Emma Nicholson

Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (born 16 October 1941, Oxford) is a former MEP (1999-2009) from Liberal Democrat Party. She was Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (2004-2007), where her involvement focused on Eastern Europe and the Islamic world. She was also a Member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and a European Parliament Rapporteur for Jammu and Kashmir and has also served as Rapporteur for Romania and maintained a close link with this country up to its accession in 2007.

In December 2002 she was voted 'MEP of the Year' in a poll conducted by the European Voice Newspaper. In 2007, she was rated as the joint most environmentally friendly MEP in the UK by a consortium of environmental groups led by Friends of the Earth.

Affiliations

• Executive chairman, AMAR International Charitable Foundation (http://www.amarfoundation.org/)
• Founder Member, Booker Prize Foundation and Booker Prize for Russian Fiction
• Member, advisory board of EU-Russia Centre

Parliamentary Affiliations

Vice-Chair:

21.07.1999 / 14.01.2002 : Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy

22.01.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy

22.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Committee on Foreign Affairs

15.01.2007 / 30.01.2007 : Committee on Foreign Affairs

Member:

20.07.1999 / 19.07.2004 : Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party

14.09.1999 / 14.01.2002 : Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU)

17.01.2002 / 21.01.2002 : Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy

07.02.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and the Gulf

04.09.2003 / 19.07.2004 : Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities

20.07.2004 / 13.07.2009 : Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

21.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Subcommittee on Human Rights

21.07.2004 / 21.07.2004 : Committee on Foreign Affairs

15.09.2004 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly

15.09.2004 / 13.03.2007 : Delegation for relations with Iran

15.01.2007 / 30.01.2007 : Subcommittee on Human Rights

31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on Foreign Affairs

31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Subcommittee on Human Rights

14.03.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation for relations with Iran

Substitute:

21.07.1999 / 03.02.2000 : Committee on Budgets

04.02.2000 / 14.01.2002 : Committee on Development and Cooperation

17.01.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

07.02.2002 / 19.07.2004 : Delegation to the EU-Romania Joint Parliamentary Committee

15.09.2004 / 13.03.2007 : Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries

31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on Budgets

14.03.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

• Nothing to declare.

Background of Conflicts

Baroness Nicholson, who left the Tory party in 1995 to join the Liberal Democrats, is famously known to be the creator of Romania's "children crisis". She "insisted Romania’s entry into the EU be linked to its treatment of children. [She] claimed foreign adoptions had created a lucrative black market trade in baby and child trafficking." As a result, an EU-fearing Romania banned international adoptions in 2001.

Adrian Severin, in her 2004 article, questioned the reason behind Romania being brought into a "crisis" just when it was trying to prove itself for the EU accession. She claims that the process initiated by Baroness Nicholson looks more like a set-up to change the balance of political forces in Romania, and to postpone its accession to EU.

On 12 June 2006, 33 NGOs published an advertisement on the Financial Times with the title "Romania's concealed Childcare Crisis", criticizing the effects of the ban on international adoption. They were later accused by Baroness Nicholson of having financial interests in international adoption. NGOs rejected the claim, stating that the payment came from 5 personal donors, none of whom have involvement in adoption.

Baroness Emma Nicholson adopted an Iraqi child in 1987, with whom she currently has no contact.

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 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 against 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

• Royal Academy of Music (LRAM, ARCM, 1961). Hon. Doctorate, North London University (1998); Hon. Doctorate (University of Timisoara); Hon. Doctorate (Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest); Visiting Fellow, St Antony's College, Oxford (1995-96), now Associate Member.
• Computer Software Developer, Systems Engineer and Computer Consultant (1962-1974).
• Director of International Development (1974-1977), then Director of Fundraising (1977-1985) for Save the Children. Consultant inter alia Dr Barnardo's, Westminster Children's Hospital, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, Foster Parents Plan.
• Life Peer and Member of the House of Lords (since 1997).
• Member of Parliament (Conservative 1987-1995, Liberal Democrat 1995-1997).
• Vice-Chairman, Conservative Party (1983-1987).
• Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ministers at the Treasury, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Home Office (1992-1995).
• Member of the European Parliament (since 1999).
• First Vice-Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (1999-2004).
• Rapporteur for Iraq (1999-2004).
• Rapporteur for Romania (1999-2004).
• WHO Envoy for Health, Peace and Development (2002-).
• Chairman, AMAR International Charitable Foundation; President, Caine Prize for African Writing; Trustee, Booker Prize for English fiction; Trustee, Booker Prize for Russian fiction. Patron of or holds honorary positions in over 50 charities.
• Co-editor/Author: The Iraqi Marshlands (2002); Secret society (1996); Why does the West forget? (1993); various articles and pamphlets.

Contact

Address:

Phone:

Email:

Website:

http://www.emmanicholson.info

This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.

Resources

• Emma Nicholson, MEP, European Parliament, accessed 18 January 2009.
• EU-Russia Centre, Advisory Board, accessed 18 January 2009.
• European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, "Romania: NGOs respond to Nicholson's statements on adoption," 15 June 2006, accessed 21 January 2009.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, 12 January 2009, accessed 09 February 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, accessed 09 February 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, accessed 02 December 2010.
• Foundation for Dialogue among Civilisations, Board Members: Mrs. Emma Nicholson, accessed 18 January 2009.
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 09 February 2009.
• Graham, Bob, "Romania’s orphans claim years of abuse," 24 September 2006, Times Online, accessed 21 January 2009.
• Severin, Adrian, The Oostlandson effect," 17 February 2004, Novinite, accessed 21 January 2009.