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Geoffrey Van Orden. Conservative MEP (Eastern Region)

The Eastern Region is comprised of the 53 Westminster Parliamentary constituencies in the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Geoffrey Van Orden is one of seven MEPs for the Eastern Region. Re-elected June 2004.

Geoffrey was first elected MEP for the East of England in 1999. He is a member of the Foreign Affairs, Human Rights and Defence Committee of the European Parliament and Conservative Spokesman on Defence and Security Policy. He is also a Member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee. A former British Army Brigadier with wide international and operational experience, particularly in the field of counter-terrorism, his last military appointment was at NATO Headquarters.

Political Priorities:
"I go to Brussels to speak up for British interests and for the people of the East of England. I did not become an MEP in order to promote the EU. I want us to govern our own country. At the same time, I want to help local businesses and citizens get the best out of the single market and to assist in the creation of the widest possible area of stability and prosperity across Europe", says Geoffrey.

He has consistently opposed European political integration, in particular EU meddling in defence, the EU "Constitution", British adoption of the Euro and unnecessary regulation.

As the Parliament's spokesman on Bulgaria and as a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee with Turkey, he is actively involved in some of the most difficult issues concerning enlargement of the EU. He has mobilised the EU against the Mugabe tyranny in Zimbabwe and the military junta in Burma and has been heavily involved for over ten years in the campaign to eradicate anti-personnel landmines and assist their victims.