European Parliament
Booth (EDD ).
– Mr President, I am glad that the rapporteur has consulted the stakeholders on this matter, although I note he does not specify who they are! In my own fevered imagination, I have always equated stakeholders with Count Dracula. However, in this context I consider that my own stakeholders are my electorate. I was sent to this Parliament to use my best endeavours to arrest the march of EU regulations or mitigate their effect.
In respect of this legislation, I note that the proposal conforms to the provisions of the Montreal and Warsaw Conventions. However, the signatories to the Conventions are the Member States, not the European Union! Thus, while I would obviously support the idea of rationalising aviation insurance, I cannot accept Commission attempts to superimpose a European dimension on what should be a matter for nation states. To the extent that I am also a stakeholder, I will therefore do the only thing I can in this House: thrust my own stake through the heart of this proposal and vote against it.

