THE Dublin Labour MEP, Ms Bernie Malone, has urged the Irish trade union movement to set up a permanent office in Brussels.
She was speaking in Strasbourg yesterday after her nomination as vice-president of the social affairs committee of the European Parliament. The nomination will be approved later this week.
"The gains made by the farming and business groups from having an official presence in Europe are obvious. I believe that trade unions are losing out by not doing the same," Ms Malone said.
She said that she would seek to represent the views and interests of the trade unions. "Many of the speeches I have made in the parliament have related to employment, and I began to see that this is the most productive committee in which to become involved."
The Dublin Fianna Fail MEP, Mr Niall Andrews, and the Leinster Fine Gael MEP, Mr Alan Gillis, are expected to be chosen as vice-presidents of the Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP)-EU joint assembly. Mr Andrews said he aims to establish a European export control agency to monitor sales of European-manufactured weapons to the Third World.
"This initiative is imperative in light of the fact that there are some proponents within the European Commission who would like to see a common European armaments policy overseeing all European arms sales with little EU supervision."
Mr Gillis will remain a member of the agricultural and development committees, and the BSF committee of inquiry.
The Munster FG MEP, Mr John Cushnahan, becomes vice-chairman of the foreign affairs- and defence committee and remains on the institutional affairs committee. He also joins the EU-Canada delegation.
The Dublin FG MEP, Ms Mary Banotti, remains on the culture, environment and petitions committees as well as the EU-USA delegation. Her party colleague in Connacht-Ulster, Mr Joe McCartin, will stay on the budgets, fisheries and agricultural committees and the EU-China interparliamentary delegation.
