September 24th, 2004 (No. 178)

Table Of Contents

The Week Ahead

The candidates for the 24 posts of European Commissioner appear before the various European Parliament committees over the two weeks from 27 September to 8 October. More info below.

Other highlights from a week of committee meetings in Brussels include:
  • Packaging and packaging waste directive - first discussion in Environment Committee (Mon)
  • Food: nutrition and health claims in labelling - first discussion in Internal Market Committee(Tues)
  • Richard Corbett MEP (Labour, Yorks & Humber) will jointly lead the discussion in Constitutional Affairs Committee on the draft Constitutional Treaty (Weds)
  • Free movement of services - first discussion of new proposed directive (Internal Market Committee - Mon)
  • European Ombudsman annual report (Petitions Cttee) (Thurs)


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Latest News

UK MEPs appointed to key posts
  • Glenys Kinnock MEP (Labour, Wales) has been re-appointed to the joint presidency of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. (Link to ACP).
  • John Bowis MEP (Conservative, London) has been elected one of the vice-presidents.
  • Martin Callanan MEP (Conservative, North East) will co-chair the ACP-EU Committee on Political Affairs.
The European Parliament has a number of small committees - known as delegations - for dealing with relations with Parliaments from non-EU countries. The following UK MEPs have this week been appointed as chairs and vice-chairs:
  • Jonathan Evans MEP (Conservative, Wales) chair - relations with USA
  • Neil Parish MEP (Conservative, South West) chair - relations with Australia & New Zealand
  • Neena Gill MEP (Labour, West Midlands) chair - relations with South Asia + SAARC (Link to SAARC)
  • Diana Wallis MEP (Liberal Democrat, Yorkshire & Humber) chair - relations with Switzerland and the EEA (Link to EEA)
  • Andrew Duff MEP (Liberal Democrat, Eastern) vice-chair - relations with Turkey
  • Charles Tannock MEP (Conservative, London) vice-chair - relations with Ukraine
  • Terry Wynn MEP (Labour North West) vice-chair - relations with Australia/NZ
European Parliament hearings of European Commissioner candidates
From Monday 27 September to Friday 8 October 2004, the 24 European Commissioner candidates will appear before the relevant European Parliament committee(s). On the basis of these hearings, the European Parliament as a whole will vote on whether to approve the proposed team of Commissioners at its session in Strasbourg from 25-28 October.

Questionnaires have been sent to all the Commissioner-candidates. These can be read, along with the written replies received so far, at the following link: www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/commission/2004_comm/questionnaires_en.htm

Peter Mandelson - proposed UK Commissioner - is scheduled to appear before the Committee on International Trade on Monday 4 October from 12 noon to 3pm UK time.

The full schedule of hearings is on our website at http://www.europarl.org.uk/news/NWSupcomingmain.htm

It will be possible to watch the hearings on the internet via webstreaming:- www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/commission/2004_comm/default_en.htm

The hearings will also be broadcast live by satellite (EbS). Journalists and representatives of UK-based organisations who would like to watch the broadcasts at our office at 2 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H, should contact Simon Duffin, Press Officer, on 020 7227 4335.

Early booking is essential as we only have a limited number of places to offer.

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Further Information

Simon Duffin
simon.duffin@europarl.europa.eu
European Parliament UK Office
tel 020 7227 4300


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