Find out how Fiona spends her week

Monday

An interesting and busy 'committee week' with reports I'm working on at the top of the agenda. During a committee week we MEPs meet to draw up, amend and adopt legislative proposals and own-initiative reports on a specific policy area before they are presented to the plenary assembly. I sit on the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and International Development (DEVE) Committees.  With no committee meetings today, I can concentrate on preparation and follow up.  I met with representatives from Tearfund to discuss disaster prevention, following my report at the EU/ACP joint parliamentary Assembly. (http://www.fionahall.org.uk/articlesandspeeches/9/index.phtml).

Tuesday

 I had two work shadows joining me today, one from npower and the other from the Child Support Agency. This afternoon was focussed on energy efficiency.  The ITRE committee had organised a hearing with national parliamentarians on the Commission's Green Paper on Energy Efficiency (http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/efficiency/doc/2005_06_green_paper_book_en.pdf). Exchanging views with national parliamentarians is important as they are the ones who have to transpose the European legislation we work on into national law and ensure correct implementation. I spoke about the need for national parliamentarians to be bold with their energy efficiency measures.

Wednesday

                             The energy efficiency hearing continued this morning, followed by a presentation in the Development Committee on the election observation mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Outside the meeting I was asked by the head of the Development Committee Secretariat if I would possibly take part in the election observation mission to Haiti on February 7.  I had been asked before and declined but other MEPs were unable to attend because the date for polling day had changed.  So, after some deliberation, I agreed to take part.  Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and for years has been plagued by violence and instability.

Thursday

Preparations today for the election observation mission to Haiti: visas, flights, and medical advice!  In the ITRE committee it was voting time on a report I had been working on about using renewable energy sources for heating and cooling.

Friday

Most of the day was taken up with interviewing candidates for the post of Caseworker. My former caseworker has now become my PA and Office Manager, so I need someone to take her place; hard shoes to fill but at the end of the day I think we found the right person.