With European Elections being held in June, It's time to look at the benefits of European membership
European Parliamentary Labour Party. 19 MEPs: Over 100 Achievements (PDF)
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules which protect workers
1. helped sign Britain up to the Social Chapter, which gives British workers guaranteed holidays and better maternity and paternity rights
2. implemented EU-wide laws on working time, limiting the length of time workers can be obliged by their employer to work to 48 hours per week. Labour MEPs also secured a guaranteed right to paid holiday, for the first time in Britain
3. brought in the European Works Council laws giving new information and consultation rights to workers
4. improved people’s ability to prove discrimination in the workplace by putting the onus on the employer, not the employee, to prove that they do not discriminate
5. have given both parents the right to time off when they have children or adopt
6. brought in measures to give part-time and temporary agency workers the same rights as full time workers as regards pay, terms and conditions, pensions, leave, working time, vocational training, health and safety, and maternity leave
7. adopted common standards of health & safety at work, including extra protection for workers using dangerous machinery
8. ensured that the opening up of the European market to cross-border services does not undermine workers' rights, by requiring that the labour laws of the host country are respected
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules which protect consumers
9. adopted measures to prevent mobile phone companies from ripping you off when travelling, by cutting the amount they can charge in roaming fees for calls. We are now campaigning for it to be extended to texting. Labour MEPs also achieved cheaper internet access and telephone calls by successfully opening up the telecommunications market. They also backed new rules on equal access for disabled users
10. brought in fines for airlines when they deliberately overbook. Stranded air and rail passengers also have the right to cash compensation and meals and, if necessary, hotel accommodation
11. brought in a system for the compulsory labelling of food which contains Genetically Modified Organisms
12. reduced car prices in the UK by scrapping the "block exemption" which allowed car manufacturers to sell new cars exclusively through agreed dealerships. The new rules increase competition and flexibility, allowing dealers to sell more than one brand at the same site. The result means cheaper car prices
13. obliged all new urban buses operating in the EU to be fitted with a ramp or lift in addition to a kneeling system, to make all buses in Europe fully accessible for people with disabilities
14.have given shoppers a two year guarantee on new electronic products. If goods develop faults within 6 months of purchase, shopkeepers must prove they were in good condition when sold. Consumers can expect faulty goods to be repaired, replaced or refunded. Labour MEPs also provided for a 7 day "cooling off" period for people to change their minds about any purchase made by phone or mail order anywhere in the EU
15. forced car manufacturers to re-design the front of cars to reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury to pedestrians, as well as making cars themselves four times safer than they were in 1970
16. approved new rules for the labelling of eggs so that consumers can identify them as free range, barn or cage
17. secured new Europe-wide rules which protect consumers from rogue traders, dodgy property share schemes and bogus prize scams
18. prevented pharmaceutical companies from promoting their brands directly to patients over the heads of doctors
19. improved protection for accident victims and made it easier for drivers to get and make insurance claims when using vehicles outside the UK
20. negotiated legislation outlawing discrimination against disabled passengers and those of reduced mobility when travelling by air
21. brought in new legislation to ensure all fireworks have high safety standards across Europe
22. passed legislation opening up the market in services across Europe - getting a better deal
for consumers and increasing opportunities for British business, while ensuring that consumers are well protected
23. brought in new rules so that small financial claims can be settled as quickly and easily across Europe as they are in the UK
24. ensured that vulnerable consumers, such as blind people, are not ripped off through confusing pack sizes
25. successfully introduced new rights for people purchasing timeshares or "holiday clubs", including a 14 day cooling off period and a simple standard info sheet so nothing is hidden in the small print
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules which protect the environment and tackle climate change
26. secured a plan to cut our greenhouse gases by at least 20% before 2020, or 30% if there is international agreement
27. set a target of 20% of our energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2020
28. increased the amount of waste that must be recycled. EU member states will be obliged to recycle 55% of glass, paper, cardboard, metals and plastics
29. laid down that all electrical goods sold in the EU will have to be recycled at the manufacturer’s expense in the biggest recycling programme Europe has ever seen
30. set rules to cut Europe's carbon footprint through the Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), a "cap and trade" scheme covering 40% of all EU emissions and expanded the scheme to airlines
31. adopted higher standards on the quality of petrol & diesel fuels and pushed for strict sustainability criteria for bio fuels as part of our climate change strategy
32.approved new EU-wide measures to improve energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, such as the Energy Star scheme and the Intelligent Energy for Europe programme
33. made car manufacturers responsible for taking back old vehicles and recycling all constituent materials
34. adopted measures to protect migrating birds all the way along their routes across Europe
35. set up a European-wide scheme protecting vulnerable habitats with rare species of animals and plants
36. enabled shoppers to choose green products by introducing the "eco label" awarded to products that meet strict criteria minimising the damage done to the environment
37. considerably improved bathing water standards in the UK
38. supported new EU rules which cut harmful emissions from car air conditioning systems
39. cut fluorinated gases, released from refrigerators, that cause global warming
40. tightened EU waste shipment rules to monitor cross border shipments of waste, banning ships which dump illegal waste onto non-EU states
41. encouraged energy saving measures in buildings to reduce costs and protect the environment
42. adopted new rules on the eco-design of products which will ensure that washing machines, computers, and other energy using products are designed to be more energy efficient
43. adopted new legislation that will drastically cut sulphur fuel emissions from ships, which causes chronic diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and heart failure
44. introduced Europe-wide battery recycling requirements
45. created a new European register on environmental pollution to give the public and decision makers easier access to information about pollution caused by local companies
46.approved a plan to cut the average emissions of new cars by 2012. New cars currently account for 12% of total EU carbon dioxide emissions
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules which protect your health
47. enabled all EU citizens to have a health card ensuring emergency hospital treatment while on holiday, meaning you have access to treatment anywhere in the EU
48. banned tobacco advertising across Europe and required all tobacco products in Europe to carry illustrated health warnings
49. banned children under 3 from travelling in cars without a baby or child seat. Required older children to use special seats or booster cushions and passengers in coaches to wear seat belts
50. created a European Food Safety Agency and promoted greater food safety measures
51. banned dangerous chemicals, which have been scientifically identified as cancer causing and toxic, from use in the manufacture of children's toys and childcare articles
52. approved a Europe - wide system for registering, evaluating and authorising chemicals (REACH) which will require all chemicals to be tested and will require substitution of the most dangerous ones
53. adopted new rules to ensure that pesticides do not leave unsafe residues in our foods
54. ended the moratorium on EU funding for human embryonic stem cell research, improving the chances of new remedies being found for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's
55. banned the marketing and use of asbestos across Europe
56. introduced clearer food labelling giving you clear advice on additives and clear information for people suffering from allergies
57. set strict limits on the use of chromium in building materials, reducing eczema, dermatitis and “cement burns” among construction workers and DIY enthusiasts
58. approved new EU rules that will stop children being prescribed simply reduced doses of adult medicines. Drug companies will be obliged to provide medicines specifically for children, at no additional financial burden
59. helped ban vague and often false health claims on food such as "low fat, nutritious and rich in vitamins" as part of new European rules on nutrition and health claims
60. won agreement for Europe-wide access to the 116000 missing child hotline to speed up the vital response by national authorities if a child goes missing. The European Parliament is now also backing the introduction of an 'amber alert' system
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules for better trade, more development aid and an ethical foreign policy
61. worked to ensure that the EU remains the global leader on donor financing for the Millennium Development Goals with a collective 0.7% GNI aid pledge
62. secured reforms to make EU development aid better targeted, more coordinated and more effective
63. spearheaded European efforts to put the MDGs back on track by supporting the EU Agenda for Action, including a particular focus on child and maternal deaths
64. voted to devote at least 20% of development spending to health and education
65. fought to ensure that the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements addressed development concerns
66. continuously pressured various governments to improve the human rights and democratic situation of their country, by insisting on human rights clauses in all trade and association agreements and by imposing sanctions in particular cases (e.g. Burma and Zimbabwe)
67. are providing for the possibility of EU humanitarian and peace-keeping military action when NATO is not involved
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules to combat fraud and mismanagement
68. created a European Arrest Warrant making it more difficult for fugitives from justice to avoid arrest by moving between EU countries
69. introduced a new law to crack down on the supply of illegal weapons into the UK from other EU countries
70. adopted legislation to combat money laundering, which aims to tackle the financing of cross border crime by strengthening controls and regulations on financial markets and services
71. adopted legislation which will introduce biometrics into our passports and identity documents with the aim of increasing security, reducing fraud and fighting against ID theft
72. created Eurojust, a judicial co-ordination unit, which aims to improve the co-ordination of investigations where trans-frontier crime or international gangs are involved
73. introduced a common definition of terrorism to close a legal loophole that prevented action against international terrorism
74. made many legal decisions, including divorce and child custody, enforceable across the EU
75. approved a European Network Information Security Agency which will help fight cross-border fraud in e-commerce and telecoms
76. approved a scheme that will introduce compensation for people who are victims of crime while travelling in other EU countries
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules which help fight crime
77. voted for reforms of the system of MEPs' expenses and required every Labour MEP to have his/her own spending verified every year by an external auditor, rather than rely only on the Parliament’s system of spot checks
78. provided for MEPs' declarations of interest to be placed on the internet
79. championed new rules on the Community customs code which help customs officers to combat the entry of counterfeit goods into the EU
80. persuaded Member States to improve their control systems to ensure EU money is better accounted for
81. encouraged the online publication of recipients of CAP payments
Labour MEPs have secured new Europe-wide rules to defend animal welfare
82. banned the testing of cosmetics on animals and the marketing in Europe of any new cosmetics tested on animals outside the EU
83. tightened up rules on the transport of live animals across Europe
84. introduced “passports for pets”. Since 2004 quarantine-free travel has been introduced for guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and hamsters (thus extending legislation, which came into force in 2000 for dogs and cats) provided they meet strict health and safety criteria
85. adapted laws to end battery cages for hens by 2012, and reduced the stocking densities allowed for broiler chickens
86. brought in a total ban on the trade in cat and dog fur and campaigned for an end to the seal fur trade
87. supported new stricter standards for tuna fishing to end dolphin deaths and prevent danger to other species such as turtles and sharks
Labour MEPs have also...
88. secured the "Lisbon agenda" for economic reform aiming to make Europe the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010
89. obtained further reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy to cut expenditure, lower prices, enhance environmental protection and phase out export subsidies
90. extended the student exchange programme (Erasmus) that allows thousands of students to spend a year studying in another European country
91. launched the 'Daphne' EU programme to combat violence against women and children
92.secured new Europe-wide rules which aid the free movement of professionals and recognition of their qualifications within the EU, doing away with discrimination against non-nationals and the self-employed
93. agreed a new budget framework which reallocates EU funding from agriculture to areas which need economic development and research, while maintaining Britain's rebate
94. supported a 75% increase in EU science spending, helping to create growth and jobs through investment and research
95. introduced a new European driving licence which will significantly increase road safety and prevent fraud. This will also prevent "licence tourism" whereby a banned driver in one member state can pick up a licence in another
96. improved parliamentary scrutiny of all EU legislation by allowing national parliaments a six week period to examine proposals and discuss them with their minister before decisions are taken by the EU Council of Ministers and by giving the European Parliament the right to jointly adopt or oppose legislation through the “co-decision” procedure
97. provided for the suspension of any member state that ceases to be democratic or to respect human rights
98. enabled the adoption of Europe-wide laws against discrimination on grounds of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation
99. provided for greater openness and transparency, with a right of public access to EU documents (now available on the internet) and an obligation to publish the results of legislative votes in the Council
100.developed the European Parliament's right to remove Commissioners or candidate Commissioners who are not up to scratch
Last but not least...
101. Labour MEPs have helped thousands of constituents with problems in other EU countries. From accidents in France, to health care in Germany and victims of crime in Greece, Labour MEPs have been working hard for their constituents
102. Labour MEPs have worked to report back to their constituents through their websites, regular reports, meetings and newsletters, and have welcomed over 10,000 UK constituents and visitors to the European Parliament