Fuente: © European Parliament
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EU: Highlights of the plenary session in Strasbourg 16-19 June 2008

/noticias.info/ Selected highlights of the Strasbourg plenary session include: Preparations for the Brussels European Council 19 and 20 June following the No vote in Ireland, measures in the short-and medium to combat rising oil prices, liberalising the electricity market across the EU, Return directive - maximum period of custody, binding waste targets by 2020, making water safer - environmental quality standards, 40 years of the customs union, formal sitting with UN Special Rapporteur Asma Jilani Jahangir.
Selected highlights of the Strasbourg plenary session 16-19 June 2008 include:


* Preparations for the Brussels European Council 19 and 20 June
* Measures to take in the short-and medium to combat rising oil prices
* Liberalising the electricity market across the EU
* Return directive - maximum period of custody and a ban on re-entry into the EU by deportees
* Binding waste targets by 2020
* Making water safer - environmental quality standards for 33 pollutants
* 40 years of the customs union
* Formal sitting with United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Asma Jilani Jahangir
* 2010 European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion
* Future of the sheep/lamb sector in Europe
* Preparations for the EU-Russia summit 26-27 June


Monday 16 June 2008

The session starts on Monday at 5pm with a debate on the revision of the framework directive on waste. The EU will have new waste legislation which includes targets for re-use and recycling of waste to be attained by 2020 if a compromise between Council and Parliament is adopted in plenary. An informal compromise, proposed by rapporteur Caroline Jackson (EPP-ED, Conservative, South West, UK) has been achieved on the waste framework directive between representatives of Parliament and Council in view to a second reading agreement.

Parliament then turns its attention to environmental quality standards in the field of water policy. 33 pollutants - mainly pesticides and heavy metals - likely to be found in rivers, lakes and coastal waters - will be subject to environmental quality standards. Member States will have to "make progress towards compliance" of these standards by 2018, according to a second-reading agreement with Council. The proposed directive on water quality is the final piece of legislation needed to support the Water Framework Directive.

The House will mark 40 years of the Customs Union which was established on 1 July 1968. The customs union was one of the EU’s earliest milestones. It abolished customs duties at internal borders and put in place a uniform system for taxing imports. Internal border controls subsequently disappeared. Customs officers are now found only at the EU’s external borders. The House will also vote on a resolution on this topic.

Parliament then turns its attention to a report on 2010, the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion. Persistent poverty is "a worrying phenomenon" in Europe which must be tackled more effectively, says the Employment Committee in its report backing plans to designate 2010 as the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. 78 million EU citizens live at risk of poverty, 19 million of them are children, recalls the Employment Committee.

On the sidelines of the plenary, two hearings take place. Vice-President and Commissioner Jacques Barrot from 5.30pm to 8pm in front of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Committee on Legal Affairs. A delegation from the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality will also participate in room LOW N1.4.

Second, the hearing of Commissioner-designate Antonio Tajani takes place from 8.15pm to 11.15pm before the Committee on Transport and Tourism. A delegation from the Committee on Budgets will also participate also in room LOW N1.4.

After the hearings, the relevant parliamentary committees will communicate their assessment to the President of the European Parliament, and to the chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen, in the form of an evaluation letter with a view to the final vote in plenary. A vote on both will take place on Wednesday 18 June at midday by the whole European Parliament.

Tuesday 17 June 2008

Tuesday morning is dedicated to the "return directive" or the first-reading of the directive establishing common standards and procedures for the return of third-country nationals residing illegally. This draft legislation lays down a maximum period of custody and a ban on re-entry into the EU by deportees, while seeking to safeguard the basic rights of the individuals concerned. Parliament has been working on the directive on an equal footing with the Council under the co-decision procedure. The UK is not affected by the directive because it has not opted into this area of Community law. The directive will, however, apply to Ireland.

Later on Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate whether to approve Slovakia's bid to adopt the euro on 1 January 2009. The Economics Committee has already given its backing, but stressed that Slovakia should make further efforts to keep its rate of inflation down and continue structural reforms to its economy.

Tuesday afternoon starts with a joint debate on the energy market with particular focus on the electricity market. The Industry committee backs rapporteur Eluned MORGAN's (PES, Wales, Labour UK) preference for full ownership unbundling, which is also the European Commission's preferred option. This would involve forbidding companies or countries from simultaneously exercising control over electricity generation or supply and "directly or indirectly exercising control over a transmission system operator" and vice versa.

Giles CHICHESTER (EPP-ED, UK) for the Industry Committee is insisting that the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators - proposed as part of the energy package - should have regulatory powers, contrary to the Commission's original plan. In the vote on three related first-reading reports, overwhelming majorities on the committee backs a strong decision-making role for the Agency.

Wednesday 18 June 2008

The key debate of the week is on the preparation of the Brussels European Council to be held on 19 and 20 June following the No vote in the Irish referendum. The meeting of the European Council will be preceded by an statement by Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, followed by an exchange of views. The main topics to be debated by heads of State and government are regrouped under: the Lisbon Treaty, freedom security and justice, policy implications of high food prices, economic social and environmental issues, Western Balkans and external relations.

At 11.30am, the House will vote on a report on the statute of the European Ombudsman. Proposed changes in the rules governing the European Ombudsman's access to information held by EU bodies and evidence given to him by EU civil servants, are set out in a report, proposed by the Constitutional Affairs Committee, on the Ombudsman's Statute. The key aim of these changes is to boost citizens' confidence in the Ombudsman's work. The vote will take place in the presence of the Council and the debate took place on 21 April.

At midday, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Asma Jilani Jahangir, will address a formal sitting of the House as part of the EP's programme of events for European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008.

MEPs will debate preparations of the EU/Russia summit after hearing statements from the Commission and the Council. The EU-Russia summit will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk Siberia on 26-27 June, when new president Dmitry Medvedev, will represent Russia for the first time. The House will also vote on a resolution on this topic.

MEPs then debate Sovereign Wealth Funds, government-owned investment vehicles that invest surplus state funds, which are growing rapidly; so also are the political controversy and the potential risks they give rise to, according to a question to the Council and the Commission from the Economics Committee.

MEPs will debate measures to take in the short-and medium to combat rising oil prices after hearing statements from the Council and Commission. Oil prices have risen over to $130 a barrel. Fuel protests triggered by rising oil prices have spread to more countries across Europe, with thousands of fishermen on strike. Marine fuel prices have gone beyond €0.7/l in most European harbours, an increase of around 240% since 2004.

Parliament also tackles the crisis in the fisheries sector caused by rising fuel oil prices. Philippe MORILLON (ALDE, FR), on behalf of the Committee on Fisheries will be asking the Commission questions on the crisis in the fisheries sector caused by rising fuel oil prices. The price of petroleum has quadrupled since 2004, and fuel prices have soared during May this year, triggering a serious crisis in the fishing industry, all branches of which are affected. The House will also vote on a resolution on this topic.

Late on Wednesday evening, Liam AYLWARD (UEN, IE) will present his report on the future of the sheep/lamb and goat sector in Europe. MEPs will debate proposals by the Agriculture Committee for urgent EU action to support sheep and goat farming, including producer income support and marketing measures. In addition, the Commission's plans for compulsory electronic tagging of every animal should be rethought, says the report.

Thursday 19 June 2008

Parliament debates the First Intelligent Car report. Intelligent car technologies need to be cheaper and be better publicised to increase their use, says an own initiative report. If fully deployed with the necessary infrastructure, Intelligent Vehicle Systems could save thousands of lives and alleviate congestion, environmental and health problems.

As usual the session end with three debates and votes on human rights around the world, on this occasion the topics are: Burma: ongoing detention of political prisoners, Somalia: civilian murders - an everyday occurrence and Iran: execution of minors. notas_de_prensa_archivo