Giles Chichester

Giles Chichester    (politician)
A member of the European Parliament

Giles Chichester (born 29 July 1946, London), an English politician, has been an MEP for South West from the Conservative and Unionist Party since 1994. He is a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), the Temporary Committee on Climate Change, and the Delegation for Relations with Australia and New Zealand, as well as a substitute member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection and the Delegation for Relations with the United States.

Having studied Geography, he worked in publishing in management positions. He is the director of Guildford Timber Co. Ltd, New Zealand, since 1975, and the director of Silverstream Forests Ltd, New Zealand, since 1986. He is also the chairman of the industry lobby organisation, European Energy Forum (EEF) since 2004.

Affiliations

• Vice-Chairman, Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament
• Member, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
• Member, Committee on Petitions
• Member, Delegation for relations with South Africa
• Substitute, Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand

Former Affiliations

• Chairman, Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand
• Member, Conference of Delegation Chairmen
• Member, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
• Member, Temporary Committee on Climate Change
• Substitute, Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
• Substitute, Delegation for relations with the United States

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests

Professional Activities:

• Chairman and Managing Director, Francis Chichester Limited (UK), 9 St James's Place London SW1A 1PE, Map and Guide publishers
• Director of Guildford Timber Co Ltd (New Zealand) Real Estate and Forestry
• Director Silverstream Forests Ltd (New Zealand) Real Estate and Forestry
• I am majority shareholder in FC Ltd.
• I am 50% shareholder in GT Co. Ltd. Silverstream Forests is a wholly owned subsidiary of GT Co. Ltd.

Additional Information:

• I have been President of the European Energy Forum since 2004. This is an unpaid position. I pay 15 Euros annual membership subscription.
• Pursuant to Article 78 Paragraph 3 of the implementing measures for the statute for members of the European Parliament I declare tha I continue to employ my wife as a part-time local assistant.

Former Declaration of Financial Interests

Professional Activities:

• Chairman and Managing Director, Francis Chichester Limited, 9 St. James's Place London SW1A 1PE, Map & Guide Publishers
• Director of Guildford Timber Co. Ltd. NZ
• Director of Silverstream Forests Ltd. NZ, Real Estate and Forestry
• I am majority shareholder in FC Ltd.
• I am 50% shareholder in GT Co. Ltd. Silverstream Forests is a wholly owned subsidiary of GT Co. Ltd.

Further Information:

• I have been President of the Eurpean Energy Forum since 2004. This is an unpaid position. I pay 15 Euros annual membership subscription.
• 02 February 2008 - Attended 6 Nations Rugby International at Twickenham as the guest of the Rugby Football Union.
• 04-05 December 2007 - Invitation from Total to speak at International Petroleum and Technology Conference in Dubai, including travel and hospitality.
• 17-19 October 2007 - Travel, accommodation and hospitality by Conoco Philips as part of visit to Stavangar, Norway on my Industry and Parliament Trust graduate fellowship scheme.
• 27 July 2007 - 6 August 2007 - Accommodation and hospitality for myself and my family in the home of my colleague Mrs Locatelli MEP, Bergamo, Italy.
• May 2007, Bulgaria - Presided over European Energy Forum conference in Sofia, charter flight from Strasbourg to Sofia, accommodation and hospitality as guest of principal sponsor RWE.
• May 2007 - Attended America's cup races (louis Vuitton Challengers Trophy) off Valencia as guest of AREVA for travel, hospitality and accommodation.
• April 2007, Hungary - Visit to oil refinery, including accommodation and hospitality, as guest of MOL and to nuclear power station training facilities with accommodation and hospitality as guest of Paks Nuclear Power Company.
• March 2007 - Visit to Lardarello geothermal power plant in Tuscany including hospitality and accommodation in Pisa and Florance with helicopter overflight of energy facilities as guest of ENEL.
• January 2007 - Cartier visiting card case and ballpoint pen from Qatari Minister for Energy.
• 20-22 September 2006 - Participated in visit to Slovenia with the European Energy Forum. Visited Izola Solar Plant and Krisko Nuclear Power Plant. Hospitality and accommodation as guest of national utilities and authorities.
• 09-11 July 2006 - Visit to Melkoya LNG facility, Hammerfest, Norway. Flights from Oslo to Alta, north Norway, passage by coastal steamer to Tromso, flight to Oslo, with hospitality and accommodation all courtesy of Statoil.
• 15-17 June 2006 - Received hospitality and accommodation, courtesy of European Energy Forum, at Riga Baltic Region Energy Conference.
• 07-08 June 2006 - Flight to Toulouse, hospitality and accommodation for visit to Astrium and Airbus courtesy of AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe.
• 07-08 May 2006 - Visit to District Cooling plant in Barcelona, hospitality and accommodation courtesy of Euroheat and Power.
• 08-10 March 2006 - Flight to Avignon, visit to Eurodif and Melox plants and hotel accommodation courtesy of AREVA.
• 13-14 October 2005 - Visited nuclear research facilities at Marcoule, France. Hotel accommodation and hospitality courtesy of CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique).
• 13-14 June 2005 - Attended and spoke at Eurelectric Annual Conference in Vienna. Hotel accommodation courtesy of conference organisers.
• 26-29 May 2005 - Visit to Iceland with the European Energy Forum. Hotel, accommodation, internal transport and hospitality courtesy of Icelandic Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
• 22-23 May 2005 - Attended and spoke at CEZ (Czech Energy Utility company) Energy Conference in Prague. Hotel accommodation for one night courtesy of CEZ.
• 10 September 2004 - Attended Gibraltar Day celebrations, marking 300th Anniversary of Gibraltar becoming British, as a guest of the Gibraltar Government, including transport, accommodation and attending an Elton John concert.
• 15-16 July 2004 - Visited Total Fina Elf gas storage facility at Lussagnet in South West France, as guest of Total Fina Elf including transport and accommodation.
• 04 July 2004 - Attended Wimbledon Mens Final with my wife as guest of Imperial Tobacco.
• 06-07 January 2004 - Visited St Denis national control centre of RTE (Gestionnaire du Réseau de Transport d'Electricité) in France, including hotel accommodation and hospitality at Bastille Opera for my wife and myself.
• 14 November 2003 - Visited BP's Grangemouth petro-chemical plant in Scotland as a guest of the European Chemicals Industry Council (CEFIC). Flights courtesy of CEFIC.
• 06-08 November 2003 - Visited Czech energy utility at Temelin Nuclear Power Plant in Czech Republic as a guest of ČEZ, Accommodation for two nights in Prague and hospitality courtesy of ČEZ.
• 27-28 August 2003 - Visited Cap de la Hague nuclear re-processing plant by charter flight as guest of AREVA with seven MEP colleagues. Then travelled to Marseilles by scheduled flight to visit Marcoules nuclear research facility as guest of CEA with return flight to Brussels August 28 - 29 2003. My assistant also participated in both visits as a guest.
• 24-25 April 2003 - Attended and spoke at European Nuclear Council meeting at Stirin Castle, Prague as guest of Foratom and ČEZ.
• 24 November 2002 - Attended rugby international between England and South Africa at Twickenham as guest of Imperial Tobacco.
• 25 July 2002 - Attended opera in Verona. Accommodation, hospitality and tickets for the opera "Nabucco" as guest of GlaxoSmithKline.
• 07 July 2002 - Attended a luncheon and the Men's Final match at Wimbledon as the guest of Imperial Tobacco.
• 05-07 March 2002 - Attended conference on Energy Security of Supply in Helsinki as guest of Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers.
• 11-13 October 2001 - I led a delegation of 4 MEPs on a visit hosted by the Scottish Whisky Association to Glasgow and the Isle of Islay.
• 13-14 September 2001 - Visited the headquarters of VNG and Lipzig Power Exchange as the guest of Verbundnetz Gas AG (VNG), represented in Brussels by EUTOP, European Strategic Consulting and Strategic Communications.
• 09-11 September 2001 - Attended Gibraltar Day celebrations as guest of the Gibraltar Government.
• 18-20 October 2000 - Visit to Oskarshamn, Sweden as guest of the Swedish Power Association and Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB).
• Visited the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory to see the development of a solution for spent fuel disposal and visited the Canister Laboratory, CLAB, Sweden's central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.
• 14-15 September 2000 - Visit to OY Metsa-Rauma Ab pulp mil and UPM-Kymmene paper mill in Finaland as guest of CEPI, Confederation of European Paper Industries and the Finnish Forest Industries Federation. 15 - 16 September also visited nuclear power plant and waste repository research facility at Rauma as guest of TVO, Teollisuuden Voima Oy.
• 13-14 July 2000 - Visit to Everest North Sea Oil Production Platform as guest of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers together with MEP colleagues from the European Parliament's Industry, Trade, research and Energy Committee and Environment Committee.
• 29-31 May 2000 - Visited Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria as guest of Foratom and Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant with two MEP colleagues from the European Parliament's Industry, Trade, Research and Energy Committee and several representatives from the nuclear industry.

Background of Conflicts

Chichester's Nuclear Stance

Giles Chichester is exremely pro-nuclear and acts as Conservative industry spokesman and Chairman of the European Energy Forum. He was both chair of the European Parliament’s powerful Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) from 2004 to 2007 and has been the president of the industry lobby organisation, European Energy Forum (EEF) since 2004.

Chichester resigned as Chairman of the Conservative Party in Brussels after breaking the rules on MEP’s expenses. While the scandal led to him being chided for a lack of judgment, he is now coming under increasing scrutiny for his links to commercial interests. As President of the EEF, Chichester receives no money, but he heads an organisation labeled “the submarine of the energy industry,” whereby “discussions which start at the EEF usually end up at the Parliament”.

EEF refers to itself as a “neutral” forum. This is impossible to verify as its discussions are only open to members – Pascale Verheust, EEF’s Director of Coordination, describes it as a “closed club”. It is funded by its membership and, according to an informed source, annual revenue is over one million euros. However, EEF refuses to disclose its exact budgets and it has not filed any accounts. According to the Legal Service of the Commercial Court of Brussels, the Association Europeenne de l'Energie (EEF’s legal name), is a foreign (French) association that is legally obliged to submit accounts since 2006.

EEF’s members include over a dozen companies or associations with nuclear interests. So Chichester was Chair of a pro-nuclear lobby group at the same time as being Chair of ITRE, the Parliament’s industry committee, which has responsibility for key nuclear issues including nuclear safety, decommissioning and nuclear waste disposal.

Nuclear Hospitality As well as being Chair of the pro-nuclear lobby group, the European Energy Forum, Chichester’s other potential conflict comes from the hospitality he has accepted over the years from the following nuclear and energy companies: RWE, Areva, Paks Nuclear Power Company, Enel, the Slovenian energy utilities, Statoil, Euroheat and Power, Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique, Eurelectric, the Czech Energy Utility company, Total Fina Elf, Verbundnetz Gas, Swedish Power Association and Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, Canister Nuclear Laboratory, International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, TVO, FORATOM, and the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria. While many of Chichester’s free trips are to nuclear power plants, in May 2007, he was Areva’s guest at the America’s Cup yacht race off Valencia.

Pharma, Chemical, Defence, Energy and Tobacco Freebies

Chicester lists the following freebies in his register of interests:

• July 2006 - Visit to Melkoya LNG facility, Hammerfest, Norway. Flights from Oslo to Alta, north Norway, passage by coastal steamer to Tromso, flight to Oslo, with hospitality and accommodation all courtesy of Statoil.
• June 2006 - Received hospitality and accommodation at Riga Baltic Region Energy Conference courtesy of European Energy Forum.
• June 2006 - Flight to Toulouse, hospitality and accommodation for visit to Astrium and Airbus courtesy of AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe.
• March 2006 - Flight to Avignon, visit to Eurodif and Melox plants and hotel accommodation courtesy of Areva.
• October 2005 - Visited nuclear research facilities at Marcoule, France. Hotel accommodation and hospitality courtesy of CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique).
• May 2005 - Attended and spoke at ČEZ(Czech Energy Utility company) Energy Conference in Prague. Hotel accommodation for one night courtesy of ČEZ.
• July 2004 - Visited Total Fina Elf gas storage facility at Lussagnet in South West France, as a guest of Total Fina Elf including transport and accommodation.
• July 2004 - Attended Wimbledon Men's Final with his wife as guest of Imperial Tobacco.
• November 2003 - Visited BP's Grangemouth petro-chemical plant in Scotland as a guest of the European Chemicals Industry Council (CEFIC). Flights courtesy of CEFIC.
• November 2003 - Visited Czech energy utility at Temelin Nuclear Power Plant in Czech Republic as a guest of ČEZ. Accomodation for two nights in Prague and hospitality courtesy of ČEZ.
• August 2003 - Visited Cap de la Hague nuclear re-processing plant by charter flight as guest of Areva with seven MEP colleagues. Then travelled to Marseilles by scheduled flight to visit Marcoules nuclear research facility as guest of CEA with return flight to Brussels.
• April 2003 - Attended and spoke at European Nuclear Council meeting at Stirin Castle, Prague as guest of Foratom and ČEZ.
• November 2002 -Attended rugby international between England and South Africa at Twickenham as guest of Imperial Tobacco.
• July 2002 -Attended opera in Verona. Accommodation, hospitality and tickets for the opera "Nabucco" as guests of GlaxoSmithKline.
• July 2002 - Attended a luncheon and the Men's Final match at Wimbledon as the guest of Imperial Tobacco.
• October 2000 - Visit to Oskarshamn, Sweden as guest of the Swedish Power Association and Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). Visited the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory to see the development of a solution for spent fuel disposal and visited the Canister Laboratory, CLAB, Sweden's central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.
• September 2000 - Visited nuclear power plant and waste repository research facility at Rauma as guest of TVO, Teollisuuden Voima Oy.
• July 2000 - Visit to Everest North Sea Oil Production Platform as guest of the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers together with MEP colleagues from the European Parliament's Industry, Trade, Research and Energy Committee and Environment Committee.
• May 2000 - Visited Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria as guest of Foratom and Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

Other Business Interests

• Director of Guildford Timber Co. Ltd, NZ and 50 per cent shareholder.
• Director of Siverstream Forests Ltd, NZ. A wholly owned subsidiary of Guildford Timber.

Register of Interests

• Chairman, European Energy Forum, Forum concerning energy related subjects

Conflicts of Interest

Chichester is still President of EEF and, while no longer Chair in 2008, he is still a member of the ITRE Committee. Within the Committee, he has been personally responsible for four important Committee reports since 1999. This includes the significant Green Paper on ‘Security of Supply of Energy in Europe’. He was also Rapporteur for the ‘Directive on Security of Supply of Electricity and Infrastructure Investment’, adopted by Parliament in mid 2005.

There is also evidence that MEPs involved in EEF have tabled amendments for parliamentary reports that are very similar to each other in content. For example, in 2006, a report was written for Parliament’s Industry Committee on the European Commission’s Green Paper for a ‘European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy’. Two members of the Committee, Chichester, President of EEF and Edit Herczog, a Socialist MEP and EEF board member, tabled over 20 identical amendments for the report even though they notionally come from different ends of the political spectrum.

Asked by Brussels corporate watchdog group, Corporate Europe Observatory, if any of these amendments were written by the European Atomic Forum (FORATOM), Chichester’s assistant replied that the MEP did not feel obliged to respond but said “this is how the system works.”

When asked if he felt there was any conflict of interest between being an MEP and his activities either as President of the European Energy Forum, or from accepting hospitality and gifts from the nuclear and energy industries, Chichester replied: “My answer is no in both cases.”

Record of Parliamentary Votes

• Voted against 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 directive on "national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants" (A5-0063/2000). The amendment allows setting less ambitious national emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which would result in more damage to human health and the environment.
• 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 against 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 against 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 against 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 against 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 against 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

• Studied at Oxford University 1965-68: MA (Hons) (Geography) (1972).
• Worked in publishing at the University of London Press and Hodder and Stoughton Ltd (1968-1969).
• In Francis Chichester Ltd: Production Manager (1969); Director (1971); General Manager (1972); Managing Director (1983); Chairman, (1989).
• Non-Executive Director, Mediterranean Charter Services, Ltd (1973-1979).
• Non-Executive Director, Orrin and Geer Ltd - Bookbinders (1974-1981).
• Director, Goodwin and Chichester Ltd, New Zealand (1975-1993) and Guildford Timber Co. Ltd, New Zealand (1975- ).
• Director, Silverstream Forests Ltd, New Zealand (1986- ).
• Chairman, Hammersmith Conservative Association (1984-1987).
• Chairman, London West Conservative European Constituency Council (1987-1988).
• Member, Conservative National Union Executive Committee (1988-1990, 1997-1998).
• Member of the European Parliament since 1994.
• Has served on many voluntary bodies such as school governing bodies, charities, clubs.
• Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
• Chairman European Energy Forum (2004 - ).

Resources

• Conservatives, Conservatives Abroad Autumn Conference 2007, 12-13 October 2007, accessed 10 November 2008.
• Corporate Europe Observatory, "Nuclear Power Grab? Corporate Lobbyists and MEPs Working in Tandem to Spin Nuclear Energy as Sustainable," December 2006, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Draft Report (PE 378.549v01-00) Eluned Morgan, European strategy for sustainable, competitive and secure energy - Green paper (2006/2113(INI), Amendments, 19 October 2006, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Draft Report (PE 378.549v01-00) Eluned Morgan, European strategy for sustainable, competitive and secure energy - Green paper (2006/2113(INI), Amendments, 19 October 2006, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members’ Financial Interests: Giles Chichester, 12 September 2007, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members’ Financial Interests: Giles Chichester, 10 April 2008, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Giles Bryan Chichester, 05 January 2009, accessed 09 February 2009.
• European Parliament, Declaration of Members' Financial Interests: Giles Bryan Chichester, 22 July 2009, accessed 04 November 2009.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Giles Chichester, accessed 10 November 2008.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Giles Chichester, accessed 09 February 2009.
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 09 February 2009.
• Rowell, Andy, "Too Close for Comfort?" Spinwatch, July 2008.

Many thanks to our Patrons who cover ~2/3 of our hosting bill. Please join them if you can.