What is the EU doing to stop the destruction of Europe's manufacturing base? This was the question EFD Group co-President Francesco Speroni put as he met the Belgium Primeminister along with the Council of Presidents of the EU Parliamentary Groups recently.

Mr Speroni asked the Belgian Presidency: "What will you do to protect European industries against unfair competition from countries not respecting the same social, environmental and  job security norms  as the E.U. ?" He was meeting at le Palais d'Egmont on June 24th and reacting to the remarkable fall in the EU manufacturing base in the last two decades with many jobs going to developing countries.

A Lega Nord MEP, Speroni also asked the Belgian Presidency how it intended to organise the system of "citizen intiatives" which demand action from  the Commission and the Council , the Lisbon treaty being particularly obscure on this point.

The Belgian Presidency is currently setting out their agenda for action over the next six months starting on July 1st. This is to include work for the setting up of an external action policy group for the EU, as well as a new regulatory and supervisory structure for the financial sector. The Belgians also mean to focus on employment, and energy security.