the UK began, thousands are still waiting to move back into their homes. Large numbers in the South East were affected. This funding will be welcome to help our local authorities and emergency services cover the costs of recovery."
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Read "EU to give UK £120m for flood repair" in full (224 words).
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Archive of earlier news stories.
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