Strasbourg, 13/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - As foreseen, the Conference of European Parliament Presidents finally decided, Thursday in Strasbourg, to establish, with regard to the Echelon spy network, a temporary committee and not an investigation committee, the Conference of Presidents carried out two votes:
- On the proposal by several group to create an investigation committee: voted "for" where the Presidents of the Green group, the United Left, the Union for a Europe of Nations, and Europe of Democracies and Diversities, while "against" this motion where the EPP, Socialist and Liberal groups, which resulted in 136 yes and 464 no;
- On the proposal by the President of the Socialist group Enrique Baron to create a temporary committee (that has less powers than an investigation committee: Ed.): voted: "for" the EPP, Socialist, Liberal, United Left and Europe of Democracies and Diversities, while the Greens and the Union for a Europe of Nations abstained. In his letter (on which we will return), Mr. Baron proposed that the temporary committee be admitted as quickly as possible and that it produce a report for the plenary in July, while the President of the EPP group Mr. Pöttering felt that it would need a month or two more. Mr. Wurtz, President of the United Left, felt that it was necessary to define the mandate of the temporary committee more widely than what was considered by Mr. Baron, while the Co-President of the Green group Mr. Lannoye said that he was not against this solution, but that he would abstain before knowing more about the mandate of the future committee.
The conference of Presidents will decide during the session of the 22 May on the formation of the temporary committee and the length of its mandate.
