Linda McAvan

Linda McAvan, MEP

Linda McAvan (born 02 December 1962, Bradford, W. Yorkshire) is a British MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber from the Labour Party.

Affiliations

• Vice-Chairwoman, Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
• Member, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
• Substitute, Committee on Development
• Substitute, Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America

Former Affiliations

• Member, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
• Member, Temporary Committee on Climate Change
• Member, Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
• Substitute, Committee on Development

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

• I employ five permanent members of staff and have one intern who receives an allowance. None are family members.
• I employ a Communications and Research Officer (full-time), a Research Officer (full-time), two Personal Assistants (job share), an Office Manager/Paying Agent (part-time) and an intern (full-time).
• Unpaid interns/ work experience students are sometimes taken on whose expenses are covered. Jointly with other Labour MEPs, I also employ a political liaison officer based in London, who is line managed by the EPLP Secretary General.

Former Declaration of Financial Interests

Financial Support Received in Connection with Political Activities:

• Flights and one night accommodation to attend a workshop on Carbon Capture and Storage in Trondheim, Norway, organised by the British Embassy in Norway, 13 March 2008 - granted by UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Further Information:

• I employ five permanent members of staff and have one intern who receives an allowance. None are family members.
• I employ a Communications and Research Officer (full-time), a Research Officer (fulltime), two Personal Assistants (job share), an Office Manager/Paying Agent (part-time) and an intern (full-time).
• Unpaid interns/ work experience students are sometimes taken on whose expenses are covered. Jointly with other Labour MEPs, I also employ a political liaison officer based in London, who is line managed by the EPLP Secretary General.

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.
• Voted in favour of 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 amendment helps avoid the necessary precautionary approach towards some chemical substances that are not proven to be completely safe.
• 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. 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 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.
• 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 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. 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.

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

• BA (Hons.) Languages, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (1984).
• MA (International Relations), Université Libre de Bruxelles (1990).
• Translator, Agence Europe (1984-1985).
• Administrator, Confederation of Socialist Parties of the European Community (1985-1988).
• Press Officer, Youth Forum of the European Community (1988-1990).
• Head of Information, European Community Youth Exchange Bureau (1990-1991).
• European Officer, Coalfield Communities Campaign (1991-1995).
• European specialist, Barnsley Council (1995-1998).
• Vice-Chair, Sheffield District Labour Party (1993-1998).
• Campaign Coordinator, Hillsborough Constituency Labour Party (1992-1993).
• Member of the Labour Party National Policy Forum (1998; 2003-2004).
• Member of the Labour Party Organisation Subcommittee (1999-2004).
• Member of the European Parliament (since 1998).
• In the PSE Group Bureau Member (since 1999); Treasurer (since 2004).
• Member of the Convention on the Future of Europe (2002-2003).
• Coordinator, European Association of Local Authorities of Coal Mining Areas (EUR-ACOM) (1991-1995).
• Chair, South Yorkshire Partnership (since 2000).
• Member of Unison Trade Union.

Contact

Address:

Parlement européen

Bât. Altiero Spinelli

13G346

60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60

B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel

Phone:

+32 (0)2 28 45438

Fax:

+32 (0)2 28 49438

Email:

linda.mcavan AT europarl.europa.eu

Website:

http://www.lindamcavanmep.org.uk

This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.

Resources

• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Linda McAvan, 14 January 2009, accessed 10 February 2009.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Linda McAvan, 08 July 2009, accessed 05 November 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Linda McAvan, accessed 10 February 2009.
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 10 February 2009.