Nick Clegg launches Liberal Democrat European Election Campaign

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 12th May 2009

Today Nick Clegg launched the Liberal Democrat Europen election campaign. In his speech he warned that Brtiain must lead within the EU to protect families from crime, climate change and the recession. Nick published the Party's European manifesto 'Stronger Together, Poorer Apart' in central London, and said:

"We can only protect British families from crime, the recession and climate change if our country works with other EU countries.

"Criminals, business, climate change - these things cross borders. So the police, regulators, and environmental action have to cross borders too. It's the EU that makes this essential cooperation possible.

"Only the Liberal Democrats know how to provide security, jobs, and a clean environment by leading in the European Union.

"Liberal Democrats backed EU plans for the fast track extradition of thousands of criminals suspects across Europe - including 21/7 bomber Hussein Osman who was extradited in just three weeks from Rome. It would have taken months if UKIP and the Conservatives had succeeded in blocking these new rules.

"Liberal Democrats support EU police and judicial cooperation, which have achieved a huge amount in particular in relation to people trafficking and internet crime.

"One investigation known as Operation Koala managed to close down a website which contained 150 sexually explicit videos of underage girls and prosecute the people who ran it and its customers.

"Because the operators and users of this site were in a total of 28 different countries, it was only because of EU cooperation that the prosecution was swift and successful."