Glenis Willmott MEP

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GLENIS WILLMOTT MEP

BRUSSELS CONTACTS

Email: gwillmott@europarl.eu.int

Phone: 00322 284 5459

Fax: 00322 284 9459

Address:

Glenis Willmott MEP
European Parliament
Bat Altiero Spinelli
13G218
60 rue Wiertz
B01047 Brussels

UK CONTACTS

please contact my UK office

By phone 0115 922 9717

By fax 0115 922 4439

Or by writing to:

Glenis Willmott MEP
Harold Wilson House
23 Barratt Lane
Attenborough
Nottingham
NG9 6AD

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Engaging in Europe July 2007

We have a new Prime Minister and a new ministerial team – and a new mood of optimism and confidence is obvious. My congratulations must go to Gordon and to the new Deputy Leader, Harriet Harman.

I would particularly like to welcome Gilly Merron as the new Minister for the East Midlands – as well as Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office. The new Europe Minister is Jim Murphy MP and I am sure the EPLP will be meeting with him soon. Patricia Hewitt will be chairing a manifesto committee on European Policy. I look forward to working with all these new colleagues in the coming months.

Gordon has already made a start on his domestic agenda, but what is his vision for Europe? The Labour Party’s new ‘Britain in the World’ policy document has just been published. It fits in with my own view that we must have a practical vision for Europe, concentrating what it can achieve for ordinary people in delivering economic security and opportunity. I am pleased that our very own European Forum, held in Nottingham last October, has a mention in the document. At the Forum you argued that we must show that Europe has relevance to everyday life and we must engage with people in schools, workplaces and senior citizens groups to show the practical benefits of commitment to Europe.

I believe that the relevance of the EU is becoming clearer to people as Europe takes a lead on the big issues that face us – issues like climate change, energy security, organised crime and terrorism. We must not get bogged down again in process and endless debates about treaties.

In a speech in March this year Gordon Brown called for a new world order to tackle climate change – he said, “… at the heart of these new global institutions must be a global Europe working more closely together. I believe that in protecting the environment and tackling climate change the European Union is finding a new and unifying role.”

At home Gordon’s priorities are bread and butter issues like housing, education and health. We also need to show where Europe can have an impact in dealing with everyday concerns like this. My own work at the moment is concentrating on an EU dimension to cutting smoking deaths, heart disease - which accounts for 42 % of all fatalities in the EU - as well as my report on the new health and safety strategy.

Mobile roaming charges

In my last newsletter I reported that mobile roaming charges were set to fall following EU intervention.

Mobile operators have been charging consumers up to 5 times the real cost of making or receiving a call in another EU country. As a result of these rip-off charges we, as Labour Euro MPs, have been campaigning since 2005 to cut costs for mobile phone users when travelling or on holiday in Europe.

Now our demands to cut prices and give people information about the charges they face have been supported by a majority of Euro MPs.

I will update you on my work in more detail in September. In the meantime, as the recess approaches, may I wish you a restful - and dry - summer break!