What our MEPs do for us 

 

By Emma O'Neill (NW)

 

The European parliament votes on a number of things during their terms which directly affect UK residents. Whilst many people are unaware of who their MEP is, they know even less about the policies MEPs vote on – from education to climate change.

 

MEPs, George Lyon of the Liberal Democrats party and Catherine Stihler of the Labour party, explain some of the policies they are most proud of voting through the Union.

 

George Lyon is vice-chair for the Budget committee and lead negotiator on Agriculture Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE). He was part of the team that negotiated the Common Agricultural Policy, giving Scottish farmers a fairer deal.

 

Scotland will receive nearly £6bn in investments over the next seven years as a direct result of the budget deal he helped secure.

 

He is proud of a number of other things including, education and youth employment for those in Scotland.

 

“I helped to negotiate a 40% increase in Erasmus funding, which will provide over £9 billion for young people, staff and teachers to study or train abroad over the next seven years.

 

“The new programme, Horizon 2020, has a funding pot of £60 billion which includes significant funding for industry and universities, and a separate £2.25 billion fund for small businesses which I pushed for during budget negotiations.”

 

Catherine Stihler, Labour MEP, feels she has made great strides in Europe during her time there.

 

“[We have achieved] bigger, bolder warnings on cigarette packets, braille on pharmaceutical products and steering through better law on quality and safety of construction products across the whole of the EU.”

 

The United Kingdom has 72 MEPs, of which six represent Scotland.  Ballots open next week to vote in new Members of the European Parliament.