13.10.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 253/1

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MINUTES

(2005/C 253 E/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

Maria da Assunção Esteves had informed the Presidency that she had been present at the sitting of 13.01.2005 but that her name was not on the attendance register.

Corrections to votes:

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — B6-0032/2005

—	amendment 2 for: Charlotte Cederschiöld, Christofer Fjellner

Recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean — RC-B6-0034/2005

—	amendment 16 against: Dan Jørgensen

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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 regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Visa Information System (VIS) and the exchange of data between Member States on short stay-visas (COM(2004)0835 — C6-0004/2005 — 2004/0287(COD)) referred to responsible: LIBE — Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement for scientific and technological co-operation between the European Community and the Federative Republic of Brazil (COM(2004)0625 — C6-0009/2005 — 2004/0216(CNS)) referred to responsible: ITRE opinion: INTA — Proposal for a Council decision approving the accession of the European Community to the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, as revised at Geneva on 19 March 1991 (COM(2004)0798 — C6-0010/2005 — 2004/0275(CNS)) referred to responsible: AGRI opinion: ENVI, JURI — Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Chile on certain aspects of air services (COM(2004)0829 — C6-0011/2005 — 2004/0289(CNS)) referred to responsible: TRAN — European Commission: Final annual accounts of the European Communities — Financial year 2003 — Volume I — Consolidated reports on implementation of the budget and consolidated financial statements (SEC(2004)1181 — C6-0012/2005 — 2004/2040(DEC)) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — European Commission: Final annual accounts of the European Communities — Financial year 2003 — Volume II — Part I and II (SEC(2004)1182 — C6-0013/2005 — 2004/2040(DEC)) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1868/94 establishing a quota system in relation to the production of potato starch (COM(2004)0772 — C6-0014/2005 — 2004/0269(CNS)) referred to responsible: AGRI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Parlement européen (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [01] — C6-0015/2005 — 2004/2041(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Conseil (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [02] — C6-0016/2005 — 2004/2042(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Cour de justice (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [03] — C6-0017/2005 — 2004/2043(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Cour des comptes (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [04] — C6-0018/2005 — 2004/2044(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Comité économique et social (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [05] — C6-0019/2005 — 2004/2045(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Comité des régions (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [06] — C6-0020/2005 — 2004/2046(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Commission européenne: Comptes annuels des autres institutions — Exercice 2003 — Volume III — Médiateur (DECHARGE VOLUME III/2004 [07] — C6-0021/2005 — 2004/2047(DEC)) (This title is not currently available in all languages) referred to responsible: CONT opinion: AFET, DEVE, INTA, BUDG, ECON, EMPL, ENVI, ITRE, IMCO, TRAN, RETT, REGI, AGRI, PECH, CULT, JURI, LIBE, AFCO, FEMM, PETI — Proposal for a Council decision concerning the conclusion of an Additional Protocol to the Agreement establishing an association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, 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 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 to the European Union (13286/2004 — C6-0022/2005 — 2004/0195(AVC)) referred to responsible: INTA opinion: AFET — Proposal for a Council regulation imposing certain specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Côte d'Ivoire (COM(2004)0842 — C6-0023/2005 — 2004/0286(CNS)) referred to responsible: LIBE opinion: DEVE, ECON — Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation and economic cooperation (COM(2004)0629 — C6-0128/2004 — 2004/0220(COD)) referred to responsible: DEVE opinion: AFET, INTA, BUDG, LIBE, FEMM — Proposal for a recommendation of the Council and of the European Parliament on further European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education (COM(2004)0642 — C6-0142/2004 — 2004/0239(COD)) referred to responsible: CULT

2)

from Members: 2.1) motions for resolutions (Rule 113): — Ilda Figueiredo, Helmuth Markov, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Sérgio Ribeiro, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides — Motion for a resolution on the Financial Perspective for 2007-2013 (B6-0065/2005) referred to responsible: FINP — Salvador Garriga Polledo — Motion for a resolution on the single European market in the field of financial services (B6-0066/2005) referred to responsible: ECON — Cristiana Muscardini — Motion for a resolution on 8 March: European Day against Violence towards Women and Genital Mutilation (B6-0067/2005) referred to responsible: FEMM opinion: DEVE — Cristiana Muscardini — Motion for a resolution on European legislation on the use of ski slopes (B6-0082/2005) referred to responsible: IMCO opinion: ENVI, REGI 2.2) proposal for a recommendation (Rule 114): — Alexander Nuno Alvaro, on behalf of the ALDE Group — Proposal for a recommendation to the Council on an EU integrated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to all types of terrorist attacks and dealing with their consequences (B6-0081/2005) referred to responsible: LIBE opinion: AFET 2.3) written declarations for entry in the Register (Rule 116): — Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, Glyn Ford, Caroline Lucas, Vittorio Emanuele Agnoletto and Harlem Désir, on the tsunami and the introduction of an international tax (0002/2005) — Maciej Marian Giertych, Godfrey Bloom and Patrick Louis, on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Warsaw (0003/2005) — Graham Watson, on Singapore (0004/2005)

4.   Membership of committees

At the request of the Verts/ALE Group, Parliament ratified the following appointment:

DEVE Committee:

—	Margrete Auken

5.   Agenda

The order of business had been established (Minutes of 10.01.2005, Item 10) and a corrigendum to the agenda had been distributed (PE 352.950/OJ/COR).

The President pointed out that Members would have the chance to make one-minute speeches under Rule 144 the following morning, between the end of the formal sitting and 10.00.

As the Council had not yet consulted Parliament, the votes on the Brok and Barón Crespo recommendations (items 9, 10 and 11 on the agenda) had been postponed until a later part-session.

The agenda was thus established.

6.   Strategic guidelines/Legislative and work programme for 2005 (debate)

Commission statement: Strategic guidelines/Legislative and work programme for 2005

The President welcomed the fact that the President-in-Office of the Council was to take part in the debate.

José Manuel Barroso (President of the Commission) made the statement.

Jean-Claude Juncker (President-in-Office of the Council) spoke.

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 Group, Pierre Jonckheer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Francis Wurtz, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Jens-Peter Bonde, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Brian Crowley, on behalf of the UEN Group, Hans-Peter Martin, Non-attached Member, Françoise Grossetête, Hannes Swoboda, Bronisław Geremek, Dimitrios Papadimoulis and Roger Knapman.

IN THE CHAIR: Jacek Emil SARYUSZ-WOLSKI

Vice-President

The following spoke: Roberta Angelilli, Ashley Mote, József Szájer, Magda Kósáné Kovács, Alexander Lambsdorff, Johannes Blokland, Marcin Libicki, Jana Bobošíková, Elmar Brok, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Andrew Duff, Irena Belohorská, Maria Martens, Pervenche Berès, Paolo Costa, Timothy Kirkhope, Richard Falbr, Sophia in 't Veld, Christofer Fjellner, Reino Paasilinna and Lena Ek.

IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES

President

The following spoke: Markus Ferber, Guido Sacconi, Alexander Radwan, Alain Hutchinson and Ria Oomen-Ruijten.

IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO

Vice-President

The following spoke: Katerina Batzeli, John Bowis, Mia De Vits, Paul Rübig, Malcolm Harbour, Georg Jarzembowski, Konstantinos Hatzidakis, Lutz Goepel, Doris Pack, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, Ewa Klamt, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Amalia Sartori, Françoise Grossetête and José Manuel Barroso.

The debate would continue on 21 February 2005 (see Minutes of 21.02.2005, Item 12).

IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES

President

7.   Situation in the Middle East (debate)

Statement by the High Representative for CFSP — Situation in the Middle East

Javier Solana made the statement.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner (Member of the Commission) spoke.

IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO

Vice-President

The following spoke: José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Pasqualina Napoletano, on behalf of the PSE Group, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Joost Lagendijk, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Luisa Morgantini, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Gerard Batten, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Roberta Angelilli, on behalf of the UEN Group, James Hugh Allister, Non-attached Member, Edward McMillan-Scott, Michel Rocard, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, David Hammerstein Mintz, Adamos Adamou, Georgios Karatzaferis, Luca Romagnoli, Elmar Brok, Véronique De Keyser, Janusz Onyszkiewicz and Georgios Toussas.

IN THE CHAIR: Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ

Vice-President

The following spoke: Jan Tadeusz Masiel, Jana Hybášková, Proinsias De Rossa, Lapo Pistelli, Charles Tannock, Richard Howitt, Nicholson of Winterbourne, Ioannis Kasoulides, Edith Mastenbroek, Luciana Sbarbati, Armin Laschet, Antonio Masip Hidalgo, Gitte Seeberg, Panagiotis Beglitis and Vytautas Landsbergis.

IN THE CHAIR: Mario MAURO

Vice-President

The following spoke: Stefano Zappalà, Michael Gahler, Georgios Papastamkos, Javier Solana and Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

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

—	Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on the situation in the Middle East (B6-0068/2005);

—	Joost Lagendijk, David Hammerstein Mintz, Margrete Auken and Johannes Voggenhuber, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on the situation in the Middle East (B6-0071/2005);

—	Pasqualina Napoletano, Véronique De Keyser and Michel Rocard, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the Middle East (B6-0072/2005);

—	Francis Wurtz, Adamos Adamou, Luisa Morgantini, Umberto Guidoni and Dimitrios Papadimoulis, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on the situation in the Middle East (B6-0075/2005);

—	Roberta Angelilli, Brian Crowley, Cristiana Muscardini and Anna Elzbieta Fotyga, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the situation in the Middle East (B6-0078/2005);

—	João de Deus Pinheiro, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra and Edward McMillan-Scott, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on the Middle East peace process (B6-0080/2005).

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 27.01.2005, Item 6.4.

8.   The Holocaust, anti-Semitism and racism (debate)

Oral question by Martin Schulz and Glyn Ford, on behalf of the PSE Group, to the Council, Commemoration of Auschwitz (B6-0003/2005)

Oral question by Martin Schulz and Glyn Ford, on behalf of the PSE Group, to the Commission, Commemoration of Auschwitz (B6-0004/2005)

Martin Schulz moved the oral questions.

Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) answered question B6-0003/2005.

Franco Frattini (Vice-President of the Commission) answered question B6-0004/2005.

The following spoke: Ewa Klamt, Glyn Ford, Sarah Ludford, Gisela Kallenbach, Giusto Catania, Bogdan Pęk and Cristiana Muscardini.

IN THE CHAIR: Gérard ONESTA

Vice-President

The following spoke: Philip Claeys, Non-attached Member, Bogusław Sonik, Martine Roure, Jean Lambert, Martin Schulz who made a personal statement, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Romano Maria La Russa, Ryszard Czarnecki, Patrick Gaubert, Józef Pinior, Mario Borghezio, Wojciech Roszkowski, Timothy Kirkhope, Michael Cashman, Anna Záborská, Pierre Schapira, David Sumberg, Monika Beňová, Marta Vincenzi, Csaba Sándor Tabajdi, Nicolas Schmit and Franco Frattini.

Motions for resolution to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 108(5):

—	Martin Schulz, Glyn Ford and Martine Roure, on behalf of the PSE Group, on anti-Semitism (B6-0069/2005);

—	Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit and Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on racism and anti-Semitism (B6-0070/2005);

—	Graham Watson and Sarah Ludford, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on remembrance of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and racism (B6-0073/2005);

—	Francis Wurtz, Marco Rizzo, Miguel Portas, André Brie and Dimitrios Papadimoulis, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on racism and anti-Semitism (B6-0074/2005);

—	Hans-Gert Poettering, Ewa Klamt, Patrick Gaubert, Timothy Kirkhope and Bogusław Sonik, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on anti-Semitism (B6-0076/2005);

—	Romano Maria La Russa, Inese Vaidere, Roberta Angelilli and Brian Crowley, on behalf of the UEN Group, on anti-Semitism and racism (B6-0077/2005);

—	Maciej Marian Giertych, Jens-Peter Bonde, Georgios Karatzaferis and Nils Lundgren, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, on anti-Semitism and racism (B6-0079/2005).

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 27.01.2005, Item 6.5.

9.   Digital content in Europe ***II (debate)

Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a multiannual Community programme to make digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable (10458/4/2004 — C6-0140/2004 — 2004/0025 (COD)) — Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.

Rapporteur: Paul Rübig (A6-0002/2005)

Paul Rübig introduced the recommendation for second reading.

Viviane Reding (Member of the Commission) spoke.

The following spoke: Richard Seeber, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Neena Gill, on behalf of the PSE Group, Bastiaan Belder, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, on behalf of the UEN Group, and Reino Paasilinna.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 27.01.2005, Item 6.3.

10.   Membership of committees

At the request of the ALDE Group, Parliament ratified the following appointment:

LIBE Committee:

—	Jean-Marie Cavada to replace Lapo Pistelli

11.   Agenda for next sitting

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

12.   Closure of sitting

The sitting closed at 22.30.

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