The President announced that, under Rules 9 and 147(3), he had initiated a procedure against Maciej Marian Giertych. The President went on to point out that the previous day, in the presence of the Secretary-General, he had heard the Member concerned and had then reprimanded him for publishing a brochure, featuring the European Parliament's logo, which contained xenophobic comments that had already been condemned by the Bureau on 1 March 2007.
He then read out part of the text of the letter he had sent to Mr Giertych, and pointed out that he had also sent a note on the matter to the Bureau, the chairmen of the political groups, and the bodies of which Mr Giertych is a member, namely the AFET Committee and the Delegation for Relations with the United States.
3. Berlin Declaration (debate)
Council and Commission statements: Berlin Declaration
After pointing out that the Conference of Presidents had given him a mandate to represent Parliament at the negotiations on the Berlin Declaration, the President introduced the debate, stressing how important that Declaration would be for the future of Europe.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President-in-Office of the Council) and Margot Wallström (Vice-President of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Jo Leinen (Chairman of the AFCO Committee), 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, Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Francis Wurtz, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Nigel Farage, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Bruno Gollnisch, on behalf of the ITS Group, Roger Helmer, Non-attached Member, Proinsias De Rossa, on the content of the speeches made in the debate, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Margot Wallström.
The debate closed.
4. European Council meeting (8-9 March 2007) (debate)
European Council report and Commission statement: European Council meeting (8-9 March 2007)
Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President-in-Office of the Council) introduced the report. and Günter Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission) made the statement.
The following spoke: Marianne Thyssen, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, Alexander Lambsdorff, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Michał Tomasz Kamiński, on behalf of the UEN Group, Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Gabriele Zimmer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Nils Lundgren, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Andreas Mölzer, on behalf of the ITS Group, Jim Allister, Non-attached Member, Werner Langen, Linda McAvan, Karin Riis-Jørgensen, Guntars Krasts, Claude Turmes, Umberto Guidoni, Johannes Blokland, Timothy Kirkhope, Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, Chris Davies, Mario Borghezio, Ian Hudghton, Vladimír Remek, Georgios Karatzaferis, Antonio Tajani, Harlem Désir, Bronisław Geremek, Zbigniew Zaleski, Gianni Pittella, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Markus Ferber, Adrian Severin, Elizabeth Lynne, Othmar Karas, Riitta Myller, Françoise Grossetête, Marek Siwiec, Malcolm Harbour, Marianne Mikko, Josef Zieleniec, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Günter Verheugen.
The debate closed.
5. Voting time
Details of voting (amendments, separate and split votes, etc.) appear in the 'Results of votes' annex to the Minutes.
5.1. Statistics on migration and international protection ***I (Rule 131) (vote)
Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on migration and international protection (COM(2005)0375 - C6-0279/2005 - 2005/0156(COD)) - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Rapporteur: Ewa Klamt (A6-0004/2007)
(Simple majority)
(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 1)
COMMISSION PROPOSAL, AMENDMENTS and DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION
Ewa Klamt (rapporteur) made a statement pursuant to Rule 131(4).
Geoffrey Van Orden spoke on the situation in Zimbabwe.
5.2. Number and numerical strength of interparliamentary delegations (vote)
Proposal for a decision tabled under Rule 188 by the following Members: 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, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, 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, and Bruno Gollnisch, on behalf of the ITS Group, on the number and numerical strength of the interparliamentary delegations (B6-0100/2007)
Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1592/2002 of 15 July 2002 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency (COM(2005)0579 - C6-0403/2005 - 2005/0228(COD)) - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Jörg Leichtfried (A6-0023/2007)
- Jörg Leichtfried (rapporteur), who made a technical correction to amendment 10;
- Jaromír Kohlíček, who moved an oral amendment to Annex II, which was incorporated.
5.4. Marketing of the meat of bovine animals aged 12 months or less * (vote)
Report on the proposal for a Council regulation on the marketing of the meat of bovine animals aged twelve months or less (COM(2006)0487 - C6-0330/2006 - 2006/0162(CNS)) - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Bernadette Bourzai (A6-0006/2007)
5.5. Ratification of the ILO's 2006 Consolidated Maritime Labour Convention * (vote)
Report on the proposal for a Council decision authorising Member States to ratify, in the interests of the European Community, the 2006 Consolidated Maritime Labour Convention of the International Labour Organisation (COM(2006)0288 - C6-0241/2006 - 2006/0103(CNS)) - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Mary Lou McDonald (A6-0019/2007)
Report on social services of general interest in the European Union (2006/2134(INI)) - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Joel Hasse Ferreira (A6-0057/2007)
José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Stefano Zappalà, Karl von Wogau, Tunne Kelam, Vytautas Landsbergis and Bogdan Klich, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Ana Maria Gomes and Achille Occhetto, on behalf of the PSE Group, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck and Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Ryszard Czarnecki and Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, on behalf of the UEN Group, Angelika Beer, Jill Evans and Caroline Lucas, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, André Brie, Luisa Morgantini, Vittorio Agnoletto, Tobias Pflüger, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Esko Seppänen and Jens Holm, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group.
- Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, who asked for paragraph 1 (second part) and paragraph 9 to be put to the vote by roll call (the President established that there were no objections to her request);
- Vytautas Landsbergis, who moved an oral amendment to paragraph 2, which was incorporated.
6. 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.
Report: Joel Hasse Ferreira - A6-0057/2007: Zita Pleštinská and Andreas Mölzer
EC-US Air Transport Agreement (B6-0077/2007): Robert Evans
Non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament (RC B6-0078/2007): Hubert Pirker
7. 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.
Vote of 13.03.2007:
- Luisa Morgantini and Małgorzata Handzlik had informed the Chair that they had not taken part in the votes on the two reports by Neil Parish (A6-0038/2007 and A6-0051/2007);
- Catherine Stihler and Werner Langen had pointed out that their voting machines had not worked during the votes on the two reports by Neil Parish (A6-0038/2007 and A6-0051/2007);
- Evgeni Kirilov had pointed out that he had taken part in the votes but that his name did not feature in the roll-call votes annex.
(The sitting was suspended at 13.10 and resumed at 15.00.)
IN THE CHAIR: Mechtild ROTHE Vice-President
8. Approval of Minutes of previous sitting
The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.
9. Euro-Mediterranean relations - Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (debate)
Council and Commission statements: Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA) Conference (Tunisia)
Report on the construction of the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (2006/2173(INI)) - Committee on International Trade. Rapporteur: Kader Arif (A6-0468/2006)
Gernot Erler (President-in-Office of the Council) and Peter Mandelson (Member of the Commission) made the statements.
Kader Arif introduced the report.
The following spoke: Antonio Tajani (draftsman of the opinion of the AFET Committee), Jean-Claude Fruteau (draftsman of the opinion of the AGRI Committee), Vito Bonsignore, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Pasqualina Napoletano, on behalf of the PSE Group, Philippe Morillon, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Adriana Poli Bortone, on behalf of the UEN Group, Hélène Flautre, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Luisa Morgantini, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Derek Roland Clark, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Philip Claeys, on behalf of the ITS Group, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Carlos Carnero González, Gianluca Susta, Tokia Saïfi, Jamila Madeira, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, Edward McMillan-Scott, Béatrice Patrie and Francisco José Millán Mon.
IN THE CHAIR: Miguel Angel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ Vice-President
The following spoke: Panagiotis Beglitis, Simon Busuttil, John Attard-Montalto, Gernot Erler and Peter Mandelson.
Motions for resolutions to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Bruno Gollnisch, Philip Claeys and Petre Popeangă, on behalf of the ITS Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0041/2007);
- Philippe Morillon, Thierry Cornillet and Marco Cappato, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0080/2007);
- Hélène Flautre, David Hammerstein Mintz, Raül Romeva i Rueda and Cem Özdemir, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0084/2007);
- Roberta Angelilli, Adriana Poli Bortone, Salvatore Tatarella and Marek Aleksander Czarnecki, on behalf of the UEN Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0090/2007);
- Luisa Morgantini and Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0092/2007);
- Vito Bonsignore, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Tokia Saïfi and Simon Busuttil, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0094/2007);
- Pasqualina Napoletano and Carlos Carnero González, on behalf of the PSE Group, on Euro-Mediterranean relations (B6-0096/2007).
Report with a proposal for a European Parliament recommendation to the Council on Bosnia-Herzegovina (2006/2290(INI)) - Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Doris Pack (A6-0030/2007)
Doris Pack introduced the report.
The following spoke: Gernot Erler (President-in-Office of the Council) and Olli Rehn (Member of the Commission).
The following spoke: Alojz Peterle, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Libor Rouček, on behalf of the PSE Group, Philippe Morillon, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Ryszard Czarnecki, on behalf of the UEN Group, Gisela Kallenbach, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Erik Meijer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Bastiaan Belder, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Bernd Posselt, Hannes Swoboda, Jelko Kacin, Bernd Posselt, on keeping to speaking times, Bogusław Rogalski, Roberta Alma Anastase, Justas Vincas Paleckis, Alexander Lambsdorff, Brian Crowley, Csaba Sándor Tabajdi, Dimitar Stoyanov, on behalf of the ITS Group, and Olli Rehn.
IN THE CHAIR: Manuel António dos SANTOS Vice-President
11. Future of European aircraft construction (debate)
Council and Commission statements: Future of European aircraft construction
Peter Hintze (President-in-Office of the Council) and Günter Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Christine De Veyrac, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Matthias Groote, on behalf of the PSE Group, Anne Laperrouze, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Gérard Onesta, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Jacky Henin, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Paul Marie Coûteaux, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Gunnar Hökmark, Karin Jöns, Gabriele Zimmer, Kader Arif, Inés Ayala Sender, Peter Hintze and Günter Verheugen.
The debate closed.
12. Question Time (Council)
Parliament considered a number of questions to the Council (B6-0012/2007).
Question 1 (Laima Liucija Andrikienė): Further ratification of the EU Constitution.
Gernot Erler (President-in-Office of the Council) answered the question and supplementaries by Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Philip Bushill-Matthews and Danutė Budreikaitė.
Question 2 (Claude Moraes): Progress on the Framework Decision on Combating racism and xenophobia.
Gernot Erler answered the question and supplementaries by Emine Bozkurt (deputising for the author), Jörg Leichtfried and Laima Liucija Andrikienė.
Question 3 (Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou): Age limit for violent electronic games.
Gernot Erler answered the question and supplementaries by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou and Inger Segelström.
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, on the translation of the title of her question.
Gernot Erler answered a supplementary by Paul Rübig.
Question 4 (Sarah Ludford): Combating corruption.
Gernot Erler answered the question and supplementaries by Chris Davies (deputising for the author) and Justas Vincas Paleckis.
Question 5 (Glenis Willmott): European Cervical Cancer Manifesto.
Gernot Erler answered the question and a supplementary by Glenis Willmott.
Question 6 (Bernd Posselt): Accession negotiations with Croatia.
Gernot Erler answered the question and supplementaries by Bernd Posselt, Reinhard Rack and Justas Vincas Paleckis.
Question 7 (Sajjad Karim): Zimbabwe.
Question 8 (Eoin Ryan): EU relations with Zimbabwe.
Gernot Erler answered the questions and supplementaries by Fiona Hall (deputising for the author), Brian Crowley (deputising for the author) and Jim Allister.
Question 9 (Dimitrios Papadimoulis): Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code.
Gernot Erler answered the question and supplementaries by Kyriacos Triantaphyllides (deputising for the author) and Panagiotis Beglitis.
Questions which had not been answered for lack of time would receive written answers (see annex to the Verbatim Report of Proceedings).
Council Question Time closed.
(The sitting was suspended at 19.05 and resumed at 21.00.)
IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO Vice-President
13. Appointments to interparliamentary delegations (proposal by the Conference of Presidents)
The President announced that he had received a proposal from the Conference of Presidents on appointments to the Delegation for relations with the countries of south Asia, the Delegation for relations with India and the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan.
Vote: Thursday, 15.03.2007, noon.
Deadline for tabling amendments: Thursday, 15.03.2007, 10.00.
14. Hepatitis C (written declaration)
Written declaration 87/2006, submitted by Jolanta Dičkutė, John Bowis, Stephen Hughes, Frédérique Ries and Thomas Ulmer on hepatitis C, had been signed by the majority of Parliament's component Members. Consequently, in accordance with Rule 116(4), it would be forwarded to its addressees and published, together with the names of the signatories, in the Texts Adopted of the sitting of 29.03.2007.
15. Reform of EU trade policy instruments (debate)
Oral question (O-0002/2007) by Enrique Barón Crespo, on behalf of the INTA Committee, to the Commission: Commission Green Paper and public consultation on a possible reform of EU trade policy instruments (B6-0009/2007)
Ignasi Guardans Cambó (deputising for the author) moved the oral question.
Peter Mandelson (Member of the Commission) answered the oral question.
The following spoke: Christofer Fjellner, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, David Martin, on behalf of the PSE Group, Gianluca Susta, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Zbigniew Krzysztof Kuźmiuk, on behalf of the UEN Group, Carl Schlyter, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Béla Glattfelder, Kader Arif, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, Daniel Caspary, Panagiotis Beglitis, Danutė Budreikaitė, Francisco Assis, Benoît Hamon and Peter Mandelson.
The debate closed.
16. Compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights (debate)
Report on compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Commission's legislative proposals: methodology for systematic and rigorous monitoring (2005/2169(INI)) - Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Rapporteur: Johannes Voggenhuber (A6-0034/2007)
Johannes Voggenhuber introduced the report.
Peter Mandelson (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Riccardo Ventre (draftsman of the opinion of the AFCO Committee), Kinga Gál, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Claudio Fava, on behalf of the PSE Group, Sophia in 't Veld, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Daniel Hannan, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, Giusto Catania, Maria da Assunção Esteves and Paul Rübig.
17. Negotiation of an EU-Central America Association Agreement - Negotiation of an EU-Andean Community Association Agreement (debate)
Report with a proposal for a European Parliament recommendation to the Council on the negotiating mandate for an association agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the countries of Central America, of the other part (2006/2222(INI)) - Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Willy Meyer Pleite (A6-0026/2007)
Report containing the European Parliament's recommendation to the Council on the negotiating mandate for an association agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Andean Community and its member countries, of the other part (2006/2221(INI)) - Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Luis Yañez-Barnuevo García (A6-0025/2007)
Luis Yañez-Barnuevo García introduced the report.
IN THE CHAIR: Mario MAURO Vice-President
Willy Meyer Pleite introduced the report.
Peter Mandelson (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez (draftsman of the opinion of the DEVE Committee), Małgorzata Handzlik (draftsman of the opinion of the INTA Committee), Gianluca Susta (draftsman of the opinion of the INTA Committee), José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Raimon Obiols i Germà, on behalf of the PSE Group, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, on behalf of the UEN Group, Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Jens Holm, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Gerard Batten, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Marcello Vernola, Józef Pinior, Ryszard Czarnecki, Willy Meyer Pleite and Bogusław Sonik.
The President drew attention to the presence in the distinguished visitors' gallery of Christophe Girod, Chairman of the UN Committee on missing persons in Cyprus, as well as Elias Georgiadis and Gülden Plümer Küçük, members of that committee.
Peter Mandelson (Member of the Commission) made the statement.
The following spoke: Panayiotis Demetriou, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Panagiotis Beglitis, on behalf of the PSE Group, Ignasi Guardans Cambó, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Cem Özdemir, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Françoise Grossetête, Marios Matsakis and Karin Resetarits.
Motion for a resolution tabled to wind up the debate pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Panayiotis Demetriou, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Mechtild Rothe, on behalf of the PSE Group, Ignasi Guardans Cambó and Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Seán Ó Neachtain, on behalf of the UEN Group, Joost Lagendijk, Monica Frassoni and Cem Özdemir, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, and Jens-Peter Bonde, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, on missing persons in Cyprus (B6-0118/2007)