100 Labour Achievements in Europe

1)    signed Britain up to the Social Chapter, giving British workers the rights already enjoyed by their continental colleagues

2)    implemented EU wide laws on working time, limiting the length of time workers can be obliged by their employer to work to 48 hours per week and required, for the first time in Britain, a guaranteed right to paid holiday

3)    brought in the European works council laws giving new information and consultation rights to workers

4)    reversed the burden of proof in discrimination cases, putting the onus on employers to prove that they do not discriminate

5)    give both parents the right to time off when a child is born or adopted

6)    brought in measures to give part time and temporary workers the same rights as full time workers as regards training, pensions, maternity rights and leave

7)    adopted common standards on numerous aspects of health & safety at work, including extra protection for workers using machinery which vibrates

8)    brought in fines for airlines for deliberate overbooking as well as doubled cash compensation for stranded air passengers with the right to meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation if necessary while passengers wait

9)    brought in a system for the compulsory labelling of food containing GMOs

10) banned children under 3 from travelling in cars without a baby or child seat. Required older children to use special seats or booster cushions and passengers in coaches to wear seat belts

11) reduced car prices in the UK. The "block exemption", which allowed car manufacturers to sell new cars exclusively through agreed dealerships expired in 2002. Since October 2003, new rules increase competition and flexibility, allowing dealers to sell more than one brand at the same site. The result: cheaper prices for all

12) obliged all new urban buses operating in the EU to be fitted with a ramp or lift in addition to a kneeling system, which will make buses across Europe fully accessible for all disabled people

13) required all tobacco products in Europe to carry illustrated health warnings

14) created a European Food Safety Agency and promoted greater food safety measures in general

15) have given shoppers a two year guarantee on new electronic products. If goods develop faults within 6 months of purchase, shopkeepers must prove they were in good condition when sold. Consumers can expect faulty goods to be repaired, replaced or refunded

16) set up a dynamic European market in mobile telephony putting Europe far ahead of America in mobile phone usage, including text messaging and other uses

17) forced car manufacturers to re-design the front of cars to reduce the likelihood of death or serious injury to pedestrians

18) approved new rules  for the labelling of table eggs so that consumers can identify them as free range, barn or cage

19) secured new Europe-wide rules which protect consumers from rogue traders, dodgy property share schemes and bogus prize scams

20) prevented pharmaceutical companies from promoting their brands directly to patients over the heads of doctors

21) provided for a 7 day "cooling off" period for people to change their minds about any purchase made by phone or mail order throughout the EU

22) opened up the telecommunications market, leading to cheaper internet access and telephone calls

23) improved protection for accident victims and make it easier for drivers to get and make insurance claims when buying or using vehicles outside the UK

24) championed legislation which will ensure that disabled persons enjoy equal rights and receive the  highest quality of care during air travel

25) have ensured that vulnerable consumers, including blind people, are not ripped off through the wide range of confusing pack sizes for staple goods sold in pre-packaged format

26) banned dangerous chemicals, which have been scientifically identified as cancer causing and toxic, from use in the manufacture of children's toys and childcare articles

27) adopted new rules to ensure that pesticides do not leave unsafe residues in our foods 

28) increased the amount of packaging waste that must be recycled. EU member states will be obliged to recycle 55% of glass, paper, cardboard, metals and plastics by 31 December 2008

29) laid down that all electrical goods sold in the EU after 2005 will have to be recycled at the manufacturer’s expense in the biggest recycling programme Europe has ever seen

30) approved measures to implement the Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse gases

31) improved air quality by adopting higher standards on the quality of petrol & diesel fuels and promoted biofuels as an alternative, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions

32) approved new EU-wide measures to improve energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, such as the Energy Star scheme and the Intelligent Energy for Europe programme

33) made car manufacturers responsible, from 2007 onwards, for taking back old vehicles and recycling all materials from them

34) adopted measures to protect migrating birds all the way along their routes across Europe

35) set up a European-wide scheme protecting vulnerable habitats with rare species of animals and plants

36) enabled shoppers to choose green products by introducing the "eco label" awarded to products that meet strict criteria minimising the damage done to the environment.

37) considerably improved bathing water standards in the UK thanks to the high standards set by European legislation

38) streamlined finance for the environment in the Life Plus programme which incorporates all existing EU environmental programmes ensuring important environmental issues will be tackled in a coherent manner

39) supported new EU rules which cut harmful emissions that cause global warming from car air conditioning systems

40) ensured fluorinated gases released from refrigerators that cause global warming have been cut

41) ensured future funding has been secured for the preservation of wildlife habitats and the protection of endangered species under the Natura 2000 programme

42) tightened  EU waste shipment rules in order to better monitor cross border shipments of waste. This will mean that exporting ships dumping illegal waste onto non-EU states will be banned

43) encouraged energy saving measures in buildings to reduce costs and protect the environment

44) helped tackle global warming by setting up an emissions trading scheme

45) adopted new rules on the eco-design of products which will ensure that washing machines, computers, and other energy using products are designed to be more energy efficient

46) adopted new legislation that will drastically cut sulphur fuel emissions from ships in British ports that cause chronic diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and heart failure

47) ensured a new European register on environmental pollution will be set up to give the public and decision makers easier access to information about pollution caused by local companies 

48) enabled all EU citizens to have a health card from 2005. This card has replaced the E111 scheme and will continue to ensure emergency hospital treatment for UK residents and their families while on holiday. It will provide cover without having to reapply each time you travel

49) banned tobacco advertising across Europe as of 2005

50) ended the moratorium on EU funding for human embryonic stem cell research, thereby improving the chances of new remedies being found for debilitating diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's

51) banned the marketing and use of Asbestos across Europe

52) brought in better labelling of food products so that those who must avoid particular ingredients can have clear information

53) set strict limits on the use of chromium in building materials, reducing eczema, dermatitis and “cement burns” among construction workers and DIY enthusiasts

54) approved new EU rules that will stop children being prescribed reduced doses of adult medicines. Drug companies will be obliged to carry out proper clinical trials on children in return for financial incentives to cover the costs

55) helped ban vague and often false health claims on food such as "low fat, nutritious and rich in vitamins" as part of new European rules on nutrition and health claims 

56) banned the testing of cosmetics on animals and the marketing in Europe of any new cosmetics tested on animals outside the EU

57) introduced “passports for pets”. Since 2004 quarantine-free travel has been introduced for guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and hamsters (thus extending legislation, which came into force in 2000 for dogs and cats) provided they meet strict health and safety criteria

58) increased the size of battery cages for hens, prior to phasing them out completely in 2012

59) improved the welfare of pigs, introducing a ban which will end the use of individual sow stalls

60) supported new stricter standards for tuna fishing to end dolphin deaths and prevent danger to other species like turtles and sharks

61) reduced the stocking densities allowed for broiler chickens 

62)  Adopted a Directive for the retention of telecommunications data which will help police and judicial authorities in the fight against organised transnational crime and terrorism

63) Adopted legislation to combat money laundering which aims to tackle terrorist financing and cross border crime by strengthening controls and regulations on financial markets and services

64) adopted legislation which will introduce biometrics into our passports and identity documents with the aim of increasing security, reducing fraud and fighting against ID theft

65) created Eurojust – a judicial co-ordination unit, which aims to improve co-ordination of investigations where trans-frontier crime or international gangs are involved

66) introduced a common definition of terrorism to close a legal loophole that prevented action against international terrorism

67) made many legal decisions, including divorce and child custody, enforceable across the EU

68) created a European Arrest Warrant making it more difficult for fugitives from justice to avoid arrest by moving between EU counties (as in the “Costa del Crime” situation in Spain)

69) approved a European Network Information Security Agency which will help fight cross-border fraud in e-commerce and telecomms

70) approved a scheme that will introduce compensation for people who are victims of crime while travelling in other EU countries

71) voted for reforms of the system of MEPs' expenses and required every Labour MEP to have his/her own spending verified every year by an external auditor, rather than rely only on the Parliament’s system of spot checks

72) provided for MEPs' declarations of interest to be placed on the internet

73) ensured that the Court of Auditors improves its reporting by basing the audit of  financial management of the Union on four sources of information instead of just one

74) championed new rules on the Community customs code which help customs officers to combat the entry of counterfeit goods into the EU

75) persuaded Members States to improve their control systems to ensure EU money is better accounted for

76) encouraged the publication of recipients of CAP payments online 

Labour MEPs and the government have…

77) enhanced the EU’s overseas development programme making the EU the largest donor of development aid in the world.

78) brought in the "Everything but Arms Initiative" whereby exports from the least developed countries are allowed duty free and quota free into the EU

79) bought in a common policy restricting the sale of arms to repressive regimes in third countries

80) secured 103 million Euros of EU money for Tsunami relief and secured over 200 million Euros for victims of the devastating earthquake in South Asia

81) pressured the Maldivian government to improve both the human rights and democratic situation of their country, sometimes involving EU sanctions (e.g. Burma, Zimbabwe)

82) secured new laws in Europe which simplify bureaucratic procedures for businesses importing and exporting goods within the EU, while strengthening security at border controls  

Labour MEPs and the government…

83) secured the "Lisbon agenda" for economic reform aiming to make Europe the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010

84) strengthened Britain's commitment to and support for the principle of joining the euro – showing that, under the right conditions, the gains to Britain are considerable

85) obtained further reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy to lower prices, enhance environmental protection and phase out export subsidies

86) extended the student exchange programme (Erasmus) that allows thousands of students to spend a year studying in another European country

87) launched the 'Daphne' EU programme to combat violence against women and children.

88) secured new Europe-wide rules which aid the free movement of professionals and recognition of their qualifications within the EU, doing away with discrimination against non-nationals and the self-employed

89) facilitated mergers between EU companies with share capital across borders, by getting rid of costly and complex legal arrangements in particular for SMEs

90) supported a 75% increase in EU science spending, helping to create growth and jobs through investment and research

91) increased funding for European education programs including the Erasmus exchange programme in the 2006 draft budget

92) supported the introduction of a new European driving licence which will significantly increase road safety and prevent fraud. This will also prevent "licence tourism" whereby a banned driver in one member state can pick up a licence in another 

... in the Treaty of Amsterdam

93) improved parliamentary scrutiny of all EU legislation by allowing national parliaments a six week period to examine proposals and discuss them with their minister before decisions are taken by the EU Council of Ministers and by giving the European Parliament the right to jointly adopt or oppose legislation through the “co-decision” procedure

94) provided for the suspension of any member state that ceases to be democratic or to respect human rights

95) enabled the adoption of Europe-wide laws against discrimination on grounds of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation

96) provided for greater openness and transparency, with a right of public access to EU documents (now available on the internet) and an obligation to publish the results of legislative votes in the Council

...and in the Treaty of Nice

97) secured many institutional changes required for a larger EU: cutting the size of the Commission, reviewing the weighting of the votes in the Council to better reflect the size of states, and reforming the Court to speed up judicial review

98) providing for the possibility of EU humanitarian and peace-keeping military action when NATO is not involved

Labour MEPs have blocked or amended proposals which would have…

99) opened up port services to unrestricted competition

100)introduced a costly system of monitoring and tagging sheep

101)introduced an American style patent for computer software programmes

102)modified our system of Hallmarking precious metal

103)killed off the red ensign on ships of the British merchant navy

104) allowed protectionist subterfuges keeping British products out of the market in other countries, notably as regards insurance, construction, and even…chocolate

Labour MEPs have worked to report back to their constituents through regular reports, websites, meetings and newsletters, and have welcomed countless UK visitors to the European Parliament.

*Thanks to my colleague Richard Corbett MEP who produced this information.