Richard Corbett

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Richard Corbett

Richard Corbett (born 06 January 1955, Southport) is a former British MEP from Labour Party (23.12.1996 / 13.07.2009).[1]


Affiliations

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

Paid Functions or Activities:

  • Occasional payment for articles or other publications.

Further Information:

  • 2 bottles of wine from visitors groups
  • Ticket to Standard Liege vs Liverpool (13.08.08). Ticket courtesy of UEFA.
  • Ticket to Liverpool vs PSV Eindhoven (01.10.08). Ticket courtesy of UEFA.
  • I was paid a fee of 250 euros by the European Centre of Public Affairs (ECPA) for a speech on how the Lisbon Treaty would affect Parliament.
  • I have received no resources from any source other than the European Parliament for running my constituency and for paying my staff except for a one-off donation from my trade union (GMB) when I first set up my Yorkshire office in 2000.
  • I employ three full time members of staff in my constituency office in the Leeds. They help me notably to deal with constituent's enquiries and case-work, research, correspondence, press, diary, publication of my reports and briefings, and maintenance of my website. In the Parliament, I employ two part time parliamentary assistants, and I regularly have a work-experience trainee (stagiaire), usually as part of their university studies, who is unpaid, but whose expenses I cover. Trainees are involved in work as much as possible, while giving them opportunities to study and learn about the parliament. My wife works (part time for less than £6,000 per annum net) on foreign language correspondence and articles, typing when I work at home, notably at weekends, maintaining files and organising my travel. I employ no-one in Strasbourg, but a member of staff travels there for most of the monthly sessions and I often have an Erasmus programme student from Strasbourg University helping during sessions.
  • Together with all EPLP MEPs, I contribute to the salary of an additional staff member who is line managed by the EPLP Secretary General, who also acts as our service provider for this purpose. This member of staff works in London with the EPLP Secretariat and acts as a liaison for the Labour MEPs with the Government, Special Advisers, the Prime Minister's Office, the Parliamentary Labour Party, and the Labour Party.[2]

Record of Parliamentary Votes

  • Voted in favour of the directive on "establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy" (A5-0027/2000). The directive covers all water management aspects in order to achieve a 'good status' of all waters by 2015.[3]
  • Voted against the directive on "national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants" (A5-0063/2000). The amendment allows setting less ambitious national emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which would result in more damage to human health and the environment.[4]
  • Voted in favour of the Commission White Paper on "Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy" (A5-0356/2001). The amendment helps avoid the necessary precautionary approach towards some chemical substances that are not proven to be completely safe.[5]
  • Voted in favour of the directive on "waste electrical and electronic equipment" (A5-0100/2002). The amendment sets higher reuse and recycling rates for IT and telecommunication equipment.[6] Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
  • Voted in favour of the report on "Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network" (A5-0135/2002). The Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T) is a network of so-called 'transport corridors' through Europe. This amendment calls for a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of these transport corridors and calls on the Commission to improve methods for analysing the environmental and economic impact of the TEN-T.[7]
  • Voted in favour of the regulation concerning "traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms" (A5-0229/2002). The amendment allows customers the right to choose GM free food.[8]
  • Voted in favour of the report towards a "thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides" (A5-0061/2003). The amendment proposes to ban or severely restrict use of pesticides in areas around sources of drinking water and nature protected zones.[9]
  • Voted in favour of the directive on "environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage" (A5-0145/2003). According to the amendment, polluters have to pay for environmental clean-up, and it supports an EU-wide regime which makes polluters liable for the damage they cause to wildlife, water and land.[10]
  • Voted in favour of the directive on restructuring the "Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity" (A5-0302/2003). The amendment aims at giving tax benefits to environmentally friendly sources of energy, which would make them cheaper and more competitive to conventional (more polluting) sources of energy. It also gives tax benefits to environmentally friendly uses of energy for transport, for instance trains.[11] Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
  • Voted in favour of the amendment on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession (A5-0105/2004). The report objects to extending the life of the nuclear power stations in Bulgaria.[12]

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

  • International Baccalaureate (1972).
  • BA, Politics and Economics, Oxford University (1976).
  • PhD, University of Hull (1995). Worked in the voluntary sector (NGOs) (1977-1981).
  • Civil servant (1981-1989).
  • Political adviser (1989-1996).
  • In the GMB trade union: branch Secretary (1991-1993), branch President (1993-1995).
  • Secretary Oxford University Labour Club (1975).
  • Member, General Committee, Oxford Constituency Labour Party (1974-1976).
  • Chair, local Fabian Society (1984).
  • Member, Regional Board, North-West England Labour Party (1998-1999).
  • Member, Regional Board, Yorkshire Labour Party (1999- ).
  • Member, National Policy Forum, Labour Party (2001-2003).
  • Chairman, Labour Movement for Europe MEPs Group (1999- ).
  • Vice President, European Movement (1999- ).
  • President, Links Europa (1998-2004).
  • Member of the European Parliament (since 1996).
  • Member of the Executive Bureau of the European Parliamentary Labour Party (2003-2004).
  • Vice-Chairman, Committee on Constitutional Affairs (1997-1999).
  • Socialist Group Coordinator in Constitutional Affairs (1999- ).
  • President, GMB MEP Group (1999- ).
  • Silver Medal, European Parliament (1996).

Contact

Address:
Parlement européen
Bât. Altiero Spinelli
13G310
60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel
Phone:
+32 (0)2 28 45504
Email:
richard.corbett@europarl.europa.eu
Website:
http://www.richardcorbett.org.uk
EU Insigna.png This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.



Resources

Notes

  1. European Parliament, MEP Directory: Richard Corbett, accessed 07 October 2010.
  2. European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Richard Corbett, 28 November 2008, accessed 10 February 2009.
  3. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  4. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  5. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  6. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  7. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  8. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  9. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  10. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  11. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
  12. Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.