7.7.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 166/1

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MINUTES

(2005/C 166E/01)

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SITTING

IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES

President

1.   Resumption of session

The sitting opened at 15.05.

2.   Approval of Minutes of previous sitting

Corrections to votes:

Sitting of 15.09.2004

Report: Philippe Morillon — A6-0001/2004

—	amended proposal for: Kader Arif against: Eva-Britt Svensson

—	resolution (as a whole) for: Kader Arif against: Eva-Britt Svensson abstention: Witold Tomczak

Report: Philippe Morillon — A6-0002/2004

—	amended proposal against: Eva-Britt Svensson

—	resolution (as a whole) against: Eva-Britt Svensson

Report: Philippe Morillon — A6-0003/2004

—	amended proposal against: Eva-Britt Svensson

—	resolution (as a whole) against: Eva-Britt Svensson abstention: Witold Tomczak

Sitting of 16.09.2004

RC-B6-0028/2004 — Iraq

—	amendment 3 for: Claude Moraes

—	resolution (as a whole) for: Othmar Karas against: Eva-Britt Svensson

Salvatore Tatarella had informed the Presidency that he had been present at the sitting of 15 September 2004, but that his name was not on the attendance register.

The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.

3.   Documents received

The following documents had been received:

1)

from the Council and Commission: — Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Community Air Traffic Controller Licence (COM(2004)0473 — C6-0076/2004 — 2004/0146(COD)) referred to responsible: TRAN opinion: EMPL — Proposal for a Council decision amending Decision 1999/847/EC as regards the extension of the Community action programme in the field of civil protection (COM(2004)0512 — C6-0111/2004 — 2004/0162(CNS)) referred to responsible: ENVI opinion: BUDG — Proposal for a Council decision on the withdrawal by the European Community from the Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources in the Baltic Sea and Belts (COM (2004)0577 — C6-0113/2004 — 2004/0197(CNS)) referred to responsible: PECH opinion: ENVI — Proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1035/2001 establishing a catch documentation scheme for Dissostichus spp. (COM(2004)0528 — C6-0114/2004 — 2004/0179 (CNS)) referred to responsible: PECH opinion: ENVI — Proposal for a Council regulation on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters concerning the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros on fishing off the Comoros for the period from 28 February 2004 to 31 December 2004 (COM(2004)0540 — C6-0115/2004 — 2004/0185 (CNS)) referred to responsible: PECH opinion: DEVE, BUDG — Council Recommendation on the appointment of a Member of the European Court of Auditors (Mr Kikis Kazamias — CY) (SGS4/10195 — C6-0116/2004 — 2004/0811(CNS)) referred to responsible: CONT — Proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 87/328/EEC as regards the storage of semen of bovine animals intended for intra-Community trade (COM(2004)0563 — C6-0117/2004 — 2004/0188(CNS)) referred to responsible: AGRI opinion: ENVI — Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Principality of Andorra providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments (COM(2004)0564 — C6-0120/2004 — 2004/0192(CNS)) referred to responsible: ECON — Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Principality of Liechtenstein providing for measures equivalent to those laid down in Council Directive 2003/48/EC of 3 June 2003 on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments (COM(2004)0569 — C6-0121/2004 — 2004/0191(CNS)) referred to responsible: ECON — Draft general budget of the European Communities for the financial year 2005 (11445/2004 [01] — C6-0123/2004 — 2004/2001(BUD)) referred to responsible: BUDG opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, CONT, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Proposal for transfer of appropriations DEC 49/2004 — Section III — Commission (SEC(2004) 1151 — C6-0124/2004 — 2004/2176(GBD)) referred to responsible: BUDG — Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mutual administrative assistance for the protection of the financial interests of the Community against fraud and any other illegal activities (COM(2004)0509 — C6-0125/2004 — 2004/0172(COD)) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: BUDG, ECON, JURI, LIBE — Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Commission's report on the follow-up to 2002 Discharges (COM(2004)0648 — C6-0126/2004 — 2004/2064(DEC)) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Draft amending budget No 9 for the financial year 2004 (13083/2004 — C6-0132/2004 — 2004/2100(BUD)) referred to responsible: BUDG opinion: LIBE

2)

from committees 2.1) reports: — Report on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directives 66/401/EEC, 66/402/EEC, 2002/54/EC and 2002/57/EC as regards examinations carried out under official supervision and equivalence of seed produced in third countries (COM(2004)0263 — C6-0010/2004 — 2004/0086(CNS)) — Committee on Agriculture Rapporteur: Joseph Daul (A6-0007/2004) — Report on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 2702/1999 on measures to provide information on, and to promote, agricultural products in third countries, and Council Regulation (EC) No 2826/2000 on information and promotion actions for agricultural products on the internal market (11464/2004 — C6-0008/2004 — 2004/0073 (CNS)) — Committee on Agriculture Rapporteur: Joseph Daul (A6-0008/2004) — Report on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1268/1999 on Community support for pre-accession measures for agriculture and rural development in the applicant countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the pre-accession period (COM (2004)0163 — C5-0178/2004 — 2004/0054(CNS)) — Committee on Agriculture Rapporteur: Joseph Daul (A6-0009/2004) — Report including a proposal for a recommendation of the European Parliament to the Council and to the European Council on the future of the area of freedom, security and justice as well as on the measures required to enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness thereof (2004/2175(INI)) — Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Rapporteur: Jean-Louis Bourlanges (A6-0010/2004) — Report on Draft Amending budget No 9 of the European Union for the financial year 2004 — Section VIII (B) — European Data-Protection Supervisor (13083/2004 — C6-0132/2004 — 2004/2100(BUD)) — Committee on Budgets Rapporteur: Neena Gill (A6-0013/2004)

3)

from Members 3.1) oral questions (Rule 108): — Luisa Morgantini, on behalf of the DEVE Committee, Enrique Barón Crespo, on behalf of the INTA Committee Committee, to the Council, on the Communication from the Commission ‘Developing countries, international trade and sustainable development: the function of the Community's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015’ (B6-0014/2004) — Luisa Morgantini, on behalf of the DEVE Committee, Enrique Barón Crespo, on behalf of the INTA Committee Committee, to the Commission, on the Communication from the Commission ‘Developing countries, international trade and sustainable development: the function of the Community's Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for the ten-year period from 2006 to 2015’ (B6-0015/2004) — José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Camiel Eurlings, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, to the Council, on the European Council decision concerning the accession of Turkey (B6-0016/2004) 3.2) motion for a resolution (Rule 108): — Jo Leinen, on behalf of the AFCO Committee, on the procedures for ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and a communication strategy for the said Treaty (B6-0067/2004) 3.3) motions for resolutions (Rule 113): — Salvador Garriga Polledo, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on European Peace Day (B6-0066/2004) referred to responsible: LIBE opinion: AFET — Roberta Angelilli and Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the elderly (B6-0068/2004) referred to responsible: EMPL — Roberta Angelilli and Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, on ‘protected houses’ (B6-0069/2004) referred to responsible: EMPL — Rosa Díez González, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the draft EU drugs strategy (2005-2012) (B6-0070/2004) referred to responsible: LIBE opinion: ENVI — Antoine Duquesne, on behalf of the ALDE/ADLE Group, on the revised EU anti-terrorism Action Plan/Work Programme (B6-0071/2004) referred to responsible: LIBE 3.4) written declarations for entry in the Register (Rule 116): — Jean-Claude Martinez, Koenraad Dillen and Luca Romagnoli, on the establishment of a European Mayors' Day (37/2004); — Janusz Wojciechowski, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański and Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk, on the 65th anniversary of the Second World War (38/2004); — Bronisław Geremek, Valdis Dombrovskis, Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Vytautas Landsbergis, on the anniversary of 17 September 1939 (39/2004); — Emma Bonino, Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit, Bronisław Geremek, João de Deus Pinheiro and Michel Rocard, on the decision to be taken by the European Council in December 2004 on the opening of negotiations with Turkey (40/2004); — Carl Lang, Andreas Mölzer and Luca Romagnoli, on the protection of national armaments markets (41/2004)

4.   Texts of agreements forwarded by the Council

The Council had forwarded certified true copies of the following:

—	Procès-Verbal of rectification concerning the partnership agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000;

—

Protocol to the partnership and cooperation agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Kazakhstan, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union;

—

Protocol to the partnership and cooperation agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union;

—	Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and India pursuant to Article XXVIII of the GATT 1994 relating to the modification of concessions with respect to rice provided for in EC schedule CXL annexed to the GATT 1994.

5.   Membership of committees and delegations

The PPE-DE, PSE and UEN Groups and the non-attached Members had proposed the following changes to the list published as an annex to the Minutes of 16 September 2004:

INTA Committee:

—	María del Pilar Ayuso González was no longer a full member;

ITRE Committee:

—	Sebastiano (Nello) Musumeci to replace Romano Maria La Russa;

LIBE Committee:

—	Giuseppe Gargani,

—	Romano Maria La Russa had become a full member to replace Roberta Angelilli;

PETI Committee:

—	David Martin;

Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly:

—	Carlos Coelho to replace João de Deus Pinheiro;

Delegation for relations with Mercosur:

—	Adam Jerzy Bielan to replace Marcin Libicki,

—	João de Deus Pinheiro to replace Carlos Coelho;

Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):

—	Wojciech Roszkowski to replace Roberts Zīle;

Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China:

—	Marcin Libicki to replace Adam Jerzy Bielan;

Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo):

—	Ryszard Czarnecki to replace Marek Aleksander Czarnecki;

Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia parliamentary cooperation committees:

—	Árpád Duka-Zólyomi to replace Gyula Hegyi;

Delegation for relations with Israel:

—	Marek Aleksander Czarnecki to replace Ryszard Czarnecki;

Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council:

—	John Bowis — full member;

Delegation for relations with Iran:

—	Hans-Peter Martin — full member,

—	John Purvis — full member,

—	Libor Rouček — full member;

Delegation for relations with Japan:

—	María Badía i Cutchet to replace Andres Tarand;

Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, south-east Asia and the Republic of Korea:

—	Andres Tarand to replace Vural Öger;

Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand:

—	James Nicholson to replace Philip Bradbourn;

Delegation for relations with South Africa:

—	Philip Bradbourn to replace James Nicholson;

Delegation to the EU-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee:

—	Gyula Hegyi to replace Árpád Duka-Zólyomi.

These appointments would be deemed ratified if no objections were lodged before the approval of these Minutes.

6.   Membership of Parliament

Chantal Simonot had given notice in writing of her resignation as Member of Parliament, with effect from 1.11.2004.

Pursuant to Rule 4(3), Parliament established the vacancy and would inform the Member State concerned thereof.

7.   Request for the waiver of parliamentary immunity

The competent authorities in Cyprus had forwarded a request to waive the parliamentary immunity of Marios Matsakis.

Pursuant to Rule 6(2), the request had been referred to the committee responsible, the JURI Committee.

8.   Membership of temporary committees

The Conference of Presidents had put forward a list of members for the temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013 (see annex).

The deadline for tabling amendments for plenary would be Thursday 14 October 2004 at 09.00.

9.   Order of business

The next item was the order of business.

The final draft agenda for the October I part-session (347.485/PDOJ) had been distributed. No changes had been proposed.

The order of business was thus established.

10.   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:

Arlene McCarthy, on behalf of the British members of the PSE Group, Proinsias De Rossa, Sarah Ludford, Roberta Angelilli, Linda McAvan, Jacek Protasiewicz, Vittorio Emanuele Agnoletto and Mairead McGuinness.

11.   Stocktaking of the Prodi Commission (statement followed by debate)

Commission statement: Stocktaking of the Prodi Commission

Romano Prodi (President of the Commission) made the statement.

The President paid tribute to Romano Prodi for his work throughout his term as President of the Commission.

The following spoke: Hans-Gert Poettering, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE/ADLE Group, Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Francis Wurtz, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Maciej Marian Giertych, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, Ryszard Czarnecki, Non-attached Member, Françoise Grossetête, Hannes Swoboda, Marielle De Sarnez, Ian Hudghton, Roberto Musacchio, Roberta Angelilli, Frank Vanhecke, Marianne Thyssen, Massimo D'Alema, Lapo Pistelli, Marco Rizzo, Jonathan Evans, Pervenche Berès, Andrew Duff, Antonio Tajani, Reino Paasilinna, Alfonso Andria, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Janusz Wojciechowski, Gunnar Hökmark, Alojz Peterle and Romano Prodi.

The debate closed.

IN THE CHAIR: Jacek Emil SARYUSZ-WOLSKI

Vice-President

12.   Situation in the Middle East (statements followed by debate)

Council and Commission statements: Situation in the Middle East

Javier Solana (High Representative for CFSP) and Christopher Patten (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: Armin Laschet, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, Cecilia Malmström, on behalf of the ALDE/ADLE Group, Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Adamos Adamou, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Bastiaan Belder, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Eoin Ryan, on behalf of the UEN Group, Ryszard Czarnecki, Non-attached Member, and Bogdan Klich.

IN THE CHAIR: Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN

Vice-President

The following spoke: Pasqualina Napoletano, Margrete Auken, Luisa Morgantini, Charles Tannock, Véronique De Keyser, David Hammerstein Mintz, Michael Gahler, Emilio Menéndez del Valle, Hannes Swoboda and Javier Solana.

The debate closed.

13.   Situation in Georgia (statement followed by debate)

Council statement: Situation in Georgia

Javier Solana (High Representative for CFSP) made the statement.

The following spoke: Christopher Patten (Member of the Commission), Vytautas Landsbergis, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Jan Marinus Wiersma, on behalf of the PSE Group, Bill Newton Dunn, on behalf of the ALDE/ADLE Group, Marie Anne Isler Béguin, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Anna Elzbieta Fotyga, on behalf of the UEN Group, Alessandro Battilocchio, Non-attached Member, Reino Paasilinna, Panagiotis Beglitis and Javier Solana.

IN THE CHAIR: António COSTA

Vice-President

Motions for resolutions to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):

—	Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck and Cecilia Malmström, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on Georgia (B6-0073/2004),

—	Marie Anne Isler Béguin and Joost Lagendijk, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on the situation in Georgia (B6-0074/2004),

—	Jaromír Kohlíček, Marco Rizzo and André Brie, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on Georgia (B6-0075/2004),

—	Anna Elzbieta Fotyga, Konrad Szymański and Inese Vaidere, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the situation in Georgia (B6-0079/2004),

—	Jan Marinus Wiersma and Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the situation in Georgia (B6-0080/2004),

—	Vytautas Landsbergis, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, João de Deus Pinheiro and Armin Laschet, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on an urgent case concerning human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the region of South Ossetia, Georgia, and the outbreak of violence (B6-0082/2004).

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 14.10.2004, Item 11.7

14.   Future of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (statements followed by debate)

Council and Commission statements: Future of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice

Report including a proposal for a recommendation of the European Parliament to the Council and to the European Council on the future of the area of freedom, security and justice as well as on the measures required to enhance the legitimacy and effectiveness thereof [2004/2175(INI)] — Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Rapporteur: Jean-Louis Bourlanges (A6-0010/2004)

Piet Donner (President-in-Office of the Council) and António Vitorino (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

Jean-Louis Bourlanges introduced the report.

The following spoke: Ewa Klamt, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martine Roure, on behalf of the PSE Group, Sarah Ludford, on behalf of the ALDE/ADLE Group, Hélène Flautre, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Ole Krarup, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Mario Borghezio, Non-attached Member, Marcin Libicki, on behalf of the UEN Group, Koenraad Dillen, Jaime Mayor Oreja, Adeline Hazan, Sophia in 't Veld, Derek Roland Clark, James Hugh Allister, Piet Donner, Barbara Kudrycka.

IN THE CHAIR: Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ

Vice-President

The following spoke: Rosa Díez González, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, Bogdan Pęk, Charlotte Cederschiöld, Wolfgang Kreissl-Dörfler, Diana Wallis, Timothy Kirkhope, Agustín Díaz de Mera García Consuegra, Carlos Coelho, Simon Busuttil, who began by expressing his disappointment at the lack of Maltese interpretation (the President replied that this was due to a shortage of Maltese interpreters), Tunne Kelam, Agnes Schierhuber, Bogusław Sonik and António Vitorino.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 14.10.2004, Item 11.6

15.   Draft amending budget No 9/2004 (debate)

Report on draft amending budget No 9 of the European Union for the financial year 2004

Section VIII (B): European Data-Protection Supervisor [13083/2004 — C6-0132/2004 — 2004/2100(BUD)] — Committee on Budgets.

Rapporteur: Neena Gill (A6-0013/2004)

Neena Gill (rapporteur) introduced the report.

Michaele Schreyer (Member of the Commission) spoke.

The following spoke: Den Dover, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Esko Seppänen, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Jeffrey Titford, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Hans-Peter Martin, Non-attached Member, and Sergej Kozlík.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 14.10.2004, Item 11.4

16.   Agenda for next sitting

The agenda for the next sitting had been established (‘Agenda’ PE 347.485/OJJ).

17.   Closure of sitting

The sitting closed at 21.15.

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