5. Announcement by the President

Verbatim reports

The President made the following announcement:

'On 11 January 2018, I received a letter from the Chairs of the PPE, S&D, ALDE and Verts/ALE Groups concerning the conduct of Vice-President Czarnecki and requesting that the procedure laid down in Rule 21 of the Rules of Procedure be applied as a result of the statements he had made concerning another Member of the European Parliament.

The matter was discussed at two consecutive meetings of the Conference of Presidents on 18 January 2018 and 1 February 2018.

On 18 January 2018, I also received a letter from Vice-President Czarnecki addressing the concerns set out in the aforementioned letter. I then met Vice-President Czarnecki in person on 23 January 2018 to discuss the matter.

After taking note of Mr Czarnecki's views on 1 February 2018, the Conference of Presidents, acting by a majority of three-fifths of the votes cast representing at least three political groups, decided to propose that Parliament bring to an end the term of office of Vice-President Czarnecki as it considered him to be guilty of serious misconduct under Rule 21.

Parliament will take a decision on that proposal on Wednesday, 7 February 2018, acting by a majority of two-thirds of the vote cast constituting a majority of its component Members.'

The following spoke: Jadwiga Wiśniewska on the procedure followed (the President made clarifications), Manfred Weber (the President made clarifications), Udo Bullmann, Philippe Lamberts and Eleonora Forenza (the President made clarifications).