Parish MEP set to challenge refinery
The Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar is taking up the concerns about the Campo refinery with the European Commission.
Neil Parish MEP was in Gibraltar yesterday and met with representative of the Environmental Safety Group (ESG).
Mr Parish who visits Gibraltar some four times a year is investigating the standards at the CEPSA refinery and has claimed that they are shrugging off regular fines from the European Commission because of the profitability given high oil prices. According to Mr Parish a similar refinery in Denmark is currently undertaking considerable work to reduce its impact on the environment. He told the Chronicle that the refinery is fined twice a year but nothing is happening.
“The fines have to be ratcheted up,†he says adding that they should be forced to follow the Danish example to cut emissions and be more environmentally friendly.
Mr Parish will be talking with Danish MEPs to pursue this issue. “Once I have the detail I will be presenting the information to Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner responsible for Environment,†said Mr Parish who believes that simply imposing a fine hardly makes a commitment to the environment.
“Getting improvements to the refinery would be good for the people of Gibraltar and those in the Campo.â€
Mr Parish was also meeting with a constituent who raised the issue.
Meanwhile he is convinced that having directly elected representatives has improved Gibraltar’s representation in that Commission officials have to take greater notice and are directly answerable. “If I ask to meet a Commissioner he will meet me within 10 days,†says Mr Parish who will be meeting with Glyn Ford MEP (Lab) and Graham Watson MEP (Lib Dem) to discuss the refinery. The MEP works with his Labour and Liberal democrat colleagues for the region and expects that they will be able to pursue this issue on a consensus basis to reduce the pollution levels.
On other issues the MEP is convinced that, so long as British sovereignty is safeguarded an agreement on the airport would be a good opportunity and could attract financial support from the European Commission.
“Sovereignty is not up for grabs,†he says adding that at the same time he tells Spanish colleagues in the parliament that a more conciliatory approach will help resolve problems.
Mr Parish says he is now beginning to hear increasingly from Gibraltar constituents. His website is: www.neilparishmep.org.uk
Neil is a farmer and continues to live on the 300 acre family farm in Pawlett, Somerset, which he has helped to run since he was sixteen.
From The Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801
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