SNP MEP Nominated For ‘MEP Of The Year Award’

Alyn Smith is shortlisted alongside Lithuanian and Polish MEPs for his work on the Parliament's Regional Committee.

Ian Hudghton MEP said: "I am delighted to congratulate Alyn for his nomination and am pleased that his hard work in the Parliament has been recognised in this way. It is tremendous that out of 785 MEPs, he should reach the short list."

ENDS

Notes:

1. Nominations have been whittled down to shortlists of three in each of 10 categories of Awards and the full information on each nominee will be published in The Parliament magazine. All MEPs and parliament staff will be entitled to vote.

2. Alyn Smith MEP was a member of the European Parliament's Regional Committee until January this year. His time in the committee was largely spent examining budgets and exploring how the EU regions can make the most of European funds. Over the years he worked hard to build links between Scotland and its partners across Central and Eastern Europe. As Scottish aid from Brussels has wound down, Smith has focused on helping new EU member states utilise European funds and encouraging them to learn lessons from the Scottish model.

The MEP is now a member of the Agriculture Committee and has been able to take his regional development arguments into the rural field. His main political interests include pushing sustainable agriculture, regional development and stronger transport links. He believes that communities on Europe's peripheries need strong, efficient transport links and has pledged to continue his focus on regional politics by working to improve partnerships between local and European bodies.