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Hothouses report - on climate change
and housing Jean's
new report, 'Hothouses: Climate change and London's housing' was launched
at the end of January. As part of a series of launch events, Jean visited
11 London Boroughs, highlighting particular issues for each Borough,
as addressed by the report. The report, which makes 27 recommendations
for change, focuses on the need to improve Government schemes and standards,
so more people can get their homes insulated and adopt other energy
saving measures. It also highlights the particular challenges arising
from London's housing stock. Around 37% of London's emissions coming
from the domestic sector, nearly one million London homes still need
cavity wall insulation, and many Londoners live in older, harder to
insulate, homes. Hothouses is available here,
and also in a lower resolution b/w
version. Free hard copies are available on request from Jean's London
office. Homelessness Jean
visited the Crisis centre near Liverpool Street and is supporting the
Crisis campaign, 'Weapons of Mass Instruction' which seeks to tackle
homelessness through education and skills. She also visited Westminster
based homeless project, The Passage. Jean is working with homelessness
organisations on how to meet the challenges thrown up by greater movement
of EU nationals, some of whom are in need of particular support in London. Workers rights. Jean
supported the rail cleaner's lobby of City Hall, calling for a living
wage and decent terms and conditions. Fairtrade. To
mark the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight, Jean called for everyday
to be a fairtrade day, and urged Londoners to make fairtrade become
the norm rather than the exception. She attended the Fairtrade Fortnight
London launch event'. Education and Equality Jean
has joined with a range of unions and other organisations in a call
to protect funding for English language teaching (ESOL), which is currently
under threat from Government plans to scrap funding. The success of
British Bangladeshi Students was celebrated at Kensington Town Hall
with an 'Academic Achievement Awards 2006' event. Jean was a guest of
honour, and used the occasion to pay tribute to success in the face
of discrimation or disadvantage. Trident. Jean
went to the Faslane base in Scotland as part of the elected representatives
blockade on 8 January, to protest against Trident. Jean was one of around
30 elected representatives present. Jean also attended the large London
demonstration in opposition to Trident. Cambridge Union debate on global
security Sustainability. Jean
spoke at a major conference at Essex University on 'congestion and carbon
trading'. She shared a platform with experts and the local MP, and focused
on questions of how to fund sustainability. Recyling. In
Croydon Jean met local Green activist, Shasha Khan, to support the Green
campaign to improve recycling in the borough.
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Constituents' concerns Bullfighting. Jean's
office has been flooded with constituents letters opposing bullfighting.
A written declaration is currently before the Parliament, and London
campaigners are keen to secure signatures for it. Jean was one of the
first MEPs to sign it.
Mugabe sanctions. Another
issue of particular concern to constituents is the call for continuing
EU sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe, which is being
reviewed. The Green Group have pressed for the need for sanctions to
continue. |
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Jean
hosted the launch of the European Refugee Advocacy Organisation. ERAD
brings together refugee community organisations from across Europe.
Through advocacy work, ERAD aims to secure the rights of refugees and
asylum seekers.
Speakers
at the event included ERAD representatives, the ECRE General Secretary
and the European Commission Head of Asylum Policy. We were also treated
to a poetry recital and music from an Armenian folk group. |
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Environment Agency - Flooding in
Europe Jean
co-hosted this meeting with several other UK MEPs. It aimed to highlight
future flood risks and to clarify the proposed Directive on assessment
and management of floods. Launch of Cervical Cancer Prevention
Week On
23 January, the EP Cervical Cancer Interest Group (CCIG) officially
launched the first annual European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.
At the launch, Jean - a member of this group - signed the ‘STOP
Cervical Cancer in Europe Manifesto’. Northern Iraq Civil Society - Chair Jean
chaired this evening Hearing at which Dutch-German conflict researcher
Andrea Eleonore Vermeer gave her view on strengthening civil society
in Iraq. Anti Discrimination 2007
is the EU Year of Equal Opportunities. Jean is Vice-President of several
anti-discrimination inter-groups and participated in their joint meeting
to mark the start of this year. Jean also attended the LGBT Gala - a
celebration of accomplishments at EU level. A
group of mature students from Birkbeck College London came to the Parliament
as part of a Masters degree programme in Environmental Management. Jean
facilitated the visit which included an hour in a Hearing on foreign
energy policy and a question and answer session with Jean. Here the
students were able to clarify their understanding of the EU institutions
and environment policy. Forum for the Future placement For
the month of January, Jean's Brussels office welcomed Charlotte Steel
as part of her Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development with
Forum for the Future. Charlotte quickly got to grips with parliamentary
life and produced a comprehensive briefing on the Commission climate
change strategy'. Civil Service Attachment scheme Jean also hosted a two day visit from Rosalind Lester, from the EU division of the Department of Education and Skills. These attachments aim to further educate the civil service about Europe and the EU institutions.
Two key dossiers running through Jean's Committees are the Returns report in the Civil Liberties Committee and the Social Services of General Interest Report in Employment Committee. The proposed Returns Directive deals with issues around how we return those deemed to be residing illegally in a Member State. There are some fairly contentious areas within this proposal, such as, how long people can be detained for and how we deal with unaccompanied minors. Negotiations are being hampered further because Council is unhappy with the initial proposal.
Social services Report This has unfortunately been made weaker than the Greens hoped for following a deal between the two largest Groups in the European Parliament. Therefore, despite Green amendments, there are no calls for a legal framework to safeguard these important services. The Greens therefore abstained from the final vote and will continue to fight for a stronger Report in Plenary. CIA Committee Report The
European Parliament adopted the final report of its temporary committee
investigating the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the
transportation and illegal detention of prisoners. Jean, a Member of
this Committee, has taken part in some of the fact finding delegation
visits. Despite a huge number of amendments to water down the report,
the text of the report remained mostly unchanged, sending a strong message
that EU governments must stop brushing the CIA abuses within their jurisdictions
under the table. The Greens voted for the final Report which criticised
many Member States - including the UK. Climate Change On
the eve of the second anniversary of the entry into force of the Kyoto
Protocol, the European Parliament adopted a strong resolution on climate
change and future climate policies. Key points in the resolution included
calls by the Parliament for a target of 30% greenhouse gas reductions
by 2020. Jean
was invited to speak at the opening of the Year of Equal Opportunities
where she welcomed the move to increase awareness of people's rights
to equal treatment and a life free of discrimination. The launch saw
over 450 delegates, including EU ministers, equality bodies, employers
and trade unions from across Europe, meet at the first ever European
Equality summit. Jean
attended this OECD high-level parliamentary seminar on international
migration - challenges and prospects. As the Green Group specialist
on this issue, this event was an invaluable opportunity for her to hear
a variety of high level presentations and position papers.
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From Jean's 'explanation of vote'
for the Parliament's CIA report: MI voted for the Fava report, despite the changes made by nervous colleagues. The so-called 'war' on terror has been used by some to rework international law and defy international conventions on human rights and the treatment of those detained (on suspicion, not proof) without trial or any due process.
Human rights are universal and indivisible: the EU is committed to upholding these rights. This report confronts us with an uncomfortable reality and we urge Member State Parliaments and Governments to investigate fully what may have been happening on their territory. This
committee did not have full investigative powers, but we do have the
power to make political recommendations. They should be acted upon if
we really want to uphold our values. |
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8
March - International Women's Day |
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