6.10.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 247/1

---

MINUTES

(2005/C 247 E/01)

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SITTING

IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES

President

1.   Resumption of session

The sitting opened at 17.05.

2.   Statement by the President

The President made a statement on the tsunami in Asia.

The House observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the tsunami.

The President announced that, on behalf of Parliament, he had sent a message to the Jakarta Summit, guaranteeing that funds would be swiftly made available: the Committee on Budgets would make a decision the following day on a transfer of EUR 100 million for aid. He pointed out that José Manuel Barroso (President of the Commission) had agreed that two Members of the European Parliament should take part in the donors' conference in Geneva.

3.   Approval of Minutes of previous sitting

Corrections to votes: sitting of 15.12.2004

Giusto Catania report — A6-0067/2004

—	paragraph 1, point (w), second part abstention: Louis Grech

—	amendment 5 against: Louis Grech

—	recital A for: Louis Grech

—	recommendation (as a whole) abstention: Louis Grech

***

The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.

4.   Documents received

The following documents had been received:

1)

from the Council and Commission: — Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the establishment of a European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and amending Council Directives 91/689/EEC and 96/61/EC (COM(2004)0634 — C6-0130/2004 — 2004/0231(COD)) referred to responsible: ENVI opinion: ITRE, AGRI, PECH — Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 77/91/EEC as regards the formation of public limited liability companies and the maintenance and alteration of their capital (COM(2004)0730 — C6-0169/2004 — 2004/0256(COD)) referred to responsible: JURI opinion: ECON — Proposal for a Council decision amending Decision 439/2000/EC of 29 June 2000 on a financial contribution from the Community towards the expenditure incurred by certain Member States in collecting data, and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries policy (COM(2004)0618 — C6-0243/2004 — 2004/0213(CNS)) referred to responsible: PECH opinion: BUDG — Initiative of the Kingdom of Belgium with a view to the adoption by the Council of a framework decision on the recognition and enforcement in the European Union of prohibitions arising from convictions for sexual offences committed against children (14207/2004 — C6-0244/2004 — 2004/0818(CNS)) referred to responsible: LIBE opinion: JURI — Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion by the European Community of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (COM(2004)0764 — C6-0245/2004 — 2004/0268(CNS)) referred to responsible: PECH opinion: ENVI — Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, of a Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons, regarding the participation, as contracting parties, of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovak Republic, pursuant to their accession to the European Union (12585/2004 — C6-0247/2004 — 2004/0201(AVC)) referred to responsible: LIBE opinion: AFET — Proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds concerning the extension of the duration of the PEACE programme and the granting of new commitment appropriations (16064/2004 — C6-0252/2004 — 2004/0224(AVC)) referred to responsible: REGI opinion: BUDG

2)

from other bodies: — Annual accounts for 2003 of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) (N6-0207/2004 — C6-0226/2004 — 2004/2050(DEC) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: EMPL — Annual accounts for 2003 of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) (N6-0208/2004 — C6-0227/2004 — 2004/2060(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: EMPL — Annual accounts for 2003 of the European Environment Agency (EEA) (N6-0209/2004 — C6-0228/2004 — 2004/2053(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: ENVI — Annual financial statements relating to the operations under the 2003 Budget of the European Training Foundation (EFT) (N6-0210/2004 — C6-0229/2004 — 2004/2058(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: EMPL — ‘Rapport annuel sur la gestion budgétaire et financière — Exercice 2003 — Observatoire européen des drogues et des toxicomanies (OEDT)’ (N6-0211/2004 — C6-0230/2004 — 2004/2055(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in French) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: LIBE — Annual report on budgetary and financial management for 2003 — European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) (N6-0212/2004 — C6-0231/2004 — 2004/2056(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: ENVI — ‘États financiers, États sur l'exécution budgétaire et Rapport de gestion 2003 — Agence européenne pour la sécurité et la santé au travail’ (N6-0213/2004 — C6-0232/2004 — 2004/2061(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in French) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: EMPL — ‘Comptes provisoires pour l'exercice 2003 — Centre de traduction des organes de l'Union européenne (CdT)’ (N6-0214/2004 — C6-0233/2004 — 2004/2062(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in French) referred to responsible: CONT — Financial Statement for the financial year 2003 — European Monitoring Centre on racism and xenophobia (EUMC) (N6-0215/2004 — C6-0234/2004 — 2004/2059(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: LIBE — Provisional accounts and budgetary and financial management report — Relating to the operations under the 2003 Budget of the European Agency for the Reconstruction (EAR) (N6-0216/2004 — C6-0235/2004 — 2004/2051(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET — ‘États financiers, États sur l'exécution budgétaire et Rapport de gestion 2003 — Autorité européenne de sécurité des aliments (EFSA)’ (N6-0217/2004 — C6-0236/2004 — 2004/2054(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in French) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: ENVI — ‘États financiers, États sur l'exécution budgétaire et Rapport de gestion 2003 — Agence Européenne pour la Sécurité Maritime (AESM)’ (N6-0218/2004 — C6-0237/2004 — 2004/2057(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in French) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: TRAN — ‘États financiers, États sur l'exécution budgétaire et Rapport de gestion 2003 — Agence Européenne de la Sécurité Aérienne (AESA)’ (N6-0219/2004 — C6-0238/2004 — 2004/2052(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in French) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: TRAN — Provisional Accounts of Eurojust 2003 — Financial Statements 1.1.2003-31.12.2003 — Balance sheet book — Report on Budget implementation (Eurojust) (N6-0220/2004 — C6-0239/2004 — 2004/2063(DEC)) (This document is currently only available in English) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: LIBE

3)

from committees: 3.1) reports: — Report on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (2004/2129(INI)) — Committee on Constitutional Affairs — Rapporteurs: Corbett Richard, Méndez de Vigo Íñigo (A6-0070/2004) — *** Recommendation on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds concerning the extension of the duration of the PEACE programme and the granting of new commitment appropriations (16064/2004 — C6-0252/2004 — 2004/0224(AVC)) — Committee on Regional Development Rapporteur: Nicholson James (A6-0001/2005) 3.2) recommendations for second reading: — ***II Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 72/166/EEC, 84/5/EEC, 88/357/EEC and 90/232/EEC and Directive 2000/26/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles (16182/2/2003 — C6-0112/2004 — 2002/0124(COD)) — Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Rapporteur: Medina Ortega Manuel (A6-0073/2004)

4)

from Members: 4.1) oral questions (Rule 108): — Stephen Hughes, on behalf of the EMPL Committee, to the Commission: Dismissal of Commission language teachers (B6-0137/2004); — Bill Newton Dunn, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Jacques Toubon, Malcolm Harbour and Marianne Thyssen, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, to the Commission: Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Regulation concerning sales promotions in the Internal Market (COM(2001)0546/final, COD(2001)0227, COM(2002)0585/final) (B6-0002/2005); — Martin Schulz and Glyn Ford, on behalf of the PSE Group, to the Council: Commemoration of Auschwitz (B6-0003/2005); — Martin Schulz and Glyn Ford, on behalf of the PSE Group, to the Commission: Commemoration of Auschwitz (B6-0004/2005) 4.2) oral questions for Question Time (Rule 109) (B6-0001/2005): — Ortuondo Larrea Josu, Evans Robert, Papadimoulis Dimitrios, Karas Othmar, Figueiredo Ilda, Badía i Cutchet María, Moraes Claude, Aylward Liam, Crowley Brian, Ó Neachtain Seán, Ryan Eoin, Schroedter Elisabeth, Rutowicz Leopold Józef, Newton Dunn Bill, Toussas Georgios, Manolakou Diamanto, Pafilis Athanasios, Coveney Simon, Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou Rodi, Mitchell Gay, Martin David, Martin Hans-Peter, Czarnecki Ryszard, Landsbergis Vytautas, Ribeiro e Castro José, Henin Jacky, Evans Robert, Sonik Bogusław, De Rossa Proinsias, Crowley Brian, Mitchell Gay, Purvis John, Goudin Hélène, Yañez-Barnuevo García Luis, Staes Bart, Martin David, Paleckis Justas Vincas, Battilocchio Alessandro, Landsbergis Vytautas, Ilves Toomas Hendrik, Onyszkiewicz Janusz, Papadimoulis Dimitrios, Moraes Claude, Guardans Cambó Ignasi, Newton Dunn Bill, Coveney Simon, Kudrycka Barbara, Segelström Inger, Sbarbati Luciana, Hatzidakis Konstantinos, Ludford Sarah, Ortuondo Larrea Josu, Mavrommatis Manolis, Varvitsiotis Ioannis, Sifunakis Nikolaos, Stihler Catherine, Herranz García María Esther, Czarnecki Ryszard, Rutowicz Leopold Józef, Toussas Georgios, Sjöstedt Jonas, Badía i Cutchet María, Aylward Liam, Ó Neachtain Seán, Ryan Eoin, Podkański Zdzisław Zbigniew, Manolakou Diamanto, Pafilis Athanasios, Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou Rodi, Kelam Tunne, Martin Hans-Peter, Van Hecke Johan, Ferreira Anne, Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou Marie, Ribeiro e Castro José, McGuinness Mairead 4.3) written declarations for entry in the Register (Rule 116): — Claude Moraes, Neena Gill, Jo Leinen, Hartmut Nassauer and Jan Mulder, on the European Parliament response to the Asian tsunami disaster (1/2005)

5.   Petitions

The following petitions, which had been entered in the register on the dates shown below, had been forwarded to the committee responsible pursuant to Rule 191(5):

15 December 2004

Justin Woolford (WWF-UK) (No 960/2004);

Pazis Kaladimidis (No 961/2004);

Thanos Kafkalidis (No 962/2004);

Francisco Javier Arias González (No 963/2004);

Marta Moreno (No 964/2004);

Alfonso Ruisánchez Acebal (No 965/2004);

Mohamed Baghdadi (APA de la residencia de estudiantes) (No 966/2004);

Bernard Birsinger (No 967/2004);

Christelle Monticciolo Arnould (No 968/2004);

Francesco Marino (No 969/2004);

Marco Da Prato (ESPERANZA) (No 970/2004);

Santo Sala (Lavoratori LSU ‘ex art. 23’) (No 971/2004);

Gaetano Montefusco (L'Avvocato del Mare) (No 972/2004);

Marcela Maidaniuc (No 973/2004);

Cornelio Leonardi (No 974/2004);

Valentina De Luca (Comitato Via Valle Muricana 179) (No 975/2004);

Giovanni Ruffato (No 976/2004);

Antero Oliveira Resende (Coligação Democrática Unitária — PCP/PEV) (No 977/2004);

Panagiotis Balaskas (No 978/2004);

Fidel Sánchez Gómez (Asociación Vecinal ‘Peña Tú’) (No 979/2004);

José Júlio Encarnação Cabaceira (Centro de Formação ‘António Sardinha’ Escola Secundária D. Sancho — II) (No 980/2004);

Arminda Ramos Vechina (No 981/2004);

Fara Maria Oliveira da Costa (No 982/2004);

Jan Hodra (No 983/2004);

Özcan Kadoyo (No 984/2004);

Gordon Hall (No 985/2004);

Robert Czoelner (No 986/2004);

Dieter Schneckenburger (Gemeinde Bötzingen am Kaiserstuhl) (No 987/2004);

Hans-Hendrik-Herman Peters (No 988/2004);

Björn Wackerhagen (Kieler Wach- und Sicherheitsgesellschaft) (No 989/2004);

Hans Doepner (No 990/2004);

António Pedro Dinis (No 991/2004);

Christian Will (No 992/2004);

Fred Ludwig (No 993/2004);

Peter Mayer (No 994/2004);

Trudi Straeten (Tierversuchsgegener Pulheim e.V. — Menschen für Tierrechte) (and 2 signatures) (No 995/2004);

Reinhard Müller (No 996/2004);

Nicholas Rowe (No 997/2004);

Antonios Drossopoulos (and 34 signatures) (No 998/2004);

Uwe Ostendorff (International Falcon Movement — Socialist Educational International) (No 999/2004);

Tatjana Ždanoka (No 1000/2004);

Ilya Meyer (No 1001/2004);

Piotr Mazurkiewicz (No 1002/2004).

7 January 2005

Erich Ollnow (No 1/2005);

Nadine Weirich (No 2/2005);

Sebastian Scadhauser (No 3/2005);

Andreas Bernet (No 4/2005);

Hubert Heinrich Nagel (No 5/2005);

Gerhard Klee (Nabak Kommanditgesellschaft) (No 6/2005);

Frank Semmig (No 7/2005);

Georg Kalisz (No 8/2005);

Volker Heil (Kreisstadt Homburg (Saar) (No 9/2005);

Timofey Rassadin (KHG Mainz) (No 10/2005);

Ulrich Peter Kosch (No 11/2005);

Dan Murphy (No 12/2005);

William Cullen (Computer Magnetics Ltd) (No 13/2005);

Maria del Carmen García Treviño (No 14/2005);

Jonathan Michael Bloch (No 15/2005);

Michael Hirst (PA Spiral Group) (No 16/2005);

Bernard Veriter (No 17/2005);

Frank Harvey (No 18/2005);

Adrian Haw (No 19/2005);

Angelique Vasinathan (No 20/2005);

Ilja Ketris (No 21/2005);

Januario Tavares da Silva (No 22/2005);

Miroslav Zak (No 23/2005);

Mariusz Blachowicz (No 24/2005);

Jozef Wiktorczyk (No 25/2005);

Günter Ettrich (No 26/2005);

Wiktor Spolka (No 27/2005);

Kazimierz Konarski (No 28/2005).

6.   Transfers of appropriations

The Committee on Budgets had considered proposal for transfer of appropriations DEC71/2004 by the Commission (C6-0224/2004 — SEC(2004)1531).

After noting the Council's opinion, it had authorised the transfer in full, pursuant to Article 24(3) of the Financial Regulation of 25.06.2002.

7.   Written declarations (Rule 116)

In accordance with Rule 116(5), written declarations Nos 37, 38 and 39/2004 lapsed as they had not obtained the required number of signatures.

8.   Decisions concerning certain documents

Enhanced cooperation between committees

AFET:

—	Security Research: The Next Steps (2004/2171(INI)) (asked for opinion: LIBE)

Enhanced cooperation between the AFET and ITRE Committees

(Following the Conference of Presidents' Decision of 18.11.2004)

AFCO:

—	Institutional aspects of creating a European service for external action (2004/2207(INI))

Enhanced cooperation between the AFCO and AFET Committees

(Following the Conference of Presidents' Decision of 9.12.2004)

9.   Approval by the Council of Parliament's positions adopted at first reading (Rule 66)

The Council had indicated, in accordance with Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty, its approval of Parliament's positions adopted at first reading:

—	on 30 March 2004 with a view to the adoption of the European Parliament and Council regulation on Community statistics concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment (2003/0200(COD));

—	on 26 October 2004 with a view to the adoption of the European Parliament and Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2130/2001 on operations to aid uprooted people in Asian and Latin American developing countries (2004/0040(COD)).

Moreover, on 15 November 2004 the President had informed Parliament that, pursuant to Rule 66(2), he had decided to consult the committee responsible, in this case the ENVI Committee, in order to verify that the adaptations the Council had made to Parliament's position adopted at first reading on 31 March 2004 with a view to the adoption of the European Parliament and Council regulation laying down requirements for feed hygiene (2003/0071(COD)) did not affect the substance. Having received the ENVI Committee's opinion, he had indicated to the Council that the text which the Council had forwarded could be accepted subject to one change. The Council had then forwarded a new text incorporating the requested change.

The acts in question were thus adopted, and would be signed by the President of Parliament, with the President of the Council, in accordance with Rule 68 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure.

10.   Order of business

The next item was the order of business.

The final draft agenda for the January I and II sittings (PE 352.950/PDOJ) had been distributed and a number of changes had been proposed (Rule 132):

Sittings of 10.01.2005 to 13.01.2005

Monday

—	no changes

Tuesday

—	Request from the UEN Group to postpone the election of the European Ombudsman until a later partsession

The following spoke: Salvatore Tatarella, on behalf of the UEN Group, who moved the request, and David Hammerstein Mintz, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group.

Parliament rejected the request.

Wednesday

—	no changes

Thursday

—	no changes

Sittings of 26.01.2005 and 27.01.2005

—	no changes

The order of business was thus established.

11.   One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Pursuant to Rule 144, the following Members who wished to draw the attention of Parliament to matters of political importance spoke for one minute:

Katerina Batzeli, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski, Evangelia Tzampazi, Nirj Deva, Antonio Tajani, Claude Moraes, Eugenijus Gentvilas, James Nicholson, Bairbre de Brún, Bogdan Golik, Avril Doyle, Ryszard Czarnecki, Ján Hudacký, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, James Hugh Allister, Terence Wynn and Toine Manders.

12.   United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (debate)

Commission statement: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Stavros Dimas (Member of the Commission) made the statement.

The following spoke: Karl-Heinz Florenz, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group.

IN THE CHAIR: Gérard ONESTA

Vice-President

The following spoke: Dorette Corbey, on behalf of the PSE Group, Chris Davies, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Roberto Musacchio, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Liam Aylward, on behalf of the UEN Group, Bruno Gollnisch, Non-attached Member, Avril Doyle, Andres Tarand, Carl Schlyter, Mary Lou McDonald, Urszula Krupa, Hans-Peter Martin, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Evelin Lichtenberger, Diamanto Manolakou and Maciej Marian Giertych.

IN THE CHAIR: Pierre MOSCOVICI

Vice-President

The following spoke: Eija-Riitta Korhola, Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines, Romana Jordan Cizelj, Daniel Caspary, Ivo Belet, Othmar Karas and Stavros Dimas.

Motion for a resolution tabled to wind up the debate pursuant to Rule 103(2):

—

Karl-Heinz Florenz, Avril Doyle and Eija-Riitta Korhola, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Guido Sacconi and Dorette Corbey, on behalf of the PSE Group, Chris Davies, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Satu Hassi, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Jonas Sjöstedt, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Liam Aylward, Brian Crowley and Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the outcome of the Buenos Aires Conference on climate change (B6-0032/2005).

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 13.01.2005, Item 6.1.

13.   Civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles ***II (debate)

Recommendation for second reading on the common position adopted by the Council on 26 April 2004 with a view to the adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 72/166/EEC, 84/5/EEC, 88/357/EEC and 90/232/EEC and Directive 2000/26/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor vehicles [16182/2/2003 — C6-0112/2004 — 2002/0124(COD)] — Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection.

Rapporteur: Manuel Medina Ortega (A6-0073/2004)

Manuel Medina Ortega introduced the recommendation for second reading.

Charlie McCreevy (Member of the Commission) spoke.

The following spoke: Malcolm Harbour, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Phillip Whitehead, on behalf of the PSE Group, Diana Wallis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, and Othmar Karas.

IN THE CHAIR: Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN

Vice-President

The following spoke: Mia De Vits and Joachim Wuermeling.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 12.01.2005, Item 4.1.

14.   Sales promotions in the internal market (debate)

Oral question (B6-0002/2005) by Bill Newton Dunn, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Jacques Toubon, Malcolm Harbour and Marianne Thyssen, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, to the Commission, on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation concerning sales promotions in the Internal Market (COM(2001)0546 — COD(2001)0227 — COM(2002)0585)

Bill Newton Dunn and Malcolm Harbour moved the oral question.

Charlie McCreevy (Member of the Commission) answered the oral question.

The following spoke: Béatrice Patrie, on behalf of the PSE Group.

The debate closed.

15.   Agenda for next sitting

The agenda for the next sitting had been established (‘Agenda’ PE 352.950/OJMA).

16.   Closure of sitting

The sitting closed at 20.25.

---

---