This in from Andrew Turner’s office, in their own words. Ed
Andrew Turner, MP for the Isle of Wight, has supported an amendment on Prum – on EU co-operation in combatting terrorism, serious organised crime and illegal immigration.
The Prum Convention relates to cross-border cooperation to tackle serious and organised crime. In 2005, a number of EU Member States signed a treaty – the Prum Convention. Parliament was asked this week to vote on measures that allow the reciprocal searching of EU Member States’ databases for DNA profiles, fingerprints and vehicle registration information. The MP for Stone, Sir William Cash highlighted the supremacy that EU law would have over UK sovereignty and proposed alternative solutions.
The Island’s MP explains why he voted for the amendment to opt-out of the Prum Decisions.
“I am not against intergovernmental co-operation; I believe we should be co-operating with police forces across the world to fight terrorism. But I do not think the answer is giving more responsibility to the European Court of Justice and less power for the UK. I find it remarkable that the British People are being promised a fundamental change in our relationship to the EU, and yet at the same time the Government proposes to opt-in to a convention that would give us less independence.
“The motion put forward by the Government made it sound as if there is no option other than to opt-in to Prum. The amendment I supported highlighted alternative solutions and proposed intergovernmental agreements both inside and outside the European jurisdiction.
“Everyone agrees that we need more cross-border co-operation to combat terrorism, organised crime and illegal immigration; that is not the issue. I voted in favour of UK sovereignty and against opting-in to the Prum Decisions. This is a time when the UK needs seriously to consider its relationship with the EU.”
Mr Turner pointed out that Denmark, a much smaller country than the UK, has already decided to use intergovernmental agreements outside Prum. The amendment was not passed.
Both Mr Turner and Sir William Cash are members of the European Scrutiny Committee which assesses the legal and political importance of EU documents.
Image: © Parliament TV
