Anita Pollack

Anita's work as an MEP

Anita was Labour MEP for London South West from 1989 to 1999. She was also a candidate in 1984, 1999 and 2004.

From 1989 – 94 her constituency included the Parliamentary constituencies of Battersea, Tooting, Putney, Mitcham and Morden, Wimbledon, Kingston, Surbiton, Epsom and Ewell.

After a boundary change, her constituency in 1994 – 99 covered Streatham, Battersea, Tooting, Putney, Mitcham and Morden, Wimbledon, Kingston, Surbiton.

Anita's first parliamentary term

Main activities as MEP, 1989-1994

• Produced parliamentary reports on urban environment (2), measuring and monitoring air pollution, environment and transport, childcare, including producing a Recommendation on EU child care minimum provisions and standards which formed a basis for current policy (2), veal crates and sow stalls, dog registration, Sri Lanka Co-operation Agreement.  Ad hoc report on the position of black and ethnic minority women in Europe as affected by the 1992 internal market.
• President of All Party Animal Welfare Intergroup (92-94) including keynote speech to Humane Society in USA and taking part in monitoring visit to the Canadian seal breeding grounds in pursuance of EU ban on imports of products from baby seals.
• Campaigned with trade unions and helped produce alternative plan in effort to save 3,000 jobs at British Aerospace in Kingston in 1993, safeguarding 1,000 jobs.
• President of standing Parliamentary delegation to South Asia, 1992-94.
• Enabled funding for setting up of the European Centre for Alternatives to Animal Testing, operating at the EU Research Centre in Italy.
• Report on exploratory visit to Sarawak rainforest concerning illegal logging.
• Organised conferences on Women in Europe, SMEs, and a Gala Fair to promote animal cruelty-free lifestyles.
• EPLP spokesperson on Committee on Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection (including food policy) from 1992.
• EPLP spokesperson on Women’s Rights Committee and representative on Labour Party National Executive Committee Women’s subcommittee.
• Successfully lobbied for £250,000 fund for the London Study, providing strategic economic and social policy basis for future GLA Labour members.
• Honorary Fellow of the Roehampton Institute 1993.

Anita's second parliamentary term

Main activities as MEP, 1994-1999

• EPLP spokesperson on environment, public health and consumer protection.  Post 1997, Liaison Member for EPLP with UK government on these subjects until 1998.
• Labour NEC Women’s Committee representative to 1996.
• Produced Parliamentary reports on environment and transport, energy saving and renewable energy, carbon dioxide monitoring, urban environment and air pollution. This included legislation setting air pollution limits, forming the basis of today's air pollution targets in UK (known as the first daughter directive on air pollution). Shadow rapporteur on other air pollution directives.
• President of standing Parliamentary delegation for South Asia, 1996-99.
• Organised a presentation in London on Planning for London's Future in July 1995 with Hamburg Bauforum's chief city planner, to promote creative discussions on the Covent Garden and Battersea Power Station sites.
• Campaigned against Heathrow Terminal 5 and gave evidence to the Public Enquiry - 1995.
• 1995 Green Ribbon Political Award for the most environmentally effective politician from the European Parliament and again in 1998.
• Successfully lobbied for EU fund for tropical forests.
• Campaigned successfully for retention of the URBAN II part of EU structural funds,  which brought 10 million Euro to Stockwell in London over four years.
• Member of three-person Parliamentary team to UN Climate Change Conference in Kyoto 1997.
• Member of Green Globe Task Force advising UK Foreign Secretary (1997-2000).
• Member of London Study Steering Group (completed 1999).
• Council member of GLOBE International (Global Legislators for a Balanced Environment campaigning with Japan, Russia, USA and Europeans on global environment issues) Unpaid member of the board of GLOBE EU.
• Own-initiative study visits to US Food and Drugs Administration, World Bank, several universities and Schumacher Institute for Appropriate Technology (India).
• As rapporteur on the first daughter directive on Air Pollution, was featured in a three part fly-on-the-wall documentary for Channel 4 entitled “Brussels Behind Closed Doors", shown in April 1999, covering the development of this legislation.
• Keynote speaker at international conferences on environment, climate change, animal welfare and urban regeneration.
• Represented European Parliament at Latin American Energy Forum and EU/Latin American parliamentary dialogue on energy and urban environments, 1999.
• Contributed environment chapter in Changing States (ISBN 0-7493-2259-4) published by Mandarin, 1997.
• Member of Temporary Committee of Inquiry on BSE.

European Parliament Election Results
London South West, 1984-1994

1994 European election result

Miss A J Pollack (Lab)	81850	49.7%
Prof PC Treleaven (C)	50875	30.9%
G I Blanchard (LDem)	18697	11.4%
T J Walsh  (GP)	5460	3.3%
A J E Scholefield UKIP	4912	3.0%
C D Hopewell Ind	1840	1.1%
M J H Simson NLP	625	0.4%
J H Quanjer  Ind	377	0.2%

1989 European election result

Miss A J Pollack (Lab)	74298	38.3%
Roberts, Dame Shelagh (C)	73780	38.0%
Ms M A Elson (Grn)	35476	18.3%
J C Field (SLD)	10400	5.4%

1984 European election result

Roberts, Dame Shelagh (C)	70490	41.5%
Pollack, Miss A J (Lab)	63623	37.6%
Twigg, D (L/All)	32268	19.0%
Willington, Mrs S (Ecol)	3066	1.8%

The European Parliament elections from 1999 onwards were organised on the basis of regional lists and the constituencies ceased to exist.