14 October 2008 - The South East’s Green Euro-MP Dr Caroline Lucas has been awarded a top accolade for her work on trade issues in the European Parliament.

Caroline, a member of the International Trade Committee and an experienced campaigner on climate change, animal rights and social justice, was chosen by her fellow MEPs to receive the Parliament magazine award for ‘MEP of the Year 2008’ from a shortlist drawn up by NGOs.

In recent years, she has been instrumental in policy making on trade; for example, through her work to radically reform the EU’s controversial Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), to stop the sale of timber from illegal logging and deforestation, and in calling for a ban on the import of seal products into the EU.

Caroline has been highly critical of the Global Europe trading strategy, pioneered by outgoing EU Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson, which promotes an aggressive anti-developmental approach in trying to force open the markets in some of the poorest countries.

She is also beginning work on a project focused on the World Trade Organisation and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to examine how international rules on trade will need to change to accommodate crucial environmental policies.

ENDS

About Caroline

Caroline Lucas was first elected to the European Parliament as one of the Green Party’s first MEPs in June 1999 to represent the South East of England region, and re-elected with an increased vote share in 2004. The next European Elections take place in June 2009.

Caroline is a member of the International Trade Committee and the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee. She sits on the Parliament’s Temporary Climate Change Committee.

She also serves as Vice President of the Animal Welfare, Health and Consumer and Globlisation cross-party Intergroups, as Co-President of the Peace Initiatives Intergroup and is a member of the Parliament’s Permanent Delegation to Palestine.

Caroline is the newly elected Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.