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Speaking during the hearing of Commissioner Designate for Health and Consumers, John Dalli, Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson represented the concerns of the Agriculture committee. Mr Nicholson raised the issues of imports of meat from third countries, licensing of GMOs present in animal feed and the recent introduction of mandatory electronic sheep tagging.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said he is looking forward to questioning the candidate for Agriculture Commissioner, Romanian, Dacian Ciolos this Friday morning in the European Parliament as the hearings for candidates for the next European Commission take place over the next week.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has welcomed the commitment from the Conservative Party that if they win the next election they will introduce a supermarket ombudsman to help restore fairness and accountability to the supply chain.

Commenting after the UDA decommissioned its weapons, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson said:

'2010 is now upon us and the next United Kingdom general election is no more than 150 days away.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has warned today that the new EU rules for electronic identification could push many sheep farmers out of business.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that the delay in approving new strands of GMO grains for imports into the European Union is driving up the cost of feed and hitting pig, poultry and beef farmers hard.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said he is not surprised that the French Government have excluded the UK from key talks on the future of the CAP taking place in this Paris this week.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson, ECR agriculture coordinator, held an important meeting this week with the Romanian Commissioner Designate for Agriculture Dacian Ciolos. Mr Ciolos had requested meetings with the coordinators of the political groups, all of whom are key figures in the European Parliament's Agriculture committee.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has raised his concerns over serious problems regarding " the right of ownership" which continues to cause dozens of his constituents and indeed many EU citizens who have invested in property in countries such as Spain, Bulgaria and Turkey in the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that a recent hearing in the European Parliament on the power of the supermarkets is hopefully the beginning of Europe starting to take the power of supermarkets against the producer and the consumer seriously.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson told the European Commission last night in the European Parliament in Strasbourg that when it comes to imports of meat from third countries outside the EU that MEPs and not just Commission officials must be satisfied in every way that the standard of meat coming into Europe is produced to the same high standards as European farmers adhere to.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson met with some local Councillors representing the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) in Brussels during their recent visit where they discussed a number of rural development and farming issues impacting upon local government.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that the EU budget debate over future agriculture funding is stepping up a gear in Brussels and that the battle is on to see what slice of the EU's overall budget will be given to agriculture and rural development.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson accompanied by Vice Chairman of the NI Assembly Agriculture Committee, UUP MLA Tom Elliott met with Gerry Maguire and Richard Moore from Linden foods recently.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson last week visited Caledon Regeneration Partnership.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson and Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey MLA last week made a fact finding visit to Newtownabbey .

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that European Commission proposals to reduce the prawn TAC for local fishermen by 30% could lead to the further destruction of our fishing industry in Northern Ireland.

Speaking ahead of a special debate in the European Parliament next week on Brazilian beef where the Commissioner will be questioned on the subject, Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said MEPs must flex their muscles and not let the Commission get away with relaxing the rules on imports of Brazilian beef.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson met with DEFRA Secretary of State, Hilary Benn MP recently to discuss the Government's perspective on the future of the agriculture industry.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has warned today that EU Leaders must remain focussed on helping dairy farmers and said that he expected more to come out of the special meeting of EU Farm Ministers held in Brussels this week.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has cautiously welcomed the European Commission's remarks on the dairy sector in Northern Ireland after representatives from the European Commission cited Northern Ireland as a region where the dairy industry was showing signs of recovery after the price of milk at the Northern Ireland Auction rose by almost 2.5 pence last week.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has welcomed the 2.36 pence increase in the price per litre of milk as a step in the right direction.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson, Agriculture Coordinator in the European Parliament for the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, has said after last weeks debate in the European Parliament on the crisis facing the dairy sector that Member States and the European Commission must remain focussed on helping dairy farmers and creating the circumstances where they can be profitable again.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has welcomed the meeting this week between Northern Irelands three MEPs and the Agriculture Minister to discuss a number of European agricultural issues.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has welcomed the news that the European Commission's proposals for controversial new animal welfare legislation to update the existing rules (Animal Transport Regulation No 1/2005) have been shelved for the meantime after considerable opposition was expressed about the negative impact the proposals would have for many livestock farmers.

Speaking in a debate in the European Parliament this morning on the crisis facing the dairy sector, Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has warned that until the power of the supermarkets in the supply chain is finally tackled, there will be no long term answers to the problems facing dairy farmers.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that he is disappointed with the current EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel's decision to retire at the end of this Commission's mandate.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has called on the local political parties to come to a voluntary agreement to ban the use of election posters during elections in Northern Ireland.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson visited O'Kane poultry this week in Ballymena where he met with Tony O'Neill, Managing Director and Billy O'Kane, company Chairman.

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson visited the Enniskillen show on Wednesday accompanied by local Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott.

Joint Statement by the Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party and the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Conservatives

"This Labour government is failing us all including pensioners - which it makes it all the more incredible that the DUP, and indeed the SDLP, keep supporting them"

Conservative and Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson told the first meeting of the new European Parliament's agriculture committee that he wanted to make a steady, fair and equitable milk price for farmers in Northern Ireland a priority.

Commenting on strengthening the Unionist vote ahead of the European Election, Conservatives and Unionists candidate Jim Nicholson said, "A healthy democracy needs voters to exercise their democratic right and turn out to vote. As an unashamed Unionist - committed to strengthening, deepening and broadening the Union by placing Northern Ireland in the mainstream of UK politics - I particularly urge pro-Union voters to turn out and to transfer to pro-Union candidates.

Ahead of the European Election on Thursday, Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Sir Reg Empey and Leader of the Conservative Party David Cameron have issued the following joint statement.

Jim Nicholson MEP, Conservatives and Unionists Euro candidate has congratulated the South East Fermanagh Foundation on wining the prestigious Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. Mr. Nicholson recently visited the Victims group during his election campaign and was greatly impressed by their achievements.

Jim Nicholson MEP, Conservatives and Unionists Euro candidate, has given a warm welcome to the launch by Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague of a draft Lisbon Treaty Referendum Bill today. The Draft Bill will be immediately brought before Parliament if a Conservative government is returned after the next Westminster election.

Jim Nicholson MEP, Conservatives and Unionists candidate in the Euro elections, has welcomed the support of former DUP Councillors Harry Greenaway and Deirdre Nelson.

Jim Nicholson MEP, Conservatives and Unionists Euro candidate offered his condolences to the family of the latest soldier from Northern Ireland to have been killed in Afghanistan. Nigel Moffett, originally from Holywood in East Belfast, was killed alongside his colleague Stephen Bolger in an explosion on Saturday.

Jim Nicholson MEP Conservatives and Unionists Euro candidate welcomed Eric Pickles MP, Chairman of the Conservative Party, to Northern Ireland today. Mr Pickles who is MP for Brentwood and Ongar in the east of England joined Mr. Nicholson on the campaign trail in Ballymena.

Jim Nicholson MEP, Conservatives and Unionists candidate in the European election, has described DUP candidate Councillor Dodds as an "agricultural amateur" after her shrill attack on the Conservatives and Unionists standing up for Northern Ireland's farmers.

Jim Nicholson MEP Conservatives and Unionists candidate for the Euro elections has outlined his belief that if Northern Ireland is to truly benefit from Europe, Europe must do more for small and medium sized businesses.

Following a PSNI operation in Belfast rescuing 6 women who were victims of human trafficking, Jim Nicholson MEP - Conservatives and Unionists Euro candidate - has urged greater European and international co-operation in the fight against trafficking.

Responding to claims from Diane Dodds during the launch of her Euro manifesto, Jim Nicholson said:

Jim Nicholson MEP Conservatives and Unionists Euro candidate has voiced his concern about the growing phenomenon of cyber crime, commenting that it is an issue that must be more adequately addressed at a European level.