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

EP News, December 1st, 2006 (No. 284)

The Week Ahead in the European Parliament

4-8 December 2006

MEPs return to Brussels for the week of 4-8 December where they will meet in their political groups to decide on their voting positions for the following session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg from 11-14 December.

Highlights of that session include:

REACH chemicals regulations - 2nd reading
TV without frontiers directive - 1st reading
Driving Licences - 2nd reading
Sakharov Prize
Eluned Morgan (Labour, Wales) report on energy security.

Several MPs and Lords from the UK will be attending a Joint Parliamentary meeting on the Future of Europe in Brussels on 4-5 December. Main themes will be: future financing of the EU; energy security; conflict prevention. UK parliamentarians attending are: Michael Connarty, Labour MP, chair of Commons EU committee; David Borrow, Labour MP, Commons defence committee; Peter Luff, Conservative MP; Andrew MacKinlay, Labour MP; Lord Grenfell; Lord Roper; Lord Haskell.

MEPs due to take part are: Graham Watson (Lib Dem, South West); Richard Corbett (Lab, Yorks & Humber); Andrew Duff (Lib Dem, Eastern); Neena Gill (Labour, West Midlands); Eluned Morgan (Labour, Wales); James Elles (Cons, SE); Timothy Kirkhope (Cons, Yorks & Humber); Charles Tannock (Cons, London).

The full agenda will be online on www.europarl.europa.eu

Latest news

Apologies to regular readers of EP News. We were unable to produce our usual preview of this week's plenary session in Brussels.

Here are potted highlights of the session, with links for further details, and listings of which UK MEPs spoke in the debates.

7th EU research programme 2007-2013

The European Parliament gave the go-ahead for the EU's research and development funding for the period 2007-2013 by adopting 10 reports relating to the 7th Framework Research Programme (FP7). This programme, the EU's main instrument for funding scientific research, will have a budget of more than €54 billion over its seven-year life. As Parliament and the Council of Ministers have settled their main differences through a compromise package, FP7 is to enter into force on 1 January 2007. For details, see the article at www.europarl.europa.eu

The following UK MEPs spoke in the debate: Giles Chichester (Cons, South West); Eluned Morgan (Labour, Wales); Jim Nicholson (UUP, Northern Ireland).

Fireworks

The EP gave its strong backing (by 575 votes to 22 with 6 abstentions) to a co-decision report on "the placing on the market of pyrotechnic articles" -- that is to say, among other things, fireworks. Every year, estimates the European Commission, up to 45,000 accidents involving fireworks take place in the European Union.

Under the proposed directive fireworks would be classed in four categories according to use, purpose, hazard and --as MEPs decided-- noise level, which should never be harmful for human health. Members also backed a system of minimum age restrictions for potential buyers or users:

Category 1 (safest) fireworks would not be available to consumers below 12 years old.
Category 2 fireworks: 16 years.
Category 3: 18 years.
Category 4 fireworks --which present a high hazard-- would only be available to persons "with specialist knowledge".

The following UK MEP spoke in the debate: Malcolm Harbour (Cons, West Midlands).

For details, see the article at www.europarl.europa.eu

Bulgaria/Romania

With the EU about to enlarge the size of its family to 27 members when Romania and Bulgaria join on 1 January 2007, by adopting two separate reports, Parliament took its final opportunity to review the situation of these countries ahead of their accession and to draw attention to areas where action is still needed.

The following UK MEPs spoke in the debate: Geoffrey Van Orden (Cons, Eastern); Baroness Nicholson (Lib Dem, South East); Nigel Farage (UKIP, South East).

For details, see the article at www.europarl.europa.eu

Disabled people in the enlarged EU

The European Parliament adopted a report by Liz Lynne (Lib Dem, West Midlands) on the situation of disabled people in the enlarged EU. MEPs underlined that accessibility to public transport and information and communication technologies is vital for disabled people. They called furthermore for a better integration of disabled people in mainstream education and into the job market and for a European charter on quality of support for disabled people.

The following UK MEPs spoke in the debate: Liz Lynne (Lib Dem, West Midlands); Richard Howitt (Labour, Eastern); Philip Bushill-Matthews (Cons, West Midlands)

For details, see the article at www.europarl.europa.eu

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