Brussels and Europe Liberal Democrats

You are cordially invited to our annual pub quiz, where our host will be Alistair Carmichael MP, Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons and MP for Orkney & Shetland.

On 14 October, Brussels goes to the polls to elect new local councils, and all EU citizens resident in Brussels have the right to vote.

Join our Belgian sister parties MR and Open VLD for an Apéro Urbain Européen and find out how to register, how to vote, and who your liberal candidates will be!

Welcome and opening by:

• [May 07] Vince Cable* writes: I RECENTLY attended a remarkable meeting of European economic ministers in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. We represented 15 of the 27 European Union countries: the Like Minded Group, committed to rolling back excessive regulation emanating from Brussels and to expanding the Single Market.

• [May 06] Nick Clegg writes: THE Liberal Democrats took a beating last week. There were some patches of light - in particular swings towards us in areas where we have MPs and are strong on the ground. But last Thursday was still a bad day for our party. It is no good issuing the usual political mantras about being disappointed, and then back to business as usual. We have to look hard at what happened and why.

From 1 April, people will now have the chance to bring proposals for new laws before the European Parliament if they can secure enough support for their campaign.

Under the European Citizen's Initiative (ECI), any qualifying petition that can attract a million backers from at least seven EU countries will be put before the Parliament. The scheme is aimed at increasing access and engagement in the law-making process.

Leader of the UK Lib Dem MEPs Fiona Hall welcomed the Initiative and said:

"This is a great chance for people in the UK to get in touch with others from across Europe who share their passion about an issue to help push it up the political agenda.

"Collecting over one million signatures in seven different EU countries might seem like a very challenging campaign, but in the age of internet and social media it is completely achievable. In fact, I think it will be a great way to find like-minded people across the continent and spark a public debate on an issue you deeply care about.

"It gives people a direct route to the heart of decision-making in Europe."

Notes: In order to launch an ECI, it is necessary to form a committee of at least seven people from across seven EU Member States which can then be registered on the central ECI website managed by the European Commission (http://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative). The proposal must fall within EU competencies and must not be judged to be 'manifestly contrary' to EU values. Once the proposal is cleared by the Commission, there is a one year deadline to collect the one million signatures from across seven EU Member States.

Guide to the European Citizens' Initiative: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/secretariat_general/citizens_initiative/docs/guide_eci_en.pdf

The European Parliament has adopted its latest annual report on implementation of rights for European citizens under EU law. One of the issues highlighted was the barriers that still exist for same-sex couples.

The report demands full freedom of movement with recognition of legal rights for same-sex couples and an end to Member States' obstruction of a 2004 EU law meant to achieve this.

Sarah Ludford, Vice President of the LGBT+ Liberal Democrat group commented:

"Due to disarray in the ranks of the European Socialist and Democratic group (S&D) to which the Labour party belong, the key relevant paragraph got deleted at committee stage due to the voting power of the right-wing parties."

"Due to Liberal leadership, this has now been reinserted into the report by a plenary vote. We refused to let the discrimination that many same- sex couples still face when moving or travelling to some EU states be swept under the carpet. Once again the Liberal (ALDE) group has shown that it is the most dependable champion of LGBT rights both domestically and in the EU."

Notes to Editors

The Citizenship report assesses issues such as facilitation of healthcare, freedom of movement and civil rights of citizens across EU borders

The report can be seen here:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A7-2012-0047&language=EN&mode=XML

Over 20 million working people will be better off next year after Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government delivered the biggest ever increase in the income tax personal allowance in the Budget.

The massive £3.5bn tax cut for working people delivers:

• The biggest ever single uplift in the tax threshold
• A personal allowance of £9,205 in April 2013
• 21 million working people getting an extra £220 tax cut
• Brings the total tax cut for basic rate tax payers to £550
• Brings the total number of people lifted out of tax to 2 million.

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg used his speech to the Party's Spring conference in NewcastleGateshead to call for the forthcoming budget to be a "budget for fairness" and pledged that it would help working familes.

The Deputy Prime Minister pledged that by 2015 Britain would have seen an end to control orders, the first gay marriages and the first elections to the House of Lords.

Fairer taxes, promoting green jobs, protecting your civil liberties - these are just some of the achievements of the Liberal Democrats in government.

We're building a freer, greener and more liberal country - and stopping some of the worst excesses of the Conservatives. Find out more in this infographic.

Transport minister Norman Baker today hailed the successes of Lib Dems in government at a lunchtime discussion with party members in Brussels.

Sharing his experience as a member of the UK coalition, Mr Baker heralded "the biggest expansion in the rail network since Victorian times" and a series of other scores by the Lib Dems on transport and the environment. The junior coalition partner also played a key role in securing pro gress at international climate negotiations in Durban, through strong action at EU level.