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

European Parliament session, Brussels, 9-10 April 2008

Plenary session 9-10 April 2008

Tibet - vote on resolution
Fisheries - Elspeth Attwooll MEP ( Scotland, Lib. Dem.)
New European Commissioner for health
R&D programme for small businesses - 1st reading
Pet passports - renewal of UK rules

Tibet

On Thursday, the European Parliament will vote on a resolution on the situation in Tibet. During the debate held at a special plenary session on 26 March 2008, the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, said: "… In a few months' time, China will be hosting the Olympic Games. We hope that the Games will be a success. However, there are preconditions for this: respect for the cultural and religious identity of the Tibetan people and free and fair reporting before and during the Games. The fact that journalists and correspondents have been expelled from Tibet must therefore be condemned. Every responsible politician must ask himself whether he can participate in the opening ceremony if the Chinese leadership does not seek dialogue and conciliation."

The following UK MEPs also took part in the 26 March debate: Charles Tannock (Cons, London); Edward McMillan-Scott (Cons, Yorks & Humber); John Purvis (Cons, Scotland); Christopher Beazley (Cons, Eastern).

Fisheries

Scottish Liberal Democrat MEP Elspeth Attwooll will introduce Wednesday evening's debate on rights-based management tools in fisheries. At issue is how the right to fish in EU waters is controlled and how these rights are allocated. The European Commission has opened the debate and the report from the Fisheries Committee is the basis for Parliament's response, looking at the pros and cons of various systems, with special focus on the distinct needs of small fleets; maintaining community livelihoods; and whether one system is practicable across the EU.

A second fisheries report is also due for discussion, amending the rules on the rights of EU fishing vessels to fish outside Community waters and access for non-EU vessels to fish in EU waters.

New European Commissioner

On Wednesday, MEPs will vote on whether to endorse the proposed new European Commissioner from Cyprus, Androula Vassiliou. If approved, Ms Vassiliou will be responsible for public health, food safety and animal welfare in the European Commission (filling the post previously held by Markos Kyprianou, who has become Cyprus Foreign Secretary).

A summary of the committee hearing with Ms Vassiliou can be seen on the Europarl website, including comments from UK MEPs Linda McAvan (Labour, Yorks & Humber); John Bowis (Cons, London); Neil Parish (Cons, South West).

R&D for small businesses

Small businesses are the main beneficiaries of a new programme set to receive its 1st reading this week. The 'Eurostars' Programme is aimed at R&D performing SMEs that wish to collaborate internationally. 22 EU Member States, including the UK, are taking part in this Programme which should see €400m made available to support European R&D, with matched funds expected also from private funding.

14 amendments to the European Commission proposal were adopted in the Industry Committee, fine-tuning the criteria for matched-funding, clarifying how the 'Eurostars' programme should be publicised on any projects backed, and setting out timetables for evaluation of the programme.

It is expected that agreement will be reached with the Council of Ministers on the amendments adopted this week so that the programme can be up and running later this year.

Pet passports

EU rules on pet passports have been in place since 2004. In the UK, their implementation is overseen by DEFRA, which has a special web page explaining the practical implementation of the rules in the UK, at this URL: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine/pets/regulation/eu_reg.htm

The UK has special requirements for protection against rabies, ticks and echinococcosis, which it has so far been allowed to maintain until July 2008. The proposal due for adoption this week extends the current situation until July 2010.

Other issues

Subtitling TV programmes: A majority of MEPs has now signed the Written Declaration (equivalent to a House of Commons Early Day Motion) on subtitling of TV programmes by public service broadcasters. This means that the Declaration can now be announced at the opening of this week's session and will be recorded in the Minutes as European Parliament policy. The Declaration calls on the European Commission to propose legislation requiring public service broadcasters in the EU to subtitle all of their programmes.
Homelessness: Another Written Declaration, on homelessness needs a further 22 MEP signatures before it can be announced as European Parliament policy. London Labour MEP Claude Moraes is one of the sponsors of the Declaration, which includes calls for a commitment from EU Member States to end homelessness by 2015. If the threshold of 393 MEPs is not achieved by the end of the session on Thursday, it will lapse.
Cancer: The European Commission will respond to an oral question from the Environment and Public Health Committee on combating cancer in the EU. Among the issues to be addressed: the setting up of an EU Cancer Taskforce to collect and exchange best practice in cancer care; patient mobility; cancer screening recommendations. (Debate: Wednesday).
Climate change: An oral question from the Parliament's Temporary Committee on Climate Change will be put to the European Commission on Thursday morning. It focuses in particular on co-operation between the EU and developing countries. For the diary: the interim report from the Climate Change Committee is due for presentation at the plenary session in May.
Lebanon : MEPs will debate the situation in Lebanon (Wednesday) after hearing statements from the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council. The European Parliament is expected to adopt a resolution at its Strasbourg session later this month.
EU Ombudsman: The rules governing the European Ombudsman's access to information are set to be amended this week (debate and vote: Thursday). Changes adopted in the Constitutional Affairs Committee include deletion of the current clause saying that information may be refused on 'grounds of secrecy'. Instead, new text proposed at committee stage spells out how classified information obtained by the Ombudsman should be handled. For the diary: the European Ombudsman will present his annual report at a press conference in the European Parliament in Brussels on 15 April.
Cultural heritage: Two reports from the Parliament's Culture Committee are due to be debated on Wednesday evening. One of them focuses on culture in a globalising world and includes a recommendation that European 'Years' should in future be organised to commemorate significant European cultural personalities. For 2010, the committee recommends a European Year to celebrate the composer Chopin (bicentennial of his birth), and for 2011 a European Year of Greek and Latin Classics.
Globalisation Fund: MEPs are set to vote on whether to release funds from the EU's Globalisation Fund to help retrain motor industry workers from Portugal and textile workers in Malta who have lost their jobs. The Globalisation Fund was set up in 2007 to help workers who lose their jobs following shifts in world trade patterns.
2009 budget: This is the time of year when MEPs are setting out guidelines for how they think EU funds should be spent in the following year's budget. Wednesday evening sees a debate on the European Parliament's own budget for 2009, when priorities should include a new visitors' centre, an audiovisual media centre and the European Parliament's own Web TV. Among environmental issues to be discussed: greater use of environmentally-friendly vehicles and solar panels on the roof of European Parliament buildings.