UK Office of the European Parliament

 

EP News, May 13th, 2005 (No. 211)

 

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13 May 2005

Recognition of professional qualifications [ next story ] [ top ]

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SUMMARY

An EU-wide system for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications moved a step closer this week with the European Parliament's 2nd reading vote on a new directive covering the liberal and regulated professions, such as engineers, architects, accountants and doctors.

By comparison with the European Commission's original proposal, which favoured easier movement between countries and supervision in the hands of the country of origin, the European Parliament's text recommends mutual recognition and the principle of control by the host country.

The 33 amendments adopted this week include :

(The amendments adopted this week result from informal negotiations with the Council of Ministers. It is for the Council now to approve the text adopted this week. If it rejects any one of the Parliament's amendments, discussions would have to proceed to conciliation between the European Parliament and Council of Ministers).

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EXCERPTS from Tuesday's debate (10 May 2005) in Strasbourg:

Commissioner McCreevy: this directive is an important practical contribution to skills mobility. It covers a large variety of issues of great interest to the professions and also to their clients. A reasonable compromise on the text provides us with a major success story in the field of the internal market. The final result strikes a balance between the right to free movement of fully qualified professionals and the need to protect consumers. In particular, I welcome the maintenance of the five levels of qualification, which have played a central role in the operation of professional recognition at EU level over the last 15 years.

The new regime for the automatic recognition of medical specialities reconciles the need for simplification with the legitimate demands of the profession. For its part, the consultation of professional associations will provide the Commission with the technical advice necessary for the proper running of the system.

Last, but not least, I appreciate the additions to the common position suggested by Parliament, such as those regarding: firstly, the possibility for professional associations to create professional cards; secondly, the possibility of further harmonisation for additional professions in the future; and, thirdly, the anti-abuse clause which will preclude so-called 'qualifications shopping'.

 

Malcolm Harbour (Conservative, West Midlands): It is sometimes easy to forget that mutual recognition of professional qualifications within the European single market has been one of the foundation stones of the whole of the internal market project. This is a much-needed reform of the whole package. It has been necessary to deal with the frustrations that have been felt by many professionals about some of the difficulties in accessing their rights under internal market legislation. It is important we deal with those issues now, as part of our overall strategy to open up the internal market for services.

I am sure that by the end of this year, or early next year, we will also have agreed a substantive proposal to open up the market for services. This will allow qualified professionals to take advantage of the single market and use their skills to drive home the advantages for growth and jobs that an internal market for services must deliver.

 

Phillip Whitehead (Labour, East Midlands): The free movement of professionals is an important step in achieving the Lisbon Agenda. It opens up opportunities in other Member States for dentists, doctors, construction workers and gas engineers that were often closed as a result of an effective 'closed shop' among the professions. I am very grateful that our three German colleagues directly address the reservations in their own Member State on this issue.

This is an advance to balance free movement and competition, and ensure health and safety and consumer protection at one and the same time. I commend it, and I hope the Commissioner will give it speedy effect.

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LINKS
Full text of the debate in the speakers' original language:

Report by Stefano Zappala' MEP:
Text and amendments adopted by Parliament (11 May 2005):

Existing legislation affected by the new rules:

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11 May 2005

Chris Huhne and Theresa Villiers [ next story ] [ top ]

Following their election to the House of Commons on 5 May, Chris Huhne (Liberal Democrat, South East) and Theresa Villiers (Conservative, London) automatically stood down from the European Parliament. It is not possible to hold a seat in both the House of Commons and the European Parliament. The President of the European Parliament duly announced the two vacancies during the plenary session in Strasbourg on Wednesday 11 May.

The right to take up those seats in the European Parliament falls to the next candidates on the respective party lists in the relevant region (see our website for the list of candidates to the June 2004 election). However, the seats are not formally filled again until the UK authorities have officially communicated to the European Parliament the names of the replacements.

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11 May 2005

Bathing water: MEPs vote for new EU rules [ next story ] [ top ]

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SUMMARY

The European Parliament yesterday adopted its 2nd reading of new EU rules on the quality of bathing waters across the European Union.

New maximum levels have been agreed for the presence of e-coli and other faecal and chemical effluent in bathing waters, with a deadline of 2011 for all registered bathing waters to achieve the standard of 'sufficient' quality.

However, MEPs voted to delete the 'sufficient' quality status 8 years after entry into force of the new directive. From then on, all bathing waters would have to achieve a more stringent 'good' quality.

The European Parliament laid great emphasis on the need for better information to the general public using the bathing water beaches. MEPs voted for amendments introducing :

MEPs also voted for national or local authorities to have in place emergency plans to deal with accidents, floods or infrastructure damage.

(If Council rejects any one of the Parliament's amendments, discussions would have to proceed to conciliation between the European Parliament and Council of Ministers).

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EXCERPTS from Monday's debate (9 May 2005) in Strasbourg:

Caroline Jackson (Conservative, South West): Mr President, this is a very useful and important revision of the 1976 Directive. We should remember that it does mean real improvements in water quality within the 'good' and 'excellent' categories now proposed… The implementation of the 1976 Directive has taken 30 years at least and cost a lot of money. I represent the South-West of England, where we have spent more than £1 billion… in clearing up the bathing beaches around the coast of that region of England alone. That has meant a 15% year-on-year increase in water rates and I do not think people will be prepared to pay a lot more for a much more demanding directive.

I am in favour of keeping the category of 'sufficient'. I know that some want to delete it, but it seems to me that given that the new 'good' and 'excellent' standards are much tougher, and that even with investment some beaches may fail, especially after rain, we need the 'sufficient' category as a sort of probationary category.

Finally, on the question of recreational waters… I highlight the fact that the British Canoe Union is begging us not to support the extension of this directive to recreational waters

I wish this directive well. I remember the 1976 one when it first came forward. This is a great improvement and we should remember that.

 

John Purvis (Conservative, Scotland): Mr President, Scotland has found it very difficult to meet even the 1976 Bathing Water Directive. The main problem for us is agriculture and the run-off because of high rainfall, especially on the west coast…The land use on the west coast is predominantly livestock: sheep and cattle and wild deer. So, every time there is a heavy rainfall, some faecal material will be washed down from the moors and onto the beaches.

The Scottish Executive, the local authorities and Scottish Water have spent huge sums of money trying to minimise these occurrences, keeping livestock out of the water courses and installing simple treatment systems that are designed to stem the natural flow. However, it is impossible to stop it completely.

Scotland has miles and miles of splendid beaches… Scotland sometimes even has beautiful weather, when tourists and local people flock to our beaches. It would be perverse and severely damaging if Parliament, led by the Green brigade - who, sadly, know so little of the real world - were to remove the 'sufficient' classification in this new directive and condemn Scotland's beaches to the loss of their coveted and deserved status among the best and most beautiful in Europe.

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LINKS
Full text of the debate in the speakers' original language:

http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?L=EN&PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+CRE+20050509+ITEM-015+DOC+XML+V0//EN&LEVEL=3&NAV=X

Reports by Jules Maaten MEP:
Text and amendments adopted by Parliament (10 May 2005):

http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?L=EN&OBJID=95800&MODE=SIP&NAV=X&LSTDOC=N&LEVEL=2

Existing directive affected by the new rules:

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11 May 2005

Working hours opt-out to end: on-call time to count as working time [ next story ] [ top ]

MEPs want the right of individual workers to opt out of the maximum 48 hour working week to be scrapped three years after the new working hours directive enters into force. They also want hours "on-call" to count as working time in most cases. Parliament took these decisions when it adopted a legislative report by Alejandro CERCAS (PES, ES) by 345 votes to 264 against, with 43 abstentions.

Members thus disagree with the proposal put forward by the European Commission, which would keep the individual opt-out while tightening up the conditions for its application. Again in contrast to the Commission, MEPs want the entire period of any time spent on-call, including the "inactive part", to be regarded as working time. But the committee decided that Member States could allow inactive parts of on-call time to be calculated in special ways in order to comply with the maximum weekly average working time. MEPs also clarify the definitions of "on-call time" and "inactive part of on-call time."

Full developments and background on www.europarl.eu.int - please click here.

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10 May 2005

Call for EU financial assistance for McCartney Family campaign [ next story ] [ top ]

In adopting a joint resolution on the murder of Robert McCARTNEY by 555 votes in favour to 4 against, and 48 abstentions, the European Parliament proposes that, if the Police Service of Northern Ireland is unable to bring a prosecution in relation to the murder of Robert McCartney, the European Union grant a financial contribution, in conformity with the Financial Regulation, toward the cost of legal fees incurred by the McCartney family in their quest for justice by way of civil proceedings.

MEPs call on the Council and the Commission to provide all appropriate assistance to law enforcement authorities in Northern Ireland in order to ensure that the murderers of Robert McCartney are brought to justice. The House asks, in this connection, that the Commission make such a contribution from the budget line in the general budget of the EU intended for aid for the victims of terrorism.

To read the full article on www.europarl.eu.int - click here.

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10 May 2005

President Karzai of Afghanistan [ next story ] [ top ]

Excerpts from the official speech of President Karzai of Afghanistan to the European Parliament on Tuesday 10 May 2005.

"It gives me great confidence for the future of Afghanistan and our region to see the countries of Europe come together here in a spirit of unity and cooperation. It was not long ago that the Iron Curtain divided Europe into West and East. Yet, today, that curtain has been removed to reveal a mosaic, where each piece retains a distinct identity, but together form a greater entity…

The first presidential election in our history was held last October in which more than eight million people participated. The success of the election graphically illustrated the defeat of terrorism in Afghanistan. (Applause) In particular, the massive participation by the women of Afghanistan, 42% of the national turnout, demonstrated emphatically that a new era of social and political rights for women had arrived. (Applause)

Here, I would like to narrate a story to you that I witnessed about two and a half months ago. I was having lunch with a group of tribal elders from a very conservative part of Afghanistan, and I noticed that with these tribal elders and clergy there were women…I greeted the tribal chiefs by name…I said: 'Mr so-and-so welcome and how are you?'. When I had finished greeting the men, I said to the ladies: 'Welcome and good to see you'. Suddenly one of the ladies got up and said: 'Mr President, you greeted the men by name. You did not greet us by name'. I was shocked. I said: 'Well, madam, I am sorry I did not know your name'. She said: 'You know, you are elected because of our vote. Next time I see you, you had better know my name or you will not be elected!'. That is the change in Afghanistan for which we are very happy.

With help from Europe and others in the international community, we have trained a new police force of some 50,000, along with a special force to conduct counter-narcotics operations… Poppy cultivation and the drug economy are still afflicting our communities and remain obstacles to Afghanistan's stability…

Thirty years ago, when the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Afghanistan was a somewhat well-to-do agrarian society. In the years of conflict, drought and difficulties for the Afghan people, Afghan men and women - families, fathers, mothers, daughters - had no hope for the future…In that situation, people destroyed vineyards and replaced them with poppies; people destroyed pomegranate orchards and replaced them with poppies; people destroyed apricot orchards and replaced them with poppies, because poppies were easy to grow - there was not much need for irrigation - and easy to sell. Therefore, because of a lack of confidence in the future and a lack of means, society became involved in that easy crop. Last year, we began action against poppy cultivation, and the people responded because they have more hope for the future: they have more confidence in their country and in themselves.

Parliamentary elections in September will mark the culmination of the Bonn process in Afghanistan. The Afghan constitution decrees that at least 27% of members of the Afghan Parliament should be women.

From Europe, we need support and the assurance that Afghanistan will continue to receive assistance in a sustainable manner. In particular, as you deliberate here about the European Union's future international commitments, I hope you will see the need for multi-year pledges of aid to Afghanistan to support our efforts at rebuilding our country.

Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you once again, on behalf of the Afghan people, for the generous support that the European Union, as one of the largest donors to Afghanistan, has provided over the last three years. The people of Afghanistan are especially grateful to your sons and daughters in uniform who are serving courageously in our country. To those who have given their lives to provide us with security, we offer once again our gratitude, our prayers and our pledge that we will never forget."

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The Week Ahead in the European Parliament

16-20 May 2005

MEPs are scheduled to return to their constituencies this week.

However, a delegation travels to Ethiopia 12-17 May to observe the legislative elections. The 9-strong team includes UK MEP Fiona Hall (LibDem, North East).

Committees will reconvene on 23 May (meeting agendas are published here) in the run-up to a plenary session on 25 and 26 May in Brussels (the draft agenda of the plenary session will be made available from this page).

 

DIARY DATES

 

 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

 

TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE please email André Vanderstock, avanderstock@europarl.eu.int

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