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Focus
Strasbourg Plenary session: 19-22 April
Institutions - 16-04-2010 - 14:44
- Data protection & energy issues
- Budget & Commission work plan for 2010
A view of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Eastern France
The week sees MEPs hold their April Session with data protection, airport security and energy efficient legislation being part of the agenda. Also being discussed will be the state of animal welfare in Europe and the approval (discharge) of the EU's accounts for 2008. Throughout the week this focus will be updated regularly with some of the main events of the week.
The sitting was opened on Monday by President Jerzy Buzek who outlined some of the changes to the agenda agreed with leaders of the political groups.
Due to the disruption caused by the ash cloud over Europe and the resulting grounding of flights many MEPs could not physically attend the Session in Strasbourg, eastern France. Due to this it was decided by the leaders of the Parliament's 7 political groups not to hold any votes during this April sitting.
There will be no sitting on Thursday 22 April to allow all those attending plenty of time to get home in the unusual circumstances. The Parliament will however, remain open for meetings and business.
Sommaire du dossier :
The Week Ahead in Plenary 19-22 April 
Commission work plan likely to provoke contrasting reactions from MEPs 
What's the future for EU's online library Europeana? 
Airport security - who will foot the bill? 
Swedish MEP Marit Paulsen on her animal welfare report 
EP session goes ahead: MEPs to quiz Commission on travel restrictions 
Air traffic disruption: MEPs debate decision to partially reopen skies 
Debate on SWIFT and Passenger Name Recognition deal with US & Australia 
Kyrgyzstan unrest debated by MEPs 
An EU-wide ban on the use of cyanide in gold mining? 
SWIFT and PNR : privacy concerns voiced ahead of new round of negotiations 
Easier access to EU regional funds on agenda 
The week in Plenary - things we learned
REF.: 20100409FCS72395
The Week Ahead in Plenary 19-22 April
- European Commission work plan debated
- Airport security also under spotlight
A view of the Parliamentary Chamber in Strasbourg, eastern France
Votes postponed to May Brussels session following airspace closures
Parliament has modified its agenda in the light of the air travel disruption: all the votes planned for this week will now take place at the next session on 5-6 May in Brussels. The agenda now also includes a debate on Tuesday morning with the Commission on the impact of the volcanic ash cloud and the resulting airspace closures.
The air travel restrictions made it impossible for many MEPs to travel to Strasbourg for the plenary week, so it was necessary to postpone the voting sessions. Most of the debates are going ahead as planned, with the addition of a debate with Commission President Barroso and Transport Commissioner Kallas on the air travel crisis.
The session will end on Wednesday at the end of the night sitting. See below for more.
***
SWIFT/PNR. The transfer of data between Europe and, in particular America, come under scrutiny, with MEPs set to define their latest positions on the SWIFT financial messaging system and the issue of airline passenger name records (debates Wednesday).
Discharge 2008. MEPs will debate whether to approve the EU institutions’ financial management in 2008, while making recommendations on how to improve the way EU funds are spent. The Budgetary Control Committee suggests granting discharge to all institutions and agencies apart from the Council and the European Police College (debate Wednesday).
Commission work programme. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, will present his institution’s legislative and work programme to Parliament and debate the plans with MEPs (Tuesday).
Energy efficiency. Parliament will hold what are likely to be debates on legislation to improve the energy efficiency of buildings (debate Wednesday) and energy labeling of goods. In both cases, MEPs have reached agreement with the Council.
Airport security charges. Parliament will debate on EU rules on airport security. The Transport Committee wants to insist that if Member States impose more stringent procedures than those agreed jointly at EU level, the additional costs should be paid from government budgets, rather than passed on to consumers (debate Monday).
Animal welfare. MEPs will vote on a call for more inspections and effective penalties to improve the protection of animals, notably those reared for food (debate Monday).
Jerzy Buzek visits United States. The EP President begins an official visit to the United States (Washington DC and New York) at the end of the week (Sunday).
Further information :
Commission work plan likely to provoke contrasting reactions from MEPs
- MEPs debate Commission plan Tuesday
- Economy likely to be key battleground
Commission President José Manuel Barroso in September with the EC political guidelines.
The direction that the EU's executive wants to take the Union this year will be discussed Tuesday by MEPs. The annual work plan has already drawn some praise from the Parliament largest group, the centre right European People's Party (EPP) for its focus on job creation and financial market regulation. However, the main opposition Socialist and Democrats (S&D) bloc have dismissed it as lacking ambition and any coherent vision for Europe, particularly on financial services. The Liberal ALDE called it "too timed" and called for bolder initiatives.
Some of the main points of the work programme are:
- Economy / society ("Europe 20/20" agenda): There are plans for more jobs and training. The Commission is also proposing action on derivatives markets, credit default swaps and capital requirements. There will also be more coordination and surveillance of euro zone members' economic policies.
- "Citizens' agenda": There are plans to roll out the Stockholm migration and justice programme and new rules on data protection.
- Foreign affairs: The setting up of the European External Action Service (EU diplomatic corps) and action on trade policy will be priorities.
There will also be a new paper from the European Commission setting out the future direction and reform of the Common Agriculture Policy. The plan is presented later this year due to the fact that the Commission had to be nominated and approved earlier in the year.
The leader of the EPP Joseph Daul welcomed the Commission's plan: "For me, the most important thing is to foster a return to job creation, to continue the work of financial market regulation and the stabilisation of the euro, and finally to make Europe heard and respected in the world" he told us.
He went on to urge Europe to "use 2010 to firmly establish the new players on the European scene - the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, as well as the new powers of the European Parliament".
However, his counterpart from the Socialist group Martin Schulz told us "the Commission's work programme lacks an ambitious and coherent vision for Europe. The work programme on financial services is not enough to prevent a return to past excesses and instability, and the social dimension is underdeveloped."
He also called on the Commission to "promote progressive industrial policies to achieve sustainable growth and to create green jobs".
For the Liberal ALDE group Guy Verhofstadt told us that "although we clearly welcome the Commission's Work programme, we find that on the key area of facing up to the financial crisis and overcoming the recession, the Commission remains too timid. We require bold initiatives, such as the establishment of a European Monetary Fund, to ensure that the problems we have faced cannot reoccur. We also believe that the Commission should bring forward more proposals dealing with the exit from the recession."
For the Greens Rebecca Harms said "the work programme foresees a proposal of revision of the energy taxation directive as well as a common consolidated corporate tax basis directive which are both long standing demands from the Greens-EFA".
For the first time it lists plans also for the years to come (2010-2014) to make cooperation with other European Union institutions easier.
You can watch the debate live online on Tuesday 20 April 20 from 1030 CET.
What's the future for EU's online library Europeana?
- Rules on content proving tricky
- Europeana a multi-lingual online archive
Europeana Logo
You can now access books, journals, films, maps and so on from across Europe via the EU's online library, Europeana. It's a great idea but it's not all plain sailing: web copyright rules are not the same in all EU countries, there are issues about paying for items that are still under copyright and should there be a minimum standard for content? The Parliament will debate a draft report on the issue by German Green MEP Helga Trüpel Monday evening (19 April) and is likely to adopt it Tuesday.
The report drafted by Ms Trüpel asks for more and better content on Europeana while respecting intellectual property rights. It also wants better promotion of the library among the broadest possible public and "urges the Commission and member states to take all necessary steps to avoid a knowledge gap between Europe and the United States of America and to ensure full access for Europeans to their own cultural heritage".
The Parliament's legal Committee has also called on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal on the digitisation of "orphan works" (whose ownership is unclear), which would put an end to the current legal uncertainty for the remuneration of rights holders.
German Green Helga Trüpel will draft parliament's report. "We have to find means to encourage member states to provide more funding for digitisation...My big political goal is to achieve the balance between making books available and rewarding the authors. Google scanned a lot of books under copyright and then the authors complained and went to court," she told us.
Europeana
- currently has 6 million digital items
- includes paintings, maps, photos, books, newspapers, letters, music, radio broadcasts, films, TV broadcasts
- funded by the European Commission and EU countries
- hosted by the National Library of the Netherlands
"Europeana might never be as rich as Google Books, because it will not be financed through advertisements," she said. "But it is very important for us to show that there is another possibility: to do it with public funding. If we want to defend our European social model and go for cultural diversity, we need Europeana."
What is Europeana?
It was launched on 20 November, 2008. Europeana is a multi-lingual online collection of millions of digitised books, journals, films, maps, photographs and music from European museums, libraries, archives and multi-media collections. It is accessible to every citizen with an internet connection. It also preserves the items for future generations.
Europeana's collection has doubled since its launch and there are now more than 6 million items. The aim is to have 10 million digitised objects by the end of 2010.
Further information :
Airport security - who will foot the bill?
- Transport MEPs want government to foot bill
- Call for greater pricing transparency
Sign by the new scanners at Heathrow Airport © Press Association/Belga
If Europe's airports ever open again the introduction of new security measures like body scanners will be expensive. So who will pay, passengers or government? MEPs on the Transport Committee want EU governments to foot the bill and the matter will be discussed by the whole Parliament on Monday.
The Transport Committee's position is that aviation security measures that go beyond common EU requirements should be paid for by Member States, not passengers.
Under the proposal governments would remain free to decide how to share the costs of the measures already covered by existing EU rules for things like metal and explosives detectors, sniffer dogs, hand searches and liquid screeners.
However, they would be required to foot the bill if they chose to introduce body scanners, for instance, which are not yet listed as a common EU aviation security method.
Austrian Socialist Jörg Leichtfried drafted the Transport Committee report. He told us, "we are more or less in line with the governments except about who has to pay. We will see how our suggestion goes - if within the EU regulation then the airports are free to decide, if above the EU regulation, then the countries have to pay."
Costs go down?
Members also strongly support better pricing transparency. They insist that passengers should know exactly what percentage of the fare will pay for airport security.
"At the moment there is a system which allows some airports to charge more - there is no transparency on how the charges are calculated for the airports and passengers. Security charges will become more visible for citizens and as a result they will go down," Mr Leichtfried said.
Also on the plenary agenda are MEPs' questions to the European Commission on how many countries have adopted the airline "blacklist" legislation that bars certain carriers from Europe's airspace.
Further information :
Swedish MEP Marit Paulsen on her animal welfare report
- MEP outlines views on animals
- "link between animal welfare, animal health and human health"
Marit Paulsen suggested the creation of a general EU animal welfare law ©BELGA_VidiPhoto_Barneveld
If animal welfare was once the pet issue of only a handful of animal rights activists, today it is a question debated not only in the wider public, but also in the European Parliament. We spoke to Swedish Liberal Marit Paulsen, the author of a report on animal welfare due to be discussed in plenary Monday, touching upon issues as diverse as the risks animal antibiotics pose to humans and watching TV with pigs.
Different EU countries apply different standards of animal welfare, resulting in market distortions as lower standards usually mean lower prices and thus a competitive advantage. Where are the biggest divergences?
There are great differences in how EU rules on pigs, animal transport and laying hens are implemented and adhered to. Therefore, in my report, I suggest the creation of a general animal welfare law, which through common standards would create a level playing field on the internal market, and also for imported products. We also have to keep in mind, that we cannot keep requesting higher standards and expecting lower prices.
In your report you talk about animals and humans sharing a number of characteristics, not least being prone to the same diseases. How can higher animal welfare standards contribute to better public health?
There is a clear link between animal welfare, animal health and human health: Good animal husbandry and high animal welfare standards result in healthier and happier animals with less need for antibiotics and other medicines. Less use of antibiotics reduces the risk for antibiotic resistance (resistant bacteria in animals can transfer to humans through zoonoses such as salmonella). If we lose the tools to effectively treat diseases in animals and humans, we run the risk of going back 100 years in time where only one out of four children survived in Europe. Therefore, my report stresses the need for the Commission and the Member States to take this matter seriously and to carefully monitor the use of antibiotics in animals.
You underline the fact that animals and human beings are alike in experiencing fear and pain, pleasure and friendship. There are instances of farmers playing music to their cows to improve their well-being and consequently the quality of their milk and meat. Do you think this is the way to go?
Well, why not? We should however, in my opinion, avoid the "disneyfication" of our animals. On my farm we had a pig who loved to sit in the sofa with us, to eat our crisps and even taste our beer when watching TV - but he couldn't care less about which team who was winning the football match. Of course we are "cousins", and of course all animals are entitled to a decent life, but there is a difference between human dignity and "pig dignity"...
EP session goes ahead: MEPs to quiz Commission on travel restrictions
- Debates go ahead but votes postponed
- Airspace closure to be discussed
As many MEPs were unable to attend due to the travel disruption caused by the ash cloud it was decided that no votes would be held this session. MEPs will also debate the airspace disruption.
The plenary session of the European Parliament is going ahead with a modified agenda because of the air travel disruption: most debates will take place as planned but the votes are postponed to the next session on 5-6 May. Parliament will debate the wider issues surrounding the airspace closures and their impact with Commission President Barroso on Tuesday.
EP President Jerzy Buzek opened the session, telling the House that a number of changes would be made to the agenda given that many MEPs were simply unable physically to be present.
Changes to the Agenda:
All the votes are postponed to the next session in Brussels on 5-6 May.
Tuesday morning’s timetable is now as follows:
0900:
Aviation traffic in Europe – statements by Commission and Council, followed by debate.
1100 -1300:
Legislative programme for Commission – statement by Commission President José Manuel Barroso, followed by a debate.
Coordination of humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Haiti – Commission statement, followed by debate.
The session will end, earlier than planned, at the end of the night session on Wednesday. There will be no plenary sitting on Thursday.
Condolences for train crash victims, commemoration of Polish air crash
President Buzek offered Parliament’s sympathy to the victims of last week’s Italian rail crash, and also thanked MEPs and staff for taking part in the commemoration in the European Parliament last Wednesday of the victims of the crash of the Polish presidential plane near Smolensk.
Air traffic disruption: MEPs debate decision to partially reopen skies
- Economic impact stressed
- Need to improve railways highlighted
MEPs debated the impact of the shutdown of Europe's airspace
All Parliament's political groups welcomed the EU Member States' decision to partially reopen the skies, in a debate on Tuesday on the disruption to European flights caused by the volcanic dust cloud. The centre right EPP stressed the economic impact and raised the idea of EU budget aid for airlines, while the Socialists, Liberals and Greens agreed that the crisis showed the need to improve rail networks across Europe as an alternative means of transport.
Representing the Council, the Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, Diego Lopez Garrido, said the disruption had become an "unexpected and serious crisis" in Europe. He stressed that even if the EU did not have much power in this area, Member States had produced a "coordinated" and "dynamic" response. On Monday night all the EU transport ministers had met via videoconference and unanimously endorsed Eurocontrol's proposal to study air quality every 6 hours and provide Member States with safe information on opening safe air corridors as from today, Tuesday.
Three air zones would be established: a no-fly zone over the ash cloud, an open-skies zone where there was no ash and an "intermediate zone" with some pollution where planes would still be able to fly, although with caution. In any case, he concluded, "Member States must make the greatest possible effort to convince citizens to use alternative means of transport" during this crisis.
Welcoming Eurocontrol's decision to let air traffic resume on a limited basis, Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas stressed the need for a coordinated European response to the problem. "Safety comes first and there can be no compromise on this", he added. He also emphasised the limited powers of the Commission in this area, as the decision to close airspace was intergovernmental and based on the assessment of independent experts. Lastly, the Commissioner called for effective implementation of the single European sky package, as well as better enforcement of passenger rights provided for in EU legislation.
MEPs now took the floor. We can see that "without air transport, European society and the European economy as a whole are in difficulty", said Dutch MEP Corien Wortman-Kool, for the EPP group. "Safety first" was the right approach but it was also important to "make use of the airspace as soon as possible". The airlines had suffered huge economic damage, including the need to pay compensation to passengers. "Is it right that all the costs should fall on the airlines' shoulders?" she wondered. "Should not funding be provided from the EU budget?".
The "human dimension of the crisis" was highlighted by German MEP Martin Schulz, leader of the S&D group, who spoke of "tens of thousands stranded" on the four corners of the earth. He also pointed to the cost to the airlines, saying their losses were "higher than those suffered after 9/11". The need for better alternative European transport systems - including interoperability of national rail systems - had become apparent.
"Nature has proved stronger than technology", said German Liberal Gesine Meissner, representing the Liberals. Moreover, "after 20 years of talk about a single market in transport and a single European sky", not enough had been achieved. "There is no way people can book a rail ticket from the north to the south of Europe", she said. In the eyes of the public, "the response has not been satisfactory".
On behalf of the Greens, German MEP Michael Cramer expressed his group's gratitude for the decision to close down European airspace, as "safety, not profit, must always come first". He said the situation underlined the need to invest further in the safest and most sustainable mode of travel: rail.
Dutch Member Peter Van Dalen, for the ECR Group, criticised European authorities for being too rigid in closing down airspace so rapidly. He welcomed the decision to partially reopen certain routes and recalled that test flights had shown that it was safe for air travel to resume.
German MEP Lothar Bisky (GUE/NGL, DE) praised the "decision of safety authorities not to play with peoples' lives" and called for a "binding agreement" with the airlines to ensure jobs and salaries would not be cut.
Italian MEP Francesco Speroni, for the EFD Group, said the authorities had reacted too slowly in regard to the evolution of the situation, closing down airports when the cloud had already moved away from their airspace. "We need to avoid block bans on flights, he said, and focus on taking appropriate and specific measures".
Further information :
Debate on SWIFT and Passenger Name Recognition deal with US & Australia
- Data sharing deal with US back on table
- Concerns over passenger name records
A woman tests an automatic passport control, Frankfurt, Germany. October 2009. ©BELGA/ EPA/M Becker
Under what conditions should SWIFT banking data and airline passenger name record data be transferred to US and Australian authorities for anti-terrorism purposes? Is data sharing in line with the EU's data protection rules? In view of new data transfer agreements, MEPs will discuss guarantees and conditions with Council and Commission on Wednesday afternoon.
The Spanish EU Presidency on behalf of European Union governments and the European Commission will make statements followed by a debate on 21 April from 1500 CET.
SWIFT: breakthrough by June?
MEPs rejected a previous draft agreement, rendering it null and void, on 11 February on the grounds that it did not guarantee a sufficient level of protection of EU citizens' data.
On 22 April EU governments are expected to give the European Commission a mandate to negotiate bank data sharing through the SWIFT network by the end of June.
Transfer of passenger name records to US and Australia
Also under scrutiny Wednesday is an agreement on the transfer of air passenger data to the US and Australia. A vote on this was expected to take place in May, but MEPs are expected to propose postponing it as the EP wants a standard Passenger Name Record (PNR) file model to meets its demands regarding data protection
It would lay down at European level what data in a PNR file (which lists 19 data fields, including the passenger's itinerary, the place a ticket was purchased, the seat number and payment details) could be shared with non-EU states and under what conditions.
Dutch Liberal Sophie In't Veld, Parliament's rapporteur on the issue, said, as compared to the SWIFT case, "the PNR case is more complicated". She thinks Parliament should not say yes or no immediately to the draft agreement, as "the consequences will be much more serious" as the flow of data will have to stop if there is a no vote.
In addition, "the provision of PNR data is part of the conditions the US have imposed in exchange for a derogation from the visa regime". Ultimately the Parliament will vote to back or reject the PNR deal.
Kyrgyzstan unrest debated by MEPs
- Strategic country in turmoil
- MEPs call for commitment to democracy
An opposition supporter near Government House in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 8 April. ©BELGA_Novosti_Andrey Stenin
A strategically important country seemingly teetering on the brink of chaos was on MEPs' minds yesterday. Members debated what can be done to stabilise Kyrgyzstan with the EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton after a violent uprising on 7 April ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and left over 80 dead. The hopes of the 2005 "Tulip revolution" wilted as public opinion grew more critical of a President amid allegations of corruption and nepotism.
The interim Kyrgyz government is now being led by former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva whilst the former President has arrived in Belarus.
Kyrgyzstan's location means it is of key strategic importance to the US, Russia and China, all of whom exercise influence there. Both Washington and Moscow have military bases in the country. This was underlined in the debate by veteran German foreign affairs MEP Elmar Brok of the centre right European People's Party who told the House that "we need to help build the country. In this unstable area, our efforts are decisive because it has a great strategic importance".
The county has a population of 5.5 million and is one of the poorest states formerly in the Soviet Union. High prices and crushing poverty have played a role in triggering the crisis.
EU practical support if democracy respected
Speaking in the European Parliament on Tuesday 20 April Mrs Ashton said that all sides need to be careful to avoid antagonising other parties and that people needed to be able to go about their daily business in safety and security. She went on to say that "the provisional government needs to commit to a plan to return to order and democracy." Pledging EU help for the people she told MEPs "if we are satisfied that the government is committed to a return to democracy and the rule of law, we are ready to provide political, financial and practical support".
Turning to the future, Austrian Socialist MEP Hannes Swoboda cautioned that "the past experiences of the current members of the temporary government give us hope for a different future. We cannot export democracy like a commodity; it needs to develop by itself inside the country".
"Mustn't end up in Russia's smothering embrace"
For the Liberals Italian MEP Niccolò Rinaldi called for a "cautious but positive attitude. We need to ask for clear reforms and a clear schedule for reinstating democracy, tackling corruption and ensuring the independence of the judiciary. The country mustn't end up in Russia's smothering embrace".
French MEP Marie-Christine Vergiat of the leftist GUE/NGL struck a less positive note saying: "The country has a strategic relevance that goes beyond its military importance. Despite all the good words, the EU is not present in this area, only a very timid diplomatic presence. The EU's support is crucial for democracy and the reinstatement of the state of law. We also need to review our Central Asia strategy."
An EU-wide ban on the use of cyanide in gold mining?
- Cyanide used in gold mining
- 2 MEPs calling for a ban
The 2000 Baia Mare ecological disaster is cited by MEPs worried about possible industrial accidents involving cyanide ©BELGA_EPA PHOTO EPA_ATTILA KISBENEDEK
Swallowing cyanide is an indispensable feature of a true crime story's plot. Beyond detective fiction though, cyanide is still used across Europe in the gold mining industry. Now, in a parliamentary question to be debated on the floor of the House, two MEPs urge a general ban on cyanide mining at EU level. They fear the use of this highly toxic chemical can lead to ecological catastrophes, such as the one 10 years ago that started in Romania.
In 2000 a cyanide-tainted water spill into a reservoir in Baia Mare in Romania affected much of the region's water killing fish and poisoning drinking water in Romania, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria.
In modern gold mining, cyanide leaching is considered to be the best available technology for the extraction of gold from ores. However, cyanide is highly toxic and can have a potentially devastating impact on the environment if not handled properly.
Some European countries have introduced a ban but the technology can still be used legally in the EU and there are several existing and planned cyanide mining projects across Europe.
Now two MEPs, Hungarian János Áder and Romanian László Tőkés of the centre right EPP are putting an oral question to the Commission in the plenary on Wednesday afternoon about whether it will propose an EU‑wide ban on the use of cyanide in gold mining.
SWIFT and PNR : privacy concerns voiced ahead of new round of negotiations
- Transfers of "bulk data" key
- Redress where personal data is misused also crucial
The protection of people's data lies at the heart of the SWIFT controversy©BELGA/AFP/F Coffrini
Various issues must be resolved before Parliament approves the next EU-US agreement on financial data transfers via the SWIFT network, argued many MEPs in a debate on SWIFT on Wednesday. The key points are transfers of "bulk data" and redress where personal data is misused. On transfers of air passengers data to the US and Australia, EPP, S&D and ALDE members spoke in favour of postponing the vote until the Commission presents the newly-announced "PNR package".
The EP rejected the last SWIFT agreement in February, which is why a new agreement has to be negotiated. The European Commission aims to have it signed before the end of June. When rejecting the previous agreement, MEPs strongly criticised the fact that it allowed transfers of data not only on specific suspects but on large numbers of people "in bulk". Citizens' rights over their own personal data, notably rights of access, rectification, compensation and redress, were also not adequately defined.
"Sufficient guarantees and safeguards"
"There will be a vote in favour of the draft mandate proposed by the Commission" in Council, said Spanish Presidency representative Diego López Garrido. The agreement "will need to incorporate sufficient guarantees and safeguards". He added that those guarantees would be applied without discrimination between EU and US citizens. The agreement would probably have a five-year term. As for "bulk data" transfers, "this principle will need to be maintained for technical and efficiency reasons". Mr López Garrido also confirmed Council's commitment to an interinstitutional agreement on access to the negotiation documents.
Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said "We have tried to take on board the concerns voiced by the EP in its resolutions". Requests would have to be tabled by judicial authorities, and legal redress ensured in case of abuse. Concerning "bulk data" transfers she said "I know this is a great concern for the European Parliament, but without it there would be no TFTP (Terrorism Finance Tracking Program)". She added "should the EU develop something similar to the TFTP, US authorities are willing to help us".
"The European Parliament wants an agreement, but not an agreement at any cost", said Simon Busuttil (MT), speaking on behalf of the EPP group. Mr Busuttil welcomed the Commission's "readiness to come up with a mandate", which he hoped would be approved "as soon as possible". The EP would exercise its powers "constructively and responsibly", he added, referring to the bulk data issue. "What we want will require a rethink not only on the US part but also on our part. Will we want a European TFTP?" he asked. Next week a mission of the EP would be going to the US to discuss these issues with our counterparts in the US Congress.
"As good an agreement as possible"
Contradicting the previous speaker, Birgit Sippel (S&D, DE) said her group favoured "not an agreement as soon as possible" but "as good an agreement as possible", and she said the Council should not take its decision until the EP had voted on 6 May. She opposed bulk data transfers as "not commensurate" and said an authority in Europe should check how the data was extracted. Finally she asked the Council and Commission "How can they be sure that only data that is really required is passed on?".
For the Liberal group, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (NL) said the fact that Parliament would not vote on its resolution this week "should not inhibit Council to go ahead with the adoption as scheduled." However, she added, "the principles of proportionality and necessity are key to the envisaged agreement" and "European legal demands for the fair, proportionate and lawful processing of personal information are of paramount importance". Thus, "it is for Council and Commission to put this into concrete action and to negotiate an agreement that meets all the EU and US expectations."
"Is this appropriate at all?"
Jan Philipp Albrecht (Greens/EFA, DE) said "we are talking about constitutional principles, protecting privacy, legal protection and proportionality". Regarding bulk data transfers, he asked "is this appropriate at all?". He believed it was a violation of the treaties and suggested other "less intrusive measures" would be preferable.
Charles Tannock (ECR, UK) explained that, even if his group supported the original agreement submitted to Parliament, the new proposal by the Commission "could perhaps ultimately be for the good" because of the "little appreciation" that American diplomats showed with Parliament's new powers. He concluded that the announced visit by US Vice-President Joseph Biden to Parliament may contribute to improve this situation. "Nobody wants to see the EU-American relations strengthened more than I do", he added.
Marie-Christine Vergiat (GUE/NGL, FR) said the Commission's guidelines took up some of the EP's demands on data storage and legal redress. However, this progress was "insufficient" since "the principles of necessity and proportionality are not respected". "I do not trust the US authorities when it comes to these issues", she stressed, adding that "we are still waiting for guarantees to protect the rights of European citizens".
Mario Borghezio (EFD, IT) believed the new guidelines were valid, to ensure "necessary and effective cooperation with the US authorities", and argued that "Europe should not forget to defend itself from terrorism". The new mandate would guarantee citizens' rights to privacy and to legal redress, he said.
Transfer of passenger name records to USA and Australia
Parliament has also been asked to approve or reject an agreement on the transfer of air passenger data to the USA and Australia. On 6 May MEPs will vote on a draft resolution which is expected to propose postponing the vote so that a standard Passenger Name Record (PNR) file model can be devised that meets Parliament's demands on data protection. PNR data, which was initially gathered for commercial purposes, is increasingly being used to combat crime.
At the plenary debate on Wednesday Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström announced that she would propose a "PNR package" including "a global external PNR strategy", setting out the general requirements for agreements with third countries as well as proposals for renegotiating agreements with the US, Australia and Canada, and for a new European PNR system.
Rapporteur Sophia in 't Veld (ALDE, NL) noted that although Parliament had always been highly critical of the use and transfer of PNR data, rejecting two agreements would create legal uncertainty and practical difficulties for citizens and carriers. Instead, she advocated suspending the vote, and urged the Commission to table this new "PNR package" before the summer break.
Axel Voss (EPP, DE) also spoke in favour of postponing the vote "to take into account our concerns on data protection". Birgit Sippel (S&D, DE) hoped that a series of issues -such as the nature of data or the risk of profiling- could be clarified, and a negotiating mandate drawn up, before the summer break.
Jan Philipp Albrecht (Greens/EFA, DE) warned that uncontrolled access to PNR data worldwide was already breaching constitutional rights. Ryszard Czarnercki (ECR, PL) agreed and added: "even those in the European Parliament who are in favour of data transfer were complaining about the way the Council treated them". Finally, Eva-Britt Svensson (GUE/NGL, SE) said that the use of PNR sometimes determines who has the right to fly and who does not, adding that this could infringe fundamental human rights.
Further information :
Easier access to EU regional funds on agenda
- Aim to make access easier
- Advance payments and less red tape
Projects like this road and tunnel in Greece are among those paid for by EU regional funds. Regional Policy EC
A move to simplify access to EU developments funds looks set to be approved by MEPs in early May. Almost €350 billion is available to European countries over six years, but thus far just over a quarter of the money has been allocated. For this reason and because of the protracted economic crisis MEPs want access to be made easier and applications to made more flexible. Covered are the EU Social Fund, Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund.
The releasing of large amounts of money to help fund energy and environment projects rural housing and similar projects is seen as particularly crucial as many governments are cutting back spending due to the crisis.
There are fears that the complexity of the applications procedure (states must often apply to the European Commission), are slowing down the process.
Advance payments and less red tape backed by MEPs
Among the new measures being proposed by the European Commission are faster advance payments to get projects off the ground and reducing the scope of projects that will need prior approval to speed up the bureaucratic process.
In addition the allocation of more funds to European countries hit hardest by the crisis such as the Baltic States, Hungary and Romania is envisaged.
A vote was postponed due to many Members not being able to attend Parliament's sitting in Strasbourg due to the volcano ash crisis. Members of Parliament's Regional affairs Committee backed the simplification plans in March. They are hoping EU governments will also back the measure and new rules will be in place from September.
"Exceptional measures to fight crisis"
Parliament's rapporteur for this issue is Bulgarian Socialist Evgeni Kirilov who earlier told the Committee that "we should not forget the purpose of these amendments: to help member states to benefit more from cohesion policy in this crucial period". French Christian Democrat Sophie Auconie believes that "the regulation "increases flexibility and solidarity in Europe", through "exceptional measures to fight the crisis, like the increased pre-financing and the new accounting rules".
EU regional development funds
- 347,41 billion euros for 2007-2013
- More than 1/3 of total EU budget
- 455 programs submitted by EU countries
- As of April 1 2010 only 27% of budget allocated
Romanian Liberal Ramona Nicole Mănescu stressed the importance of this step for several European countries: "I hope that very soon we will be in a position to give member states who are struggling the funding they need. That's what counts - there are 5 States who need this aid at this point in time".
Environmental concerns raised
Speaking for the Greens German Elisabeth Schroedter said that "for projects under €50 million the Commission doesn't have to carry out a cost benefit analysis and that means that perhaps such a cost benefit analysis will not be carried out at all. Furthermore no checks will be carried out to check whether such projects are in line with EU environmental law".
German MEP Cornelia Ernst of the leftist GUE/NGL bloc said "we welcome the simplification of rules and believe the regulation should be implemented very soon indeed". British Conservative Kay Swinburne said, "the regulation has "laudable goals" but "we need to ensure that relaxing the co-finance criteria does not reduce accountability".
Europe's Regional Policy Commissioner, Johannes Hahn is on record as saying "I hope this regulation will provide some relief for those member states which are most severely affected by the current economic and financial crisis".
The week in Plenary - things we learned
- Eyjafjallajökull
- SWIFT
Photo gallery
Given the airspace closures MEPs decided not to hold votes as many could not attend.
Other photos
- Air traffic disruption: MEPs debate decision to partially close European skies.
- A TV broadcast during the sitting.
- The EU loan package for Greece, bank regulation and taxation and keeping the EP informed of developments in international negotiations were among the questions posed to Commission chief Barroso.
- A little quality time with the laptop. The week saw MEPs hold their April session with data protection, airport security and energy efficient legislation being part of the agenda.
- Commission-Council dialogue before the start of the discussion on SWIFT report during the April 2010 plenary session.
- European Commission President Barroso (left) chats with EP President Buzek.
- Tourists ply past the Parliament's Strasbourg building.
An ash beating plenary - All voting was postponed for the 5-6 May part session in Brussels because of the difficulties many MEPs encountered in simply getting to Strasbourg after the ash cloud from Iceland grounded most air traffic in the EU. In all, about 440 MEPs did make to Strasbourg but it was decided to postpone voting out of respect for those who were not able to make it in time.
Eyjafjallajökull - the new tongue-twisting term for an unspeakable and unprecedented obstacle has joined European dictionary. Ash cloud billowing from an Icelandic volcano shrouded our single sky converting most of EU territory into a massive no-fly zone. Grounded airlines were estimating their losses being up to EUR 200 million per day. The House held an ad hoc debate to tackle the issue.
SWIFT - Questions of citizens' privacy and the responsibility of those handling the data must be resolved before Parliament approves the next EU-US agreement on financial data transfers via the SWIFT network, argued many MEPs in a debate on Wednesday. The key points are transfers of "bulk data" and redress where personal data is misused. "The European Parliament wants an agreement, but not an agreement at any cost", said Maltese MEP Simon Busuttil, speaking on behalf of the EPP group.
Passenger Name Recognition
The Parliament should not give its consent to a new agreement between the EU and the US, Canada and Australia before the Commission presents a complete "PNR package" that will meet Parliament's data protection requirements MEPs were told by Dutch Liberal MEP and rapporteur Sophia in 't Veld. The final decision will be taken in May.
Faster and easier access to structural funds
Simplified rules and flexible procedures for the disbursement and spending of EU structural funding by the member states, were debated in Strasbourg and should be approved during the May session in Brussels. More money will be available already in 2010 and approval will be simplified for the bigger projects.
Cyanide mining on the way out?
The use of cyanide in gold mining should be abolished in the member states that still allow it, as the environmental risks are simply too great, MEPs argued at a debate held on the issue following an oral question to the Commission by Hungarian MEP János Áder and Romanian László Tőkés of the centre right EPP.
Overcoming the crisis, promoting a citizen's agenda and setting up the EEAS are the EC's main priorities for 2010
José Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission presented the Commission's working programme for 2010 during the plenary. Job creation initiatives, closer surveillance of the markets and better coordination of m-s economic policies will take centre stage on the economic front while the "citizens' agenda" based on the Stockholm programme on migration and justice will be rolled out and the European External Action Service will be set up in the course of the year.
A declaration calling for all member states to introduce nationwide breast screening was endorsed by Parliament - thanks to British Liberal MEP Elizabeth Lynne, who had collected enough signatures from other MEPs to qualify. Ms Lynne thanked the MEPs for their support, saying that breast cancer is still the leading cause of death for women 35 to 59.
The scheduled vote on whether to give EU institutions discharge for their 2008 spending was postponed until the next plenary session, 5-6 May. The Budgetary Control Committee proposed discharge for all EU institutions but the European Police College. The committee also want to postpone discharge for the Council for 2008 for lack of transparency. Now, MEPs will put forward recommendations to improve accountability and efficiency of EU spending for the May vote.
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