The Daily Telegraph investigation exposes corrupt practices in the metal on metal medical devices saga

Journalists from the Telegraph have been investigating the scandal of the faulty 'metal on metal' hip implants. These implants have caused increased pain and disability for patients, some of whose experiences are highlighted in this article. All too often the agencies that the public looks to to safeguard our health and well-being turn out, as in this case, to do the opposite - at great cost in personal suffering to the patients involved and in financial cost to the NHS and the wider economy. In this article we read:

 

"The European system of regulation has prompted widespread concern over whether medical experts are really at the vanguard of deciding which devices can be implanted in patients. 

 The Daily Telegraph and the British Medical Journal therefore decided to investigate the rigour of the licensing process, amid allegations that dozens of private companies are competing with one another to offer licences for medically questionable devices. Was profit being put before patient safety?"

And of course when you read the article you cannot but conclude that profit is indeed being put before patient safety. This is but one of the many undesirable consequences of our present membership of the EU, notorious as it is for corruption and waste. The Telegraph carries an analysis of the flawed regulatory system, written by Carl Heneghan. I urge you to read it, and to put yourself in the place of the innocent victims of this chicanery.

Nobel Peace Prize awarded to EU

It's beyond parody isn't it? - See this report in the Telegraph, where you will read: "The European Union has won the Nobel Peace Prize, despite a year marked by riots on streets of many capitals and the looming prospect of an acrimonious break up amid an economic crisis caused by the euro." - Could any other entity possibly have wrought greater damage on the EU's member states than the Gargantuan parasitic bureaucracy itself?

""The union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe," said the Nobel prize committee.""- Now would you say that the Nobel prize committee was, in this instance, exhibiting lack of sanity or lack of probity? - I am of the opinion that they are still sane... I have written about the Nobel prize committee before.

EU agencies and conflicts of interest

European Parliament reprimands food advisory body for industry links.
Three European agencies are fighting to rebut charges that they enjoy an overly cosy relationship with companies and interest groups.
Read article on the Nature science journal website

EU has sacrificed democratic principles and rights to the maw of unprincipled Big Business/corporate interests

The EU has sacrificed democratic principles and rights to the maw of unprincipled Big Business - Corporatocracy. The power of the people to determine their government has been transferred to corporate interests.

Read article on the Corporate Europe Observatory website

EU food is still heavily contaminated with dangerous pesticides.

The 2009 EU report on pesticide residues, published today by EFSA, shows food on the European market is still heavily contaminated with cocktails of pesticides. The percentage of EU food in shops and markets with multiple residues remains at a high level of 25.1%, meaning only a slight improvement in the last 5 years of reporting. The highest reported number of pesticide residues in one food item remains at 26: One sample analysed in the Netherlands (raisins from Turkey) with 26 different pesticides!
Read press release at pan-europe.info

EU court bans GE-contaminated honey

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that honey contaminated with genetically engineered pollen cannot be sold on the market.
Read article on the Greenpeace International website

Energy saving light bulbs emit carcinogens when switched on

Read the report in the Telegraph. It is by no means the first time that there have been reports of cancer-causing chemicals in energy saving light bulbs, as you will see if you type something like 'light bulb cancer warning' into your favourite search box. But it has become a greater and more pressing problem for us now because of the "EU direction to phase out traditional incandescent lighting by the end of this year." There is also the big problem of the mercury that is contained within these bulbs. The mercury may well become a big contamination problem on landfill sites of the future. We little realised the multiplicity of costly, harmful problems that being a member of the EU would prove to be, when, with no mandate to do so, a former Tory government signed us into membership of this wasteful, kleptocratic and dangerous federation.

Lobbying could lead to unapproved GM crops entering European food chain

Agribusiness accused of 'scaremongering' lobbying tactics as it pushes for the import of animal feed containing traces of unapproved genetically modified (GM) crops - using the guise of combating feed shortages
The EU is on the brink of allowing a raft of unapproved GM crops into the food chain as it prepares to lift restrictions on animal feed containing trace elements of GM crops.
Read article in The Ecologist (UK)

EU disregards first ever citizens' petition

The EU hopes to set aside a million signatories in a petition, organised by Greenpeace, calling on the EU to ban GMOs.
Read article at euobserver.com.

EU Consumers reject GM food

EU Consumers are still overwhelmingly opposed to GM food, new research published by the European Commission shows.
Read article at farmersguardian.com

An apocalyptic vision of the future for Ireland's working class under the thumb of the EU and the IMF

Europe’s Dirty Secret: Financial Elite Looting Public Treasuries
Read article on the Centre for Research on Globalization website

The transgressions of the EU and the folly of the eurozone

The transgressions of the EU and the folly of the eurozone. Read these articles assembled here: Reject the EU!

ANH seeks donations to fund legal battle against EU herb laws

The Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl) and the European Benefyt Foundation (EBF) have issued a call for €100,000 in donations to fund legal battle against the 2004 Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive.
Read article at nutringredients.com
Comment: To learn more about the proposed legal challenge to the ‘Brussels EU’ bans on traditional herbal medicines, click here.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

I reckon The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have increased in number. I see them now as:

The Pharmaceutical Industry (Big Pharma)
The Food Industry and Agribusiness
Oil and Petrochemicals Industry
Corporate and International Lawyers
Arms Dealers
Corrupt Bankers
The Diet Industry

plus their stable-boys: - The EU, the Health Industry, corrupt politicians, the Press, the media...

Who would you add to that list?

Most Britons want to leave the EU

YouGov poll shows a clear majority of British people would choose to leave the EU in a referendum.
Read article at the parliament.com

Water Fluoridation in the EU: VOICE presents evidence of adverse effects

EU Commission hearing exposes fatal flaws in water fluoridation
“VOICE, along with other environmental and health campaigners and international scientists, have presented detailed evidence of the adverse effects of adding fluoride to drinking water at an EU public hearing held in Brussels” said VOICE spokesperson Robert Pocock, who made a presentation to the public hearing in Brussels. “Its effects on bone and tooth enamel, the brain, kidney, thyroid function and the endocrine system regulating the body’s hormones were confirmed by reference to extensive scientific research” continued the spokesperson. Ireland and the UK are the only EU member states to deliberately fluoridate their citizens. The European Commission’s scientific committee on health and environmental risks (SCHER) is critically reviewing fluoride and fluoridation chemicals, following repeated questions from VOICE and other organisations, and Irish and UK MEPs. See VOICE of Irish Concern For The Environment.

EU's MEPs voted against compulsory GM food labelling

So EU citizens will continue not to know whether they are buying meat or dairy products produced using GM animal feed.
Read article in The Ecologist (UK)

European Medicines Agency working with patient groups bankrolled by drug industry

EU drugs agency working with patient groups bankrolled by Big Pharma
European patients' groups, set up to represent the interests of the subjects of medical procedures in their dealings with healthcare systems, insurance firms and drug companies are in many cases bankrolled by pharmaceutical firms, according to a report. Complicating the situation, many such groups are working with and on the board of the European Medicines Agency - the very EU agency charged with evaluation of medicines in the bloc. A fresh report from transparency watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory accuses the EMA of mis-administrating conflict of interest guidelines allowing individuals and groups to say falsely that they are not sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.
Read article at euobserver.com

eu seems a misnomer to me.

eu- (Greek: good, well, normal; happy, pleasing; used as a prefix)

I loathe and despise just about everything that emanates from the EU, starting with the fact that it is a kleptocracy, rather than merely a bureaucracy. Continuing with the fact that its rules/laws are made to benefit nefarious multinationals (including the pharmaceutical industry, the processed food industry, the healthcare industry, the arms trade, the petrochemicals industry) rather than the EU taxpayers, whom the EU ostensibly serves. And among many other huge flaws, the EU is a non-elected, self-perpetuating, parasitical, unaccountable, corrupt, amoral monster. - IMHO/DYOR, of course.

EU proposals would expose citizens to “intensive promotion” of new drugs

New attack on EU plans for patient drug information

The European Commission has been told that the “only rationale” for its current plans to ease certain controls on the provision of prescription drug information to the public “seems to be to benefit the commercial interests of pharmaceutical companies by expanding their markets and helping them to build brand loyalty.”
Read article at pharmatimes.com (UK)