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Tory MEP faces conflict of interest claims

Caroline Jackson, Conservative MEP and party environment spokesperson, is facing questions about a conflict of interest over her relationship with various private companies.

Ms Jackson is a member of the European parliament's environment, consumer protection and public health committee and concerns have been raised over her position on the board of car company Peugeot Talbot, a paid consultant to food giant Mars and a paid advisor to Shanks, an independent waste company based in the UK and the Netherland.

The revelations come in a new report published by pressure group SpinWatch, which has compiled a dossier of MEPs' interests despite facing severe obstacles in the form of European parliament regulations.

Ms Jackson maintains Shanks has no interest in incinerating waste ¿ the main subject of her report ¿ saying: "There is no conflict of interest because Shanks is not really involved in the kind of waste treatment activities that are touched on by the waste framework directive."

But Shanks' website says the company "remediates PCB and pesticide contaminated soil through high temperature incineration at dedicated facilities in the UK and the Netherlands".

A Tory spokesman contacted by politics.co.uk poured cold water on the findings, however.

"Caroline Jackson has made no secret of her association with Shanks," he said.

"She's not on the board of directors, she's an advisor. And in all sessions she's made it clear to the parliament and the committee her association with this company."

The SpinWatch report ¿ Too Close for Comfort? - is designed as an opening salvo in attempts to focus attention on MEPs' various financial and political interests.