A day in the European Parliament

I went to the EP last week to have a meeting with the person who is now the Head of Accreditation.

Well, he has his work cut out because after the European Parliament elections, apart from dealing with retiring Members' pension arrangements, there is the not insignificant matter of checking the credentials of the new 750 MEPs. Then, signing up some 3000 Assistants. Family members can no longer be employed by the elected MEP. A practice which several of our UK MEPs have used in the past, but which is now banned.

Thank goodness.

In the case of Den Dover, a former Conservative MEP, it has gone to Court because he fraudulently claimed over £500,000. He was supposed to pay it back to the EP, but never has. The Crown Prosecution Service is now trying to enforce the EP ruling. However, family members are still entitled to a free badge.

So both ex-MEPs, and their family members, can have badges and become lobbyists.

My concern is lobbying for what?

There is no control over that. It could be campaigning on a range of issues from disabilities and rare diseases, through to cigarettes, car pollution, horse meat, or a ban on whatever. But basically, they have a free card into the European Parliament.

People like you and me have to be signed in. (Be warned, getting through the security process is like trying to catch an aeroplane!).

I then walked down the corridor to see what was going on in the EP by looking at the posters on the noticeboards. And amazingly I bumped into three people before even getting across the bridge into the next building.

As the Cafeteria is only open to visitors after 13h30, I took the opportunity to first visit the Croatia Exhibition on their Landmine problem. As there was nobody else visiting the stand, and having looked at all the photos, I asked the gentleman responsible some questions to better understand their problem.

Really they have made huge progress, but still have a long way to go.

I told him that I have a 10 year old daughter, Clémentine, and that I was very interested to see their photos of the education lessons that they give to kids in primary school. There was a glass box with examples of landmines. He took three out to explain which were the worst for children, and why. And then explained the history of who made them, and why. And why they were planted where.

I then attended the end of an Ocean Seas Intergroup on Marine and Maritime Policy. It was very interesting, as I have campaigned on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy for the last three years.

Back across the "Passarelle" to the ASP building only to find a Portuguese group of male folk singers who were campaigning to get their regional traditional clothing recognised by the UN. Excellent singing.

Passing the Airport bar (not sure what its official name is, but because of the high chairs, that is its nickname). I then bumped into someone else and had a political catch up with him.

After lunch, I saw an exhibition by a Belgian artist.

As a previous Assistant, I know that life is busy and that one does not have much time to check out a fraction of what is going on in the EP. However, people are missing out on our European cultural richness.

The EU stands for "United in Diversity". Because divided we will fall. It has happened many times over the centuries.

That is why we should be IN, and not OUT.

Deborah Newton-Cook

Liberal Democrat Candidate

East Midlands, European Parliament Elections, Thursday 22 May 2014