I WAS having something to eat with a couple of journalists who were on their first visit to the European Parliament. They, like every other visitor, had their eyes opened wide as to the amount of activity that was going on.

In this week alone we have voted on items that will sooner or later affect people in the North West, such as family reunification rights, undeclared work earnings, anew water directive, the end-of-life vehicles directive, reducing vehicle noise levels, restrictions on dangerous substances, audio-visual policy, combating drugs in sport and helping underprivileged youth to take part in European exchange programmes. Plus a load of other things.

At the beginning of the week we had a minute's silence for seven victims murdered by ETA terrorists in Spain over the summer. The Basque country is Spain's Ulster.

One MEP is an apologist for ETA and he spoke defending the ETA cause. He spoke in English because he refuses to speak Spanish and sitting next to him was Ian Paisley. I just wondered what was going through his mind.

The best moment of the week was one of those "not to be missed" occasions, when you could say I was there. We had the speakers of the Israeli Parliament and the Palestinian Legislative Council.

It actually gave me hope that there can be a peaceful solution to the problems of the Middle East. Avram Burg, the speaker of the Knesset made an emotional speech appealing for the EU to help in the reconciliation process. He ended by recalling that his late father, whose family suffered in the Holocaust, was willing to forgive Germany and recognise a new generation of leaders, then he did not see why a new generation of Israelis and Palestinians could not reach a similar understanding.

The Russian submarine disaster led some Spanish members to widen the debate of nuclear submarine safety to the fact that there is a British submarine at present at dry dock in Gibraltar.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with the EU but it raises the issues that Gibraltar, as part of the EU, has no representation in the European Parliament. It has none in Westminster either, but I don't think the Spanish would support that.

And finally, the antics of the journalist who caused uproar in Denmark where they are having a referendum on the Euro. Daniel Hannan, a right wing Tory who writes for the Daily Telegraph was speaking at an ultra right wing party meeting in Denmark and offering over £100,000 for the "No the the Euro" campaign.

Sensible Danes of right, left and centre were not best pleased, especially the Danish Conservatives who are pro Euro. As one Danish MEP said to me, "We don't need nutters like him, we have enough of our own."

TERRY WYNN

Strasburg