Eija-Riitta Korhola

Eija-Riitta Korhola, MEP

Eija-Riitta Korhola (born 15 June 1959, Lahti) is a Conservative Finnish MEP (Kansallinen Kokoomus - The National Coalition Party) since 1999. She is former vice chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.

Korhola holds a degree in philosophy, and has worked as development educator, publicist, and a media journalist/ educator until she was elected a MEP in 1999. She is chair of First Step Forum (human rights organisation) since 2002, and vice-chair of the National Coalition Party since 2006.

Korhola is another of the more vocal pro-nuclear MEPs.

Affiliations

Parliamentary Affiliations

Member:

ENVI Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

DACP Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

Substitute:

ITRE Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

D-US Delegation for relations with the United States

For a list of former parliamentary duties, please see European Parliament website.

Register of Interests

• Claimed to have receive money from the nuclear industry for her euro-election campaign in 2004.

Conflicts of interest

Nuclear lobby

In 2005, Korhola hosted a “Climate Change Seminar on Nuclear Energy” at the European Parliament along with the nuclear industry lobby group, European Atomic Forum (FORATOM). Also, in a speech to her party in October 2006, Korhola said the rejection of nuclear was due to “political dogma”, adding: “There are groups that are born to oppose nuclear power and for them giving up this stance would mean giving up their political identity. We are not shackled like that.”

Korhola also chaired a nuclear industry event in November 2006 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi. It was co-organised by the European Nuclear Society; Canadian Nuclear Association; Japan Atomic Industrial Forum; Nuclear Energy Institute and World Nuclear Association. She has also been outspoken against nuclear critics, writing to the Commission over “alleged cooperation between the Commission and Greenpeace”.

Receiving financial aid from nuclear industry?

In September 2007, Jussi Karmala, writing in the Finnish environmental weekly magazine, Vihrea Lanka, reported that Korhola had “received money from the nuclear industry for her euro-election campaign in 2004.” Karmala wrote: “Korhola says that the nuclear industry gave her money, because they knew she was good at her job and she was running [the] right things. ‘I don’t owe them anything’, she says.” Karmala continued: “Korhola can’t say exactly how much money she received from the nuclear industry. ‘It’s better for me mentally, that I don’t know’, she adds.”

Later, Korhola denied taking nuclear money directly and issued a statement saying that “unlike the paper Vihrea Lanka lets people understand, I did not get support from the nuclear industry for my campaign.” However, transcripts released by Vihrea Lanka record Korhola saying: “It may be that there are such [nuclear] sources involved. It's very possible… I can't say that nuclear industry's interests didn't touch the moneypot, because in the energy field they do so often.”

Korhola contradicts herself by saying that although she has “never” taken money from the nuclear industry, her campaign has taken money from a company that owns a nuclear company. She says “my campaign was supported in several small ways from many sides of industry including one clean-technology energy company that invests in biomass, wind energy, and is an owner of a nuclear company". Korhola adds: “Even if a nuclear energy – or a company from any clean energy technology – were to offer to support me, such support would not change my views on nuclear.”

Personal information

Curriculum Vitae

Master's degree in philosophy (Helsinki University, 1990); postgraduate degree in philosophy (1994). Development educator, Finnchurchaid (1993-1996). Publicist (Helsinki Festival 1997). Journalist and educator on radio and television and in the press (1996-1999).

Vice-Chairwoman of the National Coalition Party (since 2006).

Party secretary of the Finnish Christian Democrats (2003).

Member of the European Parliament (since 1999). Member, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (1999-2004). Substitute member, Committee on Foreign Affairs (1999-2006). Member, Subcommittee on Human Rights (2004-2007).

Chairwoman, First Step Forum (human rights organisation) (since 2002).

Contact

Address:

Parlement européen

Bât. Altiero Spinelli

08F151

60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60

B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel

Tel.:

+32 (0)2 28 45472

Fax:

+32 (0)2 28 49472

E-mail:

eija-riitta.korhola AT europarl.europa.eu

Website:

http://www.korhola.com

This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch.

This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.

Resources

• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Eija-Riitta Korhola, accessed 15 November 2008.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Eija-Riitta Korhola, accessed 16 October 2012.
• European Parliament, Written Questions with Answer, 05 December 2007, Written Question E-4923/06, by Eija-Riitta Korhola (PPE-DE), to the Commission Subject: Alleged cooperation between the Commission and Greenpeace, 15 November 2006, accessed 15 November 2008.
• FORATOM, "Agreement Reached at Climate Change talks, Nuclear Industry Makes its Voice Heard," November 2006, accessed 15 November 2008.
• FORATOM, "Climate Change Seminar," 19 October 2005, accessed 15 November 2008.
• Korhola, Eija-Riitta, "Puhe EPP-huippukokouksessa Helsingissä," 19 October 2006, accessed 15 November 2008.
• Rowell, Andy, "Too Close for Comfort?," Spinwatch, July 2008.