The Record: Europe

24 October edition
Lucy Thomas
Producer

New Question hour for the Euro Parliament

MEPs are looking to Westminster for inspiration to inject new vim and vigour into the proceedings of the European Parliament.

Political jousting and adversarial head to heads aren't what you'd normally associate with the monthly gatherings in Strasbourg where consensus building is the name of the game.

Add to that the 23 official languages in the chamber and spontaneous debate becomes a bit of a challenge.

But this week the Parliament introduced its first "Question Hour": a chance for MEPs to put the Commission President on the spot. We'll be looking at how it went and hearing the opinions of three MEPs - two of them former Members of Parliament in the UK.

MEPs discuss the European Parliament's first Question Hour

• Timothy Kirkhope is a former Home Office minister, now he leads the British Conservatives in the European Parliament

• Chris Davies was a Liberal Democrat MP from 1995 to 1997 before he became an MEP

• Stephen Hughes is vice president of the Socialist group in the European Parliament and has represented the North East of England for Labour for 25 years.

Trade and the Treaty of Lisbon

Lisbon will 'benefit EU trade'

Also the EU's Trade Commissioner tells us why she thinks the Treaty of Lisbon will make European Union trade policy more credible.

Baroness Ashton tells Shirin Wheeler that Lisbon could make things more "difficult" for her but trade policy will improve through the greater involvement of the EU's elected representatives.

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The Record: Europe examines the key moments in the political week in Brussels and Strasbourg and focuses on the work of the European Parliament and European Commission.

It is broadcast on BBC Parliament on Saturdays at 2300, Sundays at 1700 and Mondays at 1000, on BBC World on Saturdays at 1330 and Sundays at 0630 and on the BBC News channel on Sundays at 0530 and Mondays at 0330.