Catherine Stihler

Catherine Stihler
Born	30 July 1973

Catherine Stihler is an MEP for Scotland from Labour Party who, with five other Scottish politicians, brought a case to the European Court of Justice on the revocation of Article 50. On 4 December 2018, Catherine Stihler described it as a “landmark Opinion” from the ECJ's Advocate General:

“He has made clear that the UK can stop the ticking clock of Brexit before it is too late.

“If the Judges accept his Opinion, the UK will have the option of halting the process, and will be able to offer the chance to keep the best deal we have as a member of the EU through a People’s Vote – rather than choosing between Theresa May’s bad deal or a catastrophic no-deal scenario.

“I pay tribute to Andy Wightman for leading on this important issue, which the UK Government had tried to stymie at every turn. There is now light at the end of the tunnel.”

Affiliations

• Member, Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
• Member, Delegation for relations with the United States
• Substitute, Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
• Substitute, Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

Former Affiliations

• Member, Committee on Fisheries
• Member, Committee on Regional Development
• Member, Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee
• Substitute, Committee on Transport and Tourism
• Substitute, Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

Professional Activities:

• Since February 2002 served as Editor of the Parliament Magazine; paid taxable honorarium of £9,000 pa.

Additional Information:

• I employ an MEP assistant based in Brussels and paid under the Assistants' Statute.
• I also employ an office manager and a press and campaigns officer based in my office in Inverkeithing, Fife, Scotland. On a seven hour per week basis I employ a political and organisational assistant. The accountants French Duncan ensure that PAYE, NIC, pension contributions and other deductions are made for my UK staff.
• I do not contract or employ any family members.
• Jointly with the other Labour MEPs I also employ a political liaison officer based in London, line-managed by the EPLP Secretary General.
• I attended the AGM of First Step Forum, an international NGO promoting worldwide religious freedom, in Helsinki and Stockholm in January 2009. They paid for the overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm and for one night hotel accommodation in Helsinki.
• In June 2009 I attended the Royal Highland Show. I received two free guest tickets which would have cost £22 each.

Former Declaration of Financial Interests

Professional Activities:

• Since February 2002 served as MEP Editor of the Parliament Magazine; paid taxable honorarium of £9,000 per annum.

Further Information:

• I employ full-time a poltical advisor, an office manager, and a press and campaigns officer. On an eight hours per week basis I employ a political and organisational assistant. I have one service provider contract with my accountant who acts as my paying agent for PAYE, NIC, Pension contributions and other deductions for my staff.
• I do not contract or employ any family members.
• Jointly with the other Labour MEPs I also employ a political liaison officer based in London, who is line-managed by the EPLP Secretary General.
• I attended the AGM of First Step Forum, an international NGO promoting worldwide religious freedom, in Oslo, Norway, in Jnaury 2008; I covered my travel costs and the Forum paid my hotel accommodation in Oslo on 10 January 2008.
• In August 2008 my husband and I attended the Edinburgh Military Tattoo as guests of the RAF.

Record of Parliamentary Votes

• Voted in favour of the directive on "establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy" (A5-0027/2000). The directive covers all water management aspects in order to achieve a 'good status' of all waters by 2015.
• Voted in favour of the Commission White Paper on "Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy" (A5-0356/2001). The amendment helps avoid the necessary precautionary approach towards some chemical substances that are not proven to be completely safe.
• Voted in favour of the directive on "waste electrical and electronic equipment" (A5-0100/2002). The amendment sets higher reuse and recycling rates for IT and telecommunication equipment. Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
• Voted in favour of the report on "Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network" (A5-0135/2002). The Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T) is a network of so-called 'transport corridors' through Europe. This amendment calls for a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of these transport corridors and calls on the Commission to improve methods for analysing the environmental and economic impact of the TEN-T.
• Voted in favour of the regulation concerning "traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms" (A5-0229/2002). The amendment allows customers the right to choose GM free food.
• Voted in favour of the report towards a "thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides" (A5-0061/2003). The amendment proposes to ban or severely restrict use of pesticides in areas around sources of drinking water and nature protected zones.
• Voted in favour of the directive on "environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage" (A5-0145/2003). According to the amendment, polluters have to pay for environmental clean-up, and it supports an EU-wide regime which makes polluters liable for the damage they cause to wildlife, water and land.
• Voted against the directive on restructuring the "Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity" (A5-0302/2003). The amendment aims at giving tax benefits to environmentally friendly sources of energy, which would make them cheaper and more competitive to conventional (more polluting) sources of energy. It also gives tax benefits to environmentally friendly uses of energy for transport, for instance trains. Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
• Voted in favour of the amendment on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession (A5-0105/2004). The report objects to extending the life of the nuclear power stations in Bulgaria.

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

• MA (Hons.) Geography and International Relations, St Andrews University (1996).
• M.Litt. (International Security Studies), St Andrews University (1998).
• Political researcher to Anne Begg MP (1997-1999).
• In the Labour Party:

Youth representative on the Scottish Executive Committee (1993-1995);

Youth representative on the National Executive Committee (1995-1997);

Parliamentary Candidate, Angus Constituency (1997), MEP representative on the Scottish Executive Committee (2000-2001, 2003-2005).

• Member of the European Parliament (since 1999).
• In the European Parliamentary Labour Party:

Health spokesperson (1999-2004).

Fisheries spokesperson (since 1999).

Regional Development spokesperson (since 2004).

Deputy Leader European Parliamentary Labour Party (since 2004).

President of the Public Health Intergroup (2000-2002).

Chair of the Multiple Sclerosis Interest Group (2002- ),

Founding member of the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform (CPR) (since 1999).

• Editor of the Parliament Magazine (since 2002).
• Member of AMICUS, the Co-op Party and the Fabian Society.

Resources

• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Catherine Stihler, 14 January 2009, accessed 08 February 2009.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Catherine Stihler, 06 July 2009, accessed 04 November 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Catherine Stihler, accessed 08 February 2009.
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 07 February 2009.

 

Related Document

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:ECJ Advocate General says UK can revoke Article 50 unilaterally	Article	4 December 2018	Tony Connelly	Article 50 allows the "unilateral revocation of the notification of the intention to withdraw from the EU, until such time as the Withdrawal Agreement is formally concluded"

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