IN THE CHAIR: Mario MAURO
Vice-President

1. Opening of the sitting

The sitting opened at 9.00.

2. Documents received

The following documents had been received:

(1) from the Council and Commission

- Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament ad of the Council amending Council Directives 68/151/EEC and 89/666/EEC as regards publication and translation obligations of certain types of companies (COM(2008)0194 - C6-0171/2008 - 2008/0083(COD))

- Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 78/660/EEC and 83/349/EEC as regards certain disclosure requirements for medium-sized companies and obligation to draw up consolidated accounts (COM(2008)0195 - C6-0173/2008 - 2008/0084(COD))

- Proposal for transfer of appropriations DEC 13/2008 - Section III – Commission (SEC(2008)0536 - C6-0186/2008 - 2008/2112(GBD))

- Proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 laying down a uniform format for visas as regards the numbering of visas (COM(2008)0188 - C6-0187/2008 - 2008/0074(CNS))

- Proposal for a Council decision on migration from the Schengen Information System (SIS 1+) to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (COM(2008)0196 - C6-0188/2008 - 2008/0077(CNS))

- Proposal for a Council regulation on migration from the Schengen Information System (SIS 1+) to the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II) (COM(2008)0197 - C6-0189/2008 - 2008/0078(CNS))

- Proposal for transfer of appropriations DEC 14/2008 - Section III – Commission (SEC(2008)0537 - C6-0190/2008 - 2008/2116(GBD))

- Proposal for transfer of appropriations DEC 11/2008 - Section III – Commission (SEC(2008)0411 - C6-0191/2008 - 2008/2138(GBD))

- Draft amending budget No. 2 for the financial year 2008 established by the Council on 14 May 2008 (09190/2008 - C6-0192/2008 - 2008/2080(BUD))

(2) from committees, a report

- Report on Draft amending budget No 2/2008 of the European Union for the financial year 2008 (2008/2080(BUD)) - BUDG Committee - Rapporteur: Kyösti Virrankoski (A6-0188/2008)

3. Action taken on Parliament's resolutions

The Commission communication on the action it had taken in response to the non-legislative resolutions adopted by Parliament during the January II 2008 part-session was available on the Séance en direct site.

4. Debate 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.   Sudan and the International Criminal Court

- Pasqualina Napoletano, Glenys Kinnock, Ana Maria Gomes, Marie-Arlette Carlotti, Emilio Menéndez del Valle and Josep Borrell Fontelles, on behalf of the PSE Group, on Sudan and the International Criminal Court (ICC) (B6-0240/2008);

- Hélène Flautre, Frithjof Schmidt, Margrete Auken, Mikel Irujo Amezaga and Raül Romeva i Rueda, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, son the situation in Sudan and the International Criminal Court (B6-0254/2008);

- Vittorio Agnoletto, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on Sudan and the ICC (B6-0255/2008);

- Jürgen Schröder, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Colm Burke, Filip Kaczmarek, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola and Tunne Kelam, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on Sudan and the International Criminal Court (B6-0256/2008);

- Ryszard Czarnecki, Adam Bielan and Eoin Ryan, on behalf of the UEN Group, on Sudan and the International Criminal Court (ICC) (B6-0257/2008);

- Thierry Cornillet, Marco Cappato, Marielle De Sarnez and Johan Van Hecke, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on Sudan and the International Criminal Court (ICC) (B6-0258/2008).

II.   Detention of political opponents in Belarus

- Pasqualina Napoletano, Jan Marinus Wiersma and Justas Vincas Paleckis, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the situation in Belarus (B6-0239/2008);

- Konrad Szymański, Ryszard Czarnecki, Wojciech Roszkowski, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, Ewa Tomaszewska, Adam Bielan and Inese Vaidere, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the situation in Belarus (B6-0259/2008);

- Vittorio Agnoletto, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on Belarus (B6-0260/2008);

- Jacek Protasiewicz, Urszula Gacek, Charles Tannock, José Ribeiro e Castro, Filip Kaczmarek, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Tunne Kelam, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on the arrest of political opponents in Belarus (B6-0261/2008);

- Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Eugenijus Gentvilas and Anne E. Jensen, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on arrests of political opponent in Belarus (B6-0263/2008);

- Elisabeth Schroedter and Milan Horáček, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on arrests of political opponents in Belarus (B6-0264/2008).

III.   Rising tension in Burundi

- Pasqualina Napoletano, Alain Hutchinson, Marie-Arlette Carlotti, Glenys Kinnock and Ana Maria Gomes, on behalf of the PSE Group, on the situation in Burundi (B6-0241/2008);

- Raül Romeva i Rueda and Mikel Irujo Amezaga, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on rising tension in Burundi (B6-0265/2008);

- Umberto Guidoni, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, on the situation in Burundi (B6-0266/2008);

- John Bowis, Jürgen Schröder, Filip Kaczmarek, Bernd Posselt, Eija-Riitta Korhola and Tunne Kelam, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on rising tension in Burundi (B6-0267/2008);

- Ryszard Czarnecki, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Adam Bielan and Ewa Tomaszewska, on behalf of the UEN Group, on the situation in Burundi (B6-0268/2008);

- Johan Van Hecke, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on Burundi (B6-0269/2008).

Speaking time would be allocated in accordance with Rule 142.

5. Employment Policy Guidelines for Member States (debate)

Report: on the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for employment policies of the Member States [COM(2007)0803 Part V – C6-0031/2008 – 2007/0300(CNS)] - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Anne Van Lancker (A6-0172/2008)

The following spoke: Vladimír Špidla (Member of the Commission).

Anne Van Lancker introduced the report.

The following spoke: Elisabeth Morin, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Jan Andersson, on behalf of the PSE Group, Ona Juknevičienė, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Elisabeth Schroedter, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Ewa Tomaszewska, on behalf of the UEN Group, Jiří Maštálka, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Kathy Sinnott, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Andreas Mölzer, Non-attached Member, Thomas Mann, Rovana Plumb, Siiri Oviir, Gabriele Zimmer, Derek Roland Clark, Jacek Protasiewicz, Richard Falbr, Nils Lundgren, José Albino Silva Peneda, Juan Andrés Naranjo Escobar and Iles Braghetto.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Tadeusz Zwiefka, Renate Weber, Miloslav Ransdorf, Jean-Pierre Audy, Danutė Budreikaitė, Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Czesław Adam Siekierski and Paul Rübig.

The following spoke: Vladimír Špidla and Anne Van Lancker.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 20.05.2008, item 8.8.

6. Progress made in equal-opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU (transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC) (debate)

Report: on the progress made in equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU (the transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC) [2007/2202(INI)] - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Elizabeth Lynne (A6-0159/2008)

Elizabeth Lynne introduced the report.

IN THE CHAIR: Luigi COCILOVO
Vice-President

The following spoke: Vladimír Špidla (Member of the Commission).

The following spoke: Tatjana Ždanoka (draftsman of the opinion of the LIBE Committee), Edit Bauer, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Magda Kósáné Kovács, on behalf of the PSE Group, Bernard Lehideux, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Jean Lambert, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Jan Tadeusz Masiel, on behalf of the UEN Group, Bairbre de Brún, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Philip Bushill-Matthews, Stephen Hughes, Sophia in 't Veld, Elisabeth Schroedter, Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Lissy Gröner, Marco Cappato, Anja Weisgerber, Richard Howitt, Holger Krahmer, Carlo Fatuzzo, Zita Gurmai, Marian Harkin and Pier Antonio Panzeri.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, Metin Kazak, Hubert Pirker, Ewa Tomaszewska, Gabriela Creţu, Jim Allister, Siiri Oviir, Neena Gill, Thomas Mann, Miloslav Ransdorf and Gay Mitchell, on the remarks made by Jim Allister.

The following spoke: Vladimír Špidla.

IN THE CHAIR: Mechtild ROTHE
Vice-President

The following spoke: Elizabeth Lynne.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 20.05.2008, item 8.13.

7. An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (debate)

Report: on an integrated maritime policy for the European Union [2008/2009(INI)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Willi Piecyk (A6-0163/2008)

Willi Piecyk introduced the report.

The following spoke: Joe Borg (Member of the Commission).

The following spoke: Sérgio Marques (draftsman of the opinion of the REGI Committee), Pedro Guerreiro (draftsman of the opinion of the PECH Committee), Georg Jarzembowski, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău, on behalf of the PSE Group, Paweł Bartłomiej Piskorski, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Margrete Auken, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Seán Ó Neachtain, on behalf of the UEN Group, Pedro Guerreiro, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Fernand Le Rachinel, Non-attached Member, Luís Queiró, Robert Navarro, Anne E. Jensen, Ian Hudghton, Athanasios Pafilis, Ashley Mote, Struan Stevenson, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Bogusław Liberadzki, Rosa Miguélez Ramos, Jamila Madeira and Paulo Casaca.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Czesław Adam Siekierski, Ioan Mircea Paşcu, Marusya Ivanova Lyubcheva and Catherine Stihler.

The following spoke: Catherine Stihler, Joe Borg and Willi Piecyk.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 20.05.2008, item 8.14.

IN THE CHAIR: Hans-Gert PÖTTERING
President

8. Voting time

Details of voting (amendments, separate and split votes, etc.) appear in the Results of Votes annex to the minutes.

The results of roll-call votes are available in electronic form only, as an annex to the minutes, and can be accessed via Europarl.

8.1. Comparability of vocational training qualifications between the Member States ***I (Rule 131) (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Decision 85/368/EEC on the comparability of vocational training qualifications between the Member States of the European Community [COM(2007)0680 - C6-0398/2007 - 2007/0234(COD)] - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Jan Andersson (A6-0132/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 1)

DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted by single vote (P6_TA(2008)0200)

8.2. Simplifying procedures for listing and publishing information in the veterinary and zootechnical fields * (Rule 131) (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a Council directive simplifying procedures of listing and publishing information in the veterinary and zootechnical fields and amending Directives 64/432/EEC, 77/504/EEC, 88/407/EEC, 88/661/EEC, 89/361/EEC, 89/556/EEC, 90/427/EEC, 90/428/EEC, 90/429/EEC, 90/539/EEC, 91/68/EEC, 92/35/EEC, 92/65/EEC, 92/66/EEC, 92/119/EEC, 94/28/EC, 2000/75/EC, Decision 2000/258/EC and Directives 2001/89/EC, 2002/60/EC, and 2005/94/EC [COM(2008)0120 - C6-0156/2008 - 2008/0046(CNS)] - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Neil Parish (A6-0160/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 2)

DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted by single vote (P6_TA(2008)0201)

8.3. The return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (codified version) ***I (Rule 131) (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (codified version) [COM(2007)0873 - C6-0025/2008 - 2007/0299(COD)] - Committee on Legal Affairs. Rapporteur: Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg (A6-0152/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 3)

DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted by single vote (P6_TA(2008)0202)

8.4. Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking * (Rule 131) (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a Council regulation setting up the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking [COM(2007)0571 - C6-0446/2007 - 2007/0211(CNS)] - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Pia Elda Locatelli (A6-0145/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 4)

COMMISSION PROPOSAL, AMENDMENTS and DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted by single vote (P6_TA(2008)0203)

8.5. Community Tobacco Fund * (Rule 131) (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003 as regards the transfer of tobacco aid to the Community Tobacco Fund for the years 2008 and 2009 and Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 with regard to financing of the Community Tobacco Fund [COM(2008)0051 - C6-0062/2008 - 2008/0020(CNS)] - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Sergio Berlato (A6-0164/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 5)

COMMISSION PROPOSAL, AMENDMENTS and DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted by single vote (P6_TA(2008)0204)

8.6. The Evaluation of the PEACE Programme (Rule 131) (vote)

Report: on the evaluation of the PEACE Programme and strategies for the future [2007/2150(INI)] - Committee on Regional Development. Rapporteur: Bairbre de Brún (A6-0133/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 6)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted by single vote (P6_TA(2008)0205)

8.7. Meat and livestock statistics ***I (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning meat and livestock statistics [COM(2007)0129 - C6-0099/2007 - 2007/0051(COD)] - Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. Rapporteur: Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (A6-0130/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 7)

COMMISSION PROPOSAL

The following spoke: Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf (rapporteur).

Approved as amended (P6_TA(2008)0206)

DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0206)

8.8. Employment Policy Guidelines for Member States * (vote)

Report: on the proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for employment policies of the Member States [COM(2007)0803 V daļa – C6-0031/2008 – 2007/0300(CNS)] - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Anne Van Lancker (A6-0172/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 8)

COMMISSION PROPOSAL

Approved as amended (P6_TA(2008)0207)

DRAFT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0207)

8.9. 2009 budget: Parliament's estimates (vote)

Report: on Parliament's estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2009 [2008/2022(BUD)] - Committee on Budgets. Rapporteur: Janusz Lewandowski (A6-0181/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 9)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0208)

8.10. Trade in raw materials and commodities (vote)

Report: on trade in raw materials and commodities [2008/2051(INI)] - Committee on International Trade. Rapporteur: Jens Holm (A6-0134/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 10)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0209)

8.11. Outermost regions (vote)

Report: on the strategy for the outermost regions: achievements and future prospects [2008/2010(INI)] - Committee on Regional Development. Rapporteur: Margie Sudre (A6-0158/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 11)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0210)

8.12. EU consumer policy strategy 2007-2013 (vote)

Report: on EU consumer policy strategy 2007-2013 [2007/2189(INI)] - Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. Rapporteur: Lasse Lehtinen (A6-0155/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 12)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0211)

The following spoke on the vote:

Lasse Lehtinen (rapporteur), on the French version of Amendment 3.

8.13. Progress made in equal-opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU (transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC) (vote)

Report: on the progress made in equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU (the transposition of Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC) [2007/2202(INI)] - Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Rapporteur: Elizabeth Lynne (A6-0159/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 13)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0212)

The following spoke on the vote:

Philip Bushill-Matthews, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, who requested a roll-call vote on Amendment 4, paragraph 6 and Amendment 12 (the President noted that there were no objections to considering the request);

Sophia in 't Veld, on behalf of the ALDE Group, who moved an oral amendment to insert a new paragraph 3a, which was not incorporated as more than 40 Members objected;

Richard Howitt, on the request made by Philip Bushill-Matthews.

8.14. An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (vote)

Report: on an integrated maritime policy for the European Union [2008/2009(INI)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Willi Piecyk (A6-0163/2008)

(Simple majority)

(Voting record: 'Results of votes', Item 14)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P6_TA(2008)0213)

9. 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:

Report: Sergio Berlato - A6-0164/2008: Czesław Adam Siekierski, Zuzana Roithová, Katerina Batzeli

Report: Bairbre de Brún - A6-0133/2008: James Nicholson

Report: Anne Van Lancker - A6-0172/2008: Hubert Pirker, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Frank Vanhecke

Report: Janusz Lewandowski - A6-0181/2008: Frank Vanhecke

Report: Margie Sudre - A6-0158/2008: Madeleine Jouye de Grandmaison

Report: Lasse Lehtinen - A6-0155/2008: Zuzana Roithová

Report: Elizabeth Lynne - A6-0159/2008: Frank Vanhecke, Hubert Pirker, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański

Report: Willi Piecyk - A6-0163/2008: Erik Meijer, Czesław Adam Siekierski.

10. 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 12.55 and resumed at 15.00.)

IN THE CHAIR: Miguel Angel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ
Vice-President

11. Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

The minutes of the previous sitting were approved.

12. Misleading 'Directory companies' (e.g. 'European City Guides') (debate)

Oral question (O-0078/2008) by Arlene McCarthy, on behalf of the IMCO Committee, to the Council: Misleading 'Directory companies' (e.g. 'European City Guides') (B6-0152/2008)

Arlene McCarthy moved the oral question.

Janez Lenarčič (President-in-Office of the Council) answered the oral question.

The following spoke: Simon Busuttil, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Genowefa Grabowska, on behalf of the PSE Group, Diana Wallis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Mairead McGuinness, Marian Harkin and Malcolm Harbour.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Richard Corbett, Marcin Libicki, Brian Crowley and Arlene McCarthy.

The following spoke: Janez Lenarčič.

The debate closed.

13. Conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator ***I - International carriage of passengers by coach and bus (recast) ***I - International carriage of goods by road (recast) ***I (debate)

Report: on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator [COM(2007)0263 - C6-0145/2007 - 2007/0098(COD)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Silvia-Adriana Ţicău (A6-0087/2008)

Report: on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for access to the market for coach and bus services (recast) [COM(2007)0264 - C6-0147/2007 - 2007/0097(COD)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Mathieu Grosch (A6-0037/2008)

Report: on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for access to the international road haulage market (recast) [COM(2007)0265 - C6-0146/2007 - 2007/0099(COD)] - Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Mathieu Grosch (A6-0038/2008)

The following spoke: Radovan Žerjav (President-in-Office of the Council) and Leonard Orban (Member of the Commission).

Silvia-Adriana Ţicău introduced the report.

Mathieu Grosch introduced the reports.

The following spoke: Georg Jarzembowski, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group.

IN THE CHAIR: Gérard ONESTA
Vice-President

The following spoke: Willi Piecyk, on behalf of the PSE Group, Dirk Sterckx, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Eva Lichtenberger, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Erik Meijer, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Luca Romagnoli, Non-attached Member, Timothy Kirkhope, Inés Ayala Sender, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Jaromír Kohlíček, Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, Saïd El Khadraoui, Paweł Bartłomiej Piskorski, Jacky Hénin, Philip Bradbourn, Bogusław Liberadzki, Luis de Grandes Pascual, Rovana Plumb, Reinhard Rack, Gilles Savary, Ari Vatanen, Radovan Žerjav, Leonard Orban and Silvia-Adriana Ţicău.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.5, minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.6 and minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.7.

14. Situation of the Roma in Italy (debate)

Commission statement: Situation of the Roma in Italy

Vladimír Špidla (Member of the Commission) made the statement.

IN THE CHAIR: Luisa MORGANTINI
Vice-President

The following spoke: Lívia Járóka, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Martin Schulz, on behalf of the PSE Group, Viktória Mohácsi, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Cristiana Muscardini, on behalf of the UEN Group, Roberto Musacchio, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Gerard Batten, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Luca Romagnoli, Non-attached Member, Stefano Zappalà, Gianni Pittella, Marco Pannella, Elly de Groen-Kouwenhoven, Roberta Angelilli, Umberto Guidoni, Roberto Fiore, Mario Mauro, Adrian Severin, Milan Horáček, Mario Borghezio, Vito Bonsignore, Claudio Fava, Romano Maria La Russa, Csaba Sógor, Enrique Barón Crespo and Magda Kósáné Kovács.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Giuseppe Gargani, Ioan Mircea Paşcu, Renate Weber, László Tőkés and Giusto Catania.

The following spoke: Vladimír Špidla, Luca Romagnoli, who made a personal statement, and Reinhard Rack, on the conduct of the 'catch-the-eye' procedure.

The debate closed.

IN THE CHAIR: Diana WALLIS
Vice-President

15. Question Time (Commission)

Parliament considered a number of questions to the Commission (B6-0156/2008).

Part one

Question 29 (Linda McAvan): Biofuel trading practices.

Mariann Fischer Boel (Member of the Commission) answered the question and a supplementary by Linda McAvan.

Question 30 (Johan Van Hecke): European food aid programme for the most deprived persons.

Mariann Fischer Boel answered the question and supplementaries by Johan Van Hecke, Andreas Mölzer and Jörg Leichtfried.

Question 31 (Alain Hutchinson): Speculation and the food crisis.

Mariann Fischer Boel answered the question and supplementaries by Alain Hutchinson, Danutė Budreikaitė and Avril Doyle.

Part two

Question 32 (Avril Doyle): Communication and the Lisbon Treaty.

Margot Wallström (Vice-President of the Commission) answered the question and supplementaries by Avril Doyle, Paul Rübig and Justas Vincas Paleckis.

Question 33 (Justas Vincas Paleckis): Closer cooperation between European Commission and European Parliament representations.

Margot Wallström answered the question and supplementaries by Justas Vincas Paleckis, Margarita Starkevičiūtė and Mairead McGuinness.

Question 34 (Stavros Arnaoutakis): Commission's Plan D for Dialogue, Democracy and Debate and 'Debate Europe'.

Margot Wallström answered the question and supplementaries by Stavros Arnaoutakis and Georgios Papastamkos.

Questions 35 to 39 would receive written answers.

Question 40 (Manuel Medina Ortega): Restrictions on competition by sporting federations.

Neelie Kroes (Member of the Commission) answered the question and supplementaries by Manuel Medina Ortega, Manolis Mavrommatis and Richard Corbett.

Question 41 (Giovanna Corda): Price rises and competition.

Neelie Kroes answered the question and supplementaries by Giovanna Corda and Danutė Budreikaitė.

Questions 42 and 43 would receive written answers.

Question 44 (Bernd Posselt): Accession negotiations with Croatia.

Question 45 (Brian Crowley): Progress of the accession of Croatia into the European Union.

Question 46 (Michl Ebner): Conclusion of the accession negotiations with Croatia.

Olli Rehn (Member of the Commission) answered the questions and supplementaries by Bernd Posselt and Brian Crowley.

Question 47 (Dimitrios Papadimoulis): Progress of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) towards accession to the European Union.

Olli Rehn answered the question and supplementaries by Dimitrios Papadimoulis and Bernd Posselt.

Question 48 (Philip Claeys): European funding for the Turkish army in Cyprus.

Olli Rehn answered the question and a supplementary by Philip Claeys.

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.

(The sitting was suspended at 19.55 and resumed at 21.00.)

IN THE CHAIR: Gérard ONESTA
Vice-President

16. Announcement by the President

The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly had decided on 28 March 2008 to increase the number of its members by four following the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union. The number of Parliament's seats therefore increased from 45 to 49.

17. Composition of political groups

Catiuscia Marini had joined the PSE Group.

18. Composition of Parliament

Diamanto Manolakou had tendered his resignation as a Member of the European Parliament with effect from 20.05.2008.

Under Rule 4(1) and (7), Parliament established the vacancy and informed the Member State concerned thereof.

19. Mobile satellite services (MSS) ***I (debate)

Report: on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the selection and authorisation of systems providing mobile satellite services (MSS) [COM(2007)0480 - C6-0257/2007 - 2007/0174(COD)] - Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Fiona Hall (A6-0077/2008)

The following spoke: Viviane Reding (Member of the Commission).

Fiona Hall introduced the report.

The following spoke: Ruth Hieronymi (draftsman of the opinion of the CULT Committee), Jean-Pierre Audy, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Catherine Trautmann, on behalf of the PSE Group, Jaromír Kohlíček, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Nikolaos Vakalis, Atanas Paparizov and Anni Podimata.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Zdzisław Kazimierz Chmielewski.

The following spoke: Viviane Reding and Fiona Hall.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.8.

20. Women and science (debate)

Report: on women and science [2007/2206(INI)] - Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Rapporteur: Britta Thomsen (A6-0165/2008)

The following spoke: Stavros Dimas (Member of the Commission).

Britta Thomsen introduced the report.

The following spoke: Den Dover (draftsman of the opinion of the ITRE Committee), Edit Bauer, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Zita Gurmai, on behalf of the PSE Group, Siiri Oviir, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Hiltrud Breyer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Ewa Tomaszewska, on behalf of the UEN Group, Eva-Britt Svensson, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Urszula Krupa, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Zita Pleštinská and Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg.

IN THE CHAIR: Edward McMILLAN-SCOTT
Vice-President

The following spoke: Danutė Budreikaitė, Avril Doyle, Marusya Ivanova Lyubcheva, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Gabriela Creţu and Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Małgorzata Handzlik, Miroslav Mikolášik, Monica Maria Iacob-Ridzi and Marios Matsakis.

The following spoke: Stavros Dimas and Britta Thomsen.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.10.

21. Banning of exports and the safe storage of metallic mercury ***II (debate)

Recommendation for second reading: on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the banning of exports and the safe storage of metallic mercury [11488/1/2007 - C6-0034/2008 - 2006/0206(COD)] - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Dimitrios Papadimoulis (A6-0102/2008)

Dimitrios Papadimoulis introduced the recommendation for second reading.

The following spoke: Stavros Dimas (Member of the Commission).

The following spoke: Martin Callanan, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez, on behalf of the PSE Group, Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Carl Schlyter, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Thomas Ulmer and Pilar Ayuso.

The following spoke under the 'catch-the-eye' procedure: Milan Gaľa, Bogusław Liberadzki and Avril Doyle.

The following spoke: Stavros Dimas, Dimitrios Papadimoulis and Avril Doyle.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.2.

22. Green Paper on better ship dismantling (debate)

Report: on the Green Paper on better ship dismantling [2007/2279(INI)] - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Rapporteur: Johannes Blokland (A6-0156/2008)

Johannes Blokland introduced the report.

The following spoke: Stavros Dimas (Member of the Commission).

The following spoke: David Hammerstein (draftsman of the opinion of the ITRE Committee), Robert Evans (draftsman of the opinion of the TRAN Committee), Françoise Grossetête, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Linda McAvan, on behalf of the PSE Group, Marios Matsakis, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Kartika Tamara Liotard, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Bogusław Liberadzki and Silvia-Adriana Ţicău.

The following spoke: Stavros Dimas and Johannes Blokland.

The debate closed.

Vote: minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.11.

23. Agenda of the next sitting

The agenda of the next day's sitting had been established ('Agenda' PE 406.218/OJME).

24. Closure of the sitting

The sitting closed at 23.40.

The following signed:

Adamou, Agnoletto, Aita, Albertini, Allister, Alvaro, Andersson, Andrejevs, Andrikienė, Angelakas, Angelilli, Antoniozzi, Arif, Arnaoutakis, Ashworth, Assis, Atkins, Attwooll, Aubert, Audy, Auken, Ayala Sender, Aylward, Ayuso, Baco, Badia i Cutchet, Baeva, Barón Crespo, Barsi-Pataky, Batten, Battilocchio, Batzeli, Bauer, Beaupuy, Beazley, Becsey, Belder, Belet, Bennahmias, Berès, Berlato, Berman, Bielan, Binev, Birutis, Blokland, Bloom, Bobošíková, Böge, Bösch, Bono, Bonsignore, Booth, Borghezio, Borrell Fontelles, Boştinaru, Botopoulos, Bourzai, Bowis, Bowles, Bozkurt, Bradbourn, Braghetto, Brejc, Brepoels, Breyer, Březina, Brie, Brok, Budreikaitė, Bulfon, Bullmann, Bulzesc, van den Burg, Burke, Bushill-Matthews, Busk, Buşoi, Busuttil, Buzek, Cabrnoch, Callanan, Camre, Capoulas Santos, Cappato, Carlotti, Carlshamre, Carnero González, Carollo, Casa, Casaca, Casini, Caspary, Castex, Catania, Cavada, Cederschiöld, Cercas, Chatzimarkakis, Chichester, Chiesa, Chmielewski, Christensen, Chruszcz, Chukolov, Claeys, Clark, Cocilovo, Cohn-Bendit, Corbett, Corbey, Corda, Corlăţean, Cornillet, Paolo Costa, Cottigny, Coûteaux, Cramer, Cremers, Corina Creţu, Gabriela Creţu, Crowley, Marek Aleksander Czarnecki, Dahl, Dăianu, Daul, David, Davies, De Blasio, de Brún, Degutis, Dehaene, De Keyser, Demetriou, De Michelis, Deprez, De Sarnez, Descamps, Désir, Deß, De Veyrac, De Vits, Díaz de Mera García Consuegra, Dičkutė, Didžiokas, Dillen, Dimitrakopoulos, Dobolyi, Dombrovskis, Donnici, Doorn, Douay, Dover, Doyle, Drčar Murko, Duchoň, Dührkop Dührkop, Duff, Dumitriu, Ebner, Ehler, Ek, El Khadraoui, Elles, Estrela, Ettl, Jonathan Evans, Robert Evans, Färm, Fajmon, Falbr, Farage, Fatuzzo, Fava, Fazakas, Ferber, Fernandes, Fernández Martín, Ferrari, Anne Ferreira, Elisa Ferreira, Figueiredo, Filip, Fiore, Fjellner, Flasarová, Flautre, Florenz, Foltyn-Kubicka, Fontaine, Ford, Fouré, Fourtou, Fraga Estévez, Fraile Cantón, França, Frassoni, Freitas, Friedrich, Gacek, Gahler, Gál, Gaľa, Galeote, Garcés Ramón, García-Margallo y Marfil, García Pérez, Gargani, Garriga Polledo, Gaubert, Gauzès, Gawronski, Gebhardt, Gentvilas, Geremek, Geringer de Oedenberg, Gewalt, Gibault, Gierek, Giertych, Gill, Gklavakis, Glante, Glattfelder, Gobbo, Goebbels, Goepel, Golik, Gollnisch, Gomes, Gomolka, Gottardi, Goudin, Grabowska, Grabowski, Graça Moura, Graefe zu Baringdorf, Gräßle, de Grandes Pascual, Grau i Segú, Grech, Griesbeck, Gröner, de Groen-Kouwenhoven, Groote, Grosch, Grossetête, Gruber, Guardans Cambó, Guellec, Guerreiro, Guidoni, Gurmai, Gutiérrez-Cortines, Guy-Quint, Gyürk, Hänsch, Hall, Hammerstein, Hamon, Handzlik, Harangozó, Harbour, Harkin, Harms, Hasse Ferreira, Hassi, Haug, Hedh, Helmer, Hénin, Hennicot-Schoepges, Hennis-Plasschaert, Herczog, Herranz García, Herrero-Tejedor, Hieronymi, Higgins, Hökmark, Holm, Honeyball, Hoppenstedt, Horáček, Howitt, Hudacký, Hudghton, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyusmenova, Iacob-Ridzi, Ibrisagic, in 't Veld, Iotova, Irujo Amezaga, Itälä, Iturgaiz Angulo, Jackson, Jacobs, Jäätteenmäki, Jałowiecki, Janowski, Járóka, Jarzembowski, Jeggle, Jeleva, Jensen, Jørgensen, Jonckheer, Jordan Cizelj, Jouye de Grandmaison, Juknevičienė, Kacin, Kaczmarek, Kallenbach, Kamall, Karas, Kasoulides, Kaufmann, Kauppi, Kazak, Tunne Kelam, Kilroy-Silk, Kindermann, Kinnock, Kirilov, Kirkhope, Klamt, Klaß, Klinz, Knapman, Koch, Koch-Mehrin, Kohlíček, Konrad, Koppa, Korhola, Kósáné Kovács, Koterec, Kozlík, Krahmer, Krasts, Kreissl-Dörfler, Kristovskis, Krupa, Kuc, Kuhne, Kułakowski, Kušķis, Kusstatscher, Kuźmiuk, Lagendijk, Laignel, Lamassoure, Lambert, Lambrinidis, Lambsdorff, Landsbergis, Lang, De Lange, Langen, Langendries, Laperrouze, La Russa, Lauk, Lavarra, Lax, Lebech, Lechner, Le Foll, Lefrançois, Lehideux, Lehne, Lehtinen, Leichtfried, Leinen, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine Le Pen, Le Rachinel, Lévai, Lewandowski, Liberadzki, Libicki, Lichtenberger, Lienemann, Liese, Liotard, López-Istúriz White, Losco, Louis, Lucas, Lulling, Lundgren, Luque Aguilar, Lynne, Lyubcheva, Maaten, McAvan, McCarthy, McGuinness, McMillan-Scott, Madeira, Maldeikis, Manders, Mănescu, Maňka, Erika Mann, Thomas Mann, Marinescu, Marini, Markov, Marques, Martens, David Martin, Hans-Peter Martin, Martinez, Martínez Martínez, Masiel, Masip Hidalgo, Maštálka, Mathieu, Matsakis, Matsis, Matsouka, Mauro, Mavrommatis, Mayer, Mayor Oreja, Medina Ortega, Meijer, Méndez de Vigo, Menéndez del Valle, Miguélez Ramos, Mikko, Mikolášik, Millán Mon, Mitchell, Mölzer, Mohácsi, Moraes, Moreno Sánchez, Morgan, Morgantini, Morillon, Morin, Mote, Mulder, Musacchio, Muscardini, Muscat, Myller, Napoletano, Naranjo Escobar, Nassauer, Navarro, Neris, Newton Dunn, Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Nicholson, Niebler, van Nistelrooij, Obiols i Germà, Öger, Özdemir, Olajos, Olbrycht, Ó Neachtain, Onesta, Onyszkiewicz, Oomen-Ruijten, Ortuondo Larrea, Őry, Ouzký, Oviir, Paasilinna, Pack, Pafilis, Pahor, Paleckis, Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou, Panayotov, Pannella, Panzeri, Papadimoulis, Paparizov, Papastamkos, Parish, Paşcu, Patriciello, Patrie, Peillon, Pęk, Alojz Peterle, Petre, Pflüger, Piecyk, Pieper, Pietikäinen, Pīks, Pinheiro, Pinior, Piotrowski, Pirker, Piskorski, Pittella, Pleguezuelos Aguilar, Pleštinská, Plumb, Podimata, Podkański, Pöttering, Pohjamo, Poignant, Polfer, Mihaela Popa, Nicolae Vlad Popa, Portas, Posdorf, Posselt, Prets, Pribetich, Vittorio Prodi, Protasiewicz, Purvis, Queiró, Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Rack, Radwan, Raeva, Ransdorf, Rapkay, Rasmussen, Remek, Resetarits, Reul, Riera Madurell, Ries, Rivera, Rizzo, Rocard, Rogalski, Roithová, Romagnoli, Romeva i Rueda, Rosati, Roszkowski, Roth-Behrendt, Rouček, Roure, Rovsing, Rübig, Rühle, Rutowicz, Ryan, Saïfi, Sakalas, Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Salinas García, Sánchez Presedo, dos Santos, Sanz Palacio, Saryusz-Wolski, Savary, Savi, Schaldemose, Schapira, Schenardi, Schierhuber, Schinas, Schlyter, Frithjof Schmidt, Olle Schmidt, Schmitt, Schnellhardt, Schöpflin, Jürgen Schröder, Schroedter, Schuth, Schwab, Seeber, Segelström, Seppänen, Severin, Siekierski, Silva Peneda, Simpson, Sinnott, Siwiec, Skinner, Škottová, Smith, Sógor, Sommer, Søndergaard, Sonik, Sornosa Martínez, Sousa Pinto, Spautz, Speroni, Staes, Staniszewska, Starkevičiūtė, Šťastný, Stauner, Stavreva, Sterckx, Stevenson, Stihler, Stockmann, Stolojan, Stoyanov, Strejček, Strož, Sturdy, Sudre, Sumberg, Surján, Susta, Svensson, Swoboda, Szájer, Szejna, Szent-Iványi, Tabajdi, Tajani, Tannock, Tarand, Tatarella, Thomsen, Thyssen, Ţicău, Titford, Titley, Toia, Tőkés, Tomaszewska, Tomczak, Toubon, Toussas, Trakatellis, Trautmann, Triantaphyllides, Trüpel, Turmes, Tzampazi, Uca, Ulmer, Urutchev, Vaidere, Vakalis, Vălean, Vanhecke, Van Hecke, Van Lancker, Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, Varvitsiotis, Vatanen, Vaugrenard, Veneto, Ventre, Veraldi, Vergnaud, Vernola, Vidal-Quadras, Vigenin, de Villiers, Virrankoski, Visser, Vlasák, Vlasto, Voggenhuber, Wagenknecht, Wallis, Walter, Watson, Henri Weber, Manfred Weber, Renate Weber, Weiler, Weisgerber, Westlund, Whittaker, Wieland, Wiersma, Wijkman, Willmott, Iuliu Winkler, Wise, von Wogau, Wohlin, Bernard Wojciechowski, Janusz Wojciechowski, Yañez-Barnuevo García, Záborská, Zahradil, Zaleski, Zani, Zanicchi, Zapałowski, Zappalà, Zatloukal, Ždanoka, Zdravkova, Železný, Zieleniec, Zīle, Zimmer, Zingaretti, Zwiefka