FRENCH ACTION AGAINST UK BEEF CONDEMNED BY EUROPEAN COURT In an important development for the British Beef industry, the Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg today supported a complaint by the European Commission against the French government for refusing imports of British beef. European Commission ideas on governance 'could represent a threat to democracy and justice' Speaking in this week's annual parliamentary debate on the application of EU law, Liberal Democrat MEP and solicitor, Diana Wallis flagged up fears about the EU Commission's proposals on governance also communicated to the Parliament this week. Turbulence Ahead for Airlines as European Parliament Seeks Stronger Rights for Passengers Diana Wallis, Lib Dem Euro-MP for Yorkshire & the Humber, has welcomed proposals by the European Parliament to give air passengers the right to compensation when flights are delayed or cancelled. MEP claims �heavy-handed Government has lost all sense of justice� Liberal Democrat MEP Diana Wallis has accused the UK Government of being heavy-handed and having lost all sense of justice in relation to their crackdown on tobacco smuggling. �Scrap the Son of Star Wars� says Euro-MP Diana Wallis As protestors burn a giant Menwith Hill-style golf ball on the beach in Whitby, North Yorkshire�s Liberal Democrat Euro MP Diana Wallis has once again called for plans to base US National Missile Defence systems at Fylingdales to be scrapped. Euro-MPs Debate Cross-Border Consumer Dispute Resolution Diana Wallis MEP called for better protection for members of the public involved in cross-border consumer disputes in the European Parliament on Monday. Boost for Yorkshire Farmers as MEPs give Pigs more Room The European Parliament today endorsed proposals to improve living conditions for pigs on farms within the European Union, levelling the playing field for Yorkshire�s pig farmers.

RIP Act May Break EU Law    27/10/2000 Lib Dem Euro-MP Diana Wallis has revealed that the UK Government�s Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIP) Act may be against various European Union laws regarding privacy of emails. In a Parliamentary Question to the European Commission, Diana Wallis MEP asked whether measures such as email interception along the lines of that covered in the RIP legislation were �unacceptable measures on the basis that they are a breach of the right to privacy and free speech.� Answering the Question in writing, European Commissioner Liikanen said: �The Commission is currently examining the Act to determine if it is compatible with the provisions of several Community dispositions.� It also confirmed that the Commission is carefully looking at the Act on no less than 4 separate counts of possible contravention of EC directives and the EC Treaty itself. �The irony is that this Act was put forward by the Government supposedly to implement part of an EU Directive on Data Protection - actually protecting citizens from intrusion,� said Diana Wallis MEP. �But the Government has chosen to concentrate on the possible exception to when data protection applies - to give itself and its agents wide investigatory powers to tap and intercept communications. �It looks as though it might have gone too far and it will be Europe who acts as the citizens� guardian and champion against a government seeking inappropriate powers.�