Council and Commission will be making statements relating to the preparation of the Barcelona European Council in March.

The Barcelona European Council will focus its priorities on five specific areas:

• interconnection and opening-up of the trans-European transport networks;
• liberalisation and interconnection of the electricity and gas markets;
• integrating the financial markets, to make Europe a real financial power;
• developing a more flexible labour market capable of creating more jobs, and
• improving the education and training of Europe's students and workers and increasing their scope for mobility.

Council will comment on the proposed International Criminal Court.

The proposed International Criminal Court will be a permanent Court that will investigate and bring to justice individuals, not countries, who commit the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity-including widespread murder of civilians, torture and mass rape. The ICC will be a global judicial institution, an international jurisdiction complementing national legal systems. At present the United States is opposed to it.

Council and Commission will make statements regarding democratic rights in Turkey, focussing on the situation with the People’s Democratic Party (HADEP).

Reporting for the Industry Committee, Colette FLESCH (ELDR, L) will be tabling a number of amendments at second reading to a Council common position designed to provide for the registration of the term ”.eu” on the Internet. The idea is to set up a Registry which would have contacts with both the Commission and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and would take care of the daily running of the system known as ”The .eu Top Level Domain”.

The legal area constituted by the EU does not exist in cyberspace, hence the need for the regulation. National territories are recognised on the Internet by means of domain names like '.uk' or '.be'. Mrs Flesch sees creating the domain '.eu' as a crucial factor in speeding up the development of the e-economy and e-commerce in Europe. The committee wishes to ensure that Internet management will be based on the principles of non-interference, self-management and self-regulation. It also believes that Member States should be able to prevent the registration under the '.eu' domain of terms containing established geographical, geopolitical or historical concepts which impact upon the territorial organisation of a Member State.

In one amendment, MEPs are suggesting that provided there is nothing to prevent it in the regulation, the general interest policy rules in the implementation and functions of TLD .eu, or the general interest policy principles regarding registration, registration policy could be based on a ”first come, first served”.

MEPs further suggest that the Commission should issue a public call for expression of interest in establishing the Registry, no more than six months after this regulation enters into force and that the Commission and the Member States should complete all regulation procedures and approvals to enable the Registry to be fully operational 15 months after the Regulation enters into force, unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Parliament will discuss a draft resolution, put forward for the Budgetary Committee by Freddy BLAK (PES, D) on the action taken by the Commission in response to Parliament's comments in its April 2001 decision to grant the Commission a discharge in respect of its management of the 1999 budget. MEPs feel that the Commission's follow-up report was generally adequate and satisfactory, but highlight a number of points on which further information or other forms of follow-up are needed.

Chief among these is the question of access to information. The committee points out that it is up to the discharge authority, and not the Commission, to decide whether the information provided is sufficient. Parliament, as the discharge authority, should have the same access to the Commission's documents as the Court of Auditors. On the subject of information, the committee wants Parliament, and not just the Commission to be kept adequately informed of developments in cases under investigation by OLAF.

On reporting and evaluation, the committee wants to see more 'customer-oriented' reporting on budget implementation, including information on the value-for-money aspect. It welcomes the Commission's intention to transmit evaluation reports to Parliament.

Another of the committee's key concerns is to ensure that the applicant countries introduce proper control systems in areas of shared management of EU funds. Parliament should be regularly informed of progress in the financial control chapter of the accession negotiations.

Turning to the question of improving audit quality, the draft resolution expresses dissatisfaction with the Commission’s replies. It urges the Commission to explain the principles governing the conduct and follow-up of audits. Other issues taken up in the draft resolution include a call for the disciplinary procedure to be reformed as soon as possible, a more effective system of debt recovery, and progress in investigations into possible fraud in flax, adulterated butter and the Stockholm office.
Foreign Affairs

The Foreign Affairs Committee will invite the House to discuss a draft resolution by Per GAHRTON (Greens/EFA, S) on the EU's relations with the South Caucasus under the partnership and cooperation agreements with Armenia, Azerbaidjan and Georgia, which entered into force on July 1999.

Noting the continuing political instability in the region, where efforts to settle disputes have failed to eliminate the danger of widespread conflict, as well as the acute humanitarian emergency, the draft resolution urges the Council to work as quickly as possible towards a common strategy over the long term in order to prevent violent conflict, and establish a framework favourable to security and cooperation in the region. It suggests that this framework could draw inspiration from the Stability Pact for the Balkans. MEPs call on the Commission to prepare differentiated proposals, while adding that the partnership and cooperation agreements with the countries of the South Caucasus should be brought into line with each other in order to create a coordinated approach. In addition, emphasis must be placed on combating the smuggling of arms and drugs, environmental hazards, money laundering and trafficking in human beings.

The committee restates its call for consideration to be given to appointing an EU special envoy to the South Caucasus and maintains that a civilian peace corps, using the Commission's rapid reaction facility, could help build dialogue and mutual confidence between the various ethnic groups.

MEPs call on the EU to encourage and give financial support to attempts at regional cooperation. The international community should become fully involved because of the important de facto role played by external powers as well as the scale of the resources needed. The draft resolution nevertheless urges caution as regards the issuing of advice on economic matters, given the sometimes unfortunate economic and social consequences experienced in past cases in Central and Eastern Europe.

At the same time, the draft resolution reminds the three countries of their obligations, as members of the Council of Europe, in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms and calls on them to take the measures needed to boost their efforts to fight corruption and promote the rule of law, media freedom and the free development of a civil society.

Lastly, the committee backs the aspiration of countries in the region to be part of Europe and to cooperate closely in economic and political areas with European institutions and organisations.

The Transport Committee is to present a draft resolution on the impact of transport on health. Based on an own-initiative report for the Committee, Caroline LUCAS (Greens/EFA, South East) will put forward the view that transport can affect health in both positive and negative ways. She says that on the one hand it can help people access services and reduce isolation, increase opportunities for work and social activities, and thus contribute to good health. On the other hand, she explains, however, transport can have opposite effects on health, for example with accidents and air pollution.

The draft resolution therefore calls on the Commission to implement the EC Treaty provision requiring human health protection both in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities by integrating health considerations into its transport policy proposals and projects that have a recognisable and substantial impact on health.

In attempting to assess the impact of transport on health, MEPs call on the Commission to report on its experience of applying Health Impact Assessments (HIA) to the field of transport by the end of 2003. They further recommend that the Commission concurrently extend its research into how best to develop and adapt appropriate assessment methodologies for, the effects on transport policy on health, which are more difficult to assess.

The Committee, however, welcomes the Commission’s benchmarking initiatives with a particular focus on walking and cycling and asks the Commission to reinforce and extend these initiatives. By the end of 2003, MEPs also want to see concrete proposals on ways of stimulating the exchange between Member States of ‘best practice’ and the dissemination of research results in the field of cycling and walking. They urge the Commission to take greater account of the particular vulnerability of cyclists and pedestrians in Community transport policy to reduce traffic accidents.

Finally, the Committee’s draft resolution proposes that when EU financial contributions (through the TENS programme, the Cohesion Fund, and ISPA) are made towards the cost of long distance rail and road projects in and between Member States, the Commission should encourage Member States to identify the traffic flows likely to be diverted from urban areas, and make provision for the road space released in urban areas to be reused for sustainable transport, including public transport, cycling and walking.

The Employment Committee will put forward a draft resolution calling for the Lisbon process to be speeded up and for closer coordination of economic, employment and structural policies in order to address the current economic downturn. It warns Member States against watering down the ambitious objective of a 70 percent overall employment rate which was agreed at the Lisbon Summit two years ago.

In an own-initiative report - drafted by Udo BULLMANN (PES, D) in view of the forthcoming Barcelona summit, the need to invest more in human resources, and to boost economic activity through liberalisation and the completion of the internal market, is also underlined.

MEPs point out that in recent months job creation has come to a halt for the first time since the Luxembourg process was launched. To reverse this trend, Member States should reform their policies and accelerate their employment strategies. The Employment Committee calls for greater efforts to be devoted to mobilising women and older workers, encouraging the use of new working arrangements, such as part-time work and teleworking, and easing the tax burden on lower paid jobs. They point out that greater labour mobility is essential to increase competitiveness but add that a sustainable working life requires an improvement in the quality of jobs. They would like to see more investment in health and safety at work, equal opportunities and skills training, and in particular life-long learning. Social dialogue should be fostered in order to meet the social and labour market policy challenges facing Europe.

MEPs also ask the Commission to take greater account of the employment and social implications of all EU policies and argue that it should establish, at Community level, a set of principles for good business practice when companies have to restructure. In addition, the Commission is asked to produce an assessment of the liberalisation of public services in terms of the impact on employment, regional cohesion and the quality of services.

With demographic changes looming large over the next few decades, the committee stresses the importance of a gradual and balanced reform of the current pensions system. As to the fight against poverty, it strongly recommends that the spring summit adopts a clear target for 2010 as well as an EU definition of poverty.

Lastly, MEPs call for Parliament to be fully involved in the open method of co-ordination through an interinstitutional agreement, saying this would give the procedure greater democratic legitimacy.

Reporting for the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on the economic consequences of the 11 September terrorist attacks, Othmar KARAS (EPP-ED, A), warns that these events should not be seen as the sole cause of the economic downturn. Member States should not use them to cover up their political shortcomings. Enterprises should be aware of their responsibility and not use the events "as an excuse to cut jobs just in case".

The economic problems, the committee believes, had mostly other causes but were exacerbated by these events. The response should not be ”outdated support measures and a return to state economic programmes” but rather to reinforce ”the regulatory principle of the social market economy” – neither should there be a loosening of the Stability Pact. The committee calls for consistent adherence to the Stability and Growth Pact thresholds. It suggests that the ECB further reduces interest rates, whenever possible, to stimulate investment.

The committee supports further structural reforms and the creation of a better environment for small and medium size companies. It asks companies to take more seriously their social responsibilities and human rights objectives in their business activities. Consumers should also be more socially aware in their purchases.

With regard to the impact on the three industries most affected by the attacks: aviation, insurance and tourism, the committee is recommending coordinating tourism promotion activities in the US and Japan.

Looking to the Barcelona Summit, Mr Karas hopes this will lead to a campaign to stimulate growth, investment and employment.

Reporting for the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Miquel MAYOL I RAYNAL (Greens/EFA, E) is recommending approval of a Commission proposal to establish a legal basis for the compilation of a Labour Cost Index. The figures will be broken down into wages and salaries, bonuses and social security contributions, and compiled on a quarterly basis. The statistics will contribute to a more effective monitoring of inflation and will be of particular help to the European Central Bank and the social partners.

Caroline JACKSON (EPP-ED, South West), on behalf of the Environment Committee, will be tabling an oral question on sustainable development strategy for the Barcelona summit.

She is asking the Commission and Council to:

• explain what has been done to follow up the Gothenburg European Council conclusions on sustainable development
• outline the latest state of preparations for the debate on sustainable development at the Barcelona European Council
• indicate what both institutions hope to achieve as regards sustainable development at Barcelona

In a draft resolution, to form part of a joint debate on the implementation of Community programmes, MEPs will look at how the ‘Culture 2000’ programme is being implemented.

Reporting for the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, Vasco GRAÇA MOURA (EPP-ED, P) will explain that the programme, with a budget of €167 million for the period 2000-2004, got underway after long delays following a difficult process of conciliation between the Council and Parliament. Furthermore, it is proving to be overly bureaucratic, with delays in payments and a shortage of funds (a five percent contribution level makes implementation of the project difficult, above all in the applicant countries). Mr Graça Moura highlights further criticisms made by the cultural contact points, for example, the suggestion that there has been an absence of dialogue with candidates to allow them to complete, clarify or improve their projects.

The programme is also criticised for its inflexibility in managing candidates’ application files, which constitutes a factor in the pre-selection process and discourages small organisations in particular.

The draft resolution therefore reaffirms the political relevance of the objectives of the ‘Culture 2000’ programme, namely that of improving access to and participation in cultural activities for as many citizens as possible, recognising culture as an essential reflection of society and fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual exchanges between European and non-European cultures. MEPs stress that it is important for Mediterranean countries to be involved in the programme so as to give the necessary emphasis to cultural dialogue in the region. MEPs therefore call on the Commission to draw up a cultural policy blueprint for the Cooperation programme which will follow Culture 2000. They further point out that in an enlarged Union it will be necessary to meet the challenge of preserving, promoting and sharing Europe’s common cultural heritage, but without neglecting cultural creation.

MEPs want the Commission and Parliament to launch a public debate on the aims of European cultural action and its coordination with the Member States, so as to define a new, consistent cultural programme in the service of a European cultural policy. They also want the Commission to establish coordination between the Culture 2000 programme and the structural funds, intended to finance cultural objectives.

The implementation of the Socrates Programme is on the agenda for discussion by MEPs. In a draft resolution tabled by the Committee for Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, the reporter Doris PACK (EPP-ED, D) will explain that ‘SOCRATES’ is the first Community level programme to be established by Parliament and Council, which is aimed at all levels of education.

The first stage of the programme, SOCRATES I, ran from 1995 –96 to 1999-2000. Initially the 15 Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway participated, and were joined by Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary Poland, Romania, and Slovakia and in 1999 by Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia. The main strands of the programme are: ERASMUS, to aid universities, and increase student mobility, COMENIUS, which focuses on school partnerships, intercultural education, in-service training, and Horizontal measures such as languages (LINGUA), which is open and distance learning, exchanges of information and experience. Under SOCRATES I some 2 000 universities received institutional contracts and 460 000 students received grants to study abroad. The Commission considers that the programme was ‘very successful’. However, Ms Pack points out that there were a few problems. For example, procedures were cumbersome and complex, and payment of grants took too long, programme information was difficult to understand and dissemination of programme results was poor. She adds that because monitoring and evaluation were inadequate it was difficult to estimate the real impact of the programme at national level.

Parliament’s Committee therefore calls on the Commission to draw up, in close cooperation with the national agencies, annual activity reports on the implementation of the programme and to forward these to Parliament, the Council and the Member States. MEPs welcome the improved working relationship between the Commission and the National Agencies, charged with implementing decentralised actions under the programme. However, they note that the late issue of contracts between the Commission and National Agencies continues to hamper the implementation of the programme. MEPs area calling on the Commission to remedy this situation. Unwarranted delay in paying grants, too, they say should be remedied, as this not only hampers the implementation of the programme but also brings EU institutions into disrepute.

Another suggestion by the Committee is that the Commission takes the necessary steps to initiate dialogue with students in order to get an idea of the problems they face when staying in a host country. MEPs welcome the Commission’s efforts to simplify administrative procedures in the second stage to the programme but they nevertheless call for the introduction of a ‘fast-track’ application procedure for grants less than €20 000, and propose whatever legislative modification necessary to bring these changes about.

The overall budget for the first stage of the programme was €933 million and for SOCRATES II, €1 850 million, to cover the seven years from 2000-2006. Malta and Turkey have now joined the 29 states which participated in SOCRATES I. The aim of the second stage of the programme is to bring about a European education area underpinned by ongoing cooperation at EU level. The main objectives are to strengthen the European dimension of education at all levels and to facilitate wide transitional access to educational resources in Europe, while promoting equal opportunities in all sectors of education. The promotion of greater knowledge of European languages is also a priority, as is the promotion of cooperation and mobility and the encouragement of innovative teaching methods and materials, particularly through the use of new technologies.

The Committee for Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, will present a draft resolution on the implementation of the ‘Youth’ programme.

Reporting for the Committee, Lissy GRÖNER (PES, D) points out that the programme, aimed at 15 to 25 year olds and youth workers and groups, was adopted in April 2000 and runs from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2006. The countries involved are EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the candidate countries (with the exception of Turkey and Malta). A projected funding of €520 million has been allocated for the seven-year period.

The draft resolution notes that in the year 2000, more than 10 000 projects, involving a total of 103 784 participants, were funded under the ‘Youth programme'. Whilst pleased that during the first year of the programme some €79.626 million of the €80 million allocated was implemented, MEPs regret that due to deficiencies on the part of the Commission, it has not been possible to track how funds were disbursed. They therefore call on the Commission to improve its reporting on the programme and to ensure there is no delay on their side in paying the funds allocated to the national agencies under the programme.

MEPs also call on the programme countries to pay their contributions to the national agencies’ funds promptly, and hope that the candidate countries involved in the programme will make their contributions to the ‘Youth’ programme available as early as possible so as to ensure their participation in the programme. The draft resolution further reminds the Member States that this initiative is meant to give their own national youth policy an added European dimension and should not be an excuse for governments to reduce funding on youth exchange programmes.

In her report, Mrs Gröner emphasises the importance of attracting young people who are disadvantaged, to the programme, which is mainly aimed at individuals, groups and organisations which do not necessarily have previous experience with international projects or with applying for EU funds. It is open to all young people, regardless of their educational or training.

MEPs want the Commission to look at the obstacles that deter disadvantaged young people from taking part in the programme and try to rectify them so that the objectives of the programme can be achieved by 2002 at the latest. MEPs further want the Commission to ensure that equal numbers of male as female are engaged in the programme and to create projects which integrate young immigrants in Europe. The draft resolution calls on the participating countries to issue the necessary visas automatically and free of charge in order to cut down on red tape. The committee also wants the Commission, together with the national agencies and the European Parliament, to hold an action week later this year, to raise public awareness of the ‘Youth’ programme’s projects and objectives.

Parliament will vote on the implementation by the Council and Commission of the regulation for access to documents.

Political groups in the European Parliament
as at : 25.02.2002

Political groups