Keith is a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT rights and took part in the film which was inspired by the ‘It Gets Better’ project, an online collection of videos from activists, politicians and media personalities assuring teenagers struggling with homophobic bullying that life will get better. The European Parliament video features MEPs from across the EU offering encouraging words to young people in 17 different languages, from Italian to Bulgarian and Swedish to Polish.

Growing up lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender in the EU can be challenging; in the UK alone, studies show that almost two-thirds of LGBT teens experience homophobic bullying whilst 60 per cent feel that there isn’t an adult at home or at school who they can talk to about being gay [2].

Keith said: “I’m really proud to be part of this film which sends a strong message of support to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender young people across Europe. Being a teenager can be hard enough, but being bullied because of your sexual orientation can sometimes make young people’s lives unbearable.

He continued: “Bullying and discrimination can lead to self-harm and even suicide. By raising awareness of the work that is being done to strengthen LGBT rights in Europe and by highlighting these issues I hope that this film will show that we can work together to put an end to homophobia and transphobia and that we really can ‘make things better’.”

Notes to Editors

The launch is taking place at the Jubilee Library on Friday 17th May at 6pm.

1. The film can be watched at http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/press-releases/european-leaders-it-gets-better

2. ‘Education for All – Tackling homophobia in secondary schools’, Stonewall. http://www.stonewall.org.uk/at_school/education_for_all/quick_links/education_resources/5739.asp

Are you interested in Green politics and Keith Taylor’s work in the European Parliament?

Are you organised, hard-working and an excellent communicator?

Are you available for a period of 6 months (with a possible 5 month extension) from September 2012?

Keith is looking for a stagiaire to play an active role in the workings of his Brussels office in the European Parliament. Being a stagiaire is hard work but an excellent way to experience and contribute to Green politics in action, and to gain an insight into the workings of the European institutions.

The selected candidate will receive a living allowance of around 1400 euros per month.

More information and an application form are available on the Job Opportunities page.

Deadline for applications: 5pm (UK time) Monday 28 May 2012

In recent answers to Keith’s questions the European Commission has admitted that 14 EU countries will not be able to implement the ban. Keith has vowed to keep up pressure on the European Commission so that they urgently address this issue.

Keith recently spoke about the sow stalls ban in a radio interview. Download the MP3 file to listen.

The full text of the letter which was sent to local papers is published below:

Dear Editor,

I’m sure many of your readers love eating bacon or ham sarnies. So they may be interested to know that in eight months time new legislation will come into force that that will improve the lives of Europe’s millions of pigs.

The 2013 EU ban on sow stalls will bring an end to the cruel and unnecessary confinement of pigs in a metal crate for their entire pregnancy, something which UK pig farmers stopped in 1999.

However with more than half of the bacon and around 40% of the pork that is sold in the UK being imported, it is worrying to learn, in response to my recent questions to the European Commission, that 14 EU countries may not be ready to comply with the new law when it comes into force in 2013.

As a member of the European Parliament, I welcome this important piece of animal welfare legislation but I am extremely disappointed that EU law could be ignored by other European countries.

I will therefore be putting pressure on the European Commission to ensure pig production standards are not ignored, as failure to do so may result in illegal pig meat ending up on our shelves. This is unfair to consumers, disadvantages those farmers who have invested in the new law and of course lets down those pigs that the EU agreed to protect many years ago. To join a campaign for Europe’s pigs your readers can take part in Compassion in World Farming’s action: www.ciwf.org/projectpig

To ensure you’re eating pork, bacon, sausages, ham and gammon from pigs raised on higher welfare farms, look for RSPCA-accredited Freedom Food label, outdoor bred, outdoor reared, free-range or organic on the pack.

Yours sincerely,

Keith Taylor
Green MEP for South East England

Keith was speaking at an event in the European Parliament in Brussels yesterday, Tuesday 8 May, held to mark World Fair Trade Day. To open the event Keith invited award-winning London-based CNN correspondent, Atika Shubert, to introduce the CNN Freedom Project documentary, ‘Chocolate’s Child Slaves’, a film about the use of child labour in the cocoa industry.

Over 60% of the world’s cocoa is produced in West Africa, where child labour on cocoa plantations is common. In 2009 over 1.8 million children from Ghana and Ivory coast were working in the cocoa sector. Hazardous child labour in the cocoa plantations includes carrying heavy loads, working with machetes, land clearing and spraying pesticides. Some children are also trafficked from other countries into forced labour. These children are being denied their education and have to do perilous work which harms their health.

Despite the cocoa industry having signed up to the ‘Harkin-Engel protocol’, a roadmap to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in the cocoa sector, over 10 years ago, the required reform has not yet taken place, even though these companies make large profits. Between 2001 and 2011, the global revenue from cocoa products was estimated at 1 trillion US dollars. The biggest chocolate processing companies are located in the EU and many chocolate companies also have their headquarters in Europe. MEPs in the European Parliament recently raised their concerns about the industry, adopting a resolution condemning child labour in the cocoa sector (1).

Keith said: “Many consumers will be shocked to learn that their favourite chocolate bar has been produced with child labour. These children should not be denied the right to education and to a childhood simply so that we can enjoy a tasty snack. I’m very concerned that the required reform to working practices in cocoa plantations hasn’t taken place and that children continue to be exploited in this industry.”

He continued: “As the world’s largest consumer of chocolate the EU has a responsibility to speak out against the violation of childrens’ rights and to seriously look at how we can tackle this issue without further delay. This is a very profitable industry which needs to be put under pressure to eliminate child labour once and for all.”

After the film screening Keith and Atika Shubert took part in a panel discussion with Linda McAvan MEP, founder and chair of the European Parliament’s Fairtrade group, Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, Marieke Poissonnier from Oxfam, Sergi Corbalán from the Fair Trade Advocacy office, filmmaker and journalist Miki Mistrati and Sabine Nafziger from COABISCO, the EU Association of chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2012-80

Photo credit: flickr – John Loo

Response from the Commission

Letter to Commissioner Potocnik on Italy’s non-compliance with the EU Birds Directive

Response from Commissioner Potocnik on Italy’s non-compliance with the EU Birds Directive

Letter to the Italian Government on Italy’s non-compliance with the EU Birds Directive

Letter to Commissioner Potocnik about protection of the hen harrier

Response

Keith will visit apple juice maker, Mr Whitehead’s Drinks in Selbourne, organic meat farm, Laverstoke Park Farm in Overton and free range egg supplier, Fluffets Farm in Fordingbridge. Keith will sample some of their produce as he joins pupils for lunch at Mount Batten Secondary School in Romsey.

Hampshire County Council Catering Services (HC3S) provides meals for around 448 primary and special schools plus 31 secondary schools across Hampshire, using ingredients from around 26 local suppliers. Around 34,000 pupils eat school meals every day and this year Hampshire County Council expects to serve around seven million meals in primary schools alone. The council uses locally grown fruit and vegetables, pork and beef from Hampshire farms.

Each year more than half a million chickens and over 600,000 eggs are used in the council’s catering service. Last year the service received the Good Chicken Award from animal welfare charity, Compassion in World Farming and in 2008 they received a Good Egg Award. These were given for using chicken, chicken products and eggs which meet strict animal welfare criteria. By the end of 2014 the council has committed to making sure that all chicken products used in school meals are from RSPCA Freedom Food sources.

Keith said: “Hampshire County Council is leading the way in the public sector procurement of local food. It’s fantastic that pupils across the county are provided with local food which has been produced to meet high animal welfare standards. This approach reduces food miles, provides local jobs for farmers and takes advantage of the wealth of wonderful food which Hampshire has to offer. I would like to see more local authorities follow their lead.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

For a list of local suppliers see http://www3.hants.gov.uk/caterers/hc3s-food/hc3s-localsuppliers.htm

Response

Response

Response

Letter to the Tilangiao Prison Warden about the imprisonment of Mr Guo Xiaojun

Response

Letter to the Indian Minister of Home Affairs calling for the release of Irom Sharmila Chanu

Letter to the Indian Minister of Defence calling for the release of Irom Sharmila Chanu

Response

Letter to the European Commission on the re-instatement of a residents permit for Paul McAuley

Keith said “I think it’s important to support local pubs and the production of local beer and cider in the region. For this reason I have long supported the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in its mission to promote community pubs as a safe and sociable place to enjoy a pint. The Jolly Anglers is just such a place and I am proud to recognise it with this award.”

The Jolly Angler was reopened two years ago following a strong campaign by locals who appreciated the range of high quality beers and ciders and the friendly atmosphere of the pub. Keith enjoyed lunch with Green campaigners at the Jolly Anglers earlier this month and was impressed by the lengths that the community had gone to save it and the resilience of the pub’s landlord, John Westendorp. Keith vowed to return to mark the start of the Reading Beer and Cider festival (1).

Keith hopes that work by groups like CAMRA and the British Pub and Beer Group will raise awareness of the importance of local pubs and the threats they are facing. Keith, along with Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP, is also concerned about the effects of cheap supermarket alcohol, often sold at below cost price. Keith is supporting CAMRA’s campaign for a ban on supermarkets selling beer at below cost. The ban would go some way to levelling the playing field for pubs.

Keith said, “Cheap supermarket alcohol contributes to the decline of local pubs and encourages excessive drinking at home, which can bring a range of health and social problems.”

Keith added “I enjoy going to my local pub and having a drink with friends and neighbours and I hope that this great national tradition will long continue. Friendly pubs like The Jolly Anglers are part of our local culture and identity. There’s nothing quite like a British pub anywhere else in the world and some of our best beers and ciders come from the south of England.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Reading Beer and Cider Festival runs from Wednesday 2^nd to Sunday 6^th May – http://www.readingbeerfestival.org.uk/

Green campaigners from Shoreham have raised concerns over the lack of consultation there has been about future plans for the town centre site. Adur District council has announced that it has agreed to sell the 2 acre site to Cantium Developments who plan to build a 60,000 sq ft supermarket with 300 car parking spaces.

But local people argue that a new supermarket will force smaller businesses to close, causing the decline of the town centre, and will increase traffic congestion and air pollution in Shoreham.

In the European Parliament Keith Taylor is co-chair of the supermarket working group which was set up to look at ways to limit the power of big supermarkets.

Keith said: “Local businesses keep money and jobs in the area and at a time of recession should be supported, rather than forced to compete against a big supermarket. The perception of local people is that this is a done deal without any consultation with residents. There are plenty of people in Shoreham who would rather see the council support local businesses and just don’t want or need a huge supermarket in the middle of Shoreham. There’s already enough problems with traffic congestion and air pollution without creating another 300 car parking spaces in the town centre.”

Local Green campaigner, Lynn Finnigan, said: “Council press releases have presented this supermarket development as a done deal. There is a perception that it is no accident the public consultation process is timed for the summer break. A retail study commissioned by the developers will most likely present data to show that more retail space is needed in Shoreham. When will the council listen to the true voices of Shoreham people who say there is no ‘need’ for another supermarket in Shoreham and that this development will indeed suck the life out of town centre businesses.? The Greens say lets keep our money circulating locally.”

Letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries on conservation of shark species in EU waters

Response