Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** Euro/United Kingdom: In an interview with the BBC, British Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted that British public opinion still has to be convinced of the advisability of joining the euro area. For the Prime Minister, the reason people are against such a move is probably "the same reason I am, which is that the economics aren't right". Further, the British press is reporting that the Foreign Office is increasingly convinced that Chancellor of the Exchequeur Gordon Brown has become markedly less favourable to British accession to the euro, whereas Robin Cook has relaunched a pro-European campaign. Last week, the Chief Economist of the ECB Otmar Issing, in a speech before the Federal Trust, called for sterling to join the euro area, saying this would "add to peer pressure for sound fiscal policy".
***EP/Portuguese Presidency: During the European Parliament's debate last week on the Portuguese Presidency, German Christian Democrat Winfried Menrad stated in connection to the special summit in Lisbon on employment and reform that the European Council must not become a "literary summit". While praising the effort made by Portugal, he said the Member States "are not fully following" the process set in motion by previous summits. CSU Member Markus Ferber said one of the subjects of the Lisbon Summit -the "eEurope" initiative to introduce Internet in every household, school and business- has been under discussion for some time in Bavaria.
*** EP/Italy: During last week's plenary session, Session Chair Mr Wiebenga asked the plenary to observe a moment of silence in the wake of the death of former Italian Socialist party leader and former Prime Minister of Italy Bettino Craxi. Pasqualina Napoletano, on behalf of the Democratici di Sinistra delegation (the principal Italian component of the EP Socialist Group), stressed Bettino Craxi's contribution to the "modernisation of Italy" and said it would be a mistake to "identify his political history" to the "moral question" alone which shook up the Italian political class in the 1980s, with its judicial impact: today, she said, "we want to remember Bettino Craxi as a man who belonged to the political family of European and international Socialism".
*** EP/Air transport: Nino Gemelli, Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Petitions, has received a petition signed by 35,000 citizens denouncing the "saturation" of the Malpensa Airport and the dismantling of Linate Airport. Mr Gemelli also met a delegation of trade unionists representing workers at Milan's two airports and representatives of citizens' defence committees who pleaded in favour of improved air transport in line with users' demands, the rights of workers and environmental protection, notes a statement. Mr Gemelli voted in favour of review by his committee of another petition which allegedly reveals "Alitalia's major responsibility for the chaotic situation at Milan's two airports".
*** EP/Chile: French Socialist Members of the European Parliament welcomed the victory of Ricardo Lagos in Chile's presidential elections. The French Socialists reiterate their solidarity with exiles from Chile's political left, some of whom have found refuge in France, and, saying reconciliation in Chile cannot take place "at the expense of victims' rights", they voiced support for "Chileans' combat against the denial of justice" and stated that, "Pinochet must be judged in Paris, Madrid and Santiago".
*** EP/Yugoslavia: MEP Olivier Dupuis (Bonino List) commented on statements by the British Government that the assassination of Arkan in Yugoslavia would not "render justice to his victims". He added that Giovanni Di Stefano, who for eight years was the Serb ultranationalist's right-hand man, is currently in the Roman prison of Regina Coeli and that he should be brought before the Court in The Hague.
*** EP/United Kingdom: Former European Parliament President Lord Plumb, British Conservative, has been named Chairman of the lobbying company PRM Consultants. "I am delighted to be able to stay so close to European politics", he commented.
*** Europe/Academics: At a ceremony at the Spanish Embassy in Paris, the Academy of International Law in The Hague, represented by the President of its "Curatorium" Nicolas Valticos, received from Spanish Under-State Secretary for Foreign Affairs José de Carvajal the medal of the Real Instituto de Estudios Europe chaired by Maximiliano Bernad, in recognition of its contribution to peaceful change and the development of international law, since its creation in 1923.