Committees

As a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, as well as an alternate member of the Industry, Energy and Research Committee, I am able to influence legislation in these areas and to ensure that new developments in these areas suit Scotland's needs.

Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

I joined the Agriculture Committee in January 2007 and have since worked on various topics including Brazilian beef imports into the EU, electronic tagging, GM crops and Blue Tongue disease among other things.

Due to the nature of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the large percentage of EU budget that it takes up, this committee is one of the European Union's most powerful. Also, the decisions that it makes affect all of us, whether through food prices or the development of our rural areas.

Find out more information on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.

Industry, Energy and Research Committee

In January 2012, I rejoined the Industry, Energy and Research Committee which I had been on previously, before the last European elections in 2009. This committee works to promote Europe's economy through the development of an innovative industrial base, focusing mainly on energy and research policy, space policy and the further development of ICT infrastructure.

Find out more information on the Industry, Energy and Research Committee.

Other Committees

I was also a member of the Temporary Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis, a committee set up to explore the failures that led to the current economic recession and to examine ways in which we can avoid similar crises in the future. This committee finished its work at the end of 2010.

Find out more information on the Crisis Committee.