Catherine Bearder MEP, has today reconvened the cross-party interest group MEPs4Wildlife in an effort to continue putting pressure on the European Union to take action to tackle wildlife crime.

The group brings together MEPs from across the political spectrum who are passionate about ending wildlife crime both within the European Union and further afield. The members of MEPs4Wildlife for the new parliamentary term are:

• Catherine Bearder (Renew Europe)
• Eleonora Evi (Non-attached)
• Theresa Griffin (S&D)
• Jytte Guteland (S&D)
• Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL)
• Grace O’Sullivan (Greens/EFA)
• Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP)
• Hilde Vautmans (Renew Europe)
• Michal Wiezik (EPP)

Commenting on the group’s relaunch, Catherine Bearder said:
“I am delighted to reconvene MEPs4Wildlife for the new parliamentary term. Since I first set up the group in 2015, MEPs4Wildlife has lobbied the Commission and national governments on a variety of issues, from working on the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking, to banning the sale of ivory in the EU, to increasing resources to Europol to enforce environmental laws, to ending the unsustainable trapping of night monkeys in Colombia. I hope that in the new term we will be equally as active, particularly as the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking is set for renewal next year.”

Today, Catherine Bearder, Lib Dem MEP for South East England, has been appointed as Trustee to the London-based charitable organisation - the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

The Oxford-based Liberal Democrat MEP, known for being a passionate advocate for environmental protection, will be joining other Trustees, including Graeme Cottam and Brian Hutchinson, in her new role.

Richard Moore, resident of Battle, has died. Battle is an apposite word to be associated with Richard, who in his nearly ninety years, has fought the most vigorous and passionate  fight for true Liberalism, for the vision of a united Europe and for internationalism to the very end of his life. Only recently he was on the streets of Battle arguing with passers-by for our country’s continued full-hearted role in Europe and the European Union.  He spoke wherever he could with enthusiasm and authority, borne of his years of experience with the Liberal Party, both here and during his time between 1979 to 1996 as an adviser in Brussels to the Liberal Party delegation to the European Parliament. Adviser may have been his official title but his contribution was so much more than that, as a mentor and nurturer of talent, and an advocate for the vision of Europe’s founding fathers like Churchill and Monnet.

On Thursday 9th May, the Lib Dem run Councils of Winchester, Eastleigh and Eastbourne will all fly EU flags to celebrate Europe day.

Catherine Bearder is a committed Member of the European Parliament with a lifelong passion and understanding of the need for environmental protection.

The Liberal Democrats have today announced their list of MEP candidates in the South East constituency for the European elections on the 23rd May.

Today the European Commission released its position paper on the “Transition Arrangements in the Withdrawal Agreement.” The paper sets out the rules for the UK’s transition from the EU between April 2019 and December 2020.

In her World Economic Forum speech in Davos Prime Minister May said the UK will “continue to be global advocate for free trade” after Brexit.

Today the European Parliament voted in favour of a Resolution to allow Brexit talks to progress to the next stage.

Yesterday I hosted a cross-party meeting about the state of wildlife and forests in Eastern Europe. We had many fantastic speakers including an ecology minister from the Ukraine. Thank you to World Wildlife Fund and United Nations Environment Programme for the organisation and research.