The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.
Jan Jerzy Kułakowski had informed the Presidency that he had been present at the sittings of 25.04.2007 and 26.04.2007, but that his name was not on the attendance register.
° ° ° °
The following spoke: Paul Rübig on the reasons for the withdrawal from the agenda of his report on roaming on public mobile networks (A6-0155/2007) originally included as item 76 on the agenda and Brian Crowley on the formation the previous day of a new government in Northern Ireland. (The President announced that he had sent a letter of congratulation to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister.)
3. Membership of the temporary committee on climate change (deadline for tabling amendments)
The President announced that he had received from the Conference of Presidents proposals for appointments to the temporary committee on climate change. The proposals had been sent to Members by email and are included as an annex to these minutes.
Deadline for tabling amendments: 09.05.2007, 18.00.
The order of business had been established (Minutes of 23.04.2007, Item 13) and a corrigendum to the agenda had been distributed (PE 387.009/OJ/COR).
Requests for changes to the agenda:
- Request by the PPE-DE group for the report by Elmar Brok on the 2005 annual report on the CFSP (A6-0130/2007) to be held over to the next part-session.
The following spoke: Joseph Daul, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, who moved the request.
Parliament approved the request.
- Request by the PSE group for the report by Astrid Lulling on adjusting excise duty on alcohol and alcoholic beverages (A6-0148/2007) to be held over to the next part-session.
The following spoke: Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, who moved the request, Astrid Lulling (rapporteur) and Nils Lundgren.
By roll-call vote (IND/DEM) (72 in favour, 64 against, 2 abstentions), Parliament approved the request.
The agenda was thus established.
5. Declaration of financial interests
The following Members had not yet updated their declaration of financial interests for 2006 in line with Annex I, Article 2(5) to the Rules of Procedure:
Luis Herrero-Tejedor and Michael Henry Nattrass
6. Documents received
The following documents had been received:
1) from committees
1.1) reports
- Report on promoting decent work for all (2006/2240(INI)) - EMPL Committee - Rapporteur: Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou (A6-0068/2007)
- Report on the EU's Aid for Trade (2006/2236(INI)) - INTA Committee - Rapporteur: David Martin (A6-0088/2007)
- Report on halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 (2006/2233(INI)) - ENVI Committee - Rapporteur: Adamos Adamou (A6-0089/2007)
- Report on housing and regional policy (2006/2108(INI)) - REGI Committee - Rapporteur: Alfonso Andria (A6-0090/2007)
- Report on the contributions of the future regional policy to the innovative capacity of the European Union (2006/2104(INI)) - REGI Committee - Rapporteur: Mieczysław Edmund Janowski (A6-0096/2007)
- ***I Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the retrofitting of mirrors to heavy goods vehicles registered in the Community (COM(2006)0570 - C6-0332/2006 - 2006/0183(COD)) - TRAN Committee - Rapporteur: Paolo Costa (A6-0124/2007)
- Report on reforms in the Arab world: what strategy should the European Union adopt? (2006/2172(INI)) - AFET Committee - Rapporteur: Michel Rocard (A6-0127/2007)
- Report on Assessing Euratom - 50 years of European nuclear energy policy (2006/2230(INI)) - ITRE Committee - Rapporteur: Eugenijus Maldeikis (A6-0129/2007)
- Report on the annual report from the Council to the European Parliament on the main aspects and basic choices of CFSP, including the financial implications for the general budget of the European Communities (point H, paragraph 40, of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999) - 2005 (2006/2217(INI)) - AFET Committee - Rapporteur: Elmar Brok (A6-0130/2007)
- * Report on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of a Second Additional Protocol to the Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the United Mexican States, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union (COM(2006)0777 - C6-0077/2007 - 2006/0259(CNS)) - INTA Committee - Rapporteur: Helmuth Markov (A6-0138/2007)
- Report on changes to be made to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure to bring internal procedures into line with the requirements of simplification of Community legislation (2005/2238(REG)) - AFCO Committee - Rapporteur: Marie-Line Reynaud (A6-0143/2007)
- Report on the Horn of Africa: EU Regional political partnership for peace, security and development (2006/2291(INI)) - DEVE Committee - Rapporteur: Filip Kaczmarek (A6-0146/2007)
- * Report on the proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 92/84/EEC on the approximation of the rates of excise duty on alcohol and alcoholic beverages (COM(2006)0486 - C6-0319/2006 - 2006/0165(CNS)) - ECON Committee - Rapporteur: Astrid Lulling (A6-0148/2007)
- Report on the impact and effects of the structural policies on EU cohesion (2006/2181(INI)) - REGI Committee - Rapporteur: Francisca Pleguezuelos Aguilar (A6-0150/2007)
- ***I Report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on roaming on public mobile networks within the Community and amending Directive 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (COM(2006)0382 - C6-0244/2006 - 2006/0133(COD)) - ITRE Committee - Rapporteur: Paul Rübig (A6-0155/2007)
- Report on the public health consequences of the 1968 Thule crash (Petition 720/2002) (2006/2012(INI)) - PETI Committee - Rapporteur: Diana Wallis (A6-0156/2007)
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 public passenger transport services by rail and by road and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 1191/69 and 1107/70 (13736/1/2006 - C6-0042/2007 - 2000/0212(COD)) - TRAN Committee - Rapporteur: Erik Meijer (A6-0131/2007)
- ***II Recommendation for second reading for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules on nominal quantities for pre-packed products, repealing Council Directives 75/106/EEC and 80/232/EEC, and amending Council Directive 76/211/EEC (13484/1/2006 - C6-0039/2007 - 2004/0248(COD)) - IMCO Committee - Rapporteur: Jacques Toubon (A6-0144/2007)
- ***II Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles ("Framework Directive") (09911/3/2006 - C6-0040/2007 - 2003/0153(COD)) - IMCO Committee - Rapporteur: Malcolm Harbour (A6-0145/2007)
7. Written declarations (tabling)
The following Members had submitted written declarations for entry in the register (Rule 116):
- Radu Podgorean, Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Dan Mihalache, Alexandru Athanasiu and Cristian Dumitrescu on measures to combat violence in educational institutions against children and young people (46/2007);
- Georgs Andrejevs on high blood pressure (47/2007);
- Jean-Luc Bennahmias, Claire Gibault, Catherine Trautmann, Helga Trüpel and Henri Weber on the difficulties encountered by non-European artists and cultural operators in entering European territory (48/2007);
- Mario Borghezio, Gian Paolo Gobbo and Francesco Enrico Speroni on China's unacceptable interference in Italy's affairs and the threat of infiltration by the Chinese mafia in Europe (49/2007);
- Renate Sommer, Luisa Morgantini, Ana Maria Gomes, Heide Rühle and Maria Carlshamre on the sentencing to death by stoning of two women on adultery charges (50/2007);
- Zita Gurmai, Gyula Hegyi, Glenys Kinnock and Linda McAvan on child poverty (51/2007).
8. Written declarations (Rule 116)
In accordance with Rule 116(5), written declarations 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12/2007 lapsed as they had not obtained the required number of signatures.
9. Texts of agreements forwarded by the Council
The Council had forwarded certified true copies of the following:
- Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Paraguay on certain aspects of air services
- Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part, on accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the PCA
- Protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union
- Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Community and Ukraine, represented by the Government of Ukraine, concerning the extension and amendment of the Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on trade in textile products
10. Action taken on Parliament's positions and resolutions
The Commission communication on the action taken on the positions and resolutions adopted by Parliament during the part-session in February 2007 had been distributed (Letter SG G/1 JM/ak D(2007)3678 of 24.04.2007 – Document SP(2007)1040).
The Commission communication on the action it had taken in response to the non-legislative resolution (B6-0067/2007 / P6.TA-PROV(2007)0045) adopted by Parliament during the part-session in February 2007 had been distributed (Letter SG G/1 JM/ak D(2007) 3510 of 19.04.2007 – Document SP(2007)1557).
The Commission communication on the action it had taken in response to the non-legislative resolutions adopted by Parliament during the January I and II part-sessions in 2007 had been distributed (Letter SG G/1 JM/ak D(2007) 3677 of 24.04.2007 – Document SP(2007)1426).
11. Strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers (tabling of motions for a resolution)
Motions for a resolution to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Jan Jerzy Kułakowski and Bernard Lehideux, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers (B6-0189/2007)
- Jean Lambert, Elisabeth Schroedter and Sepp Kusstatscher, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers (B6-0193/2007)
- Martin Schulz, Harlem Désir, Stephen Hughes, Jan Andersson, Kader Arif, Glyn Ford, Matthias Groote, Inés Ayala Sender, Alejandro Cercas, Harald Ettl and Anne Van Lancker, on behalf of the PSE Group, on strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers (B6-0197/2007)
- Gabriele Stauner and Philip Bushill-Matthews, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on strengthening European legislation in the field of information and consultation of workers (B6-0198/2007)
The President made a statement on the situation in Estonia.
The following spoke: Tunne Kelam, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, Siiri Oviir, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Brian Crowley, on behalf of the UEN Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, and Gabriele Zimmer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group.
IN THE CHAIR: Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS Vice-President
The following spoke: Nils Lundgren, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, and Bruno Gollnisch, on behalf of the ITS Group.
13. EU-Russia summit (debate)
Council and Commission statements: EU-Russia summit
Günter Gloser (President-in-Office of the Council) and Günter Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission) made the statements.
The following spoke: Joseph Daul, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Jan Marinus Wiersma, on behalf of the PSE Group, Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, on behalf of the UEN Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Esko Seppänen, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Bastiaan Belder, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Jean-Marie Le Pen, on behalf of the ITS Group, Gunnar Hökmark, Reino Paasilinna, Toomas Savi, Inese Vaidere and Bart Staes.
IN THE CHAIR: Manuel António dos SANTOS Vice-President
The following spoke: Vladimír Remek, Georgios Karatzaferis, Dumitru Gheorghe Mircea Coşea, Charles Tannock, Andres Tarand, Alexander Lambsdorff, Gintaras Didžiokas, Angelika Beer, Gerard Batten, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Justas Vincas Paleckis, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Mirosław Mariusz Piotrowski, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Józef Pinior, Guntars Krasts, József Szájer, Monika Beňová, Wojciech Roszkowski, Christopher Beazley, Marianne Mikko and Jan Tadeusz Masiel.
Motions for a resolution to wind up the debate tabled pursuant to Rule 103(2):
- Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda, Reino Paasilinna and Panagiotis Beglitis, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the EU-Russia Summit (B6-0190/2007)
- Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on the preparations for the 9th EU-Russia Summit in Samara on 18 May 2007 (B6-0191/2007)
- Bart Staes, Milan Horáček, Marie Anne Isler Béguin and Angelika Beer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on the preparations for the ninth EU-Russia Summit in Samara on 18 May 2007 (B6-0192/2007)
- André Brie and Gabriele Zimmer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on the EU-Russia Summit (B6-0194/2007)
- Charles Tannock, Ria Oomen-Ruijten and Tunne Kelam, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group , on the EU-Russia Summit to be held in Samara on 18 May 2007 (B6-0195/2007)
- Inese Vaidere, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Konrad Szymański, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Ryszard Czarnecki, Gintaras Didžiokas, Adam Bielan and Michał Tomasz Kamiński, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the EU-Russia Summit to be held in Samara on 18 May 2007 (B6-0196/2007)
14. EU strategy for reform in the Arab world (debate)
Report on reforms in the Arab world: what strategy should the European Union adopt? [2006/2172(INI)] - Committee on Foreign Affairs. Rapporteur: Michel Rocard (A6-0127/2007)
Michel Rocard introduced the report.
The following spoke: Günter Gloser (President-in-Office of the Council) and Günter Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission).
IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO Vice-President
The following spoke: Antonio Tajani, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, Marco Cappato, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Mario Borghezio, on behalf of the UEN Group, Caroline Lucas, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Philip Claeys, on behalf of the ITS Group, Francisco José Millán Mon, Véronique De Keyser, Luisa Morgantini, Simon Busuttil, Libor Rouček, Pierre Schapira, Richard Howitt, Michel Rocard, Günter Gloser and Jacques Barrot (Vice-President of the Commission).
15. Retrofitting of mirrors to heavy goods vehicles ***I (debate)
Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the retrofitting of mirrors to heavy goods vehicles registered in the Community [COM(2006)0570 - C6-0332/2006 - 2006/0183(COD)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Paolo Costa (A6-0124/2007)
The following spoke: Jacques Barrot (Vice-President of the Commission) and Engelbert Lütke Daldrup (President-in-Office of the Council).
Paolo Costa introduced the report.
The following spoke: Georg Jarzembowski, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, on behalf of the PSE Group, and Marian Harkin, on behalf of the ALDE Group.
IN THE CHAIR: Miguel Angel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ Vice-President
The following spoke: Michael Cramer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Erik Meijer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, Zita Gurmai, Engelbert Lütke Daldrup and Jacques Barrot.
16. Public passenger transport services by rail and road ***II (debate)
Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on public passenger transport services by rail and by road and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) Nos 1191/69 and 1107/70 [13736/1/2006 - C6-0042/2007 - 2000/0212(COD)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Erik Meijer (A6-0131/2007)
Erik Meijer introduced the recommendation for second reading.
The following spoke: Engelbert Lütke Daldrup (President-in-Office of the Council) and Jacques Barrot (Vice-President of the Commission).
The following spoke: Mathieu Grosch, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Brian Simpson, on behalf of the PSE Group, Paolo Costa, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, on behalf of the UEN Group, Michael Cramer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Georg Jarzembowski, Gilles Savary, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Reinhard Rack, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, Gabriele Albertini, Christine De Veyrac, Engelbert Lütke Daldrup and Jacques Barrot.
17. One-minute speeches on matters of political importance
Pursuant to Rule 144, the following Members who wished to draw the attention of Parliament to matters of political importance spoke for one minute: György Schöpflin;
IN THE CHAIR: Diana WALLIS Vice-President
Proinsias De Rossa, Marco Pannella, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański, Gerard Batten, Hans-Peter Martin, Jaroslav Zvěřina, Eugenijus Gentvilas, Malcolm Harbour, John Attard-Montalto, Marian Harkin, Antonio De Blasio, Marios Matsakis, Milan Gaľa, Zita Pleštinská and Czesław Adam Siekierski.
18. Nominal quantities for pre-packed products ***II (debate)
Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules on nominal quantities for prepacked products, repealing Council Directives 75/106/EEC and 80/232/EEC, and amending Council Directive 76/211/EEC [13484/1/2006 - C6-0039/2007 - 2004/0248(COD)] - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. Rapporteur: Jacques Toubon (A6-0144/2007)
Jacques Toubon introduced the recommendation for second reading.
Günter Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Malcolm Harbour, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Evelyne Gebhardt, on behalf of the PSE Group, Janelly Fourtou, on behalf of the ALDE Group, and Charlotte Cederschiöld.
19. Approval of motor vehicles and their trailers ***II (debate)
Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles ("Framework Directive") [09911/3/2006 - C6-0040/2007 - 2003/0153(COD)] - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. Rapporteur: Malcolm Harbour (A6-0145/2007)
Malcolm Harbour introduced the recommendation for second reading.
The following spoke: Engelbert Lütke Daldrup (President-in-Office of the Council) and Günter Verheugen (Vice-President of the Commission).
The following spoke: Anja Weisgerber, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, and Evelyne Gebhardt, on behalf of the PSE Group.
Report on the Horn of Africa: EU Regional political partnership for peace, security and development [2006/2291(INI)] - Committee on Development. Rapporteur: Filip Kaczmarek (A6-0146/2007)
Filip Kaczmarek introduced the report.
IN THE CHAIR: Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU Vice-President
Louis Michel (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Glenys Kinnock, on behalf of the PSE Group, Danutė Budreikaitė, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Józef Pinior and Louis Michel.
Report on Assessing Euratom – 50 Years of European nuclear energy policy [ 2006/2230(INI)] - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Eugenijus Maldeikis (A6-0129/2007)
Eugenijus Maldeikis introduced the report.
Andris Piebalgs (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Johannes Voggenhuber (draftsman of the opinion of the AFCO Committee), Romana Jordan Cizelj, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, Anne Laperrouze, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Rebecca Harms, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Vladimír Remek, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Jana Bobošíková, Non-attached Member, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Reino Paasilinna, Paul Rübig, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, Ján Hudacký, Atanas Paparizov, Teresa Riera Madurell and Andris Piebalgs.
22. Environmental protection from radiation following the crash of a military aircraft in Greenland (Petition 720/2002) (debate)
Report on the public health consequences of the 1968 Thule crash (Petition 720/2002) [2006/2012(INI)] - Committee on Petitions. Rapporteur: Diana Wallis (A6-0156/2007)
Diana Wallis introduced the report.
Andris Piebalgs (Member of the Commission) spoke.
The following spoke: Michael Cashman, on behalf of the PSE Group, Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Marcin Libicki, on behalf of the UEN Group, Margrete Auken, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Søren Bo Søndergaard, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Jens-Peter Bonde, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, and Andris Piebalgs.