IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES
President

1. Formal sitting - Welcoming of the Bulgarian and Romanian Members

Between 18.05 and 18.20, a formal sitting of Parliament was held to welcome the new Bulgarian and Romanian Members, who were taking up their duties that day.

The President made a statement in which he welcomed to Parliament the 53 new Members appointed by Bulgaria and Romania. He also welcomed Bogdan Olteanu, President of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies, Nicolae Văcăroiu, President of the Romanian Senate, and Georgi Georgiev Pirinski, Chairman of the Bulgarian National Assembly, who had taken their seats in the distinguished visitors' gallery.

2. Resumption of session

The sitting opened at 18.20.

3. Membership of Parliament

The list of the 53 new MEPs from Bulgaria and Romania is published as an annex to these minutes.

4. Statement by the President

The President made a statement in which he condemned the attack by ETA at Madrid Airport on 30.12.2006, in which two Ecuadorian citizens had been killed.

He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and to the people of Spain and Ecuador.

Parliament observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims.

5. Approval of Minutes of previous sitting

The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.

6. Membership of Parliament

The Danish authorities had given notice of the designation of Søren Bo Søndergaard to replace Ole Krarup as a Member of the European Parliament with effect from 1.1.2007.

Under Rule 3(2), until such time as his credentials had been verified or a ruling had been given on any dispute, and provided that he had previously made a written declaration stating that he did not hold any office incompatible with that of Member of the European Parliament, Søren Bo Søndergaard would take his seat in Parliament and on its bodies and would enjoy all the rights attaching thereto.

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Maria Berger had given notice of her appointment as Minister of Justice in the Austrian Government. Parliament took due note and established a vacancy with effect from 11.1.2007, under Article 7(1) of the Act concerning the election of representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage and Rule 4(1) of the Rules of Procedure.

7. Verification of credentials

On a proposal from the JURI Committee, Parliament had decided to validate the mandates of Olle Schmidt, Gian Paolo Gobbo and Umberto Bossi.

The mandates had taken effect on 19.10.2006, 8.11.2006 and 8.11.2006 respectively.

8. Formation of a political group

The President announced that he had been informed of the formation of the following political group:

- Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group (ITS): 20 Members.

The group would comprise the following Members:

Bruno GOLLNISCH

Petre POPEANGĂ

Philip CLAEYS

Eugen MIHĂESCU

Ashley MOTE

Andreas MÖLZER

Alessandra MUSSOLINI

Luca ROMAGNOLI

Dimitar STOYANOV

Daniela BURUIANĂ

Koenraad DILLEN

Carl LANG

Fernand LE RACHINEL

Jean-Marie LE PEN

Marine LE PEN

Jean-Claude MARTINEZ

Viorica MOISUC

Lydia SCHENARDI

Cristian STĂNESCU

Frank VANHECKE

The following spoke: Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, who, referring to Rule 29(1), challenged the setting-up of the group and called for a check on the legitimacy of its formation, and Bruno Gollnisch, on behalf of the ITS Group, on Mr Schulz's remarks.

On the basis of the interpretation of Rule 29(1) and the political declaration of principle that the members of the group had signed, the President established that there were no grounds for acting upon Mr Schulz's request.

9. Address by the President of Parliament

The President gave an address in which he took stock of his time as President.

The following spoke: Joseph Daul, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Brian Crowley, on behalf of the UEN Group, Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Francis Wurtz, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Jens-Peter Bonde, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Bruno Gollnisch, on behalf of the ITS Group, Irena Belohorská, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, Jean-Claude Martinez (the President pointed out that because he had not spoken in an official EU language his speech would not be recorded in the Verbatim Report of Proceedings), and Margot Wallström (Vice-President of the Commission).

The item closed.

10. Documents received

The following documents had been received:

1) from committees

1.1) reports

- Report on gender mainstreaming in the work of the committees (2005/2149(INI)) - FEMM Committee - Rapporteur: Anna Záborská (A6-0478/2006)

- *** Recommendation on the proposal for a Council decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement amending the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (06987/2006 - C6-0124/2006 - 2005/0071(AVC)) - DEVE Committee - Rapporteur: José Ribeiro e Castro (A6-0469/2006)

- Report on European Road Safety Action Programme - mid-term review (2006/2112(INI)) - TRAN Committee - Rapporteur: Ewa Hedkvist Petersen (A6-0449/2006)

- Report on the Council's Seventh and Eighth Annual Reports according to Operative Provision 8 of the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports (2006/2068(INI)) - AFET Committee - Rapporteur: Raül Romeva i Rueda (A6-0439/2006)

- Report with recommendations to the Commission on the European private company statute (2006/2013(INI)) - JURI Committee - Rapporteur: Klaus-Heiner Lehne (A6-0434/2006)

1.2) recommendations for second reading

- ***II Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations ('ROME II') (09751/7/2006 - C6-0317/2006 - 2003/0168(COD)) - JURI Committee - Rapporteur: Diana Wallis (A6-0481/2006)

- ***II Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the certification of train drivers operating locomotives and trains on the railway system in the Community (05893/5/2006 - C6-0310/2006 - 2004/0048(COD)) - TRAN Committee - Rapporteur: Gilles Savary (A6-0480/2006)

- ***II Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on international rail passengers' rights and obligations (05892/1/2006 - C6-0311/2006 - 2004/0049(COD)) - TRAN Committee - Rapporteur: Dirk Sterckx (A6-0479/2006)

- ***II Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the Community's railways and Directive 2001/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and the levying of charges for the use of railway infrastructure (05895/2/2006 - C6-0309/2006 - 2004/0047(COD)) - TRAN Committee - Rapporteur: Georg Jarzembowski (A6-0475/2006)

2) from Members

2.1) proposals for recommendations (Rule 114)

- Michał Tomasz Kamiński, on behalf of the UEN Group. Proposal for a recommendation to the Council on the negotiation mandate for a new enhanced agreement between the European Community and its Member States of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part (B6-0022/2007)

11. Written declarations and oral questions (tabling)

The following documents had been received from Members:

1) oral questions (Rule 108)

- (O-0126/2006) Pervenche Berès, on behalf of the ECON Committee, to the Commission: Further convergence in supervisory practices at EU level (B6-0449/2006)

- (O-0128/2006) Daniel Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, on behalf of the INTA Committee, to the Commission: Renegotiation of the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) (B6-0450/2006)

- (O-0131/2006) Pervenche Berès, on behalf of the ECON Committee, Jean-Marie Cavada, on behalf of the LIBE Committee, to the Council: SWIFT (B6-0001/2007)

- (O-0132/2006) Pervenche Berès, on behalf of the ECON Committee, Jean-Marie Cavada, on behalf of the LIBE Committee, to the Council: SWIFT (B6-0002/2007)

2) written declarations for entry in the Register (Rule 116)

- Philip Claeys, Frank Vanhecke and Koenraad Dillen, on ritual slaughter without anaesthesia (0001/2007)

- Bogusław Rogalski, on the banning of neo-Nazi parties (0003/2007)

- Konrad Szymański, Charles Tannock and Marek Siwiec, on international recognition of the Great Famine in Ukraine (1932-33) as genocide (0004/2007)

12. Petitions

The following petitions, which had been entered in the register on the dates shown below, had been forwarded to the committee responsible pursuant to Rule 191(5):

04.01.2007

E. Selvarajah (+ 93 signatures) (No 862/2006)

Alida Masa (No 863/2006)

Iván Ramírez (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves) (No 864/2006)

Claudio Caruana (No 865/2006)

Marlies Haagsma (No 866/2006)

Jiří Kvasnička (A A A radiotaxi s.r.o.) (No 867/2006)

Fehérvári Polgári Védegylet (+ 12 signatures) (No 868/2006)

Maria Kraft (No 869/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 870/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 871/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 872/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 873/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 874/2006)

Volker Starke (Stadt Frankfurt (Oder) (No 875/2006)

Cleopetra Donzeann (No 876/2006)

Günther Rose (No 877/2006)

Raimar Ocken (No 878/2006)

Christian Stange (No 879/2006)

Schermann (Landkreis Göttingen) (No 880/2006)

Arnold Jansen (No 881/2006)

Tomas Eckhardt (Initiative 'Das Leben befreien') (No 882/2006)

Giorgio Bortini (No 883/2006)

Simone Poupon (Collectif pour la paix - Le Creusot) (No 884/2006)

Joaquim Gomez (+ 1 signature) (No 885/2006)

Gonzalez (SA G-Block NV) (No 886/2006)

Miguel Moises (Gestnave - Comissão de Trabalhadores) (+ 3 signatures) (No 887/2006)

Francisco Manuel Caeiro Costa (No 888/2006)

Angela Maria Duarte da Costa (Associação Portuguesa de Deficientes) (+ 2 signatures) (No 889/2006)

Özcan Kaldoyo (No 890/2006)

Karina Adamik (No 891/2006)

Ryszard Zajac (No 892/2006)

Halina Kucman (No 893/2006)

Elzbieta Demus van Oosten (No 894/2006)

Andrzej Zelawski (No 895/2006)

Zbigniew Jan Salamon (No 896/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 897/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 898/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 899/2006)

Argirios Tsorakis (No 900/2006)

Ilian-Konstantin Nikolov (No 901/2006)

Peter Lohmar (No 902/2006)

Oskar Eschenbach (No 903/2006)

Werner Zimmermann (No 904/2006)

Carlo Buono (No 905/2006)

Leonardo Schmit (No 906/2006)

José Vicente Edo Vázquez (Agrupación de Interés Urbanístico 'Paraje Tos Pelat') (No 907/2006)

Antonio Juan Romero Losana (No 908/2006)

Anna Moreno Bernadas (+ 1 signature) (No 909/2006)

Gonzalo Muñumel Diez (Asociación de Prejubilados por Reconversión Industrial) (No 910/2006)

Antonio Moreno Alfaro (No 911/2006)

Juan Luis Cabeza Campos (Asociación para la defensa y educación medioambietal 'Riberas del Guadaira') (No 912/2006)

Gianni Luigi Mor (No 913/2006)

05.01.2007

(Name confidential) (No 914/2006)

(Name confidential) (No 915/2006)

Miguel Yuste de Santos (Coordinadora de Colectivos Afectados por el Pimic) (No 916/2006)

Marino Savina (No 917/2006)

Luigi Marucci (O.S.Po.L.) (+ 1 signature) (No 918/2006)

Rektorové Libuše (No 919/2006)

Constanta Kirchner (No 920/2006)

Ros Vasile (Romanian Community of Ireland) (+ 1 signature) (No 921/2006)

George Barry (No 922/2006)

Cécile de la Losa (No 923/2006)

Heidi de Jong-Fuchs (+ 9 signatures) (No 924/2006)

Eva Maria Coria Paramas (+ 8 signatures) (No 925/2006)

Carlos Arribas Ugarte (Ecologistas en Acción del país Valenciano) (No 926/2006)

Manuel Gomez Costa (Asociación de Vecinos 'San Miguel Arcángel') (No 927/2006)

Andrea Morelli (No 928/2006)

Adolfo Pablo Lapi (No 929/2006)

Józef Sówka (No 930/2006)

Katarzyna Dabrowska (No 931/2006)

Johannes Kleinschnittger (No 932/2006).

13. Texts of agreements forwarded by the Council

The Council had forwarded certified true copies of the following:

- Agreement between the European Community and the Government of Canada establishing a framework for cooperation in higher education, training and youth

- Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and the Kingdom of Norway concerning adjustments of trade preferences in cheese undertaken on the basis of Article 19 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area

- Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco on certain aspects of air services

- Euro-Mediterranean aviation agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part

- Additional Protocol to the agreement on trade, development and cooperation between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of South Africa, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Cyprus, the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Lithuania, the Republic of Hungary, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Poland, the Republic of Slovenia, and the Slovak Republic to the European Union

14. Action taken on Parliament's resolutions

The Commission communication on the action taken on the resolutions adopted by Parliament during the September I 2006 part-session had been distributed.

15. Agenda for next sitting

The agenda for the next sitting had been established ('Agenda' PE 382.948/OJMA).

16. Closure of sitting

The sitting closed at 19.45.

The following signed:

Adamou, Agnoletto, Aita, Ali, Allister, Anastase, Andersson, Andrejevs, Andria, Angelilli, Antoniozzi, Arif, Arnaoutakis, Ashworth, Athanasiu, Atkins, Attwooll, Aubert, Audy, Auken, Ayala Sender, Aylward, Ayuso, Bachelot-Narquin, Badia I Cutchet, Bărbuleţiu, Barón Crespo, Barsi-Pataky, Batten, Batzeli, Bauer, Beazley, Becsey, Beer, Beglitis, Belder, Belohorská, Beňová, Berend, Berès, van den Berg, Berlinguer, Berman, Bielan, Birutis, Bliznashki, Blokland, Bloom, Bobošíková, Böge, Bösch, Bonde, Bono, Bonsignore, Booth, Borghezio, Borrell Fontelles, Bourlanges, Bowles, Bozkurt, Bradbourn, Braghetto, Brejc, Brepoels, Březina, Brie, Brok, Brunetta, Budreikaitė, Bullmann, Buruiană-Aprodu, Bushill-Matthews, Busk, Busuttil, Buzek, Cabrnoch, Calabuig Rull, Callanan, Camre, Capoulas Santos, Cappato, Carlotti, Carnero González, Carollo, Casa, Casaca, Cashman, Caspary, Castex, del Castillo Vera, Catania, Cercas, Chatzimarkakis, Chervenyakov, Chichester, Chiesa, Chmielewski, Chruszcz, Ciornei, Cioroianu, Claeys, Clark, Cocilovo, Coelho, Cohn-Bendit, Corbett, Corbey, Correia, Coşea, Coveney, Cramer, Corina Creţu, Gabriela Creţu, Crowley, Ryszard Czarnecki, Daul, Davies, de Brún, Degutis, De Keyser, Demetriou, Deprez, De Rossa, De Sarnez, Descamps, Désir, Deß, Deva, De Veyrac, Díaz de Mera García Consuegra, Dičkutė, Didžiokas, Díez González, Dillen, Dimitrakopoulos, Konstantin Dimitrov, Martin Dimitrov, Dîncu, Dobolyi, Dombrovskis, Douay, Dover, Doyle, Drčar Murko, Duchoň, Dührkop Dührkop, Duff, Duka-Zólyomi, Dumitrescu, Ehler, Ek, Elles, Esteves, Estrela, Ettl, Fajmon, Falbr, Farage, Fazakas, Ferber, Fernandes, Anne Ferreira, Elisa Ferreira, Figueiredo, Flasarová, Flautre, Florenz, Foglietta, Foltyn-Kubicka, Fontaine, Ford, Fourtou, Fraga Estévez, Frassoni, Friedrich, Fruteau, Gahler, Gál, Gaľa, Galeote, Ganţ, García-Margallo y Marfil, García Pérez, Gargani, Gaubert, Gauzès, Gentvilas, Geremek, Geringer de Oedenberg, Gewalt, Gibault, Gierek, Giertych, Gill, Gklavakis, Glattfelder, Gobbo, Goebbels, Goepel, Gollnisch, Gomolka, Grabowska, Grabowski, Graefe zu Baringdorf, Gräßle, de Grandes Pascual, Gröner, de Groen-Kouwenhoven, Groote, Grosch, Grossetête, Gruber, Guardans Cambó, Guellec, Guidoni, Gurmai, Gutiérrez-Cortines, Guy-Quint, Hänsch, Hall, Hammerstein Mintz, Hamon, Hannan, Harangozó, Harbour, Harkin, Harms, Hassi, Haug, Hazan, Heaton-Harris, Hedkvist Petersen, Hegyi, Hellvig, Helmer, Henin, Hennicot-Schoepges, Herranz García, Herrero-Tejedor, Higgins, Hökmark, Honeyball, Hoppenstedt, Horáček, Hudacký, Hudghton, Hughes, Husmenova, Hutchinson, Iacob-Ridzi, Ilchev, in 't Veld, Isler Béguin, Itälä, Iturgaiz Angulo, Jäätteenmäki, Janowski, Járóka, Jarzembowski, Jeggle, Jensen, Joan i Marí, Jöns, Jørgensen, Jonckheer, Jordan Cizelj, Kallenbach, Kamall, Karas, Karim, Kasoulides, Kaufmann, Kauppi, Kazak, Tunne Kelam, Kelemen, Kilroy-Silk, Kindermann, Kinnock, Kirilov, Kirkhope, Klamt, Klaß, Knapman, Koch, Kohlíček, Konrad, Kónya-Hamar, Korhola, Kósáné Kovács, Koterec, Krahmer, Krasts, Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Krehl, Kreissl-Dörfler, Kristovskis, Krupa, Kuc, Kudrycka, Kuhne, Kušķis, Kusstatscher, Kuźmiuk, Lagendijk, Laignel, Lamassoure, Lambert, Lambrinidis, Landsbergis, Lang, Langen, Laperrouze, La Russa, Lavarra, Lax, Le Foll, Lehideux, Lehne, Lehtinen, Leichtfried, Leinen, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine Le Pen, Le Rachinel, Lévai, Lewandowski, Liberadzki, Libicki, Lichtenberger, Lienemann, Liese, Liotard, Lipietz, Lombardo, López-Istúriz White, Losco, Louis, Ludford, Lulling, Lynne, Lyubcheva, Maat, Maaten, McAvan, McMillan-Scott, Maldeikis, Manders, Maňka, Erika Mann, Thomas Mann, Mantovani, Marinescu, David Martin, Hans-Peter Martin, Martínez Martínez, Masiel, Mastenbroek, Mathieu, Mato Adrover, Matsakis, Matsis, Matsouka, Mauro, Mavrommatis, Mayer, Medina Ortega, Meijer, Menéndez del Valle, Miguélez Ramos, Mihăescu, Mihalache, Mikko, Mikolášik, Millán Mon, Mitchell, Mölzer, Moisuc, Montoro Romero, Moraes, Moreno Sánchez, Morgantini, Morillon, Morţun, Moscovici, Mote, Mulder, Musacchio, Muscardini, Musotto, Mussolini, Musumeci, Myller, Napoletano, Nassauer, Navarro, Newton Dunn, Nicholson, Niebler, van Nistelrooij, Novak, Obiols i Germà, Achille Occhetto, Olajos, Olbrycht, Ó Neachtain, Onesta, Onyszkiewicz, Oomen-Ruijten, Őry, Ouzký, Oviir, Paasilinna, Pahor, Paleckis, Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Pannella, Panzeri, Paparizov, Papastamkos, Parish, Paşcu, Patriciello, Patrie, Pęk, Petre, Pflüger, Piecyk, Pieper, Pīks, Pinheiro, Pinior, Piotrowski, Pirilli, Pirker, Piskorski, Pistelli, Pittella, Pleguezuelos Aguilar, Pleštinská, Podgorean, Podkański, Poettering, Pomés Ruiz, Popeangă, Posselt, Prets, Prodi, Purvis, Queiró, Rack, Radwan, Ransdorf, Rapkay, Rasmussen, Remek, Resetarits, Reul, Reynaud, Riera Madurell, Ries, Rivera, Rizzo, Rogalski, Roithová, Romagnoli, Romeva i Rueda, Roszkowski, Roth-Behrendt, Rothe, Rouček, Roure, Rudi Ubeda, Rübig, Rühle, Ryan, Sacconi, Saïfi, Sakalas, Saks, Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Salinas García, Samaras, Sánchez Presedo, dos Santos, Sârbu, Sartori, Saryusz-Wolski, Savary, Savi, Sbarbati, Schapira, Scheele, Schenardi, Schierhuber, Schlyter, Frithjof Schmidt, Schmitt, Schnellhardt, Schöpflin, Schröder, Schroedter, Schulz, Schwab, Seeber, Segelström, Seppänen, Şerbu, Shouleva, Siekierski, Sifunakis, Silaghi, Silva Peneda, Simpson, Sinnott, Siwiec, Skinner, Škottová, Sofianski, Sommer, Søndergaard, Sonik, Sornosa Martínez, Speroni, Stănescu, Staniszewska, Starkevičiūtė, Šťastný, Sterckx, Stevenson, Stihler, Stoyanov, Strejček, Strož, Stubb, Sturdy, Sudre, Susta, Svensson, Swoboda, Szabó, Szájer, Szejna, Szent-Iványi, Szymański, Tabajdi, Tajani, Takkula, Tannock, Tarabella, Tarand, Tatarella, Thyssen, Ţicău, Ţîrle, Titford, Titley, Toia, Tomczak, Toubon, Trakatellis, Trautmann, Triantaphyllides, Turmes, Uca, Ulmer, Väyrynen, Vakalis, Vălean, Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, Van Hecke, Van Orden, Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, Varvitsiotis, Vaugrenard, Veraldi, Vergnaud, Vidal-Quadras, Vigenin, Virrankoski, Vlasák, Vlasto, Voggenhuber, Wallis, Walter, Watson, Henri Weber, Weiler, Wieland, Wiersma, Willmott, Wise, Bernard Piotr Wojciechowski, Janusz Wojciechowski, Wurtz, Yañez-Barnuevo García, Záborská, Zaleski, Zapałowski, Zappalà, Ždanoka, Železný, Zieleniec, Zimmer, Zingaretti, Zvěřina