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Covering the Shire Counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, including Luton, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

ANDuff

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Andrew

Embvargo: Thursday 19th June 2003

LIBERALS WELCOMES EU AGREEMENT ON POLITICAL PARTIES

The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Group have welcomed the positive vote today (345 in favour) for an early agreement on the statute of transnational political parties. The statute has been years in the making, and a breakthrough is only possible because of the recent introduction (thanks to the Treaty of Nice) of qualified majority voting in the Council. Speaking in the Parliament's debate, Constitutional Affairs spokesman Andrew Duff congratulated the Council for having accepted all the amendments proposed by himself and the rapporteur, Jo Leinen MEP.

He said: "The first proposal sought, ridiculously, to outlaw political party campaigning with public money. What on earth are political parties for if not campaigning?

"The new draft has corrected this and also allowed sufficient possibility for political parties to receive modest private donations.

"The question of the size of European party federations has been settled, quite reasonably, in favour of small political movements with European objectives. Certain officious bureaucratic provisions have also been removed.

"This is good news for parliamentary democracy in Europe. Transnational political parties are a vital sinew of democracy, articulating the anxieties and aspirations of the citizen on a European scale.

"The constitutionalisation process in which the European Union is now involved requires the engagement of European political parties. This statute is a breakthrough, and should be endorsed by all those who wish this institution well and who adhere to the principles of transparency and accountability."

/ENDS