October 2001

In pursuit of our Kyoto obligation to reduce polluting emissions, the European Union is about to clamp down on lawnmowers, hedge trimmers and other `leisure' machinery. The European Parliament has agreed to a Commission proposal to introduce limits on the emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides caused by the small spark-ignition engines powering these machines. Exempt are chainsaws, while equipment like pumps, generators and engines used to power snow-throwers will have more generous limit values. This is because there is as yet no sensible alternative to the small two-stroke engine which drives this type of machinery. In voting to endorse the Commission's proposals, we attempted to maintain the careful balance between improving the environment without damaging the industry which manufactures these items and putting up prices to users . It is specified that member states will give manufacturers of these items time to adjust.

Noise pollution is also a problem around Europe and this month the European Parliament held out for an EU-wide policy to reduce this modern menace. The Parliament has demanded a Noise Framework Directive which would lay down binding quality standards to be implemented by all member states. However, the Council insist that it is too early to consider noise limits. They say a standard system must first be established to measure and map out the degree of noise pollution suffered in member states and to look at national noise abatement plans. The Parliament is impatient for faster action.

Scotland Week in Brussels, a programme of events designed to improve our country's profile and business links with Europe, saw a very gung-ho representation from home this month. MSPs and MEPs got together with representatives from Scottish business to show what we can do and what we hope to achieve in the future. We were all keen to put the old haggis and neeps image behind us and promote a forward-looking Scotland, one that is in the forefront of research and development. With my particular interest in the sector, I was pleased that biotechnology was given a whole day to itself. The major achievements of our own highly-rated research triangle of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Dundee, Aberdeen and Stirling were highlighted. Unfortunately, the legal, financial and social environment needs to be in place so that Europe as a whole can catch up - but there's a great opportunity for Scotland to show the way.

I had an awkward moment during a recent long voting spell in a plenary session in Strasbourg. My voting machine suddenly stopped working - I could vote FOR and ABSTAIN but could no longer vote AGAINST! Point of order to the Chair. Was it sabotage? An engineer was summoned with the result that even the FOR and ABSTAIN went off. On the third try, all was well and I was back in business - for and against.