uuptoday.org

UUP Leader Sir Reg Empey today had a meeting with President of the European Commission Mr Baroso.

Speaking after the meeting, Sir Reg said,

“I took the opportunity to thank Mr Baroso for all the help and support given by the EU to Northern Ireland over the years through PEACE and other programmes. These programmes have been of enormous benefit to the Country.

I did however point out our infrastructure deficit and I believe that a mini Cohesion Fund * would go some way to resolve to resolve our deficit.

In response President Baroso said that Northern Ireland’s allocation from the EU had already been set until 2013 but that he was anxious to help and would establish a task force specifically to work through ideas on how this idea could be extrapolated in the future.

Mr Baroso also pointed out that Northern Ireland has access to European Research and Development Funds that are currently not allocated to specific countries. Responding to this I indicated that this was very positive and I would be urgently taking a look at these funds as they would fall under my Ministerial remit.”

On the 300th Anniversary of the Scottish Act of Union Ulster Unionist Party Leader and Minister Designate Sir Reg Empey today urged Scotland’s politicians to develop partnerships with Belfast and Cardiff and promote common interests within the United Kingdom and within the Union.

In a statement Sir Reg said,

“For many years, Scotland’s voters, like us in Northern Ireland, were deprived of a local government that stood up for the interests of Scotland. But now the people of Scotland have their own Parliament which has bedded down and is working.

The Scottish Assembly has been a success story – bringing accountable, local decision making closer to the people of Scotland. The Scots, like the Northern Irish and Welsh have a unique identity and culture. Yet we share much in common as integral and vital parts of the Union, and where we speak with a collective tongue, instead of separate voices, we represent a powerful bloc.

Working in partnership together, exchanging ideas and sharing experiences we can promote our common interests and strengthen our economies. Building partnerships that strengthen the Union means that we can make Westminster work for us.

The Union gives us Northern Irish, Scots and Welsh strength in numbers and strength of collective influence. We are proud nations, proud of who we are and where we come from. Together, in the Union, we can build upon that pride and, with our devolved Institutions, become the best that we can become.”

UUP MEP Jim Nicholson has said today that the European Commission and the Northern Ireland Assembly must help farmers seize the potential that biofuels offer by making more funding available for research and development into the use of biomass and bio fuels as an alternative energy policy.

Mr Nicholson said that in an increasingly competitive marketplace farmers in Northern Ireland could find many benefits from looking at alternative uses of land and create new business opportunities in crop production for biofuels.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“Countries across Europe which have made significant steps in developing renewable energy have done so because of substantial government investment in research and development. If we are to unlock the potential of renewable energy in Northern Ireland, especially in bio fuels and biomass then a future executive must consider making additional funding for R & D in this area.

“The announcement this week that Virgin Atlantic plans to power the first commercial aircraft with biofuels by 2008 highlights the potential the fledgling biofuels industry has. If Northern Ireland were to get it right now and create the right conditions for producers then there is no limit to what farmers in Northern Ireland could achieve. In the right conditions they could market leaders.

“One way of helping to create that positive environment is to look again at EU policy on set – aside, which currently takes 10% of cereal land out of production, when in actual fact it could be used for producing biofuels.

“We must all focus on how we equip farmers in Northern Ireland to meet the challenges posed by an ever changing marketplace and ensure that the development of biofuels is cost effective for producers and consumers.”

Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has called on the community to support one of the biggest ever social action campaigns known as Ban The Pan.

Dr Coulter, who is also UUP Health Spokesman, said that given the number of fire incidents and deaths over the years relating to chip pans, any Ban The Pan campaign was “particularly worthy”.

“Such campaigns are aimed at persuading people to give up using their chip pans for good. A glance at the statistics contained in the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade’s Community Fire Safety annual reports certainly make startling reading.

“They show that one of the main causes of accidental fires in the home is unattended chip pans. In the past, such causes have accounted for hundreds of incidents in which, tragically, people have lost their lives.

“Dozens more have been left injured in chip pan-related fires. There can be no doubting that in terms of fire deaths in the home, the chip pan has the potential to be the number one killer.”

Assemblyman Dr Coulter said the community should listen to one of the main message of Ban The Pan, which was that a safe, simple alternative was available – an electric deep fat fryer.

“Whilst the chip pan has been proven to be a real killer, it would be ludicrous to suggest that people give up eating chips. The electric deep fat fryers will still produce great chips, but because it has a thermostat, the fat does not get to the point where it goes on fire.

“I would call on the entire community in North Antrim to take note of any Ban The Pan campaign and try and attend demonstrations if they are in your locality. I would also urge all electrical retailers in the constituency who sell deep fat fryers to lend their weight to this very worthy community effort.

“And during the summer months when people are having barbeques, I would also encourage constituents to exercise care and common sense safety when using gas or charcoal barbeques. Anything which involves fire is a potential death hazzard,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.

Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has said people in the constituency can help with the recovery and rebuilding of the beef industry by attending the two major agricultural shows at Ballymena and Ballymoney.

He urged as many people as possible to demonstrate their support by going to the forthcoming shows in the constituency.

And Dr Coulter also issued an invitation to incoming Stormont Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew “to come to both shows and see at first hand the impressive farming sector in North Antrim”.

Assemblyman Dr Coulter said: “The community has a vital role to play itself in helping North Antrim’s much-battered farming industry, especially the beef producers, get back on their feet by using their attendance at the two events as a massive show of support for the farmers and a vote of confidence in North Antrim beef.”

The North Antrim MLA said farming was a major industry in the constituency and it was very important for people to “rally round the local beef farmers in particular and help with the regeneration of the trade in the region”.

Assemblyman Coulter said the boosting of the beef industry in Northern Ireland was especially important as the industry was rebuilding itself after a ten-year European ban.

He added: “Whilst I warmly welcome the moves in Brussels which ended the decade-long ban imposed on our beef at the height of the mad cow disease crisis, the real challenge will be to rebuild our once prosperous beef industry in the constituency and indeed, right throughout Northern Ireland.

“The agricultural families are at the very heart of local industry in North Antrim and this is a tremendous opportunity for our constituents to rally round this hard-pressed sector and give the beef farming community the boost it radically needs to get on its feet once more.

“Ten years is a long time to endure such a ban from the EU, and it will require a lot of hard effort and support to help the Ulster beef sector recover.

“Everyone can play their part in this recovery by supporting not just the shows, but also buying local beef products because BSE and the Foot and Mouth crisis have hit our constituency’s farming sector very hard.

“North Antrim is largely a rural constituency and we have a moral imperative to do all we can to get this localised industry back up to full strength again.

“I would also call on the Agriculture Minister and her agriculture department to do all in their power to assist this recovery battle,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.

Ulster Unionist Member of the European Parliament Jim Nicholson MEP has accused the Office of First and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) of keeping him in the dark over the visit of European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso to Belfast.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“I am absolutely amazed that the First and Deputy First Ministers designate have not invited MEPs along to their meeting with the President of the European Commission today. This is an unwise and misguided decision that smacks of political expediency on the First and Deputy First Ministers part.

“This is the first time that a President of the European Commission has came to Northern Ireland and not met with MEPs. Indeed, in the past, the European Commission have usually went out of their way to ensure that MEPs are involved in all meetings but unfortunately that is not what has happened on this occasion. Instead MEPs have been sidelined.

“Their actions do not bode well for the future and could well be a sign of things to come. If we were kept in the dark about this visit, what else will we be kept in the dark about? As MEPs we are Northern Ireland’s only directly elected representatives in Europe and if the future First and Deputy First Minister are in discussions with Brussels about an additional financial package, then they must keep MEPs fully informed of ongoing developments.”

“Northern Ireland has benefited from EU funding in the past and I would welcome warmly any additional money that could be used to address our chronic infrastructure deficit.”