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MEPs meet in Strasbourg next week for the next European Parliament plenary session. Highlights of the agenda include:

• Greenhouse gases - 3rd reading of new EU legislation (Tues);
• Citizens for Europe or Europe for Citizens? - new EU programme
• Bird flu: support for poultry farmers? (Time to be confirmed)

Greenhouse gases - agreement reached on new EU rules (debate Tues)

Cutting fluorinated gases and limiting emissions from vehicle air conditioning systems are the aims of two proposals due to receive their 3rd and final reading in the European Parliament in Strasbourg (debate Tuesday; probable vote Wednesday).

Among the key issues agreed between MEPs and EU Ministers through conciliation:

- appliances containing fluorinated gases can be put on the market only if they have clear, indelible labels naming the gases and their quantities, and referring to the Kyoto Protocol;

- setting of deadlines after which type-approval will not be granted to vehicles whose air conditioning systems emit greenhouse gases beyond a certain limit.

Irish MEP Avril Doyle led the negotiations between the European Parliament and Council. She concluded: "With this agreement we have reached a good balance between environmental protection and the proper functioning of the single market. Our agreement allows some Member States to maintain stricter measures and others to introduce such measures under precise circumstances".

Two UK MEPs took part in the 2nd reading debate on these proposals in October 2005 (Caroline Lucas (Greens, South East) and Linda McAvan (Labour, Yorks & Humber). For the full 2nd reading debate see this link. The 1st reading debate took place in March 2004. Chris Davies (Lib Dem, North West) and Caroline Lucas spoke from the UK, along with former MEPs Robert Goodwill (Cons) and David Bowe (Lab) - link to the full debate here.

Citizens for Europe Programme 2007-2013

MEPs will have their 1st reading of a proposed new EU programme for 2007-2013 designed to foster a sense of cohesion between EU citizens. One amendment adopted by MEPs in the Parliament's Culture Committee switched the name of the programme from 'Citizens for Europe' to ' Europe for Citizens'. Another amendment proposes to add European Remembrance (of, for example, victims of Nazism or mass deportations) to the overall themes for action. The programme is also intended to fund town twinning but an amendment adopted at committee stage proposes to broaden this also to twinning of sports clubs from different Member States. The debate takes place on Tuesday, with vote likely on Wednesday.

In all, 53 amendments to the proposed programme were adopted at the committee stage. MEPs will vote on these and any other amendments tabled to the full Parliament in Wednesday's 1st reading vote. This being the codecision procedure, unless the Council of Ministers accepts all of Parliament's amendments, the programme will return for a 2nd reading later this year, prior to its start in 2007.

Bird flu: emergency support for poultry farmers

The European Commission has this week tabled a proposal for new EU funding to be available to poultry farmers whose production of chicken or eggs is adversely affected by the threat of bird flu. No figures for the amounts of funding are given but the rule changes are necessary as the current regime only allows for financial support for exports, rather than compensation for damage to the markets by diseases such as bird flu.

Consumption of poultry meat has plummeted in some EU Member States recently, leading to a glut on the market which could ultimately affect the UK market. The European Commission is asking the European Parliament to deal with the matter urgently and to vote on the proposed rule changes in Strasbourg (in the Agriculture Committee - Monday; and then in the full Parliament - timing to be confirmed).

 

UK MEPs

Arlene McCarthy MEP - North West, Labour - Impact of EU legislation

North West Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy will present her report on the implementation and impact of internal market legislation on Monday evening as part of an overall debate on better regulation at EU level. Among the proposals in her report: that the EU institutions should set up ' better regulation task forces'; that any European Commission proposal should be accompanied by a better regulation checklist; an independent audit to ensure quality and independence of economic impact assessment of proposed EU legislation; that Member States should not add to regulatory burdens by 'gold-plating' EU rules, that is imposing additional requirements at national level which are not laid down in the EU legislation.

The vote on a resolution is scheduled for Tuesday.

Michael Cashman MEP - West Midlands, Labour - Access to EU documents

West Midlands Labour MEP Michael Cashman will present his report on improving access to EU documentation (Monday). The main recommendation is that the European Commission should propose by the end of this year revised legislation on the right of access to documents from the EU institutions. The current regulation dates from 2001, but MEPs in the Civil Liberties Committee believe it has not gone far enough, in particular in opening up the records of debates in the Council of Ministers.

Michael Cashman's report will be discussed as part of an overall debate on opening up the EU decision-making process. A separate resolution will repeat MEPs' calls for the Council of Ministers to meet in public when acting as EU legislator.

Michael Cashman MEP - West Midlands, Labour - External checks at Schengen borders

Michael Cashman MEP will be presenting his reports on two proposals to change the rules on visas for short-stay or transit purposes in a Schengen Member State. Most aspects of the Schengen Agreement do not apply to the UK. These proposals are designed to plug a number of gaps in Schengen rules since the accession of 10 new Member States in 2004.

OTHER ISSUES

• Belarus and Ukraine elections : MEPs will debate the outcome of recent elections in Belarus and Ukraine on Wednesday. London MEP Charles Tannock (Cons) was part of an observer mission to the Ukraine and will no doubt take part in the debate. The authorities in Belarus refused entry to the country for a group of MEPs who had hoped to observe the elections there last week.

• Culture Capitals 2007-2019 : New rules governing the European Capitals of Culture from 2007-2019 are due to receive their 1st reading by the European Parliament next week. MEPs will be voting on their proposed changes to the criteria for applying, the procedures for selecting cities and the methods of advising and monitoring winners. One amendment adopted in the Culture Committee proposes to keep existing rules for the years 2007-9, which would mean that Liverpool (Capital of Culture in 2008) would not be affected by these new rules if the amendment passes.

This is the 1st reading in the codecision procedure. Unless the Council accepts all amendments adopted by the Parliament, the proposal will return for a 2nd reading at a later stage.

• Free movement - workers from new EU Members : Only the UK, Ireland and Sweden opened up their labour markets to workers from all new EU Member States in 2004. The current restrictions in other Member States can continue until 2011, but their respective governments need to decide by May this year if they wish to maintain these barriers for the next three years (in 2009 they decide again for the period 2009-2011). A report from the Parliament's Employment & Social Affairs Committee urges Member States to open up their labour markets and stresses the beneficial impact on the economies of those countries which have not kept any restrictions. MEPs will debate on Tuesday and adopt a resolution on Wednesday.

• Police co-operation : MEPs are due to debate a proposal which originated from the UK Government on how to improve the functioning of Europol liaison officers seconded from national police forces. Since the decision on sending liaison officers to Europol was taken in 2003, results have been mixed, with poor information-sharing and lack of coordination between officers at the heart of the problems. This proposal attempts to clarify the role and functions of these Europol liaison officers. (The final say on the proposal rests with the Council of Ministers as the European Parliament only has the right to be consulted on matters of police co-operation).

• Trans-European energy networks (TENs) : Monday sees a 2nd reading debate on proposals to adapt the existing guidelines for Trans-European Energy Networks to include projects from the 10 new EU Member States. The EU finances cross-border electricity and gas transmission projects with a view to facilitating completion of the gas and electricity internal market and guaranteeing security of supply. This new directive identifies priority projects and the procedures for preparation of the projects. Agreement looks likely between Parliament and Council after this 2nd reading.

• Middle East : Javier Solana, the EU's High Representative on Foreign Policy, will make a statement to MEPs about the latest situation in the Middle East (Wednesday).

• Development co-operation : Thursday morning sees a debate and vote on a resolution calling for the blacklisting of corrupt regimes and government representatives with a view to preventing banks from lending large sums of money to such regimes. This will be taken as part of a broader debate on EU development co-operation and the work of the EU-ACP (African, Caribbean, Pacific) Parliamentary Assembly.

• World Health Day : Friday 7 April is World Health Day. On Wednesday, MEPs will debate the theme of this year's World Health Day: the chronic global shortage of qualified health workers.

• Report back from EU summit : The Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schuessel, will report back to MEPs on the results of the Spring European Council meeting held in Brussels last week. The debate will begin at 8am UK time on Wednesday.

• President of Malta : Edward Fenech-Adami, President of Malta, will make a formal address to MEPs on Tuesday.
  

Full information can be found in "The Briefing" at:

http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/expert/tous_les_briefing/default/default_en.htm

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

AFET	SEDE	DROI	BUDG	CONT	DEVE	ECON	EMPL	ENVI	ITRE	IMCO	INTA
TRAN	REGI	AGRI	PECH	CULT	JURI	LIBE	AFCO	FEMM	PETI	EQUI	TDIP