http://www.ecrgroup.eu website of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament. en Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:05:44 +0200 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 info@ecrgroup.eu (Jana Vranova) http://www.ecrgroup.eu/ecr-wins-postponement-of-damaging-maternity-proposals-news-78.html European Parliament plans to grant pregnant women twenty weeks of maternity leave on full pay have been shelved pending a full impact assessment, following demands by the European Conservatives and Reformists group. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/ecr-group-calls-for-release-of-gilad-shalit-news-79.html The European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament has supported the parliament's calls for Israeli Defence Forces Corporal Gilad Shalit to be released. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/meps-call-for-eu-tobin-tax-news-75.html A new Financial Transaction Tax to fund climate change and development are not the right way forward, ECR economic spokesman Kay Swinburne MEP warned today after the European Parliament called for their introduction - potentially at EU level. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/turf-war-and-navel-gazing-over-external-action-service-must-end-news-76.html Baroness Ashton must now bang heads together to ensure that the creation of the EU's External Action Service (EAS) does not cause the EU to return to the introspection that marked the debate over the Lisbon Treaty, Charles Tannock MEP, European Conse Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/ashton-back-tracking-already-on-eu-defence-policy-news-77.html In the European Parliament today (10 March) Baroness Ashton 's position on the formulation of the new EU foreign and defence policy came under scrutiny from Conservative Security and Defence Spokesman Geoffrey Van Orden who commented: "EU Securi Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/europe--039-s-inadequate-response-to-swine-flu-cannot-be-swept-under-carpet--says-mep-news-74.html The way the European Union responded to last year's swine flu outbreak has raised serious questions about the EU's effectiveness in a public health crisis that cannot be ignored, Marina Yannakoudakis, an ECR member of the European Parliament Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/united-with-lajos-bokros-and-mdf--ecr-bureau-visit-to-budapest-news-73.html The delegation was led by the President of the ECR Group, Michał Kamiński, who underlined Lajos Bokros' key role in the Conservative Group and his vast knowledge and expertise in the field of economics. The leader of the Euroconservatives also noted Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/mirek-topolanek--the-european-conservatives-are-much-more-powerful-within-the-ecr-group-news-71.html The former Czech Prime minister and the Czech ODS party leader Mirek Topolanek addressed the ECR Group meeting on Tuesday. He applauded the Group´s success and efforts up to now. "Your constructive and hard work in the committees shows the ECR as a s Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/eu2020-strategy--jobs-and-growth-need-the-single-market-news-72.html The widely anticipated EU2020 strategy published today will take the European economy in the right direction, but only if national governments take the plans off of the drawing board and deliver them, the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/ecr-votes-against-increasing-european-parliament--039-s-administrative-expenditure-news-69.html The European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament has today voted against proposals to increase the number of staff posts in the parliament, and to increase the secretarial allowance available for MEPs, Lajos Bokros MEP, ECR budge Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 News http://www.ecrgroup.eu/deputy-leader-of-ecr-group-timothy-kirkhope--039-s-key-note-speech-at-pis-conference-in-poznan-speeches-18.html I am delighted to be with you today. It is testament to the deepening relationship between both our parties: the UK Conservative Party, the oldest one in Europe and a party of freedom and democracy, with the Law and Justice Party of Poland which is a beac Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/michal-kaminski-on-the-goldstone-report-speeches-17.html The Goldstone report is an extremely imbalanced and unjust report. This report comes from the UN Human Rights Committee, which includes countries such as Iran, Nicaragua, Somalia and Libya. What right do these countries have - where respect for human righ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/jan-zahradil--misile-defense-and-the-czech-republic-–-context-and-consequences-speeches-16.html Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, It is indeed a pleasure for me to have again the opportunity to address such a like-minded audience here in Heritage, moreover with such a serious issue. I will go through the relatively short history of the who Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/kaminski--for-your-freedom-and-ours-speeches-15.html Speaking last night to the Heritage Foundation in Washington DC, European Conservatives and Reformists chairman, Michal Kaminski MEP, called for a renaissance of the transatlantic alliance to meet renewed challenges to freedom and liberty. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/timothy-kirkhope-in-washington--the-transatlantic-alliance-is-more-relevant-than-ever-speeches-13.html For our European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, the transatlantic alliance is one of our most important principles. Our group has been successfully formed as a new centre-right bloc in the Parliament to give a voice to all Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/timothy-kirkhope-in-washington--the-transatlantic-alliance-is-more-relevant-than-ever-speeches-14.html Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/speech-to-the-ecr-bureau-meeting-by-mrs-tineke-huizinga--netherlands-vice-minister-for-transport-speeches-12.html Ladies and gentlemen, It is good to be here, after a frantic day in The Hague. As Vice Minister for Transport, Public Works and Water Management and as a member of the Christian Union, I am honoured to welcome you onto Dutch soil. Wed, 3 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/speech-peter-van-dalen--christenunie--in-the-debate-about-the-peace-proces-in-the-middle-east-speeches-11.html President, Especially during the current Advent period, many people pray for peace in the Middle-East. But sometimes you get despondent about the situation and you think: peace will never come. However, all parties in this process need to keep on working Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/lajos-bokros--structural-problems-with-the-eu-budget-speeches-10.html Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches http://www.ecrgroup.eu/speech-on-the-plenary-sesion-of-the-european-parliament-on-the-slovak-language-law-speeches-9.html The Slovak language is one of the most beautiful languages of Europe. It is unfortunate, therefore, that it is very seldom heard in the European Parliament. As a true friend of Slovakia, a supporter of its development, a modest but active contributor to t Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0200 Speeches