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A survey produced by Gallup Europe for the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) to mark the forthcoming International Day Against Homophobia (May 17th) has revealed that almost half (47%) of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Bisexual community in Europe has been personally discriminated against or harassed on the grounds of their sexual orientation.

The survey was the EU’s largest LGBT hate crime and discrimination survey ever conducted with responses from over 93,000 LGBT people from all 27 EU Member States, plus Croatia which is about to join.

Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford has welcomed the arrest of Andrew Moran, one of Britain’s most wanted criminals, at a luxury villa in Spain’s Costa Blanca. Mr Moran was charged with armed robbery in 2005, but escaped justice by fleeing to Spain before being convicted in absence of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and placed on the Serious Organised Crime Agency’s most wanted list. He is set to be extradited back to the UK using the European Arrest Warrant after appearing before a Spanish court earlier today.

Sarah Ludford commented:

Commenting on the publication of the 2013 EU Citizenship Report which sets out 12 concrete ways to help Europeans make better use of their ‘EU rights’, Liberal Democrat MEP for London Sarah Ludford said:

“British citizens already benefit from free healthcare and cheaper mobile phone calls in other European countries due to our EU membership, but these new plans would make moving home, travel and shopping across the Continent even easier.”

“One of the proposals - extending to 6 months the period during which unemployment benefits for job-seeking EU migrants are paid for by their home country - would help address UK concerns about so-called ‘benefit tourism’ as well as assist British people seeking work abroad.”

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, a campaigner for clean air in London, has welcomed as justified the declaration of the Supreme Court in a case brought by environmental campaign group Client Earth that the UK government has breached European air pollution rules. The Court decided to refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for further clarification.

“The Supreme Court declaration that the government has breached the EU Air Quality Directive is regrettable but necessary. Instead of acting swiftly to protect the public from harmful levels of air pollution, a Tory Environment Minister just last week shamefully tried to water down EU air quality rules and the Tory Mayor of London drags his feet.”

The Abu Qatada saga demonstrates the challenging complexity of extraditing suspected criminals and terrorists through bilateral arrangements. Of course there are special features in that case and it concerns a non-EU country, but it still serves to highlight the sheer absurdity of the Conservatives' desire to pull out of the European Arrest Warrant. It is madness to want to replace the EAW, which facilitates speedy and streamlined extradition within Europe, with old-style cumbersome arrangements with our European partners involving complex negotiations and often ministerial involvement in individual cases.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) are calling for an ambitious mandate to be given to the Commission to negotiate an agreement on trade and investment between the EU and the United States. The vote that took place this morning in Parliament's International Trade Committee reflects this desire to liberalise transatlantic trade, which could lead to substantial economic benefits such as a 28% increase in EU exports to the United States and a 6% increase in total EU exports.

Marietje Schaake, ALDE spokesperson on this issue, said:

Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford, who has long taken an interest in Cyprus, has strongly condemned the majority in the European Parliament which has blocked facilitation of Turkish Cypriot trade with the EU and plans to invite Turkish Cypriot observers in the European Parliament.

Sarah Ludford commented:

“MEPs have let down Turkish Cypriots by refusing to make a reality of a 2004 EU promise to allow them to trade directly with the EU. More trade would have helped to bridge the gap between Turkish and Greek Cypriots in terms of income and economic development.”

Commenting on the decision of Conservative MEPs to vote against a proposal to “backload” the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that sets a price for industrial carbon dioxide emissions in an effort to combat climate change, LibDem MEP for London Sarah Ludford said:

“It is a disgrace that all three Tory MEPs for London - Syed Kamall, Charles Tannock and Marina Yannakoudakis - voted against the backloading proposal. These Conservatives have shown their contempt both for the needs of British industry and the fight against climate change.”