2. Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (announcement of motions for resolutions tabled)
Pursuant to Rule 115, the following Members or political groups had requested that such a debate be held on the following motions for resolutions:
I. Dialogue between the Chinese government and Envoys of the Dalai Lama
-Vittorio Agnoletto and Eva-Britt Svensson, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on dialogue between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama (B6-0051/2007)
-Marco Cappato, Frédérique Ries and Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on the situation between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama (B6-0053/2007)
- Helga Trüpel, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Eva Lichtenberger, Sepp Kusstatscher and Milan Horáček, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on dialogue between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama (B6-0057/2007)
- Pasqualina Napoletano, on behalf of the PSE Group, on dialogue between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama (B6-0059/2007)
- Michał Tomasz Kamiński, Roberta Angelilli, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Adam Bielan, Gintaras Didžiokas and Eugenijus Maldeikis, on behalf of the UEN Group, on dialogue between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama (B6-0061/2007)
- Thomas Mann, Bernd Posselt, Charles Tannock, Piia-Noora Kauppi and Eija-Riitta Korhola, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on dialogue between the Chinese government and envoys of the Dalai Lama (B6-0066/2007)
II. Humanitarian situation of refugees from Iraq
- André Brie, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on the humanitarian situation in the Middle East of refugees from Iraq (B6-0052/2007)
- Marco Cappato, Nicholson of Winterbourne and Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on the humanitarian situation of refugees from Iraq (B6-0054/2007)
- Angelika Beer, Joost Lagendijk, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Caroline Lucas, Alyn Smith, Jill Evans, Jean Lambert and Hélène Flautre, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on the humanitarian situation of refugees from Iraq (B6-0056/2007)
- Pasqualina Napoletano, Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, Paulo Casaca and Inger Segelström, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the humanitarian situation of refugees from Iraq (B6-0058/2007)
- Adam Bielan, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski, Michał Tomasz Kamiński, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka and Ryszard Czarnecki, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the humanitarian situation of refugees from Iraq (B6-0060/2007)
- Simon Coveney, Charles Tannock, Bernd Posselt and Eija-Riitta Korhola, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on the humanitarian situation of refugees from Iraq (B6-0065/2007)
III. Guinea
- Eoin Ryan, on behalf of the UEN Group, on Guinea (B6-0049/2007)
- Luisa Morgantini and Feleknas Uca, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on Guinea (B6-0050/2007)
- Marie-Hélène Aubert, Margrete Auken and Frithjof Schmidt, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on Guinea (B6-0055/2007)
- Marco Cappato and Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on Guinea (B6-0062/2007)
- Pasqualina Napoletano, Harlem Désir, Marie-Arlette Carlotti, Pierre Moscovici, Catherine Trautmann and Alain Hutchinson, on behalf of the PSE Group, on Guinea (B6-0063/2007)
- Jürgen Schröder, Charles Tannock, Bernd Posselt and Eija-Riitta Korhola, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on the situation in Guinea (B6-0064/2007)
Speaking time would be allocated in accordance with Rule 142.
3. Inaugural address by the President of the European Parliament
In the presence of Emilio Colombo, Simone Veil, Lord Plumb, Enrique Barón Crespo, Egon Klepsch, Klaus Hänsch, José María Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado, Nicole Fontaine, Pat Cox and Josep Borrell Fontelles - all former Presidents of the European Parliament - Hans-Gert Pöttering (President of the European Parliament) gave his inaugural address, in which he outlined the priorities for his term as President over the next two and a half years.
The following spoke: Angela Merkel (President-in-Office of the Council) and José Manuel Barroso (President of the Commission).
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, and Irena Belohorská, Non-attached Member.
(The sitting was suspended at 12.05 pending voting time and resumed at 12.10.)
IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO Vice-President
4. Voting time
Details of voting (amendments, separate and split votes, etc.) appear in the 'Results of votes' annex to the Minutes.
4.1. Classification of wood ***I (Rule 131) (vote)
Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Directive 68/89/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning the classification of wood in the rough [COM(2006)0557 - C6-0325/2006 - 2006/0178(COD)] - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. Rapporteur: Arlene McCarthy (A6-0017/2007)
4.2. Public works contracts ***I (Rule 131) (vote)
Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Directive 71/304/EEC of 26 July 1971 concerning the abolition of restrictions on freedom to provide services in respect of public works contracts and on the award of public works contracts to contractors acting through agencies or branches [COM(2006)0748 - C6-0440/2006 - 2006/0249(COD)] - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. Rapporteur: Arlene McCarthy (A6-0018/2007)
- Arlene McCarthy (rapporteur), who moved a technical amendment under Rule 155(4), specifying that the date for transposition should be 18 months after the date of publication (the technical amendment was incorporated).
4.3. Community action programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the Community's financial interests (Hercule II programme) ***I (Rule 131) (vote)
Report on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending and extending Decision No 804/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 establishing a Community action programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the Community's financial interests (Hercule II programme) [COM(2006)0339 - C6-0216/2006 - 2006/0114(COD)] - Committee on Budgetary Control. Rapporteur: Herbert Bösch (A6-0002/2007)
(Simple majority)
(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 3)
COMMISSION PROPOSAL, AMENDMENTS and DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION
Herbert Bösch (rapporteur) made a statement under Rule 131(4).
4.4. Rules for the implementation of the Financial Regulation * (Rule 131) (vote)
Report on the draft Commission regulation (EC, Euratom) amending Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities [SEC(2006)0866 - C6-0231/2006 - 2006/0900(CNS)] - Committee on Budgetary Control. Co-rapporteurs: Ingeborg Gräßle and Borut Pahor (A6-0007/2007)
(Simple majority)
(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 4)
COMMISSION PROPOSAL, AMENDMENTS and DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION
Ingeborg Gräßle (rapporteur) made a statement under Rule 131(4).
4.5. Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) ***III (vote)
Report on the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) [PE-CONS 3685/2006 – C6-0445/2006 – 2004/0175(COD)] - Parliament's delegation to the Conciliation Committee - Rapporteur: Frieda Brepoels - A6-0021/2007
Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste [COM(2005)0667 - C6-0009/2006 - 2005/0281(COD)] - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Caroline Jackson (A6-0466/2006)
Report on a Thematic Strategy on the recycling of waste [2006/2175(INI)] - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Johannes Blokland (A6-0438/2006)
Report on women's role in social, economic and political life in Turkey [2006/2214(INI)] - Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Rapporteur: Emine Bozkurt (A6-0003/2007)
Explanations of vote submitted in writing under Rule 163(3) appear in the Verbatim Report of Proceedings for the sitting.
Oral explanations of vote:
Report: Frieda Brepoels - A6-0021/2007: Richard Seeber
Report: Caroline Jackson - A6-0466/2006: Richard Seeber, Andreas Mölzer
Report: Emine Bozkurt - A6-0003/2007: Philip Claeys
6. Corrections to votes and voting intentions
Corrections to votes and voting intentions appear on the 'Séance en direct' website under 'Votes'/'Results of votes'/ 'Roll-call votes'. They are published in hard copy in the 'Result of roll-call votes' annex.
The electronic version on Europarl will be regularly updated for a maximum of two weeks after the day of the vote concerned.
After the two-week deadline has passed, the list of corrections to votes and voting intentions will be finalised so that it can be translated and published in the Official Journal.
(The sitting was suspended at 13.10 and resumed at 15.00.)
IN THE CHAIR: Hans-Gert PÖTTERING President
7. Approval of Minutes of previous sitting
The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.
8. Preparations for the European Council (8-9 March 2007) (debate)
Council and Commission statements: Preparations for the European Council (8-9 March 2007)
Günter Gloser (President-in-Office of the Council) and Margot Wallström (Vice-President of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Marianne Thyssen, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Robert Goebbels, on behalf of the PSE Group, Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, Rebecca Harms, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Gabriele Zimmer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Nigel Farage, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Andreas Mölzer, on behalf of the ITS Group, Jana Bobošíková, Non-attached Member, and Klaus-Heiner Lehne.
IN THE CHAIR: Miguel Angel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ Vice-President
The following spoke: Hannes Swoboda, Alexander Lambsdorff, Guntars Krasts, Pierre Jonckheer, Ilda Figueiredo, Patrick Louis, Carl Lang, Sergej Kozlík, Gunnar Hökmark, Stephen Hughes, Margarita Starkevičiūtė, Konrad Szymański, Bernat Joan i Marí, Georgios Karatzaferis, Othmar Karas, Udo Bullmann, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski, Jerzy Buzek, Inés Ayala Sender, Elizabeth Lynne, Alexander Stubb, Enrique Barón Crespo, Danutė Budreikaitė, Malcolm Harbour, Bernard Poignant, Markus Ferber, Gary Titley, Margie Sudre, Edite Estrela, Cristobal Montoro Romero, Andrzej Jan Szejna, José Albino Silva Peneda, Christa Prets, Günter Gloser and Margot Wallström.
Motions for resolutions to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Bruno Gollnisch, Petre Popeangă and Carl Lang, on behalf of the ITS Group, on preparations for the European Council of 8 and 9 March 2007 (B6-0040/2007)
- Rebecca Harms and Pierre Jonckheer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on the input to the 2007 Spring European Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy (B6-0043/2007)
- Guntars Krasts, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the input to the 2007 Spring Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy (B6-0044/2007)
- Francis Wurtz, Ilda Figueiredo and Helmuth Markov, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on the input to the Spring 2007 European Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy (B6-0046/2007)
- Klaus-Heiner Lehne, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Stephen Hughes and Robert Goebbels, on behalf of the PSE Group, and Alexander Lambsdorff, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on the input to the 2007 Spring Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy (B6-0048/2007)
(The sitting was suspended at 17.20 pending Question Time and resumed at 17.35.)
IN THE CHAIR: Manuel António dos SANTOS Vice-President
9. Question Time (Commission)
Parliament considered a number of questions to the Commission (B6-0003/2007).
Part one
Question 41 (Evgeni Kirilov): The fate of the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor and EU-Libya relations.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner (Member of the Commission) answered the question and supplementaries by Evgeni Kirilov and Jörg Leichtfried.
Question 42 (Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk): Problems with energy supplies imported from Russia.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner answered the question and supplementaries by Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk, Paul Rübig and Danutė Budreikaitė.
Question 43 (Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou): The peace canal in the Middle East.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner answered the question and a supplementary by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou.
Part two
Question 44 (Alain Hutchinson): Full liberalisation of postal services on 1 January 2009.
Charlie McCreevy (Member of the Commission) answered the question and supplementaries by Alain Hutchinson, Piia-Noora Kauppi, Hélène Goudin and Dimitrios Papadimoulis.
Peter Mandelson answered the questions and supplementaries by Seán Ó Neachtain (deputising for the author), Pedro Guerreiro and David Martin.
Questions 53 and 54 would receive written answers.
Question 55 (Bernd Posselt): Rural development in the Bavaria-Bohemia border region.
Mariann Fischer Boel (Member of the Commission) answered the question and supplementaries by Bernd Posselt and Justas Vincas Paleckis.
Question 56 (Georgios Papastamkos): Review of the regulatory framework governing 'de minimis' aid.
Mariann Fischer Boel answered the question and supplementaries by Georgios Papastamkos and Paul Rübig.
Question 57 (José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil): Proposed reform of the COM in fruit and vegetables.
Mariann Fischer Boel answered the question and a supplementary by José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil.
Questions which had not been answered for lack of time would receive written answers (see annex to the Verbatim Report of Proceedings).
Commission Question Time closed.
10. Announcement by the President
At its most recent meeting, the DEVE Committee had approved a motion for a resolution on the draft Commission decisions establishing Country Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes for Malaysia, Brazil and Pakistan (CMT-2007-0001, CMT-2006-3525 and CMT-2006-3021) (B6-0067/2007).
The motion for a resolution would be included on the agenda for voting time at noon on Thursday, 05.02.2007.
(The sitting was suspended at 19.05 and resumed at 21.00.)
IN THE CHAIR: Luisa MORGANTINI Vice-President
11. Common organisation of the market in wine (debate)
Report on the reform of the common organisation of the market in wine [2006/2109(INI)] - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Katerina Batzeli (A6-0016/2007)
Katerina Batzeli introduced the report.
Mariann Fischer Boel (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Béla Glattfelder (draftsman of the opinion of the INTA Committee), Iratxe García Pérez (draftsman of the opinion of the REGI Committee), Elisabeth Jeggle, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Rosa Miguélez Ramos, on behalf of the PSE Group, Anne Laperrouze, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Sergio Berlato, on behalf of the UEN Group, Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Diamanto Manolakou, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Hélène Goudin, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Jean-Claude Martinez, on behalf of the ITS Group, Giuseppe Castiglione, Vincenzo Lavarra, Marie-Hélène Aubert, Vincenzo Aita, Esther Herranz García, Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos, Ilda Figueiredo, Christa Klaß, Béatrice Patrie, Ioannis Gklavakis, Bogdan Golik, Carmen Fraga Estévez, Csaba Sándor Tabajdi, Astrid Lulling, Margrietus van den Berg, Oldřich Vlasák, Françoise Castex, Armando Veneto, Christine De Veyrac, Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos, Agnes Schierhuber and Mariann Fischer Boel.
12. Voluntary modulation of direct payments under the CAP * (debate)
Report on the proposal for a Council regulation laying down rules for voluntary modulation of direct payments provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 establishing common rules for direct support schemes under the common agricultural policy and establishing certain support schemes for farmers, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1290/2005 [COM(2006)0241 - C6-0235/2006 - 2006/0083(CNS)] - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Lutz Goepel (A6-0009/2007)
Mariann Fischer Boel (Member of the Commission) spoke.
Lutz Goepel introduced the report.
The following spoke: Agnes Schierhuber, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Bernadette Bourzai, on behalf of the PSE Group, Kyösti Virrankoski, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Andrzej Tomasz Zapałowski, on behalf of the UEN Group, Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Kartika Tamara Liotard, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Dimitar Stoyanov, on behalf of the ITS Group, Jim Allister, Non-attached Member, Neil Parish, Herbert Bösch, Jan Mulder, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański, Alyn Smith, Gerard Batten, Monica Maria Iacob-Ridzi, Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos, Marian Harkin, Jan Tadeusz Masiel, James Nicholson, Marc Tarabella, Wiesław Stefan Kuc, Brian Simpson, Thijs Berman, Gábor Harangozó and Mariann Fischer Boel.
Report on 'Towards a European policy on radio spectrum' [2006/2212(INI)] - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Fiona Hall (A6-0467/2006)
Fiona Hall introduced the report.
Mariann Fischer Boel (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Etelka Barsi-Pataky, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Catherine Trautmann, on behalf of the PSE Group, Rebecca Harms, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, and Mariann Fischer Boel.
Motion for a resolution tabled to wind up the debate pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Ewa Klamt, Mihael Brejc, Carlos Coelho and Alexander Radwan, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martine Roure and Pervenche Berès, on behalf of the PSE Group, Sophia in 't Veld, Wolf Klinz, Alexander Alvaro, Margarita Starkevičiūtė and Sarah Ludford, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Roberta Angelilli, Roberts Zīle, Eoin Ryan and Guntars Krasts, on behalf of the UEN Group, Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann and Giusto Catania, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on SWIFT, the PNR agreement and the transatlantic dialogue on these issues (B6-0042/2007).