EP News No. 434 (19 February 2010)

MEPs return to Brussels on 22 February for two days of committee meetings.

Highlights include:

• Maternity Leave Directive - 1st reading adoption - Women's Rights Committee (Tuesday)
• Pascal Lamy - WTO Director General - on Doha Round - International Trade Committee (Tuesday)
• Hedge funds (AIFM Directive) - discussion of tabled amendments - Economic Committee (Tuesday)
• Working Time Directive (lorry drivers) - discussion of tabled amendments - Employment Committee (Monday)
• Biocidal Products Directive - draft report discussion - Environment Committee (Tuesday)

Among issues led by UK MEPs:

• South East Labour MEP Peter Skinner - draft report on Insurance sector supervision directive - Economic Committee
• South East Conservative MEP Richard Ashworth - draft report on simplification of the CAP - Agriculture Committee
• Scottish Lib Dem MEP George Lyon - first exchange on the CAP post-2013 - Agriculture Committee

• Prof Sir Howard Newby, Liverpool Uni gives evidence on Europe's Universities - challenges and responses - Culture Committee (Tuesday)
• Dawn Purchase of Marine Conservation Society evidence on European aquaculture - Fisheries Committee (Tuesday)
• Prof Avinash Persaud, Gresham College, Warwick Commission - evidence on future models for Europe - Financial Crisis Committee (Thursday)
• UN Convention on rights of disabled - Human Rights Sub-Committee (Monday)
• Union for the Mediterranean - Foreign Affairs Committee (Tuesday)
• Corporate Social Responsibility in international trade - International Trade Committee (Tuesday)
• Consumer rights - discussion with national parliaments - Consumer Protection Committee (Tuesday)

Petitions with a UK interest (Tuesday)

• Spanish urban development laws - petitioners present
• French and Spanish pharmacists on non-recognition of qualifications in the UK
• Lord Inglewood on status of peers elected as MEPs

All committee meetings and hearings next week mentioned above will be webstreamed and can be followed on Europarl TV.

The next EP News will be published on Tuesday 23 February ahead of the plenary session in Brussels on 24-25 February

1 January-30 June 2010: Spanish Presidency

European Parliament plenary sessions to June 2010

24-25 February 2010, Brussels
8-11 March 2010, Strasbourg
24-25 March 2010 Brussels
19-22 April 2010, Strasbourg
5 May 2010, Brussels
17-20 May 2010, Strasbourg
14-17 June 2010, Strasbourg