Work

Public visibility of MEPs in South East England

Press statement for the Milton Keynes News
June 2006
 
I would like to thank the MK News for their interest in their Members of the European Parliament and their survey about the level of citizens’ interest.  I am disturbed by the findings of the survey which show a real lack of awareness of our identities and work.  However, I am not entirely surprised because we MEPs tend to get involved in such an array of issues, as well as a dizzying number of foreign visits, that we tend to neglect the promotion of our work in our own constituencies.  For this I wish to apologise.
 
My role in the European Parliament is Vice Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in the last Parliamentary session (ended 2004) I was the so-called rapporteur for Romania. The Romania job kept me busy almost 18 hours a day
7 days a week and you can imagine how busy it is now for me on the foreign affairs committee — which is supposed to look at difficult issues all over the world.  In order to prioritise the work on the committee I have taken on responsibilities in the Islamic world and am still deeply involved in Romania and continually contacted by their media (ironically, I am much better known in Romania than in Milton Keynes).  Last week I was in Pakistan, the week before that in Moldova and next week I will be travelling to Brussels.
 
When looking at the Islamic World and Eastern Europe the issues that I have prioritized are children’s and women’s rights.  As you all know, women and children in these regions have been oppressed, abused and misrepresented for generations. But now things are starting to change.  Although these regions are still relatively unstable there is progress being made in women’s rights in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine – places that you would never think that positive things also happen alongside the bombings and political turmoil.  It is a unique moment of change in history and it is vital that we seize the opportunity to help improve the lives of millions of people.  The way we do this is to influence national government’s to develop policies that are in the interest of women and children.

Romania is a country where I have been able to have an impact on the reform process.  As your readers are well aware, the child care situation was appalling in the 1990s and corruption became rampant thanks to unregulated international adoptions.  Following intense pressure from the European institutions (as well as the international media) the Romanian government has totally reformed their child welfare system and are now a model of reform for other European countries.   I am proud to have been part of this process and I am sure your readers would agree that this was a priority issue that really concerned us all (think of all those charity activities that were organized for Romania).  Something had to be done. As an MEP I was able to bring to bear the right kind of pressure on Romania that finally led to a root-and-branch reform.

While I am delighted to have the opportunity of explaining some of my work, I do realize that this does not excuse me for neglecting to communicate more effectively in the South East region.  But I am sure that many of your readers will share my concern for women’s and child rights in those less fortunate parts of the world; and will believe me that I am also concerned about the local issues that concern you.  If you have an issue that you would like me to comment on, or possibly help with, I would be delighted to hear from you and I promise that I will do my best to help.