March 18th 2008 - Northampton Commentary

Picking up points from my Strasbourg commentary of Feb 18th – 21st the last of which was about the “consensual union” question in the proposed census. Just to report that I met the rapporteur, Ona Jukneviciene, the other day and asked if this wretched question had really, finally, been eliminated. “Yes”, she said, “and very many thanks for your help”, and her comment clearly indicated that the two of us had made it a successful team effort.

I also noted the attempt to suppress tv coverage of our chicken demo and this was not an isolated instance. “They” are tightening up all round. TV crews are now being restricted in the areas they cover by not being allowed to film outside the designated press/tv area around the hemicycle. Worse, they have just announced a new award, their new award, “The European Parliament Prize for Journalism”.

It does not take a genius to see that these two factors will slowly resolve into a single parliament controlled media system. Put all that together with the President being granted powers to overturn the rules of the house when he sees fit and shades of a former European era become more obvious.

Therefore see below, first the press release I sent out yesterday and, consequently, my letter to the President of Parliament sent today containing some responses received overnight from certain Brussels journos. All this through Gawain in the Brussels press office, of course.

UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY

& ID Group in the European Parliament

Reg. Office: 2 Queen Anne’s Gate, London SW1H 9AA

Tel. 0207-222-9365 Fax 0207-222-2183

For immediate release 17th March 2008

European Sycophancy Prize

In a desperate attempt to garner interest in the activities of the European parliament, today sees the launch of the, "European Parliament Prize for Journalism".

Derek Clark, the UK Independence Party Euro MEP, said, "This appears to be all of a pattern with recent attempts by the European Institutions to influence independent reporting of the EU".

Recently the International Federation of Journalists sent out a warning about the Commission's moves to vet accredited journalists, then there was the threat towards independent television coverage of 'dissent' by the Parliament's Audio Visual Services chief.

Mr Clark continued, "For very little money in real terms the Parliament is trying to persuade those covering its activities to write positive stories. Of course reporters holding tenure with their news organisations would not demean themselves to chase this prize. However 5,000 Euros is a lot of money to most journalists in Brussels; and it is taxpayers' cash that is being used to skew reporting".

The prizes come in four categories (print, radio, television, internet) and will cover reporting from May 2007 until 30th April 2008.

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Dear Mr Poettering,

I note with interest the launch of the European Parliament Journalism Prize and would like to clarify a few points.

I note that the prize money is to be 20,000 euro spread across the four categories but this cannot be the full cost of the event. There will have to be administration of this prize, including;-

A) The time taken by the 27 European Parliamentary offices in the member states including the secretarial duties.

B) The payment - if any - to the judges in each member state and the final jury here in the European Parliament.

C) The advertising, both online and otherwise of the prize - in all member states and centrally.

Could you please tell me how much this will cost the taxpayer and from which budget line this money will be derived?

Could you tell me the process by which the judging panels are selected? Who is responsible in each Member State for choosing the panel and what are the instructions and procedures by which decisions will be made. I would also like to know how the final panel will be decided upon.

Finally, could you explain the rationale behind this idea and how came to fruition? How it was that the Parliament felt it was necessary to spend taxpayers money on such a prize when the European Voice already holds a "European Journalist of the Year" award.

Responses from reputable journalists in the Brussels press corps are a mixture of disbelief and incredulity, including; "Cheaper than a press officer I suppose", and, "I don't think I could face the embarrassment of winning that journalism prize", from another, and, "these people are so unbelievably clueless!" said a third.

The contempt felt by the journalistic community in Brussels for this idea is probably best put by one who told my office;-

"I'm going to do a series of packages on - "At the Cutting Edge of Democracy: How the EP Sets An Example All Around The World , f*** it, for five grand it's got to be worth it..."

No doubt you mean this prize to be a way to encourage more coverage of the European parliament and the other institutions. However, it looks more like an attempt to control coverage than to facilitate it.