In her keynote speech to the Plaid spring conference in Cardiff, the party's Vice President, Jill Evans MEP will tell delegates that Plaid Cymru is on their side in Europe, and is the only party that will put Wales firmly on the map.

Ms Evans will talk of Plaid's successes for Wales at EU level, such as co-official status for the Welsh language, changes to EU rules to benefit farmers and rural Wales, better protection for consumers and improved employment rights for workers. The all-Wales MEP will talk of how Europe can help Wales weather the storm of the economic crisis through investment in green job creation and renewable energy and laws to protect public services.

In her keynote speech, Jill Evans MEP will say:

"I've seen my job as Wales's member of the European Parliament for the past ten years as putting Wales firmly on the map: politically, economically, socially. In Plaid Cymru we are not in the business of adapting Wales to fit in with British priorities or the Europe of the so-called ‘nation states’, but shaping our own future and influencing the way that Britain and Europe develop in a positive way at the same time. Wales is a European nation in the making. And we are making it - all of us together.

“Across Europe 35% of all jobs are in public services. So cutting those services will have a bad knock-on effect on the whole of the economy. I will continue to work in the European Parliament for laws to ensure that public services meet the needs of the people and protect them from destructive market forces. The needs of people are always more important than the needs of the market, which is why Plaid has always supported a social Europe, not just an economic union.

“There is no better way to create new business opportunities than a huge programme of investment to fight climate change, create sustainable jobs and sustainable economic growth. One of the powers the European Parliament does have is over the budget. MEPs have to agree, for example, on how the 4 billion euro energy part of the EU economic recovery plan is spent. I believe that half of that money must be spent on renovating buildings, public transport and renewable energy - the so-called "smart cities" projects.

Ms Evans will also propose that Wales should get its own European Commissioner, on a 'rotation' system. She will say:

“Why should the decision on who represents us in the Commission be left to Gordon Brown? We need to get the voice of Wales heard in the Commission.

“Under the devolved UK, let's divide the job up between Wales, Scotland, England and the north of Ireland. Each could appoint a Commissioner for a period of fifteen months. This would ensure that at least for a limited time we had a Welsh Commissioner. Dafydd – forget the House of Lords - imagine what a difference a Commissioner Wigley would make!”

Diwedd/Ends.