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Brussels, 17 March 2004
 Conciliation agreement on rail package |
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Parliament and Council representatives to the Conciliation Committee reached agreement on Tuesday night on the second rail package. This package consists of four pieces of legislation: on the development of the Community's railways, rail safety, a European Railway Agency and rail interoperability. The main sticking points had been the date for liberalisation of railways in the EU, the setting up of a railway safety system and the composition of the board of the railway agency. The most sensitive remaining issue was Parliament's amendment calling for liberalisation of all rail freight services and combined goods services by 1 January 2006. However, the EP delegation compromised on this point and as a result of last night's agreement, national freight services will be liberalised from 1 January 2007. It had already been agreed at second reading that international freight services would be liberalised as of 1 January 2006. Regarding liberalisation of international passenger services, a date of 2010 was set as "an objective allowing all operators to prepare in an appropriate manner". The Commission is in fact proposing this date for liberalisation of international passenger services in its third rail package. Following Tuesday's agreement, the Commission will report by 1 January 2006 on the implementation of this directive and may bring forward fresh legislation. Proposals to liberalise national passenger services are expected at a later date. Turning to other aspects of the package, the Council accepted all Parliament's proposals regarding rail safety. Train drivers and other staff performing vital safety tasks will now be required to have an adequate command of the codes, vocabulary and language necessary for operations on the routes operated. And it was agreed that the aim of this directive is to gradually harmonise national safety rules and prevent the emergence of further barriers to an EU-wide rail system. With regard to interoperability, a mandatory recording device (black box), similar to those used on planes and ships, will be installed on trains. In order to achieve a compromise, Parliament reluctantly agreed that the Administrative Board of the European Railway Agency should have 25 members from 1 May 2004, i.e. a representative from every Member State, even though Malta and Cyprus do not have railway systems. However, the composition of the board will be reconsidered later. And Parliament succeeded in its demand that the social partners should be represented on the board and on the relevant working parties of the agency. At the press conference, EP Delegation leader Charlotte CEDERSCHIÖLD (EPP-ED, S) said it was thanks to Saint Patrick's Day that an agreement had been reached under the Irish Presidency. Council President-in-Office Seamus Brennan said that the second railway package was critically important for the revitalisation of the railway market in Europe. He expected that the conciliation agreement would create opportunities for many new operators in the sector and hopefully bring a fresh approach to the rail freight business across the Union. Commissioner Loyola DE PALACIO hoped that the third railway package, recently presented by the Commission, would enter into force soon. The time was more than ripe for a change in railway policy, given that one goods train in two on international journeys suffered considerable delays. Georg JARZEMBOWSKI (EPP-ED, D) was confident that the liberalisation of the national railway passenger market could be achieved by 2012. Dirk STERCKX (ELDR, B), focusing on the safety aspects, said an important step had been taken towards improving European rail safety. He deplored the fact that decisions on market opening in public transport, as taken by Parliament in 2001, had not yet been considered by the Council of Transport Ministers. 16.03.2004 Conciliation Committee Procedure: Conciliation Press enquiries: |
| Turkey: political criteria first, negotiations on EU legislation later |
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Turkey has made many important reforms since last year in order to meet the Copenhagen political criteria for EU membership but still needs to go considerably further and rigorously implement the reforms in many areas, said the Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday when it adopted a report on Turkey's progress towards accession. Rapporteur Arie OOSTLANDER (EPP-ED, NL) therefore recommended that the EU Member States give absolute priority to the these political criteria before starting negotiations on the adoption of EU legislation. The Commission should, as part of the Pre-Accession Strategy, systematically address the shortcomings in the rule of law and the democratic deficit. MEPs praised the strong motivation and political will demonstrated by the AKP government and by the great majority of the members of parliament in favour of making reforms that are revolutionary for Turkey, both to meet the political criteria and to improve economic, social and political conditions, but they said that such reforms can only be judged on the basis of how they are put into practice at all levels of the judicial and security system and the civil and military administration. This, however, will be a long process, involving fundamental decisions for which European aid will remain essential. The committee welcomed the constitutional changes laid down in seven "harmonisation packages" but said that a new Constitution was probably needed. MEPs criticised the continuing influence of the army in politics, business, culture and education, continuing torture practices and mistreatment, the intimidation and harassment of human rights defenders, the discrimination of religious minorities and the fact that trade union freedom is not fully guaranteed. MEPs also condemned the political persecution of such political parties as HADEP and DEHAP. They were unhappy with the way the trial reopened against Sakharov Prize winner Leyla Zana and three other former DEP members of parliament was progressing and called for an amnesty for them. The government should as soon as possible put a proposal for the abolition of the state security courts before parliament. Turkey should also speed up the implementation of certain cultural rights that allow the education in and use of languages other than Turkish in the media, especially Kurdish. The Kurdish regions should be provided with the necessary means to stimulate their socio-economic development. MEPs called on Turkey to implement without delay outstanding decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, including in the matter of restoring property rights on Cyprus. The EU itself must also be prepared for Turkey's possible accession and the consequent new geo-political situation for the EU, MEPs said. The Commission should therefore carry out a study of the impact of Turkey joining, including the need to reform the agricultural and structural funds policies. The EU should have a common security and defence policy with regard to possible new EU external borders and it should do more to support Turkey in the fight against terrorism. Turkey would significantly enhance European security and give EU policy in the region greater authority and effectiveness. In the end, MEPs said, it will be up to Turkey to decide whether it wants, or will be able, to accept the political principles and values of the EU as appropriate for Turkey's state and society. Greater efforts must therefore be made both to increase knowledge of these values among Turkish citizens and to increase knowledge of Turkey among EU citizens. Lastly, the Foreign Affairs Committee stressed again that settlement of the Cyprus conflict was an essential condition for progress on Turkey's EU membership application. It also called on Turkey to reopen its borders with Armenia and promote good neighbourly relations with that country. 17.03.2004 Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy Procedure: Own-initiative Press enquiries: |
| Croatia's membership application welcomed, but work needs to be done |
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The Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday welcomed Croatia's application for EU membership but listed a number of conditions Croatia will have to meet before accession negotiations can begin. MEPs recognised that Croatia has a "European vocation", that it is ready to meet the challenge and that an application for EU membership from a country of the former Yugoslavia is of a symbolic nature. In adopting a resolution drafted by Alexandros BALTAS (PES, GR), the Foreign Affairs Committee stressed the need for Croatia to continue encouraging the return of refugees. The country should also improve its cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, including preventing the entry into and transit through its territory of persons sought by the ICTY. MEPs welcomed the domestic trials against suspected war criminals but emphasised that these should be instituted irrespective of the ethnic origin of suspects. Croatia should develop dialogue with its neighbours in order to reach agreement on its frontiers with Slovenia and on outstanding issues with Italy. And Croatia should be prepared to compromise over its plans to create an ecological zone in the Adriatic. Other efforts Croatia should make concern the independence of the judiciary, freedom and independence of the media, continuing the fight against corruption and continuing economic and structural reforms. The EU should provide greater financial and other assistance in order to promote the reform process, ensure the financing of networks and infrastructure in key parts of the economy and the reintegration of refugees. 17.03.2004 Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy Press enquiries: |
| Member States should keep closer tabs on their spending of EU money |
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The Budgetary Control Committee has decided to propose granting discharge to the European Commission for the execution of the EU budget in 2002. In the accompanying resolution MEPs did, however, raise a number of financial control issues where improvement is needed, focusing in particular on problems occurring with funds administered by the Member States. The resolution drafted by Juan José BAYONA DE PEROGORDO (EPP-ED, E) is highly critical of the "shared management" of EU funds, where the Commission decides on funding but delegates the actual payment and control to the Member States. This is the case in particular with agricultural expenditure and the structural funds. MEPs point out that where fraud and irregularities are not discovered or reported, it is the EU budget which bears the cost and not the Member States. The Member States should therefore bring their supervisory The administrative reforms announced by the Commission were deemed by MEPs to have shown little tangible progress. And although they did approve the efforts to establish a "whistleblower's doctrine", they pointed out that this would only be truly effective if staff are aware of it. Moreover, the implementation of risk assessment as part of internal control was seen as unsatisfactory. MEPs deplored the lack of accountants in the Commission and the general high turnover of administrative staff at the Commission, which they said should investigate and eliminate the causes of this problem. The Eurostat affair had shown the need for safeguards against concealment of critical information and for a review of the relations between different services and individual commissioners. MEPs insisted that individual commissioners are accountable for the departments under their responsibility and said there should be more effective controls over the payment authorisations issued by directors-general. The Eurostat affair had also demonstrated the need to amend the Financial Regulation so that the Commission would automatically be required to request a full account of the ownership of a firm tendering for a Commission contract. In a related matter, MEPs expressed dismay at the refusal by OLAF to follow the Ombudsman's recommendation that the case of the Blue Dragon firm be reopened. Furthermore, the Internal Audit Service, which is independent in the execution of its duties, should be placed directly under the Presidency of the Commission. And MEPs reiterated that the competences of drawing up the budget, keeping accounts and combating fraud should no longer be in the hands of a single commissioner. MEPs asked the Commission to look into the possibility of introducing a more direct link between taxpayers and the EU budget rather than the present system of 'own resources', as there are doubts about the reliability of the VAT and GNI data supplied by Member States. The committee advocated that the export refund system be abolished, as it is prone to irregularities and shortcomings. On the structural funds, MEPs pointed out that payments remain at an unsatisfactorily low rate, leading to a very high EU budget surplus for the third year in a row. The main reason is the far slower than expected closure of old programmes. As regards humanitarian aid, MEPs asked the Commission for a report on its effectiveness, the risk of manipulation, abuse and looting, the risk of creating future dependence on aid, the accuracy and reliability of the information on which decisions on the volume of humanitarian aid are based, the ability to apply checks on the true extent of needs, security conditions, the impact on development and the use of armed peacekeeping forces to protect humanitarian aid. They also advocated the use of a larger number of NGOs and said that no single NGO or organisation should be able to bid exclusively and receive all the money entered against a budget line. 16.03.2004 Committee on Budgetary Control Procedure: Budget discharge Press enquiries: |
| Solidarity Fund used to help regions hit by disasters in 2003 |
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The Budgets Committee adopted Amending Budget 5/2004 on Tuesday, thereby giving the go-ahead for the Solidarity Fund to be used to help a number of European regions struck by natural disasters in 2003. Spain (forest fires in Extremadura, Andalusia and Castille and Leon), France (floods in Gard and Vaucluse) and Malta (storms and floods in Malta and Gozo) will receive €1.3 million, €19.6 million and €0.9 million respectively from the Fund. Last September, funds were also given to Portugal (forest fires), Spain (Prestige disaster) and Italy (earthquake and eruption of Mount Etna). 16.03.2004 Committee on Budgets Procedure: Inter-Institutional Agreement Press enquiries: |
| Financial Perspective: seven Commissioners address MEPs |
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The Budgets Committee held a two-part public hearing with seven Commissioners, starting on Tuesday afternoon, to clarify the Commission's proposals for the next Financial Perspective. The discussions between MEPs and Commissioners BARNIER and LAMY, which took place on Tuesday, are summarised below. A report on the discussions with other Commissioners will follow. Structural funds The increased budget for the Structural Funds (+20% on average) for the period 2007-2013 is justified, according to Commissioner Michel BARNIER, by the overriding need to reduce the gulf between the accession countries and the fifteen current Member States. A total of 78.5% of the structural funds will go to underdeveloped regions - mainly in the new Member States - and to regions which are victims of the "statistical effect". The latter will benefit from a process by which the aid they currently receive will be phased out over seven years so as to avoid too sharp a transition. Mr Barnier sought to reassure Kyösti VIRRANKOSKI (ELDR, FIN), who asked about the endemic underspending of the structural funds and how this was taken into account in calculations for the next Financial Perspective, by announcing the imminent disappearance of "outstanding commitments" (funds still to be spent from previous programmes) by the end of the current Commission's term of office. "We have covered half the ground", he said. "By the end of the year there will be only a few hundred million left, [as compared to over 100 billion in 2003 - Editors' note] which will remain unspent for judicial' reasons' ". The underspending of the structural funds is often caused by a lack of private or public partners. "Even when there is only a need to co-finance 15% of a project, we still encounter problems", explained Mr Barnier. "The EIB should take appropriate action in future to deal with this". Den DOVER (EPP-ED, UK) argued in favour of a reform involving re-nationalisation of the structural funds, an idea rejected outright by Commissioner Barnier, who said "The principle of solidarity must remain. Any re-nationalisation of the structural funds would only widen the gulf between the underdeveloped regions and the others, and thereby necessitate a new cohesion policy ten to fifteen years later". External relations "Europe will be strong internally if it is strong externally", said Commissioner Pascal LAMY, who was at the meeting to discuss the "external relations" side of the Financial Perspective. He focused on three main topics. Firstly, as the tragic events of recent days had highlighted, there was a need to "ensure civil and strategic security" in the face of major threats (terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and regional conflicts. The EU would have to steer between two dangers on this front: "security at any price" and too wide a gap between ambition and reality. A second goal was to contribute to "establishing sustainable world governance" by combating "bad development". This was a field where Europe could play a decisive role. The EU was the largest aid donor in the world and an active partner in the negotiation of multilateral rules. The third priority was "neighbourhood policy", which meant affirming the EU's role as a regional leader, to help establish stability in the regions surrounding it by introducing free trade and expanding transport and communications networks. To carry these policies through would require a "radical reshaping of instruments for cooperation and assistance", which currently number around a hundred! In future, there would be just six instruments covering all external policy areas: cooperation and development, peace and security, pre-accession aid (particularly important for the Balkans), neighbourhood policy in the form of cross-border cooperation, humanitarian aid and macro-financial assistance. The budget for these priority areas will be €15.7 billion in commitment appropriations by 2013, the average annual figure for the period 2006-2013 being €13.7 billion. The share of the EU budget allocated to external expenditure would remain roughly constant, increasing from 9.3% in 2006 to 9.9% in 2013. Replying to questions by a number of MEPs, Mr LAMY said the amounts proposed by the Commission only reflected the priorities already decided by the European Council. He emphasised that the budgetary management of "external action" had greatly improved with the stabilisation of the notorious "outstanding commitments", and the increase of 25% in payments testified to the improved use of this funding. To involve the European Parliament more in trade and development policy, each set of negotiations could be made the subject of an impact assessment bringing together the various parties involved. 16.03.2004 Committee on Budgets Press enquiries: |
| Fishermen must have a proper say over the CFP |
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Fishermen should be given a proper say over the management of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), especially when recovery plans for endangered stocks are at stake. That was the underlying message behind a report on the establishment of Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) adopted Tuesday by the Fisheries Committee, with 13 votes for and 2 against. The creation of RACs was at the heart of the CFP reform approved in December 2002. All three EU institutions rallied around the objective of allowing fishermen, scientists and other interested parties a greater input into policymaking. Critics of the CFP have long argued that conservation measures will never be effective unless fishermen are involved in drawing them up. While consensus reigns over the idea of RACs, discord naturally sets in when details are discussed. Rapporteur Seán Ó NEACHTAIN (UEN, IRL) argues that the Commission's proposal is far too timid, especially as regards financing. MEPs therefore approved non-binding amendments designed to give RACs real viability. The Commission's proposal provides for a maximum of €100,000 for each of the 6 new RACs in the first year, phasing out all financing after 3 years. MEPs support a maximum of €500,000, thereby giving RACs the capacity to conduct their own research. They also argue that RACs - as non-profit organisations - will require permanent financial support. The committee also called for a clearer status for RACs, each of which should be a "legally incorporated non-commercial body" registered in a Member-State. Other amendments give RACs powers to send observers to any meetings, at national or EU level, where stocks in their geographical area are being discussed. Members also underlined that the Commission should be present at all RAC meetings. MEPs feel that RACs are primarily designed to represent fishing interests. That means that "at least" two-thirds of the seats in the general assembly and executive committee of each RAC should go to the fisheries sector. Secondly, they consider that RACs are the ideal venue for fishermen and scientists to overcome their traditional differences over the state of stocks. They therefore argue that the RACs should always adopt recommendations by consensus. The Commission proposal allows minorities in RACs to issue dissenting opinions. The Commission will review the functioning of RACs after three years. The Fisheries Committee believes that if experience proves the effectiveness of the new bodies, they should in the future be given a "significant management role" in the CFP. 16.03.2004 Committee on Fisheries Procedure: Consultation Press enquiries: |
| "European Capitals of Culture" after enlargement |
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At its meeting on Monday, the Culture Committee adopted a co-decision report by Michel ROCARD (PES, F) on changes to the procedure for selecting the cities as European Capital of Culture. The initiative was launched in 1985 to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures as well as to promote the European dimension of our common heritage. The purpose of the Commission's current proposal is to adapt the system to reflect the enlargement of the European Union. MEPs in the Culture Committee accepted the Commission's proposal to complete the schedule and establish a system whereby, from 2009, two cities, one from a new Member State in tandem with one from a current Member State, will be chosen as European Capitals of Culture each year. The rapporteur expressed concern about the budgetary impact of having two 'capitals' and argued for considerably more competition in the selection procedure. The committee as a whole, however, rejected any major changes at this stage, adopting instead amendments calling for adequate funding for the 'two capitals' approach, and for each Member State concerned to nominate at least two cities, so there is some competition. Commissioner Viviane Reding welcomed this compromise. The pairs of cultural capitals will therefore come from Member States in the following order: 2009 Austria - Lithuania 15.03.2004 Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport Procedure: Co-decision, first reading Press enquiries: |
| Television - a mirror of European societies |
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A few days ago the European Commission published a paper titled "Making citizenship work: fostering European culture and diversity through programmes for youth, culture, audiovisual and civic participation". On Tuesday this week Parliament's Culture Committee held a public hearing on Europe's audiovisual policy in the age of digital television and the internet, and on ways for the EU and the Member States to create a European identity and public opinion. The hearing was organised by Ruth HIERONYMI (EPP-ED, D). Professor Jo GROEBEL, director of the European Media Institute in Düsseldorf, pointed out that, as a result of their different language zones, European markets were necessarily limited and fragmented. Ninety per cent of Europeans used the internet only in their mother tongue. Strong public services were therefore needed to ensure cultural diversity and pluralism in small countries. In the cinema industry, the USA still dominates the market but imports of US television programmes by European public television services have declined in recent years. The media might be able to help audiences feel more European if European-made programmes and films were shown on television and at the cinema. Several speakers pursued this idea. The Director of ARTE, Jérôme CLEMENT, argued that television should be a mirror of European societies as well as a window onto the rest of the world. He wondered whether the EU would be willing to regard the audiovisual media as a suitable channel for spreading the European ideals of openness, democracy, cultural diversity and tolerance. He also asked if the EU institutions could not give greater support to the production and distribution of programmes with a European content. And he even raised the idea of creating a European audiovisual public service, as there would soon be around 500 million potential viewers and listeners. Jonathan DAVIS, of the UK Film Council, stressed the need for the political will to ensure cultural diversity and pluralism in the media. This gave Gregory PAULGER, Director at the Commission's DG Education and Culture, a golden opportunity to announce a decision taken by the Commission that very day to propose extending until 2007 the authorisation of public aid in the audiovisual industry. Like Mr Davis, Mr Paulger believed it was high time for better coordination of the efforts of the Member States, who devoted a total of €1.5 billion each year by way of public aid in different forms, with the activities of Media Plus, which grants €70 million per year for cross-border distribution. However, public opinion and MEPs both sometimes have the impression that the Commission is against public aid and against protecting cultural diversity in the face of the WTO and also that it adopts a passive stance to concentration within the industry. Comments made by Roberto MASTROIANNI, a law professor at the University of Naples, were welcomed by MEPs. He suggested that the European Parliament try to induce the Commission to draw up rules against concentration in the media industry under Article 192 of the Treaty (which allows Parliament to call on the Commission to use its power to propose legislation). Another idea floated during the hearing was to expand the mandate of the Strasbourg-based European Audiovisual Observatory to include monitoring of concentration in the media industry. 15.03.2004 Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport Press enquiries: |
| Last updated: 18 March 2004 | Legal notice |