Avril Doyle

Avril Doyle

Avril Doyle (born 18 April 1949) is a former Irish MEP from Fine Gael (20.07.1999-13.07.2009).

Affiliations

• Vice-Chairwoman, Committee on Fisheries
• Vice-Chairwoman, Delegation for relations with the Gulf States, including Yemen
• Member, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
• Member, Temporary Committee on Climate Change
• Substitute, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
• Substitute, Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

Professional Activities:

• MEP
• Director of REPAK Ltd, Ireland (http://www.repak.ie/) - an industry funded organisation whose aim it is to facilitate and grow packaging recycling. Repak was established to help businesses meet their legal obligations to fund the recovery and recycling of the packaging on the goods or services they supply, as set out in the Waste Management (Packaging) Regulations 2007. As stated on their website, Repak is solely funded from packaging levies, as charged to its participating businesses, and operates on a not for profit basis.
• Drystock & bloodstock farming
• Member of sub-committee of F.E.I. (Federation Equestre Internationale) (www.fei.org)

Paid Functions or Activities:

• Director of REPAK Ltd
• Rental property income

Controversies

According to The Irish Times (30 June 2000), register of Avril Doyle's interests are as follows:

Occupational Income:

• Public Representative (MEP)
• Drystock farming: KiteMown, Crossabeg, Wexford

Shares:

• Belfield Trust
• Limerick Race Course Ltd. (http://www.limerickraces.ie)
• Eircom (http://www.eircom.net) - Ireland's leading broadband and content provider. On 29 January 2004, Avril Doyle presented a written question to the Commission considering the telephone line rental increase that would increase the rental charges at Eircom.

Directorships:

• Eventing Ireland (l.H.T.S. Ltd.) (http://www.eventingireland.com)
• Director: Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EEl) (http://www.horsesportireland.ie) - an agency responsible for devising and implementing strategies for the development and promotion of an internationally competitive Irish sport horse industry

Land:

• C, 150 ac. @ Kitestown & Saunderscourt Wexford: farming & bloodstock interests

Record of Parliamentary Votes

• Abstained from voting on the Data Retention Directive.
• Voted in favour of the reports on fluorinated greenhouse gases and emissions from motor vehicles air-conditioning systems, of which she was also the rapporteur.
• Voted in favour of the Lisbon Treaty.
• 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.
• 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.
• Voted in favour of the Commission White Paper on "Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy" (A5-0356/2001). The amandment helps avoid the necessary precautionary approach towards some chemical substances that are not proven to be completely safe.
• Voted against the directive on "waste electrical and electronic equipment" (A5-0100/2002). The amendment sets higher reuse and recycling rates for IT and telecommunication equipment. 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.
• Voted against 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. The amendment was still adopted.
• Voted against 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. The amendment was still adopted.
• 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.
• Voted against 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. 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.

Lobbying

According to Financial Times, late last year, when the European Union’s landmark climate bill was nearing its legislative conclusion, Avril Doyle, the MEP who was overseeing one of its most contentious elements, complained about being besieged by lobbyists. Unlike other MEPs, she recorded every lobbyist who paid a visit while she served as rapporteur for the part of the bill that revamped the EU’s emissions trading system. She reportedly noted down 168 lobbyist.

The list is a small illustration of how hard private companies tried to manipulate the bill, and successfully managed to do so, with carmakers rolling back deadlines for emissions reductions, energy and engineering companies winning a commitment for billions of euros in funding to build carbon capture and storage facilities – controversial technology to bury greenhouse gases that many environmentalists oppose.

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

• B.Sc. (Biochemistry), University College Dublin (1971).
• Elected to local county council and local town council (1974-1995).
• Mayor of Wexford (1976-1977). Member of Dáil or Seanad (1982-2002).
• Minister of State (1986-1987, 1995-1997).
• Member of the European Parliament (since 1999).
• Leader of the Irish Delegation in EPP-ED Group, (since 1999).
• Vice-President of SME Women.
• President of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (2001- ).

Contact

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Website:

http://www.avrildoyle.ie

This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.

Resources

• Chaffin, Joshua, "Financial crisis a turning point in lobbyists’ fortunes," 13 March 2009, accessed 15 March 2009.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interest: Avril Doyle, 18 December 2008, accessed 30 January 2009.</ref>
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Avril Doyle, accessed 30 January 2009.</ref>
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Avril Doyle, accessed 06 November 2010.
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 02 February 2009.
• Independent, "Tributes being paid to FG MEP Avril Doyle," 07 January 2009, accessed 30 January 2009.
• Official Journal of the European Union, (2004/C 84 E/0387) WRITTEN QUESTION E-0184/04 by Avril Doyle (PPE-DE) to the Commission (29 January 2004), accessed 30 January 2009.
• The Irish Times, Register of Senators' Interests," 30 June 2000, accessed 30 January 2009.