EP News, February 17th, 2005 (No. 200)
European Parliament session 21-24 February 2005
MEPs meet in Strasbourg next week for a plenary session of the European Parliament. Highlights of the agenda include:
Among issues being led by UK MEPs:
A number of committee
meetings will also take place in Strasbourg. Among the highlights are:-
On Tuesday MEPs will be discussing a proposal to get rid of paper driving licences and replace the 110 different types of driving licence in the 25 EU Member States by one standard 'credit-card' type. The aim is to reduce fraud and make it easier to drive freely across the EU. 86 amendments to the European Commission proposal were adopted at the committee stage. These included: the time-scale for changes (no more paper licences in 10 years; EU standard licence in 20 years); deleting the Commission suggestion that licences for the over-65s be valid only 5 years. Other issues still for debate are: trailers and caravans; medical checks for diabetes sufferers.
This is the 1st reading in the codecision procedure, where the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers have equal power on the final text of the legislation. Following Wednesday's vote, once the Council has adopted its position, the text returns for the European Parliament's 2nd reading.
For the report and amendments adopted in committee, see this link (document in Word97 format).
Unfair commercial practices (2nd reading directive, codecision procedure)
New EU rules governing protection for consumers against unfair commercial practices receive their 2nd reading in the European Parliament on Wednesday. MEPs will be voting on amendments, in particular to the annex which lists all commercial practices deemed to be unfair. These would include so-called prize draws where there is no prize or the action required to obtain the prize results in the consumer having to pay money. Other amendments aim to protect children from direct exhortation to buy products and tighten up the rules on trading under false pretences.
367 MEPs must vote in favour of any amendment for it to be passed at 2nd reading. If the Council accepts all of Parliament's amendments, the directive would come into effect in two years' time. If Council rejects even one of the amendments adopted in Strasbourg, we will proceed to conciliation between Council and Parliament to determine the final outcome of this directive.
For the amendments and report adopted at committee, see this link (document in Word97 format).
Marine Pollution - criminal sanctions (2nd reading directive, codecision procedure)
Sanctions against those responsible for illegal oil pollution at sea are the subject of a directive to be debated by MEPs on Tuesday. This is the 2nd reading, so any amendments to be adopted by the European Parliament at this stage require the support of 367 out of the 732 MEPs. At issue is who should be liable for criminal sanctions: MEPs at committee stage have suggested not only shipowners, but also classification bodies and potentially port authorities. Also up for discussion is the range of sanctions and whether this should include imprisonment. MEPs at committee stage reiterated the potential role for a European coastguard in combating ship-source pollution.
For a link to the committee report and amendments, see this link (document in Word97 format).
If the Council of Ministers does not accept all amendments adopted at 2nd reading by the European Parliament, we proceed to conciliation between Parliament and Council.
Visit from President Yushchenko of Ukraine (Wednesday)
The recently-elected President of the Ukraine will address the European Parliament on Wednesday at 11am (UK time). (This visit has been rearranged following President Yushchenko's aborted attempt to travel to Strasbourg in January, when heavy snow closed airports across eastern Europe).
A press conference will follow at 11.30am (UK time) with President Yushchenko and European Parliament President Josep Borrell.
UK MEPs
Competition Policy - Jonathan Evans MEP (Conservative, Wales)
The conditions for the granting of state aid will be discussed in Monday evening's debate, to be led by Jonathan Evans MEP. His report also looks at distortions of competition in markets across the EU, including the failure to achieve full liberalisation of the EU gas and electricity markets. As regards the market in motor vehicles, MEPs will give their views on problems in the vehicle spare parts market and the continuing difference in prices for cars in different EU Member States.
A second report will also be debated on the exemption of small-scale public services from state aid rules. MEPs will be asking for greater clarity in Commission proposals on which public services should be exempted from the new rules. Discussion may well focus on hospitals and public housing, along with passenger transport services to remote islands.
Debate - Monday; vote - Tuesday; link to report - click here (Word97)
Recognition of seafarers' certificates - Robert Evans MEP (Labour, London)
The aim of this directive is to facilitate recognition of seafarers' certificates. MEPs will debate (Tuesday) the report by Robert Evans MEP, which will form the European Parliament's 1st reading in the codecision procedure. If the Council agrees to the largely technical amendments proposed so far, this directive could be finalised at 1st reading. MEPs are urging Member States also to work through the International Maritime Organisation to combat fraud in seafarers' certificates, given that non-EU vessels and crews using European ports are not covered by the terms of the directive.
EU Fisheries Control Agency - Elspeth Attwooll MEP (Liberal Democrat, Scotland)
Wednesday sees a debate on the proposal to set up an EU Fisheries Control Agency to assist in co-operation between Member States in the inspection, control and enforcement of fisheries policy. Amendments tabled in committee aim to increase the influence of fishing industry representatives, to include control of illegal fishing among the tasks of the agency, and to site the agency in northern Spain. The European Parliament's position is non-binding, the final say remaining with Member State governments in the Council of Ministers.
As part of the same debate on Tuesday, an oral question will be asked of the European Commission on its plans with regard to international action to reduce by-catch, whereby millions of tonnes of non-targeted fish are discarded annually worldwide.
Textile and clothing industry - WTO (oral question co-tabled by Giles Chichester MEP, Conservative, South West).
MEPs will be tabling questions to the European Commission and Council on the future of the EU textiles and clothing industries following the expiry of the WTO agreement on quotas in the sector. The debate will relate to the impact in developing countries and the EU industry, with much concern targeted at China's avoidance of its WTO obligations.
Other issues this session
Full information can be found in "The Briefing" at http://www.europarl.eu.int/press/index_publi_en.htm
21-24 February 2005
Edited committee agenda below, with links to full agenda on www.europarl.eu.int, and working documents on the committees' websites:
| (AFET) Foreign Affairs | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (BUDG) Budget | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (DEVE) Development | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (ITRE) Industry, Research and Energy | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (INTA) International Trade | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (AGRI) Agriculture | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (PECH) Fisheries | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (LIBE) Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
| (AFCO) Constitutional Affairs | [ short agenda - full agenda - committee homepage ] |
All committee homepages at http://www.europarl.eu.int/committees/home_en.htm
AFET - Foreign Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next - [ Subcommittee on Human Rights ]
BUDG - Budgets [ list of committees ] [ next ]
BUDGET 2006
FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVES
FINANCIAL REGULATION
BUDGET 2005
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next
DEVE - Development [ list of committees ] [ next ]
Monday 21 February 2005
In the presence of the Council and
Commission:
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ITRE - Industry, Research and Energy [ list of committees ] [ next ]
EXTRA MEETING - PUBLISHED DRAFT AGENDA
In the presence of the Council and the European Commission
VOTING TIME
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INTA - International trade [ list of committees ] [ next ]
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next
AGRI - Agriculture [ list of committees ] [ next ]
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next
PECH - Fisheries [ list of committees ] [ next ]
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next
LIBE - Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs [ list of committees ] [ next ]
The floor will be given for a 5 minutes presentation to the rapporteurs Kirkhope, Lax and Angelilli.
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next
AFCO
- Constitutional Affairs [ list of committees
]
top of page - full agenda - committee homepage - next
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