Marios Matsakis spoke on the link between poor attendance in the Chamber and the conduct of debates.
2. Written declarations (Rule 116)
In accordance with Rule 116(5), written declarations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12/2005 lapsed as they had not obtained the required number of signatures.
3. Preparation of the European Council, including the future of the Union after the referenda on the European constitution (Brussels, 16-17 June 2005) (debate)
Council and Commission statements: Preparation of the European Council, including the future of the Union after the referenda on the European constitution (Brussels, 16-17 June 2005)
Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) and José Manuel Barroso (President of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Hans-Gert Poettering, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Francis Wurtz, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Philippe de Villiers, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Non-attached Member, Timothy Kirkhope, Bernard Poignant, Marielle De Sarnez, Johannes Voggenhuber, Erik Meijer, Bastiaan Belder, Brian Crowley, Irena Belohorská, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Margrietus van den Berg, Jules Maaten, Carl Schlyter, Nigel Farage, James Hugh Allister, João de Deus Pinheiro, Robert Goebbels and Sophia in 't Veld.
IN THE CHAIR: Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ Vice-President
The following spoke: Jens-Peter Bonde, Alessandro Battilocchio, Elmar Brok, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Andrew Duff, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski, Jean-Luc Dehaene, Jo Leinen, Françoise Grossetête, Richard Corbett, Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos, Enrique Barón Crespo, Josef Zieleniec, Genowefa Grabowska, Stanisław Jałowiecki, Libor Rouček, Hartmut Nassauer, Nicola Zingaretti, Othmar Karas, Jacques Toubon, Reinhard Rack, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, Nicolas Schmit and José Manuel Barroso.
The debate closed.
(The sitting was suspended at 11.50 pending voting time and resumed at 12.00.)
IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES President
4. Welcome
On behalf of Parliament, the President welcomed Vladimir Voronin, President of the Republic of Moldova, and his delegation. They had taken their seats in the official gallery.
5. Membership of political groups
The PPE-DE Group had informed the President that Roger Helmer was no longer a member of that group.
6. Voting time
Details of voting (amendments, separate and split votes, etc.) appear in Annex 1 to the Minutes.
6.1. Motion of censure on the Commission (vote)
Motion of censure on the Commission (B6-0318/2005)
(Qualified majority: two-thirds majority of the votes cast, representing a majority of the component Members of Parliament)
(Voting record: Annex 1, Item 1)
The following spoke: Jens-Peter Bonde, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, on the procedure followed with regard to the motion of censure.
Rejected
6.2. Policy challenges and budgetary means (vote)
Report on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013 [2004/2209(INI)] - Temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013. Rapporteur: Reimer Böge (A6-0153/2005)
- Before the vote, Reimer Böge (rapporteur) suggested that some technical corrections be made to paragraph 50 and indents 7 and 9. He also spoke on amendments 6 and 19;
- After the vote, the President made a brief statement highlighting the importance of the vote that had just been taken.
IN THE CHAIR: Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS ROCA Vice-President
6.3. Controls on cash movements ***II (vote)
Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on controls of cash entering or leaving the Community [14843/1/2004 - C6-0038/2005 - 2002/0132(COD)] - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Rapporteur: Vincent Peillon (A6-0167/2005)
Report on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 92/12/EEC on the general arrangements for products subject to excise duty and on the holding, movement and monitoring of such products [COM(2004)0227 - C6-0039/2004 - 2004/0072(CNS)] - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Rapporteur: Dariusz Rosati (A6-0138/2005).
- Jean-Marie Cavada, Chairman of the LIBE Committee.
6.6. Protection of minorities and anti-discrimination policies in an enlarged Europe (vote)
Report on the protection of minorities and anti-discrimination policies in an enlarged Europe [2005/2008(INI)] - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Rapporteur: Claude Moraes (A6-0140/2005).
In view of the time, the President proposed that the votes on the two remaining reports be held over until the following day (Parliament agreed to the proposal).
7. Explanations of vote
Written explanations of vote:
Explanations of vote submitted in writing under Rule 163(3) appear in the verbatim report of proceedings for the sitting.
Oral explanations of vote:
Motion of censure on the Commission (B6-0318/2005)
against: Agnes Schierhuber, Reinhard Rack, Paul Rübig, Ursula Stenzel, Françoise Grossetête, Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos, Edite Estrela, Richard Seeber, Francisco Assis, Fausto Correia, Manuel António dos Santos, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Elisa Ferreira, Joel Hasse Ferreira, Stavros Arnaoutakis, Gilles Savary
- amendment 3
for: Christopher Heaton-Harris
against: Hans-Peter Martin, Athanasios Pafilis, Véronique De Keyser, Pedro Guerreiro
- amendment 40
for: Gary Titley, Arlene McCarthy, Eluned Morgan, Claude Moraes
- paragraph 51, indent 5, (second part)
against: Hans-Peter Martin
- amendment 34
for: Enrique Barón Crespo, Peter Skinner
against: Jutta D. Haug, Anna Hedh, Pierre Jonckheer
Michl Ebner had informed the Presidency that he had been present at the sitting of 06.06.2005, but that his name was not on the attendance register.
° ° ° °
The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.
10. Reform of the UN (debate)
Council and Commission statements: Reform of the UN
Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) and Joe Borg (Member of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Armin Laschet, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Jo Leinen, on behalf of the PSE Group, Alexander Lambsdorff, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Frithjof Schmidt, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Luisa Morgantini, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Paul Marie Coûteaux, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Roberta Angelilli, on behalf of the UEN Group, Jas Gawronski, Michel Rocard, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Michael Henry Nattrass, Nirj Deva, Alexandra Dobolyi, Hélène Flautre, Hélène Goudin, Francisco José Millán Mon, Panagiotis Beglitis, Marie Anne Isler Béguin and Joe Borg.
IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO Vice-President
Nicolas Schmit spoke.
Motion for a resolution tabled to wind up the debate pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Armin Laschet, on behalf of the AFET Committee, on the reform of the United Nations (B6-0328/2005).
Council and Commission statements: Transatlantic relations.
Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) and Joe Borg (Member of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Elmar Brok, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Jan Marinus Wiersma, on behalf of the PSE Group, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Cem Özdemir, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Vittorio Agnoletto, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Bastiaan Belder, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Marcin Libicki, on behalf of the UEN Group, Philip Claeys, Non-attached Member, João de Deus Pinheiro, Hannes Swoboda, Nicholson of Winterbourne, Jaromír Kohlíček, Adam Jerzy Bielan, Ryszard Czarnecki, James Elles, Erika Mann, Bogdan Klich and Józef Pinior.
IN THE CHAIR: Jacek Emil SARYUSZ-WOLSKI Vice-President
The following spoke: Benoît Hamon, Nicolas Schmit and Joe Borg.
Motions for resolutions to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Jan Marinus Wiersma and Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, on Transatlantic Relations (B6-0350/2005),
- Elmar Brok, James Elles and Bogdan Klich, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on ensuring the success of the forthcoming EU-US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005 (B6-0352/2005),
- Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on some essential elements to help ensure the success of the forthcoming EU-US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005 (B6-0354/2005),
- Cristiana Muscardini, Brian Crowley, Anna Elzbieta Fotyga and Inese Vaidere, on behalf of the UEN Group, on some essential elements to help ensure the success of the forthcoming EU-US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005 (B6-0357/2005),
- Cem Özdemir and Joost Lagendijk, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on some essential elements to help ensure the success of the forthcoming EU-US Summit in Washington DC on 20 June 2005 (B6-0358/2005).
Council and Commission statements: Situation in Uzbekistan.
Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) and Joe Borg (Member of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Albert Jan Maat, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Bernadette Bourzai, on behalf of the PSE Group, Ona Juknevičienė, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Bart Staes, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Charles Tannock, Giulietto Chiesa, Alojz Peterle, Nicolas Schmit and Joe Borg.
Motions for resolutions to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Cem Özdemir and Bart Staes, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on Uzbekistan (B6-0370/2005),
- André Brie, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on the situation in Uzbekistan (B6-0371/2005),
- Ona Juknevičienė, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on Uzbekistan (B6-0372/2005),
- Jan Marinus Wiersma, on behalf of the PSE Group, on Uzbekistan (B6-0373/2005),
- Armin Laschet, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on Uzbekistan (B6-0374/2005),
- Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the situation in Uzbekistan after the recent uprising (B6-0377/2005).
13. Agreement Commission - Member States/Philip Morris to combat fraud (debate)
Oral question by Bart Staes, to the Council: Cooperation within the budgetary authority on the allocation and possible use of the monetary payments resulting from the agreement Commission - Member States / Philip Morris to combat fraud (B6-0241/2005)
Oral question by Bart Staes, to the Commission: Cooperation within the budgetary authority on the allocation and possible use of the monetary payments resulting from the agreement Commission - Member States / Philip Morris to combat fraud (B6-0232/2005)
Bart Staes moved oral questions B6-0241/2005 and B6-0232/2005.
Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) answered question B6-0241/2005.
Joe Borg (Member of the Commission) answered question B6-0232/2005.
The following spoke: Valdis Dombrovskis, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Herbert Bösch, on behalf of the PSE Group, Szabolcs Fazakas and Joe Borg.
The debate closed.
(The sitting was suspended at 18.10 pending Question Time and resumed at 18.15.)
IN THE CHAIR: Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN Vice-President
14. Question Time (Council)
Parliament considered a number of questions to the Council (B6-0246/2005).
Question 1 (Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou): Measures to implement the European Youth Pact.
Nicolas Schmit (President-in-Office of the Council) answered the question and a supplementary by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou.
Question 2 (Jonas Sjöstedt): Judgment in Egitim Sen case.
Nicolas Schmit answered the question and supplementaries by Eva-Britt Svensson (deputising for the author), Josu Ortuondo Larrea and Inger Segelström.
Question 3 (María Esther Herranz García): Regularisation programme for immigrants in Spain. Question 4 (Javier Moreno Sánchez): Regularisation programme for immigrants in Spain.
Nicolas Schmit answered the questions and supplementaries by Antonio López-Istúriz White (deputising for the author) and Antonio Masip Hidalgo (deputising for the author).
Question 5 (Bernd Posselt): Accession negotiations with Croatia.
Nicolas Schmit answered the question and a supplementary by Bernd Posselt.
Question 6 (Erna Hennicot-Schoepges): Fight against 'alcopops' and alcoholism among children and adolescents.
Nicolas Schmit answered the question and supplementaries by Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Mairead McGuinness and Daniel Caspary.
Question 7 (Bill Newton Dunn): Joint investigation Teams to fight organised crime.
Nicolas Schmit answered the question and a supplementary by Bill Newton Dunn.
Question 8 had been withdrawn.
Philip Bushill-Matthews expressed his disappointment at not being able to put a supplementary to Question 8.
The President reminded him of the relevant provisions in the Rules.
Question 9 (Mairead McGuinness): Prioritising children's needs in policy-making.
Nicolas Schmit answered the question and supplementaries by Mairead McGuinness, Vittorio Agnoletto and Eoin Ryan.
Questions which had not been answered for lack of time would receive written answers.
Council Question Time closed.
(The sitting was suspended at 19.00 and resumed at 21.00.)
IN THE CHAIR: Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS ROCA Vice-President
Report on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1466/97 on the strengthening of the surveillance of budgetary positions and the surveillance and coordination of economic policies [COM(2005)0154 - C6-0119/2005 - 2005/0064(SYN)] - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Rapporteur: Othmar Karas (A6-0168/2005)
Report on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1467/97 on speeding up and clarifying the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure [COM(2005)0155 - C6-0120/2005 - 2005/0061(CNS)] - Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Rapporteur: Othmar Karas (A6-0158/2005)
Joaquín Almunia (Member of the Commission) spoke.
Othmar Karas introduced the reports.
The following spoke: Alexander Radwan, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Robert Goebbels, on behalf of the PSE Group, Margarita Starkevičiūtė, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Alain Lipietz, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Ilda Figueiredo, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, John Whittaker, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Eoin Ryan, on behalf of the UEN Group, Sergej Kozlík, Non-attached Member, Piia-Noora Kauppi, Pervenche Berès, Diamanto Manolakou, Johannes Blokland, José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil, Udo Bullmann, Werner Langen, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Ivo Strejček, Benoît Hamon, Cristobal Montoro Romero, Manuel António dos Santos, Karsten Friedrich Hoppenstedt, Szabolcs Fazakas and Joaquín Almunia.
16. Strengthening European competitiveness (debate)
Report on strengthening European competitiveness: the effects of industrial change on policy and the role of SMEs [2004/2154(INI)] - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Dominique Vlasto (A6-0148/2005)
Dominique Vlasto introduced the report.
Günther Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Romana Jordan Cizelj, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Joan Calabuig Rull, on behalf of the PSE Group, Marcin Libicki, on behalf of the UEN Group, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, Non-attached Member, Ján Hudacký, Adam Gierek, Małgorzata Handzlik, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Werner Langen, John Attard-Montalto and Othmar Karas.
Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in extender oils and tyres (twenty-seventh amendment of Council Directive 76/769/EEC) [COM(2004)0098 - C5-0081/2004 - 2004/0036(COD)] - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Adamos Adamou (A6-0104/2005).
Günther Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission) spoke.
Adamos Adamou introduced the report.
The following spoke: Robert Sturdy, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Holger Krahmer, Kathy Sinnott and Günther Verheugen.
Oral question by Giuseppe Gargani, on behalf of the JURI Committee, to the Commission: Regulation on the Community Patent and related legislation (B6-0242/2005)
Klaus-Heiner Lehne (deputising for the author) moved the oral question.
Charlie McCreevy (Member of the Commission) answered the oral question.
The following spoke: Manuel Medina Ortega, on behalf of the PSE Group, Eva Lichtenberger, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, and Ilda Figueiredo, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group.
The debate closed.
19. Agenda for next sitting
The agenda for the next sitting had been established ('Agenda' PE 357.269/OJJE).