European Parliament session

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MEPs reconvene in Brussels this week for the next session of the European Parliament. Highlights of the agenda include:

• EP committee membership + elections of chairs/vice-chairs;
• Small company statute;
• Passenger data - SWIFT agreement with USA;
• Dalits in India.

 

Committee chairs + membership

We are now half way through the parliamentary term 2004-2009. At this stage in the parliament, membership of parliamentary committees is reviewed and elections are held for new chairs and vice-chairs. It is expected that MEPs will formally vote on the new composition of committees and inter-parliamentary delegations on Wednesday afternoon. The newly-constituted committees will then meet to elect chairs and vice-chairs either on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning. Details of the results of these elections will be available in the next edition of EP News and published on our website under Latest News.

 

Small Company Statute

A European Private Company Statute would help Europe's small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) do business across borders, according to a report from the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee. The idea is that an SME would only have to register in the country where its head office is located, rather than in each EU Member State. The report requires the endorsement of at least 393 MEPs (absolute majority) for it to become a formal request from the European Parliament to the European Commission to draw up a legislative proposal.

 

Passenger data - SWIFT

The transfer of passenger names to the USA and the passing of personal data to the US authorities by the SWIFT banking system are both to be debated on Wednesday evening. MEPs have tabled oral questions to the Council and the European Commission on the subject.

In December 2006, the European Commission wrote to the US authorities to raise concerns about the US Automatic Targeting System, which it is feared may be accessing passenger name records in ways not allowed under the latest agreement with the EU. MEPs will hear statements from Commission and Council. A second oral question asks whether the Commission and Council knew that data collected by SWIFT are fed into the US Automatic Targeting System.

 

Dalits - India

The Dalits in India are the subject of a resolution due to be adopted by MEPs on Thursday. Caste-based discrimination is the main issue; MEPs in the Parliament's Development Committee urged the Indian Government to engage further with relevant UN human rights bodies with a view to the elimination of caste-based discrimination.

For a link to the resolution, as adopted in committee, please click here.

 

UK MEPs

Diana Wallis MEP (Lib Dem, Yorks & Humber) - cross-border legal disputes

Yorkshire & the Humber MEP Diana Wallis will present her report on cross-border disputes over fatal accidents or injuries. The Legal Affairs Committee wants the European Commission to draft legislation harmonising national rules on limitation periods. The Committee has proposed a general limitation period (or cut-off point for starting or finishing a legal case) of four years, with a ten-year period for enforcing any damages claims laid down by a court ruling. MEPs are also calling for Member States to set up national information centres for keeping a register of all criminal investigations involving foreign victims.

If 393 MEPs (absolute majority) vote in favour, this will become a formal request from the European Parliament for the European Commission to propose legislation.

 

Nirj Deva MEP (Cons, South East) - Pacific Islands

South East Conservative MEP Nirj Deva will present his report on EU relations with Pacific Islands on Wednesday evening. The report adopted in the Development Committee welcomed the proposed EU strategy for the Pacific after 30 years of formal co-operation. Such a strategy should support the island countries in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. MEPs will vote on a non-binding resolution on Thursday.

 

Other issues

• Obesity: Tackling obesity is an issue on both the domestic agenda in the UK and at European level. MEPs will be debating a report from the Environment, Public Health & Food Safety Committee on Wednesday evening. Among the issues to be discussed: school meals; school curricula; food labelling, including sign-posting systems; nutritional value of fresh fruit and vegetables - quality of EU produce.
  
• Climate change: MEPs will debate the topic of climate change after hearing statements from the German Presidency of Council and the European Commission.
  
• Death penalty: The suggestion of a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty is to be debated by MEPs on Wednesday evening. The recent execution of Saddam Hussein and the sentencing to death of five Bulgarian nurses in Libya has added to the ongoing debate within the UN on the issue. Parliament's debate is designed to coincide with the 3rd World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris on 1-3 February.
  
• Education - girls: MEPs will debate a resolution on discrimination against young women and girls in education. The European Parliament will adopt a resolution containing a series of non-binding recommendations.
  
• Procurement: The WTO's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) is designed to open up to foreign competition as much public procurement as possible. Negotiations are ongoing with a view to reviewing the GPA. MEPs will be asking the European Commission what its main priorities have been in this renegotiation (Thursday).
  
• Fisheries - Gabon: The EU's latest fisheries agreement with a non-EU country is up for debate on Wednesday. The agreement with the Gabonese Republic was signed almost a year before it was transmitted to the European Parliament for approval. A majority of members in the Fisheries Committee voted to approve the content of the agreement but argued that the lack of involvement of the European Parliament and the delay in transmitting the text to MEPs were unacceptable.
  
• Bulgaria / Romania Presidents: Romanian President Traian Basescu will formally address the European Parliament on Wednesday at 2pm (UK time); a similar session is scheduled for the Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov on Thursday at 10am UK time.

Full information can be found in "The Briefing" at: http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/expert/default_en.htm

 

 

Diary Dates

European Parliament session

Hearings

Diary Dates

Further information

Un / Subscribe

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Further information