The Arctic, the Northern Dimension, the delegation to Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and the EEA JPC
As a Vice-President one of my responsibilities is for the Northern Dimension (including the Arctic and the 'High North'). In addition to this work I remain a member of the EP Delegation to Switzerland, Iceland & Norway and the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee. In September 2010 I was selected as substitute member on the Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee. The pages below give some more detail of the work I do in these areas.
I have always thought that the EU, with its history of multilateralism, is well placed to bring something to the debate about future governance in the Arctic. Given the rapid changes in the Arctic, it seems to me increasingly important that parliamentarians of these countries have a role. Otherwise there is a trend that issues in this region become ones of sovereignty and result in bilateral dialogue at best.
Speeches
- 'The European Parliament and the Northern Dimension' (5 September 2006, Reykjavik)
- Is it time for an Arctic Charter? Perspectives on governance in the Arctic Region, Speech to the Seventh Conference of Arctic Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, Kiruna, Sweden, 3 August 2006
Publications
Book:'Forgotten Enlargement: Future EU Relations with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland' 2nd edition (Diana Wallis MEP with Stewart Arnold and Ben Idris Jones)
The first edition of Forgotten Enlargement was written as the European Union was preparing to expand to 25 member states. That has now occurred and the EU is already looking towards further enlargement in the Balkans. Turkey's application will cause a considerable debate and relations with Russia and the Ukraine are being actively discussed. Yet nowhere in this vision appear those three west European democracies currently outside the EU, Iceland, Switzerland and Norway.
Through the EEA Agreement, Norway and Iceland have already taken up 80 per cent of the acquis communautaire and Switzerland is taking an increasing amount of EU legislation.
For these three countries the EU remains an unavoidable player. This publication examines the performance of EFTA and EEA Agreement. As the EU develops, those institutions under which they operate become ever more inadequate, endangering democratic legitimacy.
Forgotten Enlargement advocates a flexible and open dialogue between the EU and these countries and shows that, as Member states of the EU, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland would have much to contribute.
This second edition provides a thorough revision of the original text, dealing with the consequences of national elections in Iceland and Switzerland and the changing debate in Norway.
"Forgotten Enlargement is a short book which says a great deal" The Times of Malta 18 Dec 2002.
Copies of Forgotten enlargement (£10.00 or €15.00) can be obtained from the Centre for Reform, 25 Museum Street, London WC1A 1JT - tel: 020 7631 3566 fax: 020 7631 3577 www.cfr.org.uk
The book has been produced with the support of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.