"ALERT": EP Plenary vote on NWC and H-N Protocol next Friday April 24 2009.

Please contact MEP and join our lobby effort Thursday and Friday in the EP in Strasbourg.

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Dear friends, Next Friday April 24th the EP plenary will vote on a report of Angelika Beer (MEP Greens/EFA) for a recommendation to the EU Council on non-proliferation and the future of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

More information by clicking here
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&reference=A6-2009-0234&language=EN#title4

In this plenary vote we receive the opportunity for the EP to support the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention and the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol.

The original language in favor of EP support for the NWC and the Protocol was deleted during a first vote in the EP Foreign Affairs Committee on April 3. Fierce opposition came from Ms. Jana Hybaskova (CZ), Josep Zieleniec (CZ) and Nickolay Mladenov (Bulgaria) from the PPE-DE (Christian Democrats). Also Mr. Janusz Onyszkiewicz (Poland) from
the ALDE (Liberals) opposed fiercely. This while the PSE (Social Democrats) gave in too easily.

But the situation has changed, amongst others because of our lobbywork and The Prague Declaration of President Obama on April 5th

Through MEP Wiersma the PSE apologized for their weak position ... and the PSE, the Greens/EFA and the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE) have now united and decided to reintroduce the NWC and the H-N Protocol. These three groups theoretically provide 301 out of 785 votes.

And we have now also found support with in the PPE, with Ms. Frieda Brepoels (PPE - Belgium) and Ms. Annemie Neyts (ALDE - Belgium). They will call their colleagues from PPE and ALDE within the EP to support the Report of Angelika Beer.  Also MEP Girts Kristovskis (UEN - Latvia) might help us.

Help us win a potential tight vote. The Christian-Democrats (PPE-DE), the Liberals (ALDE) and also the  Union for Europe of Nations (UEN) are going for a divided vote.  We need to find as much support as possible within these groups.

Please contact MEP's from the PPE-DE (288), ALDE (100), UEN (44) and IND/DEM (22), and ask them to support the NWC and the H-N Protocol towards a NWFW by 2020.

You can find MEP contact details by clicking here
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members.do?language=EN

And do you know other MEP from the PPE, ALDE, UEN or IND/DEM who could join and actively lobby their party colleagues? Let us know asap.

I am also looking for support in Strasbourg to lobby MEP's who could make the difference. Let me know if you can join next Thursday and Friday in Strasbourg.

Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign will send a letter through our mail server to all MEP's on Monday or Tuesday. Join us and let's get the EP move with us towards a nuclear weapons free world.

And to end some positive news: on January 29th 2009 the Belgian Senate approved a resolution in support of the abolition of all nuclear weapons by 2020. You can read this (page 14) and a lot more in our Mayors for Peace "Progress Report 2009", with a review of 2008 and plans for 2009, Visit our website and download the report on http://www.2020visioncampaign.org/pages/504/

Thank you for your support and don't hesitate to get back if you need more information.

Best,
Pol D´Huyvetter

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Executive Advisor Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation
& Director Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign International Secretariat

City Hall
Grote Markt 34
8900 Ypres,
BELGIUM

Phone: +32-57-38 89 57
Skype:poltanner
E-mail: pol@2020visioncampaign.org
Website: www.2020visioncampaign.org

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