Sharon Bowles MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, has said that the ECB's liquidity operations may save the Eurozone today but at the cost of future generations' livelihoods tomorrow.

Speaking from Brussels today, Ms Bowles said:

"We must face up to the impact of the crisis on the next generation, which is more than just the fact that we have devastatingly high numbers of young jobless.

Commenting on the re-election of Sharon Bowles, Liberal Democrat MEP for the South East of England, as Chair of the European Parliament's influential Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee today, Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said:

"Sharon is one of the most influential thinkers and legislators in Europe on financial services and the Eurozone crisis. Her re-election is good news for Europe and the UK.

"As party leader, I am proud that we have a leading Liberal Democrat in such a prominent and powerful position on the international scene. As UK Deputy Prime Minister, I am delighted and relieved to know that the EU financial services brief is in such expert hands.

"In the wake of the financial crisis, it is absolutely right that we undertake a complete overhaul of the rule book governing global finance and banking at the European, national and international level.

"Ministers and industry figures must now redouble our efforts to re-engage across Europe, pro-actively work with our partners to shape EU legislation that builds a more responsible, safe and successful banking sector, and deploy our financial expertise to help resolve the ongoing Eurozone crisis.

"I look forward to working with Sharon over the coming months in addressing these overwhelmingly important issues for the UK and Europe as a whole."

The Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Sharon Bowles MEP, has raised concerns that the European Central Bank is dominated by men.

Ms Bowles, who was recently re-elected Chair of ECON, said:

"The ECB is one of the EU institutions where gender balance is most blatantly disregarded. There is currently not a single woman on the Executive Board, nor the Governing Council or the General Council.

"One has to ask why important and influential EU bodies such as the ECB systematically fail to select female candidates. The argument that there are no qualified women for these positions cannot be taken seriously.

"I call on all parties to consider the institutional shortcomings that lead to the systematic absence of women in this crucial area of EU policy and to remedy this situation now.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who represents South East England in the European Parliament, has said the filing for insolvency by Petroplus -Europe's largest independent oil refiner - is a blow to the South East.

Petroplus, based in Switzerland, has been hit hard by the financial crisis and in December had $1bn in credit lines frozen - a move that has pushed the company closer to bankruptcy.

Amid fears that David Cameron's veto had isolated the UK in Brussels, MEPs from across Europe and the political spectrum have today re-elected Liberal Democrat MEP Sharon Bowles as Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee.

The committee, widely regarded as the Parliament's most powerful, is responsible for legislation in the headline areas of economic governance and financial services.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who represents South East England in the European Parliament, has been named on The Times '100 to watch in 2012' list, which includes actors, writers, musicians and world leaders.

Sharon is listed #48, ahead of Boris Johnson (#51), rock band The Stone Roses (#56), and writer Sir Tom Stoppard (#60).

The European Parliament will push the European Commission to come forward with a coordinated EU strategy to halve food waste by 2025.

MEPs in Strasbourg will vote on a report tomorrow to improve the efficiency of the food supply chain from the production stage to storage, processing, distribution, management and consumption. It is estimated that almost 50% of edible food gets wasted along the entire food supply chain each year.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who represents Sussex in the European Parliament, has joined calls for controversial gas company, Cuadrilla, to stop its fracking operations in Sussex until safety issues are resolved.

Hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking', is a process whereby holes drilled into reservoir rock layers beneath the ground are filled with pressurized fluid which creates cracks, veins or dykes allowing gas to be extracted.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who represents Reading in the European Parliament, has sent a letter of congratulations to Dr Vitaliy Khutoryanskiy, Reader in Pharmaceutical Materials at the University of Reading's School of Chemistry, for winning the 2012 McBain Medal.

Named after chemist James William McBain, the McBain Medal is awarded annually by the Royal Society of Chemistry and Society of Chemical Industry to 'honour a younger scientist who has made a meritorious contribution to colloid and interface science.'

Have you ever wondered why a personal loan, credit card or auto finance offered online has turned out to be much more expensive than expected? An EU-wide investigation into more than 500 websites offering consumer credit has found that 70% (393) of sites lack at least some of the legally required information to help consumers make an informed decision. In the UK, 38 out of 47 (80%) checked websites revealed irregularities which will now be investigated further by UK Office of Fair Trading.

Commenting after the publication of the initial findings of the 2011 EU Consumer Credit investigation, South East Euro MP Sharon Bowles, said:

"At a time when families are struggling and the effects of the credit crunch are still being felt across the country, it is of paramount importance that UK consumers are informed, confident and protected - especially when it comes to borrowing money.

"Finding out how much credit really costs is often complicated and misleading. It is absolutely essential that websites offering consumer credit online contain correct and complete information on the actual terms and conditions. It is essential that businesses comply with EU rules that were introduced to help consumers understand and compare credit offers.

"It is shocking that around 80% of websites checked in the UK do not fully comply with EU consumer credit rules and either do not include the standard information required in their advertisements, such as the annual percentage rate of charge (APR), omit key information on the offer, or do not explain fully the actual costs of undertaking a credit agreement.

"I urge the UK authorities to follow up these irregularities as quickly as possible and ensure that, in future, standard information on consumer credit will be made fully available on all UK websites."

National enforcement authorities are asked to report back to the European Commission by autumn 2012.