uuptoday.org

Commenting on the outcome of this weeks Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels where European fisheries Ministers gathered to set the total allowable catches and quotas for the industry in 2008, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson, who is a member of the European Parliament ‘s fisheries committee, said,

“As I have said on a number of occasions before I have witnessed this damaging process take place now for a number of years and there is no doubt in my mind that the result for Northern Ireland’s fishing industry gets worse as each year passes.

“This deal is yet another body blow for the local fishing industry in Northern Ireland with significant reductions in the number of days fishermen can spend at sea. The conclusions will please no –one.

“What I want to see happen is a fundamental change to the way these negotiations take place. The annual spectacle of last minute negotiations must end.

“I have a number of criticisms of the Common Fisheries Policy but discards has to be the craziest of all. The European Commission must end the discards madness and allow fishermen to land everything they catch.

“We need action taken now to ensure the sustainability of the fishing industry in Northern Ireland or it could easily follow the textile and other well known local industries into obscurity.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has welcomed confirmation today that the First and Deputy First Minister will visit Brussels in the New Year to meet with the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Speaking from Strasbourg Mr Nicholson said,

“I very much welcome confirmation that the First and Deputy First Minister will visit Brussels in the New Year and hope that they will work in cooperation with MEPs.

“Their visit is long overdue and hopefully is a signal that the First and Deputy First Minister are taking the Executive’s relationship with Europe more seriously. I have been calling for them to get to grips with this area since they came to office. I look forward to them making the case for increased financial assistance for Northern Ireland from Europe.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has today called for the creation of a framework that would promote a fair relationship between producers, processors and the supermarket chains.

Mr Nicholson was speaking after it was revealed that Sainsbury’s, ASDA and a number of diary processors have been fined a total of £116 million by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after being found guilty of fixing the prices of milk, butter and cheese.

In a statement Mr Nicholson said,

“For a long time there has been an undeniable need for the producer to receive a fairer reward for his produce and I believe that a way of doing this is to create a regulatory framework that would promote a fair relationship between producers, processors and the supermarket chains.

“I see something inherently wrong with a market that repeatedly shows falling returns to farmers but consistently shows rising returns to processors and retailers. I am glad to see these types of practices are now being highlighted. Price fixing benefits no – one except the giant supermarket chains. Both the consumer and the farmer lose out.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said he hopes that the First and Deputy First Minister’s trip this week to the USA is more successful than the duos dealings so far with Europe or with the Prime Minister over securing a financial package for Northern Ireland.

Speaking from Brussels Mr Nicholson said,

“The First and Deputy First Minister’s visit to the US is to be welcomed but my only hope is that more is achieved on this visit than been has achieved so far in their dealings with the Prime Minister on a financial package or with Europe in their efforts to deliver improved European financial support. These two areas still require the First and Deputy First Minister’s attention because as of yet they remain unresolved.

“Northern Ireland will seriously lose out on any extra European funding because the First and Deputy First Minister’s case has not been made forcefully enough by them in Brussels. They still haven’t managed to visit Brussels despite being in office for over 6 months. The financial package promised by the DUP and Sinn Fein has yet to materialise, despite strong assurances that it would. It should not be brushed under the carpet and forgotten about.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said he is outraged that the European Commission and Portuguese Presidency of the European Council have decided to extend and invite to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to attend next week’s EU – Africa summit in Lisbon.

Speaking from Brussels Mr Nicholson said,

“It has been reported that the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has accepted an invitation from the Portuguese Government to attend next week’s EU – Africa summit. This comes despite diplomatic pressure from a number of sources aimed at preventing Mugabe from attending the conference.

“I am absolutely appalled at the UK Government for agreeing to send a Minister of State to the summit. There is no point in the Prime Minister talking tough about the situation and declaring he won’t attend if his Government then turn round and dignify the summit by sending a Minister of State in his place anyway.

“The British Government should exercise its right to block the Portuguese Government obtaining an exemption to the EU’s ban on Mugabe.

“It is an affront to the millions of Zimbabweans abused and dispossessed by Mugabe that he is being given a platform in Lisbon. So much for EU concerns about human rights and good governance in Africa.

“The EU’s decision to allow Mugabe to attend the summit is yet another example of the limitations there are in pursuing a common European foreign policy. It is not surprising that many people are extremely sceptical regarding EU’s efforts at assuming a meaningful role on the global stage.”

Ulster Unionist Member of the European Parliament Jim Nicholson MEP said today that over the years the PEACE Programme in Northern Ireland has made a significant contribution to moving Northern Ireland forward.

Mr Nicholson was speaking after a public hearing, in the European Parliament’s Regional Affairs Committee on the PEACE Programme, to assess the work it has carried out since its inception and prospects for the future.

Last week the SEUPB made the first call for applications under the new PEACE III and INTERREG IVA Programmes for 2007 – 2013.

Speaking after the hearing Mr Nicholson said,

“I think it is important to recognise the contribution the PEACE Programme has made in moving Northern Ireland forward. It is easy to find faults with or criticise many of the projects but the truth of the matter is that because of the PEACE Programmes, thousands have had an opportunity to become involved in and be part of a process of reconciliation in the Province.

“It is very unfortunate that Barbara de Brun was unable to present her report on the PEACE Programme at this time. It would have been a good time to have had her report debated.

“The PEACE Programme must now move on to deliver projects which are sustainable and which have the ability to stand alone when European support ultimately disappears. Northern Ireland has come a long way since the start of PEACE in 1995 but still has some distance to travel and it must not be presumed that all Northern Ireland’s problems have disappeared. We still need and require the type of support that the PEACE programme provides.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has appealed for calm today as the authorities in England attempt to determine the source of an outbreak of bird flu at a Suffolk farm.

Speaking from Strasbourg Mr Nicholson said,

“DEFRA must act swiftly to contain and trace the origins of this latest bird flu outbreak.

“The Government was right to close the area down quickly but they must ensure that the exclusion zone is properly enforced and act ruthlessly to stamp out the disease and identify its source. It is important that this action is matched by increased vigilance and bio – security in the weeks ahead. Allowing it to spread would do untold damage to the sustainability and viability of the entire poultry industry.

“In the event of an outbreak of bird flu in Northern Ireland public communication will be essential to dealing with the problem. Information must be given to the public promptly, efficiently and in an easily accesible manner so that they know what to do should they discover a dead bird. Time is of the essence.

“DEFRA must keep all poultry keepers informed. During the last outbreak, keepers complained that not enough information was being provided and not quickly enough. Farmers must know exactly what they have to do.

“It is unfortunate but it appears that outbreaks of bird flu will become a sad reality across all of Europe. Bird Flu is no respecter of borders and as such requries a strategic and coordinated response to combat it at European level.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has taken the row over FIFA’s proposal to allow players born in Northern Ireland the opportunity to play for the Republic of Ireland onto the international stage this evening as he told fellow Members of the European Parliament in a debate in Strasbourg that if FIFA’s proposal went ahead it would be a kick in the teeth for Northern Irish football.

Speaking to MEPs Mr Nicholson said,

“I would like to bring to the attention of the House a proposal by FIFA, the global governing body for football, to allow players born in Northern Ireland the opportunity to represent the Republic of Ireland at international level.

“The Northern Ireland football team has a proud history going back many decades and over the years has produced many great footballers and defeated many great teams.

“Northern Ireland has had many difficulties over the past 35 years and during those dark days soccer was able to bring people together in our community. So I say very clearly to FIFA that they are wrong to go down this road. At a time when I believed that society in Northern Ireland was becoming normal and moving on from the past, this has come as a major shock and may even harm efforts to move society forward.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has launched a blistering attack on the European Commission today over their stance on imports of Brazilian beef to the EU.

Mr Nicholson was speaking as the European Union’s Food and Veterinary Office published their latest report on Brazil’s failure to meet EU standards and food safety controls.

The FVO report found that:

- The Brazilian State Veterinary Service had no systematic audit system for animal health.
- No criteria for such an audit established.
- Cold stores in ports dealing with beef destined for Europe were not audited.
- There was a lack of adequate trained staff in the State Veterinary Service.
- Shortcomings that previous FVO investigations had identified had not been addressed.
- The 90-day residence rule on cattle destined for EU was regularly broken.
- Insufficient protection against rodents and insects by food Business operators.
- Operation hygiene could not be fully guaranteed.

Speaking from Brussels Mr Nicholson said,

“Once again we have concrete evidence to support the introduction of an immediate ban on imports of Brazilian beef to the EU. The Commission cannot be allowed to duck the responsibility they have to consumers and the farming industry to ban this sub standard product immediately. It is time they took their head out of the sand on the issue.

“Time after time, Brazilian beef has been proven to be of a sub – standard nature. Traceability is non-existent, there are no controls at regional borders, no controls on animal movement and there are risks of further Foot and Mouth outbreaks. Northern Ireland’s farmers must comply with the high standards laid down by the EU in terms of health, food safety and traceability so why shouldn’t imports coming into the EU from other countries do the same?

Ulster Unionist Member of the European Parliament Jim Nicholson MEP has said that there is no new money in the European Commission’s announcement today on future European funding for Northern Ireland.

Mr Nicholson made the claim as the European Commission announced that it has adopted three programmes involving Northern Ireland as part of EU Cohesion policy for 2007-2013.

Speaking from Brussels Mr Nicholson said,

“I want to make it absolutely clear that there is no new money in this announcement made today by the European Commission. The public should not be misled into believing that Northern Ireland has earned some massive cash bonanza from Europe.

“As I recall this is probably the fourth or fifth time in a 2 year period that an announcement has been made regarding this funding. It seems that yet again this money has been recycled, repackaged and made to appear like it is new money.

“Back in July I met with the First and Deputy First Minister where I told them they had seriously undersold Northern Ireland in Europe and that it was vital for them to visit Brussels as soon as possible. I am still waiting for that visit. In terms of investment Europe is just as important as any other region in the world.

“It is almost 6 months since devolution was restored and yet we are still waiting for the First and Deputy First Minister to work out how they are going to deal with Europe.

“Whilst I am disappointed that the European Commission and others have attempted to portray this as new money I do welcome the impact today’s announcement will have for the many groups on the ground who have been waiting for the European Commission to approve this money. Hopefully, Intermediary Funding Bodies should be able to start funding projects by the New Year.”