Europe

Alyn Smith has pressed the French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier on the upcoming debate on the EU Pesticides package and on Sheep Electronic Identification proposals.

Scotland's only full member of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee Mr Alyn Smith has welcomed proposals brought forward by the European Commission for the creation of a programme for the free distribution of fruit and vegetables in schools.

Alyn Smith MEP has pledged his support to calls for 2011 to become the European Year of Volunteering. A written declaration has been put forward by MEPs which Mr Smith has added his name to.

Proposals in the European parliament to help reduce the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed on Scotland's roads are being supported by SNP MEP Ian Hudghton.

The UK is to abandon its entire stockpile of cluster bombs as a key step in the long-running international campaign against the weapons.

SNP MEP Alyn Smith, a member of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee has today vowed to defeat the EU ban on Mince. Mr Smith, who discussed the issue with Quality Meat Scotland last week also moved to re-assure small scale butchers that the ban should not apply to them.

SNP Euro-MP Ian Hudghton has welcomed new EU proposals to deal with the high charges mobile phone users encounter to call home from abroad.

SNP President Ian Hudghton MEP has today written to the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso seeking clarification as to whether the United Kingdom put forward a serious bid to locate the European Maritime Safety Agency in Glasgow.

Following the Eurooean Parliament's rejection of Software Patents this morning [Wednesday] Ian Hudghton MEP has described the vote as 'A victory for European democracy.'

Commenting on Labour claims that the postal vote referendum on the EU Reform Treaty being conducted by I Want a Referendum.com and carried out by the Electoral Reform Society is a Conservative front SNP MSP Angus Robertson said Labour was clearly rattled.