Stone Liberal Democrats

Lib Dem Euro MP Liz Lynne hosted a top level seminar with cancer experts on best practice in controlling the disease in older people at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday (Jan 24th).

Among topics on the agenda were the latest reports on a Dutch initiative for comprehensive geriatric assessment for older people diagnosed with cancer and moves to promote healthier, active ageing.

West Midlands Euro MP Liz Lynne has hailed a move by President Obama to declare January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month as a welcome sign of increased American support for the battle against the modern slave trade.

In a statement supporting the initiative, the White House pledged to work harder in efforts to stamp out trafficking networks in the US and around the world.

West Midlands Euro MP Liz Lynne has called for joint action to stamp out the trade in dangerous counterfeit goods, after news that 165,000 bottles of fake vodka containing dangerous amounts of methanol were distributed to shops before Christmas.

Concern is growing that a substantial trade in fake medicines, alcoholic drinks and cosmetics are not only putting consumers' health at risk but also harming the UK economy due to lower duty and tax receipts.

The last year has been full of historic changes, both in Europe and beyond. There has been some unexpected encouraging news, such as the huge grassroots movement for reform sweeping the Arab World.

Also unexpected was the relative success of the climate change summit in Durban in December which keeps hope alive for a truly global agreement to cut carbon emissions.

Laundry and dishwasher detergents must be phosphate-free in future, following a vote in the European Parliament. The measures, supported by West Midlands Lib Dem MEP Liz Lynne, are aimed to help keep rivers and lakes clean and protect aquatic life in waterways and seas.

Liberal Democrat MEPs led the European Parliament's position on the new legislation, which introduces EU wide restrictions on phosphorus in washing powder from June 2013.

A code of conduct based on the best training and nursing practice from across Europe could be a vital way to raise care standards for dementia patients, says Euro MP Liz Lynne.

The Lib Dem MEP and longstanding campaigner against elder abuse spoke out after a shocking report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists revealed widespread failures to provide proper care for dementia patients and a lack of training.

The European Parliament has voted to exempt so called 'micro' businesses from complex EU accounting rules, which will mean a huge reduction in red tape for many small firms.

The move follows a long campaign by Liberal Democrat MEPs to reduce the burden of unnecessary bureaucracy for small firms and the self-employed.

The denial of the right to vote for some disabled people in Europe is a scandalous breach of basic human rights, says a cross-party group of Euro MPs including Lib Dem Liz Lynne.

The MEP for the West Midlands has signed a Written Declaration in the European Parliament deploring the way in which people with disabilities are still 'generally obstructed' from voting in elections in many EU countries.

The European Parliament has endorsed a new EU Directive guaranteeing all criminal suspects information about their rights and the evidence against them.

The Directive would ensure that all people arrested or detained in an EU country would be given information about their procedural rights in an easily understandable form.

Euro MPs have voted to put in place stricter rules on the composition of fruit juices and better labelling guidelines which will substantially improve the quality of fruit juices on sale across the EU.

The move follows concern that many strawberry juices or smoothies being marketed actually contain more apples than strawberries, while some other 'juice' contains large amounts of additional sugar or sweeteners.