Highlights of next week's European Parliament plenary agenda in Strasbourg include:

• Mobile phone roaming charges - (Cttee Mon - plenary - Weds);
• Italian and Dutch PMs on future of Europe (Tues/Weds);
• Water quality - 1st reading directive (Debate Mon - vote Tues);
• UK MEPs on: Kashmir; organised crime; aid for trade; economic partnership agreements.

 

Mobile phone roaming charges

MEPs are set to vote on a proposal to put a cap on the cost of making or receiving mobile phone calls when travelling in another EU Member State.

The European Parliament's Industry Committee must first vote on the proposed new Regulation on Monday, with a vote of the full Parliament scheduled for Wednesday. The Council of Ministers would then need to give their formal backing at a meeting on 7 June.

The crux of the agreement, negotiated informally between MEPs and the Council, is:-

• To set a cap of €0.49 (33p) a minute on the cost of making a roaming call within the EU;
• To set €0.24 (16p) a minute as a maximum charge for receiving a roaming call;
• Customers would have three months after the Regulation enters into force to choose whether they want to opt for the EU tariff; if they make no choice, they would be given the EU tariff unless they already benefited from a specific roaming package;
• The Regulation is to lapse after three years, but the European Commission is to assess whether an extension should be proposed.

If the text, as negotiated, is agreed by the full Parliament and the Council of Ministers, it would enter into force as soon as it is published in the Official Journal, possibly as early as June. For more details on the content, please use this link on www.europarl.europa.eu .

 

Italian and Dutch Prime Ministers on the future of the EU

The Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Dutch PM Jan Peter Balkenende will address MEPs on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. The main topic of their statements: the future of Europe and in particular the Constitutional Treaty. MEPs will have the chance to respond to both statements in debates due to run from 2pm - 3.30pm UK time on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Italy ratified the draft EU Constitution in 2005, but the Dutch famously rejected the text in a referendum, also in 2005. For a table showing the state of play on Treaty ratification in all Member States, see this page on www.europarl.org.uk

 

Water quality

Monday's key legislative debate concerns a proposed directive on water quality. The proposal sets concentration limits for 41 pesticides, heavy metals and other hazardous chemical substances of particular risk to aquatic fauna and flora and human health - it comes under the ambit of the 2000 Water Framework Directive.

MEPs in the Environment Committee adopted 65 amendments to the European Commission's proposal, adding 28 further substances to the list of pollutants to be monitored and tightening up monitoring methods so that target levels can be achieved by 2015. Other amendments deal specifically with pollution that originates in another EU Member State.

For the full text of the Environment Committee report and amendments adopted at committee stage, see this link on www.europarl.europa.eu

This is the 1st reading in the codecision procedure where the European Parliament has equal decision-making powers with the Council of Ministers. Unless the Council accepts all amendments adopted at 1st reading, the proposal will return to the European Parliament for a 2nd reading at a later stage.

 

 

UK MEPs

Kashmir

Baroness Nicholson MEP (Lib Dem, South East) will present her report on Kashmir on Thursday morning. The focus of the report, after its adoption in the Foreign Affairs Committee, is to welcome the bilateral talks between India and Pakistan, while criticising Pakistan for lack of progress on democracy and human rights.

Expect a number of other UK MEPs to take part in Thursday's debate, given the sensitivity of the subject and the relevance to many of the communities based in the various regional constituencies.

To read the full report, as adopted at committee stage, see this link to www.europarl.europa.eu

 

Organised crime

East Midlands Lib Dem MEP Bill Newton Dunn will present his report proposing a strategy for tackling organised crime on Wednesday evening. The report looks at the potential role of Europol and Eurojust (the European Union's Judicial Co-operation Unit). It calls in particular for Member States to promote the creation of joint investigation teams and for dissemination of intelligence on organised crime. A resolution laying down the European Parliament's recommendations for such a strategy is due for adoption on Thursday.

 

Aid for trade

David Martin MEP (Labour, Scotland) will present his report on aid for trade on Tuesday morning. The EU's 'Aid for Trade' initiative is designed to harness trade for development and to assist in the reduction of poverty in developing countries. David Martin's report and the resolution set for adoption on Wednesday are the European Parliament's contribution to the debate on how best to take the initiative forward.

 

Economic partnership agreements

Robert Sturdy MEP (Conservative, Eastern Region) will lead Tuesday morning's debate on so-called economic partnership agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP). These agreements are meant to replace the current generalised system of preferences for trade which are incompatible with WTO rules. The objective of these agreements is to facilitate access for ACP products onto the European market; develop South-South trade; and support regional integration.

 

 

EU funding programmes

TENs - transport and energy networks

MEPs will have their 2nd reading of a proposal aimed at improving the financing of so-called TENs projects (transport and energy networks). The proposed Regulation deals with the procedures and eligibility criteria for obtaining EU funding for TENs. After negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, agreement appears likely around maximum ceilings of 20% EU funding for most TENs projects, but 30% where these are cross-border or one of 30 identified priority projects. The Regulation will also stipulate that delayed projects can now be cancelled after four years.

Note: UK transport routes eligible for funding under the TENs scheme include: West Coast mainline; Cork-Dublin-Belfast-Stranraer rail link; high-speed train Paris/Brussels-London.

 

DAPHNE Programme on violence against women and children

MEPs are set to approve renewed funding for the EU's programme to support action against violence to women and children - the so-called DAPHNE Programme. DAPHNE has been up and running since 1997 and has funded over 350 projects, with recipients from the UK including the Metropolitan Police, the University of Surrey in Guildford and a Leeds community group.

MEPs at 1st reading opposed the European Commission's proposal to merge the DAPHNE Programme with EU funding to combat drug abuse. The Women's Rights Committee also voted to support the idea of a 'European Year against Violence to Women'. Monday sees the 2nd reading in the codecision procedure where the European Parliament has equal power with the Council of Ministers - agreement now looks likely on the overall funding and criteria for obtaining monies over the 2007-2013 period. The programme should be up and running later this year, therefore.

 

LIFE+ environment programme

The LIFE+ environmental programme for 2007-2013 will be discussed on Monday evening. This is Parliament's 3rd reading of the legislation setting out the terms and criteria for funding, and it follows detailed discussion between MEPs and the Council in so-called conciliation. Funding for Natura 2000 - the network for protecting and managing European bio-diversity - has been a major point of discussion. How to distribute LIFE+ funding became the main issue at the later stages of discussion between Parliament and Council. The European Parliament's priority has been to ensure EU added-value through the programme. 78% of the budget will go direct to Member States, but they must ensure that 15% of the funds goes to transnational projects.

John Bowis MEP (Cons, London) was the only UK MEP to speak in the 1st reading debate from July 2005 - see the full debate on www.europarl.europa.eu, but no MEPs from the UK spoke in the 2nd reading debate in October 2006.

 

OTHER ISSUES

• Alcohol duty: The levels of duty on alcoholic drinks are due for discussion on Tuesday evening. Since 1992, there have been minimum levels for excise duties on beers, spirits and many other alcoholic drinks with a view to reducing market distortions across the Member States. The European Commission is proposing abandoning minimum levels, but a majority in the Economics Committee voted instead for a code of conduct to encourage Member States with duties above or below the average to amend them. The vote in committee was close, however, so a lively debate is likely. The European Parliament is only consulted on this proposal, and the final decision lies with the Council of Ministers;
  
• Organic products: MEPs will have their final vote on a report on organic production and labelling, having debated the subject on 28 March 2007 and adopted amendments to the European Commission proposal. The delay in adopting the formal Parliament position is linked to MEPs' wish for codecision powers over proposals such as this, where they affect production and distribution in the internal market.
  
• Biodiversity: Biodiversity is the subject of debate on Monday evening. The EU has set itself the aim of stemming the decline in biodiversity by 2010. MEPs will be making recommendations on how to go about doing this when they vote on a resolution on Tuesday, based on a report from the Environment Committee.
  
• Health and Services Directive: Healthcare was excluded from the scope of the Services Directive which was adopted at the end of last year. On Monday evening, MEPs will debate a report and resolution looking at the impact of this exclusion and making recommendations on issues such as patient mobility. One amendment narrowly adopted by the Internal Market Committee calls for healthcare to be reinstated in the Services Directive - we will see how this vote is reflected when the full Parliament votes on Tuesday, but the resolution is non-binding.
  
• Reminder: the Services Directive was adopted with a view to overcoming barriers in the free provision of services across the EU. It aims to balance a high-level of consumer protection with the right of freedom of establishment for service providers.
  
• Palestine: The European Commission and the German Presidency of Council will make statements on the situation in Palestine on Tuesday afternoon. Three UK MEPs visited Palestine on a parliamentary delegation from 29 April to 4 May and are likely therefore to take part in the debate. They are: John Bowis (Cons, London); Chris Davies (Lib Dem, North West); Caroline Lucas (Greens, South East).
  
• Nigeria: MEPs will debate the situation in Nigeria on Wednesday afternoon. The debate comes in the wake of recent elections which fell far short of international standards for democratic elections. Yorkshire & Humber Conservative MEP (and European Parliament Vice-President) Edward McMillan-Scott took part in the EU election observer team and will no doubt take part in Wednesday's debate.

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