Focus
Strasbourg Plenary session 14-17 December
Institutions - 11-12-2009 - 11:49
The Parliament's Chamber in Strasbourg. The EU budget for 2010 and the awarding of the Sakharov human rights prize are just two items on the agenda
Among the highlights during the last sitting of the year was the adoption of the EU's budget for next year, a debate on Sweden's six months at the helm of the Union and a new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The session also saw the awarding of Parliament's annual human rights Sakharov prize to Memorial, a Russia human rights organisation. This feature will be updated during the week with the latest news.
The week is also likely to see MEPs back a plan to create a European micro-financier imitative to help people start their own business. A debate on the Middle East and the statue of East Jerusalem are also on the agenda.
Thursday: Parliament adopts EU budget for 2010
Updated Thursday 17 December: Parliament on Thursday adopted the final EU budget for 2010, which will be €141.4 billion in commitments and €122.9 billion in payments. The main challenge for this year's budget was to find the funding for the already agreed but not yet financed economic recovery plan, which will cost the EU €2.4 billion next year.
The 2010 budget is the last one agreed under the Nice Treaty rules. The payments figure represents 1.04% of EU gross national income (GNI).
Monday: Opening of Strasbourg session: attack on Berlusconi condemned
Updated Monday 14: The 13 December attack on Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was "no way to conduct a political dialogue", said EP President Jerzy Buzek, opening this week's plenary session in Strasbourg. A debate and resolution on whether the presence of crucifixes in Italian classrooms breaches human rights were added to the agenda.
Tuesday: Easier credit access to help unemployed start up businesses
Updated Tuesday midday: Legal measures to make it easier for people who have lost or risk losing their jobs to get credit to start up their own businesses were backed by the European Parliament on Tuesday.
A "European Progress Microfinance Facility" is to make available "micro-credits" (up to €25,000) to people who want loans to start or grow very small firms (10 people or less and a turnover of less than €2 million), but are unable to obtain them on conventional credit markets.
Sommaire du dossier :
What's on - day by day 
Monday: Opening of Strasbourg session: attack on Berlusconi condemned 
Tuesday: Easier credit to help unemployed people start up businesses 
Parliament adopts EU budget for 2010 - Russia's Memorial accept Sakharov human rights prize
Curtain falls of on Sweden's eventful EU presidency 
Oleg Orlov of Memorial: “The major menace to us comes from the state”
REF.: 20091207FCS66070
What's on - day by day
Russian human rights defenders to receive Sakharov Prize
This year's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be awarded in Strasbourg to Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva on behalf of the organisation Memorial and all other human rights defenders in Russia. The ceremony takes place on Wednesday 16 December.
Adoption of 2010 budget
On Thursday Parliament will adopt the EU budget for 2010. The main challenge for this year's budget was to find the funding for the already agreed but not yet financed economic recovery plan, which will cost the EU €2.4 billion next year.
Easier access to credit to help the unemployed start up a business
Parliament is set to back a plan to create a micro-finance instrument to help people at risk of losing their jobs to start up their own businesses.
Review of the Swedish Presidency
MEPs will give their verdict on the Swedish EU Presidency and the outcome of the December European Council. Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will introduce both topics to the plenary.
The EU's role in Afghanistan and Pakistan
On Wednesday Parliament will debate the EU's new action plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan, including the recent agreement by NATO allies to send 6800 troops to reinforce the international presence in the country.
The Middle East and East Jerusalem
MEPs will look at the current situation in the Middle East and East Jerusalem in a debate with the Commission and Council. The Council statement of 8 December calls for negotiations to take place over the core issues of the conflict, emphasising that a way must be found to make Jerusalem the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian state.
MEPs to quiz President Barroso on EU 2020 Strategy
The second half of the new Question Hour with the Commission President on Tuesday afternoon will be devoted to the EU 2020 Strategy, which is intended to build on the current Lisbon Strategy and make the EU a greener social market. During the first part of question hour the political group leaders can ask questions on any topic they wish.
Public access to documents: Parliament to reopen the debate
The Lisbon Treaty is supposed to bring greater transparency and easier access to EU documents. This issue is dear to the hearts of MEPs, who next week in Strasbourg will press the Commission and Council to move forward in the revision of existing legislation on access to documents. There will be a debate, with a resolution on Wednesday.
With the Lisbon Treaty, in force as of 1 December 2009, the European Parliament has important new lawmaking powers. Virtually all EU legislation is now decided by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers together - including agriculture, immigration, energy and the EU budget. As the only directly elected EU institution, Parliament's position in making sure the EU is accountable to its citizens is also strengthened, for example by MEPs having a bigger say in appointments to many of the EU's top jobs.
Further information :
Monday: Opening of Strasbourg session: attack on Berlusconi condemned
A journalist watches the opening of the session in the press room, Strasbourg, north-east France, 16 December
The 13 December attack on Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was "no way to conduct a political dialogue", said EP President Jerzy Buzek, opening this week's plenary session in Strasbourg. A debate and resolution on whether the presence of crucifixes in Italian classrooms breaches human rights were added to the agenda.
"This is no way to conduct political dialogue" said President Buzek, strongly condemning the attack on Prime Minister Berlusconi and wishing him a swift recovery. Italian MEP Francesco Speroni (EFD), voiced his group's support. "This is unacceptable - we may be political opponents, but no adversary is a physical enemy", declared Italian Socialist Gianni Pitella. Such violence brings us "close to the edge of the abyss", agreed compatriot Mario Mauro of the centre right EPP.
Sunday was also the 28th anniversary of the imposition of martial law in Poland, during which almost 100 people had been killed, including 9 coal miners shot dead during a strike at the Wujek coal mine, and almost 10,000 supporters of democracy in Poland had been arrested, noted Mr Buzek.
Turning to the coming week's agenda in Strasbourg, Mr Buzek said that the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought would be awarded to Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, on behalf of the Memorial organisation, which defends human rights in Russia, at midday on Wednesday 16 December.
An EFD group request to include in the agenda an oral question to the Commission on "defence of the principle of subsidiarity", further to a European Court of Human Rights ruling that the presence of crucifixes in Italian classrooms breaches the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights, was approved by 118 votes to 78, with one abstention. A written declaration on the freedom to display religious symbols representative of a people’s culture and identity on public premises had been signed by 64 MEPs as of Monday night.
The debate will be the last agenda item on Tuesday evening, and a resolution is to be put to the vote on Thursday.
Mr Buzek wished Parliament's members, support staff and friends Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and Happy New Year.
Tuesday: Easier credit to help unemployed people start up businesses
Kinga Göncz's report was passed by fellow MEPs in a crucial vote just after noon Strasbourg time.
Legal measures to make it easier for people who have lost or risk losing their jobs to get credit to start up their own businesses were backed by the European Parliament on Tuesday.
A "European Progress Microfinance Facility" is to make available "micro-credits" (up to €25,000) to people who want loans to start or grow very small firms (10 people or less and a turnover of less than €2 million), but are unable to obtain them on conventional credit markets.
Funding
MEPs agreed to make €100 million available for the Facility over four years - as proposed by the European Commission, but stressed during the debate that these funds do not have to come from the "Progress" programme, which was set up to help vulnerable groups of people. The Commission had proposed that the Microfinance Facility be funded from this programme, as it already had received an additional €114 million, at Parliament's request.
To ensure that the Facility can start in early 2010, Parliament agreed to release €25 million euro from the EU's 2010 budget, which will be put to a vote on Thursday. For the three remaining years, there is, for the moment, no agreement between Parliament and Council on the resources for the Facility.
Functioning
The Facility is to be open to public and private bodies in the Member States that provide micro-finance to persons and micro-enterprises. It is to make the €100 million available to them over 4 years through joint management arrangements with the EIB group (European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund).
Entry into force
The Facility is scheduled to come into force in early 2010.
Parliament's amendments to the draft legislation were set out in a report by Kinga GÖNCZ (S&D, HU), approved with 516 votes in favour, 82 against and 4 abstentions.
Parliament adopts EU budget for 2010
EP President Jerzy Buzek signs the approved 2010 EU budget on Thursday 17 December 2009
Parliament on Thursday adopted the final EU budget for 2010, which will be €141.4 billion in commitments and €122.9 billion in payments. The main challenge for this year's budget was to find the funding for the already agreed but not yet financed economic recovery plan, which will cost the EU €2.4 billion next year.
The 2010 budget is the last one agreed under the Nice Treaty rules. The payments figure represents 1.04% of EU gross national income (GNI).
"If we want Europeans to feel more secure in 2010, we have to implement this budget cleverly", said rapporteur László Surján (EPP, HU) in the debate preceding the vote. "This is why we are enhancing energy security, supporting the creation of jobs, introducing the microfinance facility. We support research and development and life-long learning. We want to help the milk sector and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change."
He added that there was an urgent need for a proper review of the EU's long-term budget (the financial perspective), originally planned for this year but now postponed until next year: "We haven't got enough room for manoeuvre. There are headings where there are no reserves. Thus, a mid-term review of the multiannual budget plan is inevitable."
Economic recovery plan
The €5 billion European economic recovery plan covers the years 2009 and 2010 and supports energy projects and broadband development in rural areas. When it was agreed earlier this year, the financing for the second year (€2.4 billion) was not settled. After the last month's negotiations, the EU institutions have agreed on how to finance it: by using unspent funds and margins (mainly for agriculture and administration) for 2009 and 2010, and by the Member States adding €120 million in fresh money.
Parliament's influence on the budget
The fresh money for the recovery plan, a figure of €300 million in emergency support for the dairy industry and €75 million in funding to help decommission the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria were among points in the budget that were significantly influenced by Parliament.
MEPs also voted to back a series of pilot projects and preparatory actions, ranging from the recovery of obsolete fishing vessels to surveillance and protection for Community vessels sailing through areas where piracy is a threat.
Next year's budget in figures
|
Budget 2010 |
Comparison 2009 budget* |
Financial perspective 2010 |
Final budget 2010 | |||
|
|
Com. |
Pay. |
Com. |
Pay. |
Com. |
Pay. |
|
Heading |
all figures in million Euros | |||||
|
1a Competitiveness for growth and employment |
13,775 |
11,106 |
14,362 |
- |
14,862 |
11,342 |
|
1b Cohesion for growth and employment |
48,427 |
34,963 |
49,388 |
- |
49,388 |
36,385 |
|
2 Preservation and management of natural resources |
56,721 |
52,566 |
59,955 |
- |
59,499 |
58,136 |
|
3a Freedom security and justice |
864 |
617 |
1025 |
- |
1006 |
739 |
|
3b Citizenship |
663 |
691 |
668 |
- |
668 |
659 |
|
4 The EU as a global partner |
8104 |
8324 |
7893 |
- |
8141 |
7788 |
|
5 Administration |
7695 |
7695 |
7882 |
- |
7889 |
7889 |
|
Total |
136,458 |
116,172 |
141,173 |
134,155 |
141,453 |
122,937 |
|
As % of GNI |
1.18% |
1.00% |
- |
- |
1.20% |
1.04% |
*The 2009 budget, but not the 2010 budget, includes pre-accession support to Bulgaria and Romania, with €209 million both in payments and commitments. This heading is included in the 2009 total.
This annual budget was the last to be negotiated under the Nice Treaty rules, under which Parliament had no formal power over agriculture expenditure and certain other areas. With the Lisbon Treaty, Parliament gains full powers over the EU budget.
Explanation of Budget terms: For each budget line, there are two different types of budget appropriations: commitments and payments. The commitments refer to how much the EU may commit itself to (e.g. sign a contract or start a tender procedure) in a certain year. The payment level regulates the actual payments being done that year.
Further information :
Russia's Memorial accept Sakharov human rights prize
Sergei Kovalev, former political prisoner turned activist for Russian human rights group Memorial gave an emotional and heartfelt address to the European Parliament on Wednesday 16 December. He was there with Oleg Orlov and Lyudmila Alexeyeva to collect Parliament's prestigious annual Sakharov human rights prize. Mr Kovalev spoke of his murdered colleagues and the need for Europe to apply support and pressure in its dealing with Moscow.
The prize was awarded by Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek who drew on his own experience in Communist Poland to talk about the significant of human rights. He also said he was "particularly proud" to chair the Parliament and thus be able to award this prize which had been voted for a majority of Members.
Mr Buzek also spoke of murdered activists Natalia Estemirova and Anna Politkovskaya whom he said "should be here today: their killers have to be brought to justice".
By an ironic coincidence not lost on those in the Chamber, Russian Memorial was founded by Andrei Sakharov to document Soviet crimes.
"Murdered in Moscow, shot in St Petersburg"
Accepting the prize, Sergei Kovalev spoke on behalf of the group. "I am sure that, in awarding the Sakharov Prize to Memorial, the European Parliament had them in mind, first and foremost – our dead friends, comrades-in-arms, kindred spirits. This prize belongs by right to them. And the first name I should cite is that of Natalya Estemirova, human rights defender and fellow member of Memorial, murdered this summer in Chechnya."
Mr Kovalev said, "I cannot go on without mentioning other names too: the lawyer Stanislav Markelov and journalists Anna Politkovskaya and Anastasia Baburova, murdered in Moscow, ethnologist Nikolai Girenko shot in St Petersburg, Farid Babayev, murdered in Dagestan, and many others – sadly, it is a list that could go on for a long time."
Mr Kovalev then invited Members to stand for a moment to honour those who had died.
Tribute to Andrei Sakharov "a distinguished thinker"
Mr Kovalev said "Andrei Sakharov, who died 20 years ago, was not just a distinguished champion of human rights in the Soviet Union. He was also a distinguished thinker".
"The European Community, whose Parliament instituted this prize is, perhaps, today the model closest to that future united humanity dreamt of by Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov".
On Russia: "Today my country needs support and pressure"
"The situation in our country is not as straightforward as it might appear to the superficial observer. We have many allies in society – both in our struggle for human rights and in our struggle with Stalinism. Moreover, Russian authority is also not as homogeneous as it might seem at first sight," he said.
"What can we expect here from European politicians and from European public opinion?" he asked. "Andrei Sakharov formulated these expectations more than 20 years ago: "‘Today my country needs support and pressure’"
He elaborated, saying "so what should Europe do in relation to Russia? It should act towards Russia just as it does towards any other European country that has taken on certain obligations and has a responsibility to meet them. It is Europe’s duty not to remain silent but, again and again, to repeat and remind, and insist respectfully and firmly that Russia meets its obligations," he said.
"The basis of all other freedoms"
Mr Kovalev finished by saying, "freedom of thought is the basis of all other freedoms. That is why it is so appropriate for the Sakharov Prize to be called ‘For Freedom of Thought’. We are proud to receive it today."
Curtain falls of on Sweden's eventful EU presidency
Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt, Strasbourg, France, 16 December
A post-mortem of Sweden's six month presidency of the EU drew praise from across the floor of the European Parliament Wednesday morning (16 December). Climate change, the Lisbon treaty and the economic crisis all featured strongly in the last six months and in the debate.
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt led told the House that when the Swedish presidency took over on the 1 July there was a new Parliament, no confirmed Commission President of EC and an Irish referendum ahead. "It was not clear whether the Lisbon Treaty would be ratified by all member states and whether it could enter into force during the Swedish presidency. Then the drama unravelled."
Praise came from the European Commission with its President José Manuel Barroso saying that of the 11 presidencies he had dealt with, the Swedish one would definitely "be on the podium".
"Verifiable commitments at Copenhagen"
The leader of the largest political grouping in the Parliament, Joseph Daul of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) congratulated Mr Reinfeldt on the "honest and responsible way" Sweden had chaired the Council of Ministers.
On the Copenhagen climate summit Mr Daul called for "verifiable commitments which are linked to financial sanctions in the case of violation".
Speaking about the Commission's "Europe 2020" plan for job creation and a green economy he warned against repeating the mistakes of the Lisbon Strategy to make the EU the most competitive economy in the world by 2010, which was based on "unrealistic objectives". He said he hoped it would not be a lot of "smoke".
Mr Sarkozy, Ms Merkel kept cards" very close to their chests"
Martin Schulz for the centre-left Socialist and Democrats group (S&D) said the rotating Presidency had not allowed Stockholm to exercise enough influence on issues like Copenhagen.
He said the Swedish presidency had also to "experience once again that Mr Sarkozy and Ms Merkel kept the cards very close to their chests and people were saying - the prime minister of Sweden does not know what is going on."
For the Liberal Alliance of Liberals and Democrat in Europe (ALDE) their leader, former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said the EU should follow the strategy of close cooperation between Europe, the US and China because if these three agree, "you have a proper basis to convince others". He also said that the Union should up its existing offer of 20% greenhouse gas cuts and make it 30% by 2020.
Mr Barroso said at the last European Council he felt "there was a strong shared sense that everyone has an interest in the EU pulling its weight". He urged action on climate change saying: "We cannot negotiate with science, we cannot negotiate with physics."
2°C reduction goal "a mission impossible"
For the Greens and European Free Alliance party, Rebecca Harms underlined that "the 2°C goal will be a mission impossible, if the Europeans stick to their current offers. The reduction target is simply not enough. At the same time, Europeans have all the loopholes wide open and a reduction policy is going to be avoided at home".
For the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party, Michał Kamínski thanked the Swedish prime minister for avoiding "the temptation of being populist in a time of crisis". On the other hand he regretted the lack of support for Israel during the whole six months.
Lothar Bisky for the European United Left and the Nordic Green left (GUE/NGL) criticised that a new strategy that carries on with the Lisbon strategy "that so far has failed". He said that now is the time to start a new debate and to focus on "people's social needs rather than on economic profit".
For the Europe for Freedom and Democracy group (EFD) Mario Borghezio criticised the Swedish Presidency for not doing a lot on illegal immigration, refugees and organised crime and for statements condemning the Swiss referendum on minarets.
Oleg Orlov of Memorial: “The major menace to us comes from the state”
Oleg Orlov, chair of "Memorial" in their office in Moscow. The poster in the background is a photo of the journalist and Memorial member Natalia Estemirova who was kidnapped and killed on 15 July 2009.
With Moscow temperatures dipping to -20C, we met the head of the Russian Memorial, Oleg Orlov, who told us about the frozen atmosphere of the Kremlin towards human rights. He spoke of the harassment and threats he and his colleagues face from the Russian state. He also warned of the rehabilitation of the "Stalin myth" and said President Dmitry Medvedev is "a dreamer". On Wednesday 16 December Memorial will be awarded Parliament's 2009 Sakharov human rights prize.
How will this award change the work of “Memorial”?
It will give additional strength to me and our staff. It is important to get positive external appreciation, because sometimes you feel that you are scooping the sea with a spoon. It is especially felt by our colleagues in the Northern Caucasus.
Previously we thought that this type of publicity and awards would give us additional protection. It was an error, they don't.
What are the major problems that defenders of human rights in Russia and those defended by them face?
The major problem is that the menace to us comes from the representatives of the state. Of course, additional threats come from neo-fascists. Many of my colleagues have been attacked or killed by neo-fascists.
Governmental threats come in various forms, starting with never ending checks, where we are obliged to deliver volumes and volumes of reports which prevent us from doing our work. This can lead to the closure of an organisation or a criminal case accusing us of extremism, in order to get rid of critical voices.
Even more dangerous are the cases of illegal action and violence against us. They include phone threats to the families of human rights defenders, setting fire to the offices of human rights organisations or even acts of direct violence. In 2007 I was abducted, threatened with being shot, beaten and left half-naked in the snow.
Our close and dear friend, a brilliant protector of human rights Natasha Estemirova, whom we called the “Heart of Memorial” was killed.
The threats to those we protect are obvious. There is the threat that they will get no justice in court, that no criminal case will be initiated or that the guilty will be not found. The second threat is that of the illegal violence from the same people threatening us.
Citation
In 2007 I was abducted, threatened with being shot, beaten and left half-naked in the snowOleg Orlov
There are racists, neo-fascists who attack immigrants, corrupt militia - police - not respecting laws, representatives of power structures like the FSB (Federal Security Service) menacing those who had the guts to file a complaint in the Strasbourg Court (European Court of Human Rights). Threats to us and people we are trying to protect come from these same forces.
What changes did the advent of President Medvedev bring?
A lot was said. Unlike the previous president, Medvedev says democratic, liberal and intelligent things. This gave hope to a part of liberal Russian society and some people in Europe. Alas, those words have not been followed by action.
There's a dreamer in Kremlin dreaming about the future of Russia, while the country is moving to a completely different destiny. We would like to see neither dreams nor articles, but concrete decrees and draft laws.
Has Russia accepted past crimes committed against its own and foreign citizens? Is the cult of Stalin still alive?
Russia is in the midst of a continuing struggle. In the 80's and 90's it seemed that we were facing the truth and drawing a line underneath it. But then "a crawling rehabilitation" of Stalin followed. We have to continue our work in this field, because a big part of our society does not wish to know the truth or does not know it. Stalin is becoming a hero to not only to those with communist views, but also to some young people.
The rehabilitation of the "Stalin myth" takes many forms: Not only communist, but also on the basis of a post-empire syndrome. A great empire has collapsed: regions that many Russians considered to be their own walked away. According to the version suggested to them by propaganda, Russia was humiliated.
Hence an image of a leader under whom the empire was great. "The great emperor Stalin" is the foundation on which the reanimation of the myth is based. We have to show the real face of this empire and the price that its citizens paid for its "greatness".
What errors were made in Chechnya and how can the Caucasian knot be untangled?
Numerous and constant errors were made. The major one was that the Kremlin had no strategy, only tactics. They were always solving concrete tactical tasks, often with success, losing out on the strategy.
The major problem of those taking decisions on all Northern Caucasus was disregard of the most important aspect - human rights. Breaches of human rights are destabilising the situation in the North Caucasus, extending the conflict, reducing possibilities to solve it and support ingthe basis for a terroristic underground.
One more mistake was the unwillingness during the first phase to negotiate with the separatists, who had normal political objectives, when it might have been possible to rationally discussed problems with them.
Now we have a completely terrorist underground movement, radical Islamic groups you have nothing to negotiate with, plus the biggest mass of the people in resistance motivated by the sense of revenge for killed relatives, humiliation and torture.
Ramzan Kadyrov, (the leader the Kremlin supports in Chechnya) is an absolute ruler of who does not want to observe the laws of the Russian Federation. It's an impasse. All suggestions made by human rights organisations get negative answers from the Kremlin.