Europe focused on the wrong 'Lisbon'

MEP Jim Nicholson, Conservatives and Unionists candidate in the European election has told a business hustings event in the Europa hotel this afternoon that European leaders have been focussed on the wrong Lisbon.

Mr Nicholson said that Europe has spent too long focussing on the Lisbon Treaty and not the Lisbon Agenda of making Europe "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs."

Speaking at the event Mr Nicholson said,

"Europe has wasted far too much time worrying about the European constitution and implementing the Lisbon Treaty and not enough time on trying to implement the Lisbon Agenda.

"In 2000, the Lisbon Agenda aimed to make Europe "the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth" but it has failed miserably. Putting the Lisbon Agenda back on track must be a priority for the next European Parliament.

Turning to the issue of red tape and bureaucracy Mr Nicholson warned that EU red tape has cost UK business over £30 billion since 1998.

Continuing Mr Nicholson said,

"Conservatives and Unionists are proposing the creation of a Joint Scrutiny Committee comprising of MPs at Westminster and representatives from the devolved administrations to scrutinise the implementation of EU directives in order to avoid "Gold Plating" by the Government."

Turning to the issue of the Working Time Directive, Mr Nicholson said,

"In the next European Parliament and European Commission there will undoubtedly be renewed attempts by left wing groupings to scrap the UK opt out and that only by returning a strong team of conservative and unionist MEPs to Brussels and a Conservative Government to Westminster can we ensure that the UK opt out is retained.

"Open Europe have already estimated that losing the UK opt out from the Working Time Directive in 2011 would cost the UK economy up to £66 billion by 2020. It is essential that it is retained."