Písemná vysvětlení hlasování - 8. volební období Jane COLLINS

. – UKIP MEPs voted against allowing this legislative report to be negotiated among the EU institutions behind closed doors. UKIP believes that legislation should receive full scrutiny from Parliament and that Members should be able to table amendments to the report.

. – UKIP voted against providing consent to this agreement. We do not support the development of EU foreign policy. New Zealand is a Commonwealth member and we look forward to reinvigorating the UK’s relationship with this country post Brexit. We are pleased to note the strong calls coming from New Zealand for increased trade links among Commonwealth nations.

. – UKIP voted against this non-legislative and non-binding resolution. We do not support the development of EU foreign policy. New Zealand is a Commonwealth member and we look forward to reinvigorating the UK’s relationship with this country post Brexit. We are pleased to note the strong calls coming from New Zealand for increased trade links amongst Commonwealth nations.

. – In this non-legislative own—initiative report on the EU-Africa Strategy: a boost for development, UKIP MEPs voted against. ACP means ‘African, Caribbean and Pacific’ states. ‘The document ‘calls for the parliamentary dimension of ACP-EU to be stepped up.’ They see the ACP as an important entity to help strengthen democracy, the rule of law and respect of human rights. However, the ACP is just another EU Trojan horse. The EU finances approximately 50% of the costs of the ACP secretariat. The report ‘recalls that Africa is particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change; considers it essential for the EU to develop a strategic approach to building climate resilience and to support African countries, in particular the least developed countries in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt.’ It is argued that African countries have more important concerns when it comes to spending money than focussing on climate change scaremongering. In addition, the document states that it wants to ‘respect the commitment given in Paris in 2015 to allocate USD 100 billion to developing countries by 2020.’ This is the EU throwing money at a problem and hoping that it will go away, so UKIP voted against.

. – UKIP abstained on this non-legislative report. We support the right of anyone who feels they have been mistreated by the EU institutions to seek redress via the ombudsman. However, we voted to abstain on this, as we do not believe all of the provisions within this report are in the British interest.

. – UKIP MEPs have voted against this non—legislative resolution. UKIP believe that a new EU legislative tool to inspect the rightful application of unilaterally imposed legislation is not the answer to the improvement of environmental policies in Europe. Independence and freedom from absurd targets unilaterally set by the unelected EU Commission will allow Britain to re-join the world and enhance liberty whilst protecting the environment.

. – UKIP voted against this non-legislative and non-binding report. Whilst we support effective measures to increase economic opportunities for all citizens, we cannot support this report. Primarily, it supports the implementation of new EU legislation and increased interference by the Commission in the internal affairs of Member States. Additionally, many of the proposals contained within this report would have the opposite effect of their stated aims.

. – UKIP voted against this legislative initiative. This would extend the Commission’s power to bypass parliamentary scrutiny of changes to a Directive on intelligent road systems, and make unilateral changes to the legislation. Whilst we object to all EU institutions legislating on behalf of the UK, the European Parliament allows some level of democratic scrutiny on otherwise unaccountable decisions made in the Commission.

. – UKIP voted against this legislative 1st reading report as we felt that the recommendations would not be sufficiently strong to protect us from unfair or abusive trade practices with partners. In addition, we note that whilst independent countries like America can and do take decisive action against trade abuse, EU policy is not as effective in this area.

. – UKIP voted against this non-legislative and non-binding resolution. We express our sincere condolences to the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia and support the on-going independent investigation into the circumstances to her death. We hope her killers are brought to justice. However we are completely opposed to any attempt at politicising her death or using it as a catalyst for the European Commission or any other EU institution to interfere in the internal affairs of Malta. Any allegations of illegal wrongdoing should be investigated by the appropriate authorities within Malta. We remain resolutely opposed to any use of the Rule of Law Mechanism.

. – UKIP abstained on this non-legislative resolution. We note with satisfaction that this is the last time that the EU will represent us in the WTO Ministerial Conference before Brexit. We look forward to an independent Britain being a helpful and active participant in the WTO once free of the EU. In the meantime, we chose to abstain.

. – UKIP voted against this non-legislative and non-binding report. We are firmly opposed to the development of any kind of EU foreign policy, including further expansion of the European Union. The Eastern Partnership provides a mechanism to support these ambitions.

. – UKIP MEPs have abstained on this non-legislative resolution. UKIP firmly believe in the great importance of preserving biodiversity in Europe. However, UKIP think that this subject should be competence of Member States’ national governments.

. – UKIP voted against this non-legislative and non-binding resolution. We are opposed to any use of the Rule of Law Mechanism in which the Commission interferes in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. The Law and Justice Party sought and received a democratic mandate in free and fair elections to form a government and pursue its agenda. Any allegations of unconstitutional or illegal activity should be dealt with by the courts within Poland and have no need for the involvement of the Commission.

. – UKIP voted against this budgetary decision. The proposal is to give over EUR 3.3 million to 1 610 Italian workers who have lost their jobs. The money will go to things like retraining, job seeking, allowances for travel, start-up grants etc. UKIP voted against as we don’t believe UK taxpayers’ money should be used for poor economic decisions in other countries. This is nothing more than EU unemployment benefit.

. – UKIP voted against this non-legislative and non-binding report. Whist we take the issue of car safety seriously the UK has perfectly sufficient legislation in place. This report calls for unnecessary harmonisation of standards and contains calls for several legislative initiatives which we cannot accept. Any changes to laws affecting the UK should originate in our own sovereign Parliamentary democracy.

. – UKIP MEPs have voted against this first reading on the territorial typologies. Traditionally, typologies of territory are determined by population size and density of local administrative units, such as communes and local authorities. The main policy objectives of the initiative are to establish a legal recognition of territorial typologies, including the definitions of cities, for the purpose of European statistics. They want to have the same definitions for the whole of the EU rather than having individual definitions for different countries. The aim of this proposal is to further refine the data that the EU has on its Member States and in doing so make it possible to accumulate data according to clear-cut typologies. This will just help the EU compose more specific legislation for these areas and for this reason UKIP has voted against.

. – UKIP voted against this legislative initiative. Fundamentally we disagree with the EU institutions deciding any law affecting the UK. Specifically in this case the UK has its own licensing system. EU involvement and harmonisation is unnecessary and potentially damaging. A similar scheme applied to the UK’s road infrastructure created a national shortage of drivers and therefore disrupted the economy. Voting against protects against any potential negative impacts on the UK’s inland waterways.

. – UKIP have voted against this legislative first reading report. UKIP disagree that harmonisation of consumer protection across Europe is needed, as well as opposing the idea that the scope of the existing CPC regulation needs extending, or its efficiency strengthening. In addition to this, UKIP believe that Member States can act on their own accord without involvement from the Commission.

. – UKIP MEPs voted against this non-legislative own-initiative report on the deployment of cohesion policy instruments by regions to address demographic change. The report talks about the characteristics of demographic change in the EU, such as decreasing population densities, falling birth rates and gradual depopulation. It calls for the establishment of an EU-wide legal framework that specifically recognises all territories facing demographic disadvantage and calls on the Commission to include a new flagship initiative on demographic change in Europe 2020. UKIP voted against, as the report is calling for the Commission to create more EU-wide legal frameworks and to adopt a European strategy to address demographic change: this is a national issue, not an EU one.