EP News, the electronic newsletter from www.europarl.org.uk

UK Office of the European Parliament

EP News, May 4th, 2006 (No. 259)

The Week Ahead in the European Parliament

8-12 May 2006

MEPs meet in their political groups in Brussels, 8-11 May, to coordinate voting positions before the next plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 15-18 May.

The draft agenda of the plenary is online on Europarl at this URL: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/public/plenSession.do?language=EN

Highlights include (subject to modifications):

Nutrition and health claims made on foods (2nd reading, regulation) [ link to OEIL ];
Addition of vitamins and minerals and certain other substances to food (2nd reading, regulation) [ link to OEIL ];
Environmental performance of the freight transport system ('Marco Polo II') (1st reading, regulation) [ link to OEIL ];
Human Rights in the World in 2005 and EU policy (report by Richard Howitt MEP, Labour, Eastern) [ link to OEIL ];
Natural disasters - EU Solidarity Fund (1st reading, regulation) [ link to OEIL ].

Europe Day

On 9 May 1950 the first move was made towards the creation of what is now known as the European Union. In Paris that day, against the background of the threat of a Third World War engulfing the whole of Europe, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman read to the international press a declaration calling France, Germany and other European countries to pool together their coal and steel production as "the first concrete foundation of a European federation". That is why during the Milan Summit of EU leaders in 1985 it was decided to celebrate 9 May as "Europe Day".

More on Europa at http://europa.eu.int/abc/symbols/9-may/euday_en.htm

European Parliament Open Day - Open Doors, 6 May

The European Parliament in Brussels will open its doors to the public on Saturday, 6 May 2006, from 10am until 6pm - read more.

Future of Europe

Members of the EU's national Parliaments and MEPs will meet at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss the future of Europe on 8-9 May 2006. This conference will give citizens' national and European representatives an opportunity to discuss the key issues of concern to them. Among the representatives from the UK House of Commons and House of Lords are: Jimmy Hood MP, John Denham MP, David Heathcoat-Amory MP, and Lord Hannay. Read more.

Latest News on Europarl

Amongst the stories released by the European Parliament's Press Service on www.europarl.europa.eu:

Criminal law: MEPs welcome Court's landmark ruling. The Legal Affairs Committee welcomed on Thursday the ruling from the Court of Justice which confirms that the EU can adopt measures relating to the criminal law under the Community method. However, MEPs urged the Commission not to automatically extend the conclusions of the Court to every field of Community competence. - Read more.

Football in Europe: creating a level playing field? Should EU internal market rules apply to football clubs? Is there fair competition for TV football rights? Did the Bosman ruling do more harm than good? Does football offer a model for social integration? These and other issues were tackled by MEPs on Wednesday, at a hearing asking “Professional Football – Market or Society?”- Read more

Batteries: conciliation agreement on batteries directive. Only six Member States currently have schemes for collecting spent portable batteries and accumulators. Following a deal reached on 2 May in the Conciliation Committee, a new EU directive will ensure that such schemes are set up throughout Europe by 2008. The aim: to protect nature and rubbish dumps from the often toxic substances contained in the tons of batteries we use. In future our old batteries will have to be collected and recycled. - Read more. The UK currently collects less than 2% of consumer batteries --Department for Environment's website (DEFRA).

CIA flights: “no information” on CIA renditions or detention centres. “Professionally, in the role I have now, I have no competence to question EU Member States” on allegations of illegal CIA flights and detention centres operating in Europe, Javier Solana told the temporary Committee investigating these claims. Some MEPs criticised the Foreign and Security Policy High Representative, saying he was “washing his hands of responsibility”. - Read more

DIARY DATES

1 January -30 June 2006: Austrian Presidency - http://www.eu2006.at/
1 July -31 December 2006: Finnish Presidency
15-18 May 2006: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
31 May -1 June 2006: European Parliament plenary session, Brussels
12-15 June 2006: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
3-6 July 2006: European Parliament plenary session, Strasbourg
Link to the European Parliament's session calendar 2006: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/expert/staticDisplay.do?id=118

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Simon Duffin, simon.duffin@europarl.europa.eu, European Parliament UK Office, tel 020 7227 4300

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