SHARING GOOD PRACTICE IN DRUGS BATTLE
Drugs and drug related crime are amongst Europe's greatest challenges. That is why I am delighted that the European Union is encouraging the sharing of good practice between countries. The EU Drugs Strategy has published three main public health targets, one of which is to reduce substantially over five years the incidence of drug related health damage and deaths. This positive way of dealing with the growing culture of drug abuse and reliance deserves encouragement. The drug epidemic is a widespread problem that needs to be tackled on a global scale. In Britain, we have fully accepted that the way to deal with drug dependence is to introduce risk reduction measures, such as our very successful needle exchange programmes. But while treatment is important, so is prevention. That is why my colleagues and I in the European Parliament will continue to press for more measures to track down and stop drug traffickers who continue to be the main target in the crackdown and fight against drug addiction.

FRANCE GETS OFF THE BEEF HOOK
France has managed to get off the beef hook very nicely merci by a convoluted piece of logic on the part of the European Commission. Weeks ago, I complained to the Commission that the French had continued to impose a ban on British beef, even after the European Court of Justice ruled that they had to comply, and had then been let off the hook of a richly deserved daily fine. The Commission, however, have decided that, because France eventually brought its legislation into line with the relevant provisions of EU law, they would withdraw further proceedings which would have led to a fine. I am told by Commissioner David Byrne that this was because the court would only impose fines if the French were still not complying with the law when a second case was brought – and France of course complied just before that case came before the court. At least the Commissioner admits he is not happy that the court was effectively precluded from imposing fines for breaches of community law after such a long procedure. He has therefore instigated a review of the procedures so that the court could still be given the opportunity in future cases to impose fines where there have been unreasonable delays in respecting court judgements. Good news for the French but this leaves our farmers without justice or compensation for the deliberate flouting of European law which shut them out of this market for their beef.

RESTRAINTS ON 12 YEAR OLDS
Adult seat belts will be compulsory for children over 1.5 metres (5 ft 8 inches) tall – and individual states have discretion to reduce this even further, to 5 ft 2 inches - regardless of age, if latest proposals from the European Parliament’s Transport Committee are approved. In its original proposal the European Commission had suggested that children under 12 should only be allowed to wear an adult seat belt if they had a body mass of over 36kg (5st 9lb). Otherwise they must be carried in a child restraint system. MEPs argued that some children under 12 were too tall to be carried in a child restraint system - irrespective of their body mass – and suggested that height should also be a criterion. As succeeding generations of children are noticeably taller and frequently tower above their parents by the age of 12, it makes sense that they should be wearing adult seat belts rather than restraints designed for lighter, smaller children.

JOURNOS HAM IT UP
We’ve seen it all, really, the misreporting of news from Europe. A worthy follow up to the straight banana story, we were treated recently to the story of the European Commission insisting that farmers put toys in pigpens to keep the porkers from getting bored. So intense was the coverage that European Commissioner Beate Gminder was forced to issue a statement aimed at putting the record straight for irate pig farmers across Europe. Unintentionally, the statement added to the ludicrous nature of the story. There was no question of forcing farmers to turn their pigpens into playpens. The directive merely stated that pigs must be given access to “manipulable material”. Most farmers who keep pigs are aware of the need for diversion and often put tyres and other materials in the pig pen to keep them from wearying. Pity we can’t do the same for bored journalists..

John Purvis is a member of the Committee on Industry, External Trade Research and Energy and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. He can be contacted by e-mail at jpurvis@europarl.eu.int or visit his website on www.scottishtorymeps.org.uk.