The Week Ahead in the European Parliament

Note to subscribers: European Parliament political groups will meet in Brussels on 17-20 October to discuss amendments and coordinate voting positions in the run-up to the session in Strasbourg, 24-27 October. The next issue of EP NEWS will be published on 21 October.

 

European Parliament session, Brussels, 12-13 October 2005

The European Parliament sits in Brussels this week for its next plenary session. Highlights of the agenda include:

• Circuses;
• Immigration / Education;
• Quality in higher education;
• Animal diseases;
• China and trade (vote only)

 

Circuses

Circuses are a classic example of cross-border mobility in the EU: whole circuses traditionally move from country to country to perform; and individual performers will often move from their home country to join a travelling circus.

Three major issues are raised in the report and resolution to be voted on by the European Parliament this week:

• Schooling for children in travelling communities;
• Safety standards for facilities;
• Short-term visas and residence permits for performers.

To what extent should the EU be involved with such issues? Can the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) develop harmonised standards going beyond even the EU 25 Member States to make it easier for circuses to move right across Europe? Should there be new European rules to make it easier for performers to get short-term visas for up to 12 months? MEPs will debate on Wednesday.

Link to the text of the report and resolution adopted in committee: click here.

 

Immigration / Education

Integrating immigrants into our education systems is the subject of a debate and resolution on Wednesday. Language is often a major issue here. The report adopted in the Culture & Education Committee calls for greater opportunities for children of immigrants to preserve their family's mother tongue. It specifies that the current EU programmes in the youth and education fields (Leonardo, Socrates, Youth) should broaden the range of languages covered to include those of immigrants' mother tongues.

Link to the text of the report and resolution adopted in committee: click here.

 

Quality in higher education

This proposed EU Recommendation lays the ground work for setting up a system of quality assessment standards for higher education bodies across the EU. If implemented, it would be a further step towards the mutual recognition of degree and other higher education courses, so making it easier for students and teachers to choose a university or college in another EU Member State than their own.

MEPs at the committee stage supported the idea of a European Register of Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agencies, but stressed that rules on universities choosing agencies from the register should remain with national authorities. Universities could, however, boost their international reputation by seeking assessments from more than one agency on the register.

Link to the text of the report and amendments adopted at committee stage: click here.

 

Animal diseases

MEPs return to the issue of EU funding to assist those affected by major animal diseases such as BSE or foot and mouth - it is also a timely debate given the latest news on avian flu being detected in Turkey.

In May this year, the European Parliament rejected an earlier proposal over fears of distortions in competition where producers as well as Member States themselves were to be asked to match the EU funding. In the new proposal the European Commission proposes a ceiling of 50% Community funding, but MEPs at committee stage increased this to 75%, thus giving poorer countries the chance to fight such diseases when they break out.

The European Parliament is consulted on this proposal - the final decision rests with Member States in the Council of Ministers.

 

Trade with China - vote

MEPs will vote this week on a resolution giving the European Parliament's views on the way forward for EU-China relations in the wake of the crisis over textile imports this summer.

Caroline Lucas MEP (Greens, South East) led the debate at the last session of the Parliament in Strasbourg - other UK MEPs to speak in the debate were: Glyn Ford (Labour, South West); Nigel Farage (UKIP, South East); Jim Allister (DUP, Northern Ireland); Robert Sturdy (Conservative, Eastern); Nirj Deva (Conservative, South East).

Link to the full debate, in the original language of each speaker - click here.

 

Other issues

European Parliament Vice-President Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (EPP-ED, ES) will make a statement on the earthquake in Pakistan and floods in Guatemala.

• Iran : The subject of Iran kicks off the Parliament's session this week with statements from the European Commission and the UK Presidency of the EU. Europe Minister Douglas Alexander will be speaking for the Presidency and will report in particular on the latest stage in negotiations over Iran's nuclear industry.

• Drift nets: MEPs will debate a proposal on fisheries conservation in the Baltic Sea. The use of drift nets is likely to be the most controversial - should they be banned? what research is still needed on the threat they pose to porpoises in the Baltic? - debate and vote Thursday.

• Women and poverty: Wednesday sees discussion of a report and resolution on poverty among women in the EU. A study of households where women are the major breadwinner shows that those households earn between 9% and 26% less than homes where a man is the main earner - the UK shows the biggest earnings gap among the six countries studied. Overall, women's earnings are still well below those of men across the EU. This report looks at what the consequences of poverty can be and what measures might be taken to overcome them.

• Africa: Commissioner Louis Michel is due to make a statement to MEPs on the EU's new strategy for Africa, with particular focus on how to make EU aid more effective. The European Commission is due to publish a Communication on Wednesday.
  
  Reminder: Edinburgh will be hosting the next meeting of the ACP-EU (African Caribbean Pacific - European Union) Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 19-24 November 2005.

• Ethiopia: MEPs will discuss the situation in Ethiopia on Wednesday. Elections took place in May, with UK MEP Fiona Hall (Liberal Democrat, North East) part of the EU observer team. Although the elections themselves went off fairly well, violence erupted soon after, resulting in dozens of deaths.

top

---

DIARY DATES

• 1 July - 31 December 2005: British Presidency - http://www.eu2005.gov.uk
• 1 January -30 June 2006: Austrian Presidency
• 1 July -31 December 2006: Finnish Presidency
  
• 24-27 October 2005: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
• 14-17 November 2005: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
• 30 November - 1 December 2005: European Parliament plenary session, Brussels
• 12-15 December 2005: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
  
  
• Link to the European Parliament's session calendar 2006: http://www.europarl.eu.int/activities/expert/staticDisplay.do?id=118
  

top

---

FURTHER INFORMATION:

• Plenary session agenda at http://www.europarl.eu.int/activities/expert/agenda.do
  
• Simon Duffin, sduffin@europarl.eu.int, European Parliament UK Office, tel 020 7227 4300