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Strasbourg session round-up: Brown, cosmetics, EU summit

Institutions - 27-03-2009 - 11:05
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During an event-filled session in Strasbourg, MEPs agreed new rules improving the safety of cosmetics, more tax on cigarettes, a provisional agreement on cheaper roaming costs for phones and new safety rules for European aviation. British PM Gordon Brown and Czech PM Mirek Topolanek offered different views on the current economic crisis. MEPs also debated steps to help Europe's ailing car industry and spend EU regional funds more wisely. Read on to get a flavour of the 23-26 March session.

Monday: USSR deportations, cosmetics, MDGs
 
The session opened with Parliament's President Hans-Gert Pöttering reading a condemnation to mark 60 years since mass Soviet deportations of innocent people from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
 
MEPs backed a report calling for the EU to make greater contributions to the Millennium Development Goals of halving extreme poverty by 2015.
 
Cosmetics: MEPs debated new rules on cosmetics. Tuesday they voted for stricter rules on the use of carcinogens and toxins. The new measures ensure that only the real effects of a product can be mentioned in advertising and labelling.
 
Tuesday: Roaming, regions
 
Roaming: MEPs provisionally backed lower roaming charges, setting a maximum phone tariff at 0.43 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing calls and €0.19 per minute for incoming ones. The agreement still has to be approved by the Parliament and Ministers.

Strasbourg session

  • Tighter rules on cosmetics
  • New taxes on cigarettes
  • Pledge of support to Europe's car workers
  • Support for food aid for Europe's poor
In an effort to cut smoking MEPs also voted on Tuesday for new taxes on tobacco that will mean a minimum tax of €1.50 on a pack of 20 cigarettes by 2014. The proposed legislation also establishes new minimum rates for cigars, cigarillos and rolling tobacco from 2012.
 
Regional policy: MEPs backed a raft of own initiative reports calling for a clearer division of regional policy powers and responsibilities among EU members, regional and local authorities.
 
Tuesday afternoon: Brown speech, Europe's car industry
 
On Tuesday afternoon British Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivered a pro-EU address ahead of the G20 summit, which will be held in London. He told MEPs that Britain should not be "in the slipstream but firmly in the mainstream of Europe" and said that the EU must take lead in reforming global financial institutions.
"There is no old Europe, no new Europe, no East or West Europe. There is only one Europe...our home Europe," he said. 
 
The leaders of Parliament's political groups gave a mixed reaction to Mr Brown's speech. Joseph Daul, the leader of the Christian Democrat group welcomed the pro-Europeanism of the speech but chided Mr Brown for a remark made in Britain about "British jobs for British workers". 
 
The Socialists warmly welcomed the speech and Liberal leader Graham Watson asked whether Mr Brown now regretted his earlier opposition to the UK joining the euro. The leader of the Greens, Monica Frassoni, blamed the policies advocated by Mr Brown for the present economic crisis. 
 
On Tuesday evening MEPs debated Europe's troubled car industry amid falling sales. The industry supports 12 million jobs, directly and indirectly. MEPs back support for the industry but criticised protectionism and called on the industry to invest and build more efficient cars.
 
Wednesday: debate with EU President Topolánek
 
MEPs debated the outcome of the 19-20 March summit with the holder of the EU presidency, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek, who vowed to continue his work although the Czech government fell following a vote of no-confidence in the Czech Parliament the night before.
 
In his speech he lauded the €400 billion stimulus package agreed by EU and €75 billon to shore up the finances of the International Monetary Fund. He also welcomed the €5 billion support earmarked for energy, infrastructure, and transport.
 
However, he said controversialy that, "the US is repeating mistakes from the 1930's, such as wide-ranging stimulus's, protectionist tendencies...all these steps, their combination and permanency, are the road to hell."
 
Mr Daul said that "national solutions will not do" whilst Martin Schulz for the Socialists questioned Mr Topolanek's capacity for the job. The EU should "not be operating at this level" he said..
 
Also Wednesday, MEPs approved the "Single European sky II" package which supporters claim will lead to lead to shorter, cheaper flights.  The House also agreed to exempt children under 12 from supplying biometric data for visas.
 
Thursday: EU-US relations, food aid for poor
 
On the last day of the session MEPs debated relations with the new US Administration calling for "a new transatlantic partnership...to strengthen ties between the EU and America now that Barack Obama has taken office.
 
Food aid for poor: The House also called for food aid to be distributed from the EU to the Europe's poorest.
 
For more information on the week in Strasbourg see the links below.
 
 
 
REF.: 20090320STO52243

Further information :

Last updated: 27 March 2009Legal notice