Proinsias De Rossa (Labour Party)

candidate EU elections
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Dear ,

Thanks for your question. On 12 March, the European Parliament adopted
an emergency resolution on the then detoriating humanitarian situation
in Sri Lanka. A more detailed resolution on the situation there had been
adopted on 5 February last. I supported both of these resolutions.

I fully support the calls for an independent inquiry into violations of
international humanitarian and human rights laws in the conflict. I have
no doubt that this issue will be on the EU´s agenda over the coming
weeks and I will take up your suggestions in my contributions in these
debates. I would also point out that the Labour Party´s European
manifesto, available at www.derossa.com and www.labour.ie. includes the
following commitment - ´We will work to ensure that all EU trade
agreements include appropriate, enforceable human, environmental and
social rights clauses...´ (p.21),

Best wishes,

Proinsias De Rossa MEP

Dear ,

Thank you for your question. I know that the fishing community has suffered much and that there is much concern about the future in the industry. But I firmly believe that the E.U. is the only forum that can provide solutions to these problems; a balance has to be struck between the need to conserve fishing resources for future generations and the need to ensure fishing communities have a viable livelihood. I welcome the fact that under the Lisbon Treaty, our directly-elected MEPs will have full ´co-decision´ rights with the Fisheries Council in the development of fisheries policy, and that ´Regional Advisory Councils´ representing local communities can be established. These developments I feel will make policy formation in this area more open and transparent and will move toward returning the administration of fisheries to the regions. I look forward to working more closely with fishing communities on the future reform of the CFP, as launched with the Commisison´s Green Paper published in April.

Best wishes,

Proinsias,

Dear ,

Thanks for your question. Labour´s manifesto for the last general election included a commitment to initiating studies and relevant research aimed at promoting informed debate on GMO production, with the aim of establishing if it would be in Ireland´s best interests to become one of the few GMO production-free areas in the world over the coming decade. This remains our position.

In the European Parliament I have questioned the Commission about the
Government´s continue failure to enact into Irish law EU legislation on
the controlled use of GMOs - Directive 98/81/EC.


WRITTEN QUESTION E-1237/09 by Proinsias De Rossa (PSE) to the Commission Subject: Contained use of GMOs in Ireland

Further to its answer of 17 September 2008 to my Question E-4072/08, what is the current situation with regard to the Commission´s infringement proceedings concerning the contained use of chemicals in Ireland (No 2007/2236)?


E-1237/09EN - Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission (28.4.2009)

Following the assessment of information received from the Irish authorities in response to the letter of formal notice, a number of ongoing issues of non-conformity with Directive 98/81/EC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms have been identified. As a result, the Commission proposes to take the appropriate steps to raise these with the Irish authorities directly.


If re-elected to the EP on 5 June for the Dublin constituency, which is falling from four to three seats, I will continue to work on this issue at European level.

Best wishes,

Proinsias De Rossa MEP

Dear ,

Thanks for your question. The Labour Party is committed to reaching the 0.7% target. Our manifesto for the Euro-elections (available at www.derossa.com and www.labour.ie, p.21) states that "New, innovative sources of financing are needed in addition to delivering existing European aid commitments – notably, attributing at least 0.7% of Gross National Income to development policy – in a more coordinated, efficient and targeted way.". We have also condemned the Government´s decision to slash ODA spending by almost €100 million this year.

With regard to the Accra agenda for action, I was present and voted for the EP´s resolution of 24 March 2009 on ´The EU priorities for the 64th Session of the UN General Assembly´. This urged the Council to sign ´...up to the principles enshrined in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and to the Accra Agenda for Action, in order to improve the quality and delivery of aid´

This resolution is available at www.europarl.europa.eu

Best wishes,

Proinsias

Dear ,

Thanks for your question. To be honest, I haven´t received any
correspondence on this particular issue so wasn´t aware of it but I will
bring it to the attention of the Labour Party´s justice spokesperson in
the Dail, Pat Rabbitte TD who´s dealing with it in the Dail. Our initial
position on the Minister´s proposals is set out in Pat´s statement of 20
May, available at
www.labour.ie

Best wishes,

Proinsias De Rossa MEP