E.C. Parliament to push environmental issues

Press, 26 June 1989, Page 10

E.C. Parliament to push environmental issues

NZPA-AP Brussels The new European Parliament, with more Leftists in its seats, is likely to push social and environmental legislation that would hasten a federalist Europe. On June 15 and 18, voters in the 12 European Economic Community nations chose a Parliament in which- the pro-federalist left, comprising Socialists, Greens and Communists, commands exactly half of the 518 seats. The strong Leftist representation in the assembly, which meets one week a month in Strasbourg, France, should speed up efforts to make the E.C. more than just a trade bloc. Analysts generally agree the Parliament will push for more measures which benefit the ordinary E.C. citizens in their daily lives, the so-called “social charter.”

“The new Parliament will give (Jacques) Delors more backing and support,” said James Pond, a Parliamentary spokesman. Mr Delors, the president of the E.C. executive commission, wants the E.C.’s 1992 programme to remove internal borders between the 12 nations to benefit the labour force as well as the economy. His proposed “social charter” is part of an over-all strategy that also calls for joint monetary union in the 19905.

Such notions go to the heart of the conflict pitting the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, against her E.C. partners, who will open a two-day summit meeting today in Madrid, at which these issues are due to be discussed. The British leader believes that social and monetary legislation must remain national domains. She

has expressed fears of a “United States' of Europe” usurping national sovereignty. In the outgoing European Parliament, Mrs Thatcher could count on 45 British Conservatives to carry her free-market banner, but in the European elections, they lost 13 seats to the pro-federalist opposition Labour Party. The poor showing was interpreted, even within her own ranks, as a result of Mrs Thatcher’s strident attitude.

The gains by British Labourites helped swell the assembly's Socialist group to 181, up from 166. They will join forces with the 41

Communists and 37 Greens to step up pressure for E.C. legislation on minimum workers’ rights, occupational health and safety and environmental issues. • The importance of Left-wing gains also lies in the allocation of chairmanships of Parliamentary committees. The Socialists will probably head committees dealing with the E.C.’s most topical issues — economic, monetary and industrial matters; social affairs and employment, environment, public health and consumer protection. This will give Socialists a firmer hold on the Parliament’s work. While the Parliament cannot introduce legislation (only the E.C. Commission can do that), its committees draft key amendments to bills which must then be approved by the assembly as a whole. The assembly’s next president, who controls the Parliament’s over-all agenda, will probably be a Socialist. He is likely to be urged by the Greens, who almost doubled their seats from 20 to 37, to place a greater emphasis on ecological issues. Balancing the Greens at the other end of the political spectrum are the extreme Right-wing parties which increased their representation from 16 to 22. West Germany’s Republican Party entered the Parliament with six seats and will probably join the 10 members of France’s likeminded National Front and extreme nationalists from Belgium, Italy and Britain.

But with only a total of 22 seats, extreme right-wingers are unlikely to have any influence in the assembly.