The Conservatives have announced today (22 June) the membership of their new grouping in the European Parliament.
Jonathan Isaby in The ConservativeHome reports: "The group will be called the European Conservatives and Reformists and its membership at the moment will be made up of 55 MEPs from eight countries; however, negotiations are continuing with others who may yet come on board before the new European Parliament formally convenes on July 14th (Now that it has finally happened, those who were previously nervous about leaving existing groups can do so secure in the knowledge that this new group is there as a viable alternative)."
The European Conservatives and Reformist Group will be comprised by: 26 British Conservative MEPs, 15 Polish MEPs from the Law and Justice Party, 9 Czech MEPs from the Civic Democratic Party, 1 MEP from Belgium's Lijst Dedecker, 1 MEP from Finland's Centre Party, Keskusta – Hannu Takkula, 1 MEP from the Hungarian Democratic Forum, 1 MEP from the Latvian National Independence Movement, 1 MEP from the Dutch Christian Union.
All the parties have signed a declaration which was negotiated in Prague. The Prague Declaration reads as follows:
"CONSCIOUS OF THE URGENT NEED TO REFORM THE EU ON THE BASIS OF EUROREALISM, OPENNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEMOCRACY, IN A WAY THAT RESPECTS THE SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR NATIONS AND CONCENTRATES ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY, GROWTH AND COMPETITIVENESS, THE EUROPEAN CONSERVATIVES AND REFORMISTS GROUP SHARES THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES:
1. Free enterprise, free and fair trade and competition, minimal regulation, lower taxation, and small government as the ultimate catalysts for individual freedom and personal and national prosperity.
2. Freedom of the individual, more personal responsibility and greater democratic accountability.
3. Sustainable, clean energy supply with an emphasis on energy security.
4. The importance of the family as the bedrock of society.
5. The sovereign integrity of the nation state, opposition to EU federalism and a renewed respect for true subsidiarity.
6. The overriding value of the transatlantic security relationship in a revitalised NATO, and support for young democracies across Europe.
7. Effectively controlled immigration and an end to abuse of asylum procedures.
8. Efficient and modern public services and sensitivity to the needs of both rural and urban communities.
9. An end to waste and excessive bureaucracy and a commitment to greater transparency and probity in the EU institutions and use of EU funds.
10. Respect and equitable treatment for all EU countries, new and old, large and small."
