Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** EP/IGC: Speaking at last week's hearing of Mr. Vedrine on the IGC, the chairman of the EP's Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Mr. Napolitano expressed his "concern" at the "incident" that had occurred between the French Presidency and the representatives for the European Parliament in the Intergovernmental Conference - Messrs. Brok and Tsatsos - who, having been invited to an informal dinner at the 18 September IGC in Brussels, had then seen that invitation "suddenly withdrawn". Mr. Vedrine recalled that, regarding the EP's involvement in the IGC, the French Presidency was sticking to the Helsinki conclusions providing for the participation of the EP observers only in the work of the Preparatory Group (whereas, the President of the Parliament intervenes in the ministerial sessions). Mr. Vedrine also noted that the Presidency had even shown flexibility, especially in inviting Messrs. Brok and Tsatsos to the ministerial conclave on 24 July, but that on that occasion some Member States had told him that the Presidency should stick by the Helsinki arrangements. Mr. Napolitano deplored that "rigidity" and lack of "sensitivity" by the executive towards Parliament.
*** EP/Commission: In answer to Alain Lamassoure, who, at a meeting last week with the European Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs, had asked him whether the European Commission was to be called on to become the European government, Jacques Delors told him that, "today, this is not within our range". "Nothing gets on my nerves more than when I hear heads of government proclaim: "I want a strong Commission". I feel like telling them: hypocrites", he exclaimed. "Let's stop criticising the Commission and its President and see how much room degeneracy in relations between the institutions leaves them", he added, confirming: "Let's fight the good fight!".
*** EP/Council/access to documents: Speaking to the Spanish press before her trip to Spain, EP President Nicole Fontaine stressed that, thanks to the EP/Commission framework-agreement, Parliament had secured, with the European Commission, conditions of transparency that enabled it to exercise its democratic control. With the Council, transparency has to be the same, she said regarding the controversy over the Esdp documents classified as "Top Secret". The Council must provide us with the means of exercising this control, she said, adding: "We are not picking a fight for the sake of it". Ms. Fontaine will pursue her dialogue with the Secretary-General-High Representative, Javier Solana, at the EP/Council/Commission trilogy in Strasbourg on 3 October.
*** EP/enlargement: Markus Ferber MEP, member of the CSU, said in an interview with the weekly Stern that "we are not yet ready to enlarge", and that the EU would only be ready to greet new members from 2007. Noting that the evolution of the EU's financial framework was firmly fixed until 2006, Mr. Ferber said that enlargement would only be feasible when the Common Agricultural Policy and the structural policy "have been established on completely new bases".
*** EP/ECB: The President of the Socialist Group in the EP, Enrique Baron, announced his total backing for the Commissioner for Social Affairs, Anna Diamantopoulou, who strongly criticised the Chief Economist of the European Central Bank, Otmar Issing for having, in the Financial Times, rejected "supranational solutions, such as social union". Mr. Issing's approach ignores social realities on the ground and he "should focus on the ECB's task of publicizing the role of the euro to the citizens of Europe", said Baron.
*** EP/Columbia: MEPs from the Green, United Left and Socialist groups have written to Colombian President Pastrana Arango asking him to ensure a peaceful settlement to the dispute between the indigenous people of Uaw, in Cubara (State of Boyaca) and Western Petroleum. According to their information, the police are said to have forcibly evacuated the Uwa territory to allow Western Petroleum to install its drilling wells, whereas the indigenous people have legal property rights for the territory.
*** EP/Poverty: The EP's Intergroup "Comité Quart Monde Européen" has appointed French Socialist Martine Roure as its new Chair (replacing Marietta Giannakou-Koutsikou) and as Deputy-Chair the member of the Partido Popular, Inigo Mendez de Vigo. The Committee is committed to striving for the Nice Summit to adopt goals in the fight against poverty and social exclusion.
*** EU/Regional policy: A representation for the region Provence-Alpes-Cotes d'Azur (PACA) has been inaugurated in Brussels by the region's President Miche Vauzelle, says AFP. On that occasion, the President of the Regional Chamber of Trade and Industry, Henry Roux-Alezias, said that the EU could, notably, help PACA improve communications of the Rhone Canal and "certain Alpine paths" to Italy.