[ILUG] MEPs responses

[Michael Conry]

On Wed, 9 Mar 2005 13:49:36 +0000, Colm Buckley <colm at tuatha.org> wrote:
> I'm slightly worried about today's communication from Eoin Ryan; he's
> forwarded a statement from Brian Crowley MEP, who is the chairman of
> the UEN group (of which Fianna Fáil MEPs are members):
<snipped>
> > Affairs Committee.  The Commission is anxious to draft a new proposal
> > as they believe there is political agreement in the Council of
<snipped> 
> (I assume he meant "not anxious" where he said "anxious", otherwise it
> doesn't make sense.)
I got the same reply, and sent him a mail pointing out the possible
typo (better to fix it before sending out any more copies).  Haven't
heard any more.

> His comment about 50% of the amendments being accepted is disingenuous;
> no significant amendments to the *substance* of the directive were
> accepted. 
When I mailed Ryan, I pointed this fact out, though he didn't address
this or any specific point in my mail in his reply.  Probably
understandable given the large amount of correspondence.
> the part of Fianna Fáil to roll over and accept the Commission's
> proposals, but it's certainly not as robust as I would like.
I sent a follow up asking what Eoin Ryan, or Fianna Fail's, position
on this matter was.

> The responses I got from other MEPs...  Proinsias de Rossa is definitely on board;
I got the same response

> Avril Doyle's responses have been polite but noncommittal;
Ditto from Gay Mitchell.  Basically said "comments noted", and
forwarded on copies of McCreevy's speeches.  I followed up asking what
his own, or Fine Gael's position, was on the matter.

> Mairead McGuinness is more positive; she seems to understand that this
> directive would be catastrophic and will attend the second reading.
This is encouraging.  It probably means there's no party policy on
this at the moment.  Would it be helpful to mail Doyle (maybe even
better Mitchell as there's less history/competition there :-) telling
her about her colleague's opinion on this?  The grouping FG is in is
very large.

I also got a reply from Mary Lou McDonald.  She's against software
patents, and apparently so too is her parliamentary grouping: GUE/NGL
(41 MEPs).

Michael