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

European Parliament session 28-29 November 2007

Plenary session Strasbourg

Diary Dates

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Highlights of the European Parliament's agenda in Brussels include:

TV advertising and product placement - 2nd reading;
Guns - 1st reading directive on control of weapons;
EU Court of Auditors report - EU accounts 2006;
Prime Minister of Spain.

Audio-visual media services directive - new EU rules on advertising

New EU rules on TV advertising and product placement could be adopted before Christmas. MEPs this week have their 2nd reading of the proposed Audiovisual Media Services Directive (Debate Wednesday evening; vote Thursday), which will replace the existing TV Without Frontiers Directive. If agreed this week, the directive will:

Cover new technologies, such as TV on the internet (though with a different set of rules for scheduled TV as opposed to TV on demand);
Allow commercial breaks every 30 minutes during films and news programmes;
Ban commercial breaks during children's programmes unless the programmes last longer than 30 minutes;
Allow product placement, subject to certain conditions, in films, sports programmes, light entertainment;
Ensure that product placement is identified before the programme begins and when it returns after a commercial break;
Bring in no change to the current maximum 12 minutes advertising per hour.

At the European Parliament's 1st reading, in December 2006, the following UK MEPs spoke: Tom Wise (UKIP, Eastern); Roger Helmer (Conservative, East Midlands); Syed Kamall (Conservative, London); Sharon Bowles (Lib Dem, South East). Negotiations then took place between Parliament and the Council of Ministers, which led to the text of the directive which comes before MEPs this week. Parliament's Culture Committee approved the text without amendment, and if the full Parliament endorses this decision, the directive could be adopted by the end of the year and come into effect in the Member States two years later.

Control of acquisition and possession of weapons

New measures to tighten up gun controls are set for their 1st reading with a debate on Wednesday evening and vote Thursday morning. These will cover parts and ammunition as well as firearms themselves and have been amended to take into account the increased use of converted weapons. The rules are also designed to cover internet sales and imports from non-EU countries.

The European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee has been in negotiations with the Council of Ministers for over 18 months. It is hoped that the text set for adoption this week will be agreed by a majority in both Parliament and Council so that it can be formally signed early in 2008 and come into effect in Member States by early 2010.

Committee chair Arlene McCarthy MEP (Lab, North West) said: "Following the recent tragic school massacre in Finland and the spread of deadly converted weapons in UK cities, MEPs have the opportunity to back this law designed to tackle the illegal trade and smuggling of weapons. The directive meets Europe's obligations under the UN Protocol on Firearms. It puts in place a control system to ensure guns don't fall into the hands of criminals and weapons can be traced to their owners."

EU accounts 2006

On Thursday morning, the President of the European Court of Auditors will present the annual report on the EU accounts for 2006. For the 13th consecutive year, the Court of Auditors has not delivered a positive "declaration of assurance" (DAS) for the EU budget. 2006 was marred by errors in the legality and the regularity of underlying transactions.

The European Parliament's role is as EU spending watchdog. On three previous occasions, MEPs have asked for 'national declarations' to accompany the reports from Member States on how they have used EU funds. MEPs have the power to clear the accounts ('grant discharge'), postpone their decision or refuse to clear the accounts. This week sees the start of a process which will take until April 2008. Once the President of the Court has presented his annual report to Parliament this week, detailed discussions will begin in the Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee.

One decision MEPs do have to make this week is whether to endorse the nominations for seven members of the Court of Auditors. Included among these is the UK member, David Bostock, whose mandate expires on 31 December 2007 but with a nomination to renew the mandate.

Spanish PM - Wednesday 4pm UK time

The Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, will debate the future of Europe with MEPs, starting at 4pm (UK time). This is the latest in a series of debates with prime ministers from different EU member states (previously, the PMs from Belgium, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands have taken part). At the last plenary session in Strasbourg, President Sarkozy of France formally addressed MEPs.

Other legislation

> Railways inter-operability

The free circulation of trains throughout the European rail network should come a step nearer this week as MEPs vote on proposals to update existing rules on inter-operability of the EU's railway systems. In adopting amendments to the proposed rule changes, MEPs in the Transport Committee focused on: national procedures for approval of locomotives; new railway stock specifications; vehicle maintenance; more powers for the European Railway Agency for authorising railway vehicles to operate across the EU.

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

> Rome I - 1st reading

A Regulation aimed at determining which country's legal jurisdiction should apply in cross-border civil and commercial cases is due for its 1st reading with debate and vote taking place on Thursday. The so-called Rome I Regulation brings the Rome Convention into EU legislation. It covers cases such as sale of goods, provision of services and property disputes. The UK is not bound by the Regulation, but has the chance to opt-in if it decides to do so before final adoption of the rules.

64 amendments were adopted to the European Commission's proposal in the Legal Affairs Committee. For a link to the full report and amendments from committee, please follow this link.

> Political party funding

EU funds are currently allocated to recognised European (multi-national) political parties, but the existing rules do not allow these funds to be used for election campaigns. A proposal to allow European political parties to finance campaign activities in the run-up to the 2009 European Parliament elections is set for its 1st reading on Thursday. The amendments adopted at the committee stage make it clear that such funds can under no circumstances be used to finance national parties or candidates.

The debate on this proposal took place on 13 November in Strasbourg. The following UK MEPs spoke: Richard Corbett (Labour, Yorks & Humber); Andrew Duff (Lib. Dem, Eastern); Roger Helmer (Conservative, East Midlands). MEPs are now set to vote on this proposal at 1st reading, and it is hoped that agreement can be reached with the Council of Ministers in time to get funding agreed under the 2008 EU budget.

> Other issues

Charter of Fundamental Rights: The first debate on Wednesday afternoon (2pm UK time) concerns the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee is recommending that MEPs give their formal assent to the Charter. A ceremony is planned for 12 December in Strasbourg when the Presidents of the three main EU institutions, Parliament, Council and Commission, will sign the Charter to show their support ahead of the EU Summit in Lisbon on 13 December.

The UK has a special protocol which makes it clear that the Charter cannot extend the powers of any court - UK or European - to strike down existing UK legislation. It does not therefore create any new justiciable rights in UK law. The issue is often hotly discussed in the UK, however, so we can expect a lively discussion involving UK MEPs.
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs): The European Commission will make a statement on Wednesday evening on the latest stage in negotiations over so-called Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific nations. Current trading agreements with ACP countries run out at the end of 2007. However, the process of agreeing the new EPAs has not been without controversy, which may well lead to another lively debate for Wednesday.
Flexicurity: How to combine labour market flexibility with security for workers is the subject of a report and resolution set for debate on Wednesday afternoon (vote Thursday). MEPs will vote on a non-binding set of recommendations.
Tourism: Tourism policy is set for discussion on Wednesday evening. Among the recommendations to be voted on are: to have an EU-wide classification of tourist accommodation; an 'access for all' label for facilities guaranteeing access for persons with reduced mobility; a cross-border memorial cycle route along the former Iron Curtain. MEPs are also set to welcome the establishment of a yearly 'European destination of excellence', as the Parliament had recommended back in 2005.
Mugabe: The issue of Robert Mugabe's potential attendance at the EU-Africa Summit on 8-9 December is likely to be raised during Thursday morning's debate on agricultural development in Africa. The report and draft resolution adopted by Parliament's Development Committee asserts that Mugabe's presence at the Summit would do much to discredit the work being carried out on democratic governance.