2006 annual report on the CFSP

Public hearing on situation of Palestinian detained in Israeli prisons

27 February 2008
15.00-17.00 - Brussels - Room ASP 3G2

PROGRAMME

Projection of an excerpt of the docu-film,
"Forbidden Childhood"
Director: Barbara Cupisti

Guests:

• Mr Ashraf AL AJRAMI, Minister for prisoners' affairs, Palestinian Authority
• Ambassador of Israel to the EU (tbc)
• Ms Fadwa IBRAHIM, Lawyer, representative of the "Free Marwan Barghouti Campaign"
• Ms Anat Barsella, Research Officer, B'Tselem - The Israeli Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories

Joint Hearing of the Committee on Civil Liberties
and the Subcommittee on Human Rights
on Guantánamo Bay

Thursday, 28 February
10 a.m. -12.30 pm in Brussels

 I. Interest of EP and EU:

Two significant developments have recently manifested themselves regarding Guantanamo Bay detention centre, which continues to involve the interests of the European Parliament and the EU. The US Supreme Court, in a surprising decision, opted to grant petitions for writ of certiorari from two detainee cases which it had previously denied. Also, some detainees have been cleared for release by the U.S. government but are unable to safely return to their countries of origin because of fears regarding secret detentions, inhumane treatment, torture, etc. These matters concern the EP and EU for number of reasons. First, it is important that our transatlantic ally adheres to international legal principles, and second, the EU can play a decisive role in the resettlement of released detainees that are unable to be repatriated to their own countries.

II. Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of U.S. international legal obligations in regards to GTMO and foreign detainees.
• Discuss the return of released detainees and what role EU can and/or should play

III. Topics:

• International legal obligations for the U.S
  • Due Process/ Procedural Rights
    • Habeas Corpus
    • Evidentiary topics (use of statements made under torture)
    • Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRT) Panels
  • Non-refoulement
    
• Possible speakers:
  • U.S. Government Representative (John Bellinger or other State Dept. representative)
  • Lt. Col. Stephen Abraham, U.S. Army Reserves (Participant in CSRTs)
  • Jennifer Daskal, Advocacy Director US Program, Human Rights Watch
    
    
• Detainee Resettlement
  • Various problems experienced by detainees with returning to countries
  • Possible EU role
    • Resettlement/ Asylum
    • Obstacles to hosting of non-EU detainees
• Possible speakers:
  • Emi MacLean, Center for Constitutional Rights
  • Susan Hyland, UK representative to COHOM

Questions to the Commission

STUDIES

Presentation of studies (timing of the presentations to be confirmed)

The EU added value of Agricultural expenditure – from market to multifunctionality – gathering criticism and success stories of CAP
* Appointed Members: Ms Trüpel, Mr Virrankoski, Mr Berman

Global evaluation in the field of several policy areas (ENPI)
* Appointed Members: Mr Silva Peneda and Mr Pirilli

BUILDING POLICY

Competition: Sector inquiry on retail banking

Employment Guidelines 2008 - 2010

Collective agreements: analysis of the impact of the European Court of Justice rulings (C341/05 and C438/05) on Laval & Viking Line.

Exchange of views with the participation of :
- EP Legal Service
- Business Europe / ETUC
- Mr Jonas Malmberg (expert)

COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY

PUBLIC HEARING

'Telecom Package': Better Regulation
and the European Electronic Communications Market Authority

Chaired by Angelika Niebler
Chairwoman of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Rapporteurs
Catherine Trautmann (PES)
Pilar del Castillo Vera (EPP-ED)

European Parliament
Brussels, 27 February 2008, 09:00 - 12:30

AGENDA

Opening by Angelika Niebler, Chairwoman

Speech by Viviane Reding, Commissioner

Questions and answers with the Commissioner

First panel:
Completing and consolidating the single market in electronic communications - current problems and future challenges

Questions to be addressed by the speakers:

• How can an effective “level playing field” between all operators be ensured?
• Is sector specific regulation a proportionate measure to achieve competitive markets or could competition law be more efficient? Are market review procedures rationalized and simplified? Isn't the "short list (7 markets)" too short/too long?
• Which are the current/future bottlenecks to be addressed for achieving competitive markets? How should these bottlenecks be addressed?
• Are the proposed changes to ex-ante remedies appropriate for consolidating the market? Does the Commission need more (veto) power to enforce the coherent implementation of the framework? Will these reforms simplify procedures and reduce regulatory burden?
• How is equivalence of access to be delivered? Is functional separation an effective tool to ensure that? What could be the consequences of functional separation for investment, jobs and competition?
• Are the review proposals fit for NGN? How to ensure balance between market forces and regulation, between the need to encourage competition and at the same time to stimulate investment?

Panel members

• Ed Richards, Ofcom, CEO
• Wolfgang Kopf, Deutsche Telekom, Senior Executive Vice President Public & Regulatory Affairs
• Carlos López Blanco, Telefónica, Vice President, Director of International Office
• Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, Tele2, CEO
• Richard Lalande, SFR, Deputy Director General

Questions and answers

Conclusions and closure by Catherine Trautmann, rapporteur

Second panel:
NRAs, EECMA and the Commission: Towards a New Balance of Powers?

Questions to be addressed by speakers:

• Do NRAs need to be empowered? How to ensure independence of NRAs?
• What type of regulatory coordination at EU level is necessary to ensure coherent and consistent regulatory intervention in 27 Member States?
• Is EECMA in the proposed form (with the proposed competences) able to achieve these goals? Are there, and if so, what are the alternatives to EECMA?
• How to guarantee independence, transparency and accountability of EECMA? What is the added value of stakeholders' involvement?
• How would the absorption of ENISA affect the regulatory dimension of EECMA?

Panel members (Speaking time: 8 minutes)

• Dániel Pataki, ERG, Chair
• Reinhard Posch, ENISA Management Board, Chair
• Andrea Renda, CEPS - Centre for European Policy Studies, Senior research fellow

Questions and answers

Conclusions and closure by Pilar del Castillo Vera, rapporteur

Visit of Dr. Martin Bartenstein, Federal Minister of Economics and Labour, Republic of Austria, and a representative of one of the other Member States (tbc)

Discussion of the Energy Package on gas and electricity