Mehadrin: New evidence of mislabelled settlement produce | Corporate Watch

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

I wrote to a number of our North West MEPs about EU’s trade with Israel, and received in reply, what I consider patronising nonsense.  That the only thing that matters is the economic benefits of trading with Israel and not the continuing criminal acts of  the illegal Sate of Israel.  As the article below, points out, the Israelis are still mislabelling produce, so they can sell it in the EU

Mehadrin: New evidence of mislabelled settlement produce | Corporate Watch.

Here is the response from Robert Sturdy MEP Conservative Spokesman,Vice-Chairman, International Trade Committee:

Thank you for your email regarding this subject. I have received a number of emails relating to this issue and have passed them onto my colleague Robert Sturdy who is the Vice-Chairman of the International Trade Committee and Conservative Spokesman on the same subject, therefore he has a better understanding of these issues, his response is outlined below.

Yours sincerely,

Jacqueline Foster MEP

MEP for North West England

Conservative Spokesman for Transport and Tourism

Response of Robert Sturdy MEP

Thank you for contacting me about the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (CAA).

The EU-Israel CAA, until recently known as ACAA, is a technical framework agreement which aims at facilitating the elimination of technical barriers to trade in respect of certain industrial products, through the mutual recognition and harmonisation of technical standards.  The CAA could be hugely beneficial to the EU as it could significantly reduce costs of imported pharmaceutical products into the EU and save time-to-market conditions (saving 1-3 years for every market product) for imported medicinal products both from Israel and the EU.

Although primarily an economic agreement, I think that it has the potential of not only bringing benefits to European consumers and importers of pharmaceutical products but also of helping to foster stability in the region by facilitating further harmonisation between EU and Israeli Law in the relevant areas. 

From the perspectives of the Conservative members of the International Trade Committee (INTA), we believe that this particular agreement to be purely technical issue that should be judged on its trade merits alone. Furthermore it is simply a protocol to an already existing agreement between the EU and Israel. 

However, this is not to say that the wider issues surrounding the Agreement are not valid. The Conservatives in the European are acutely aware of the ongoing situation in the Middle East and are supportive of peace efforts based on the Oslo Peace accords, the road map for peace and the quartet with a viable two state solution based roughly upon the 1967 borders, with land for peace exchanges taking place. Both sides need to realise their commitments to Human Rights and International Law. The EU can play a major role in bringing peace to the Middle East but it must be seen as fair and impartial. A similar agreement with the Palestinian Authority was agreed a number of months ago and I believe it would be hypocritical of the EU if it rejects this agreement.

Having said this, the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), which has the experience and expertise to give this issue the attention it deserves, has provided an Opinion on the ramifications vis-à-vis the situation in the Middle East which was passed on to all INTA members. Both the AFET and INTA Committees decided to submit a question to the Commission in a bid to address some of their concerns with regards to this agreement. The Commission has offered concrete assurances that the agreement is in conformity with EU legal commitments. 

With regards, to the production of goods in the Occupied Territories, the EU has been clear it will not accept products originating from the Israeli Occupied Territories. This is prohibited under Community law which means that products coming from places (city, village or industrial zone) brought under Israeli Administration since 1967 are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This issue has been addressed in the INTA Committee in order to make sure that the CAA is in compliance with existing legislation.

The European Parliament voted in favour of the consent procedure concerning the additional protocol on conformity assessment on the 18th October 2012, with 379 votes in favour. 

We will continue to correspond with civil society from both sides of the dispute and we will continue to monitor developments. Rest assured that the wider political situation, alongside the economic benefits, will not be ignored by the INTA Committee or by the Parliament at large.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Sturdy MEP

MEP for East of England

Vice-Chairman of the International Trade committee

 

stickman’s corral: Review – Extreme Environment (Ivo Vegter)

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Though I disagree with some of the points the reviewer makes during his review of Extreme Environment.  I think, he has highlighted the repeated nonsense of those who think ‘business-as-usual’ scenario is the one we should follow and environmentalist are just a bunch of ‘Nazis’.  The fact that Ivo Vegter uses Monckton as a source of knowledge to attack environmentalist, should give a clue to the his mindset.  There are points environmentalist can learn both from the book and the reviewer’s blog, for them to develop their case more hard-cast and understandable to all.

stickman’s corral: Review – Extreme Environment (Ivo Vegter).

Frontline Online: Where should we be looking for waste we can turn to energy? – The Ecologist

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Another article which follows on from an earlier reblog I posted on the 12th January:Video: The Dark Side of the Green Economy
Inappropriate biofuel and biomass development can exasperate the pollution, poverty and starvation we already suffer from.  I cringe, every time I hear of a ‘ecohouse’ which has wood burners install as a ‘green’ answer to their space heating.  It is not, especially on our already overcrowded and polluted Island.  The CAT (Centre of Alternative Technology) has a lot to answer for, they have not really moved on since the 70s with regards to alternative technologies.  Wood used to be the main source of energy on these Islands, but it was becoming scarce by the 1700s and the Islands nearly deforested.  This changed with the onset of steam technology which allowed the exploitation of the ancient fossil fuel beneath our feet.  As the Ecologist article mentions, using waste organic waste is a way forward.  I have been pushing AD biogesters to turn organic waste to energy (Methane) which is happening all over the world.  But is still in its infancy in the UK, just as wave and tidal technologies are.  We should be looking at the Best Available Technology (BAT), instead of relying on 18th Century technologies which may be cheaper to build.

Frontline Online: Where should we be looking for waste we can turn to energy? – The Ecologist.

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

An article which once again, points out the deficiencies in some ‘Green’ ideas. Biofuels are seen as a clean answer to our energy needs, especially for fuel for cars. In order, that we in the Global North, can continue in our wasteful consumption. Some of the article below, may be considered, an exaggeration, but we are once again raping and pillaging the Global South, so as to ensure we maintain our comfortable life-styles.
UN Land Grab Rapes Africa Of Resources & Rebrands Dissenters As Rebels ~ White Owl Conspiracy
www.whiteowlconspiracy.com

Global Dimming

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

A BBC documentary from 2005, on the effects of particulate pollutants on our climate and how they are masking to real extent of global warming. The reason our politicians should have been taking global warming seriously years ago and are still failing to appreciate the magnitude of problem. I have mentioned some of the facts to Green Party members, and they too are not taking the matter seriously. Bio-mass incineration is not a green alternative, especially in urban areas.

Balcombe MP appointed Cuadrilla director to government

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

Lord Browne was previously CEO of BP, and was responsible for the decline of BP’s reputation for safety.  With appointees such as this, is it any wonder the Government is pushing for widespread ‘fracking’, despite all the evidence showing it has harmful affects on humans and the environment?

Balcombe MP appointed Cuadrilla director to government.

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

I had always consider the NHS top-heavy and run by imbeciles, but I also have no time for the unions who did not do enough under Labour’s Government to improve the wages and working conditions of NHS staff. The ones who actually do the work and struggle to care for the patients.

SKWAWKBOX's avatarSKWAWKBOX

I’ve written before about the contempt shown by some executives of the NHS Trusts involved in the South West Pay Terms and Conditions Consortium (SWC), when they think nobody will find out, for the hardworking staff providing healthcare to patients and for the unions that represent them.

As I wrote back in September, Malcolm Cassells, Financial Director at Salisbury NHS Trust, wrote an email to a contact that conveyed a disregard for the wellbeing of health-workers, a sense that they should consider themselves lucky to have such ‘generous’ benefits, and a contempt for unions that are ‘not as stupid as they look’.

It appears that Salisbury may be a hotbed of such attitudes, mixed with a generous helping of greed and hypocrisy. A different FOI request has revealed emails between other executives from that Trust that betray a flippancy about the effects of the cartel’s aims on staff.

Flippant…

View original post 1,133 more words

Desiderata

Posted on by Patrick Sudlow

A thought for the New Year.  Something I remember from the 1970s and something I tried live by through the years. 

Desiderata

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its shams, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

1927 prose poem by American writer Max Ehrmann (1872–1945).