UK Office of the European Parliament

EP News, January 7th, 2005 (No. 193)

• Latest News
  
  
• The Week Ahead in the European Parliament
  • European Parliament session 10-13 January 2005
  • Committee meetings
    
    
• Forward notice: public hearing "REACH (chemicals)" 19 January 2005
  
• Diary dates
  
  
• Further information / subscribe / unsubscribe

Latest News

Palestine: MEPs begin observation of ”most important election in Arab world”

A group of 28 MEPs has arrived to observe the election for a new President of the Palestinian Authority. The delegation, led by European Parliament Vice-President Edward McMillan-Scott MEP is meeting election officials and the main candidates before spreading out across the Palestinian territories to observe the events of election day - Sunday 9 January.

Mr McMillan-Scott said: "The election is the most important in the Arab world. This is the European Parliament’s largest ever electoral observation mission. We come with open minds, but fully aware of the special circumstances under which the election takes place.

”We are also here to observe the observers. The EU has committed 16.5 million euro to election assistance and observation – we will assure ourselves that it has been correctly spent."

The European Parliament delegation is working closely with the more than 200-strong official European Union Election Observation Mission, led by the MEP and former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard.

Five UK MEPs are on the delegation: Edward McMillan-Scott (Yorkshire and the Humber, Conservative) - chair of delegation; Caroline Lucas (South East, Greens), Richard Howitt (Eastern, Labour), Baroness Emma Nicholson (South East, Liberal Democrat), Charles Tannock (London, Conservative).

The Week Ahead in the European Parliament

10-14 January 2005

European Parliament session 10-13 January 2005

MEPs return to Strasbourg next week for the first European Parliament plenary session of 2005. Highlights of the agenda include:

• EU Constitutional Treaty (Tues)
• Tsunami relief (Weds)
• PEACE programme - Northern Ireland (Tues)
• European Ombudsman election (Tues)

EU Constitutional Treaty

The feature debate of the week takes place on Tuesday with discussion of the European Parliament's position on the draft EU Constitution. Richard Corbett MEP (Labour, Yorkshire & the Humber) will jointly lead the debate with Spanish Conservative MEP Íñigo Méndez de Vigo. The debate is likely to last for the whole of Tuesday, with Parliament's vote taking place on Wednesday morning.

The European Parliament's official position on the Constitution will be determined by Wednesday's vote. At the committee stage, MEPs voted by a large majority to support wholeheartedly the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty - a minority opinion opposed to the Constitution is also being attached to the parliamentary report.

• More information on the publicity campaign around Wednesday's vote will be published in due course at this URL: www.europarl.eu.int/press/adoption-constitution-2005/index_en.htm
  
  
• For information on the Parliament's draft resolution and on the ratification process in the 25 EU member states, see the Briefing at this URL: www.europarl.eu.int/press/index_publi_en.htm
  
  
• For the text of the Constitution, see the website of the European Parliament UK Office, which has two versions: single-column, setting out each Treaty title on a separate webpage; two-column, where cross-references within the Treaty appear side by side. A search tool is also available. See: www.europarl.org.uk/constitution/

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Tsunami relief

European Parliament President Josep Borrell will make a statement on the tsunami disaster in Asia at the opening of the session on Monday. EU aid to the victims of the tsunami is to be discussed by MEPs on Wednesday, in the presence of Luxembourg Prime Minister Mr Juncker and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Mr Juncker will report back on the donors' conference due to take place in Geneva on Tuesday 11th. The European Commission, through its humanitarian aid office ECHO, has already committed funds to support the work of the Red Cross. Discussion in the European Parliament is likely to focus on what additional monies to release from the EU's emergency funds.

• [ ECHO website: www.europa.eu.int/comm/echo/index_en.htm ]

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PEACE II Programme

The formal proposal to extend the PEACE II Programme still needs to be adopted by the European Parliament. Jim Nicholson MEP (UUP, Northern Ireland) will lead Tuesday's debate and vote. The current programme has provided funds since 2000 to projects in Northern Ireland and the border regions of the Republic of Ireland. Parliament approved €108m for the years 2005-6 during its vote on the EU's 2005 budget in December. Tuesday's debate and vote will provide the legal basis for the programme to continue.

European Ombudsman - election

The European Ombudsman's office deals with complaints from European citizens about maladministration in any of the EU's institutions. MEPs will vote on Tuesday on whether to renew the mandate of the incumbent, Mr Nikiforos Diamandouros, or appoint Mr Giuseppe Fortunato from Italy.

• [ http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/ ]

Luxembourg Presidency of the EU: Jan-June 2005

Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker will present the priorities for the Luxembourg Presidency of the EU for the first half of this year (n.b. The UK holds the EU Presidency next - from 1 July to 31 December 2005).

Among the main issues will be: EU response to the tsunami in Asia; review of the Lisbon process (economic, social and environmental priorities for the EU); EU budget 2007-2113 (Luxembourg aims to reach agreement by June on spending limits for the 7 years); completing the EU internal market.

• [ Luxembourg Presidency website: www.eu2005.lu/en/ ]

Other issues this session

• Motor vehicle insurance: An amendment to the motor insurance directive will be debated on Monday. With the increase in cross-border driving within the EU, the proposal aims to make it easier to get temporary insurance. Amendments retabled by MEPs at this 2nd reading stage concern the levels of insurance required and definitions of vehicles and trailers for the purposes of the legislation. If the Council of Ministers does not accept all the European Parliament amendments, the discussion will go to conciliation.
  
  [ Commission documents, Council common position, European Parliament draft report and proposed amendments: see Committee on Internal Market's Meeting Documents: www.europarl.eu.int/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/imco/IMCO_20041214_1730.htm ]
  
  
  
• Climate change: MEPs will receive a report back from the European Commission on the UN's conference on climate change, held in Buenos Aires in December. The conference looked at latest developments around the UN Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. (Note that on 1 January 2005, the UK and other EU member states initiated the carbon emissions trading scheme which sets up market for the buying and selling of emissions, based on quotas for individual companies in certain sectors).
  
  [ UNFCCC website: http://unfccc.int/ ]
  [ More information on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme from 'IN FOCUS' on our website: http://www.europarl.org.uk/infocus/ ]
  
  
  
• EU-US relations: MEPs will debate transatlantic relations following statements by the Luxembourg Presidency and by the European Commission. Jonathan Evans MEP (Conservative, Wales) is chairman of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the US.
  
  
• Ukraine: Thursday will see statements from the European Commission and the Council on the result of the elections in Ukraine. Charles Tannock MEP (Conservative, London) and Glyn Ford MEP (Labour, South West) were official observers at the Boxing Day elections.
  
  
• European Commission language teachers: Stephen Hughes MEP (Labour, North East) will put an oral question to the European Commission on the sacking last year of 43 language teachers who had worked for the Commission for 20-30 years.
  

Full information can be found in "The Briefing" at: http://www.europarl.eu.int/press/index_publi_en.htm

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Committee meetings

Edited committee agenda below, with links to full agenda on www.europarl.eu.int, and working documents on the committees' websites:

All committee homepages at http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/home_en.htm

AFET - Foreign Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Wednesday 12 January 2005

• EU-UN RELATIONS WORKING GROUP
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

BUDG - Budgets [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Tuesday 11 January 2005

• Budget 2006: "Other" sections - European Parliament
  Report by: Valdis Dombrovskis (PPE-DE)
  - First exchange of views with Mr Julian PRIESTLEY, Secretary General of the European Parliament
  
  
• Budget 2005: "Other" sections
  Request for transfert - European Parliament
  
  
• Lisbon Strategy
  - Exchange of views
  
  
• Financial Regulations
  Exchange of views on fast track procedure
  
  
• European Parliament buildings policy
  Report by: Jan Mulder (ALDE)
  Leasing of two floors at 30/50, rue Wiertz, et acquisition of an underground storage area
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

CONT - Budgetary Control [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Tuesday 11 January 2005

• Exchange of views on the 2003 Discharge, including:
  - the European Court of Auditors' Annual Report 2003,
  - the European Court of Auditors' Special Report 5/2004 concerning PHARE support to prepare Candidate Countries for managing the Structural Funds, and
  - the European Agency for Reconstruction
  in the presence of the Member of the Commission responsible for Enlargement, Mr Olli Rehn, and the Member of the Court responsible for External Actions, Mr Maarten Engwirda
  
  
• Exchange of views on the 2003 Discharge, including:
  - the European Court of Auditors' Annual Report 2003, and
  - the European Court of Auditors' Special Report 4/2004 on the programming of the Community Initiative concerning trans-European cooperation - INTERREG III,
  in the presence of the Member of the Commission responsible for Regional Policy, Mrs Danuta Hübner
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

DEVE - Development [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 10 January 2005

• ACP DELEGATION
  
• SAARC DELEGATION
• ASEAN
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

ECON - Economic and Monetary Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Tuesday 18 January 2005

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EMPL - Employment and Social Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 17 January 2005

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ENVI - Environment, Public Health and Food Safety [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 10 January 2005

• New common positions:
  
  Framework for setting eco-design requirements for energy-using products and amending Directive 92/42/EEC
  - Decision on procedure in committee
  
  The sulphur content of marine fuels (amendment of Directive 1999/32/EC)
  - Decision on procedure in committee
  
  
• Hearing of Ms Zsuzsanna Jakab, nominee to be Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
  
  
• Proposal for a Motion for a Resolution on the Preparation of the Spring Summit 2005
  
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

ITRE - Industry, Research and Energy [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Tuesday 11 January 2005

• In the presence of the Council and the European Commission
  Visit of Mr. Andris PIEBALGS, Commissioner for Energy
  
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

IMCO - Internal Market and Consumer Protection[ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 17 January 2005

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

INTA - International trade [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 17 January 2005

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TRAN - Transport and Tourism [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Tuesday 18 January 2005

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REGI - Regional Development [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Wednesday 19 January 2005

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AGRI - Agriculture [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 10 January 2005

• In the presence of the European Commission:
  
  European action plan for organic food and farming
  Rapporteur : Marie-Hélène Aubert (Verts/ALE)
  - Examination of a draft report
  2004/2202(INI) COM(2004)0415
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

PECH - Fisheries [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 24 January 2005

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

CULT - Culture and Education [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 17 January 2005

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

JURI - Legal Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Wednesday 19 January 2005

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

LIBE - Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 10 January 2005

• Designation of Administrative Board Members of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, Vienna
  

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

AFCO - Constitutional Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Wednesday 19 January 2005

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

FEMM - Women's rights and Equal Opportunities [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Monday 24 January 2005

top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next

PETI - Petitions [ list of committees ] [ next ]

Tuesday 18 January 2005

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FORWARD NOTICE: 19 January 2005

JOINT PUBLIC HEARING: "The new REACH (chemicals) legislation"

Co-chairs: Mr Karl-Heinz Florenz MEP, Mr Phillip Whitehead MEP

Amongst the participants:

• Ms Judith HACKITT, Director General, Business and Responsible Care, Chemical Industries Association, UK
• Retailer point of view: Mr Mike BARRY, Marks & Spencer, UK
• Ms Emily McIVOR, British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection

Hearing jointly organized by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety; Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection.

Full programme and registration: http://www.europarl.eu.int/comparl/envi/reach/default_en.htm

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DIARY DATES

• 1 January - 30 June 2005: Luxembourg Presidency: http://www.eu2005.lu/en/
• 1 July - 31 December 2005: British Presidency
  
  
• 10-13 January 2005, European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
• 26-27 January 2005, European Parliament plenary session, Brussels
• 21-24 February 2005, European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg

  Link to the European Parliament's session calendar: 2005 (pdf):
  http://www.europarl.eu.int/plenary/cal2005_en.pdf
  
  

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Further information

• Simon Duffin, sduffin@europarl.eu.int, European Parliament UK Office, tel 020 7227 4300

To subscribe or unsubscribe please email André Vanderstock, avanderstock@europarl.eu.int

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