Strasbourg, 12/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - At the opening of the plenary session in Strasbourg on Monday 12 March, MEPs observed one minute's silence in memory of the victims of terrorism and of the Fukushima disaster. Sunday 11 March was the European Counter-Terrorism Day and the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, wished to point out that the EP condemns every form of terrorism. The S&D members said that the minute's silence was also dedicated to the victims of the Syrian crackdown.
Sunday 11 March is also the anniversary of the triple disaster in Fukushima, Japan (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear disaster). President Schulz said the question of whether or not to have nuclear power is up to the individual states but that there must be a debate at the European Parliament as decisions taken by one country have an impact on the lives of citizens in other countries. He welcomed the fact that the EP is firmly committed in this debate and that the Commission has taken concrete action by carrying out stress tests. He underlined that, if one of the 130 power plants tested failed the stress tests then it would have to close.
Changes to the agenda. A report by Eva Lichtenberger on the call for lifting the immunity of Krisztina Morvai is included directly in the votes on Tuesday. A statement by Catherine Ashton on the situation in Belarus (with resolution) was added on Wednesday after a statement on the situation in Nigeria. (MD/transl.jl)