Nice Summit, Defence and Security Policy (with Alain Richard), maritime safety, Commission reform

Brussels, 27/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - One week before the European Council of Nice, the European Parliament will on Wednesday, at its end-November mini-session in Brussels, hear the Council and Commission explain the stakes of the summit. The Committee on Constitutional Affairs has adopted a resolution (17 in favour, 7 against and 1 abstention) to be submitted to plenary in which it places special emphasis on: - the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the Treaty (or at least a reference to that text in Article 6 of the Treaty); - the opening after Nice of a debate on the constitutionalisation process; - the generalised extension of qualified majority voting, or, for the more controversial questions where agreement proves to be impossible, the setting in the Treaty of deadlines to reach a qualified majority and where co-decision would have to go hand in hand; - the EP's assent for any enhanced cooperation; - a two-stage solution for the redistribution of seats in the EP, with an initial adjustment for the 2004 to 2009 period, so as to allow for the representation of the new Member States (that could lead to a temporary and limited excess of the ceiling of 700 MEPs in the first years of the legislature) and an agreement, now already, on the definitive model to be applied to a Union of 27 members.

Wednesday, MEPs will debate (in the presence of French Defence Minister Alain Richard) the reports by Catherine Lalumiere on the development of the European Security and Defence Policy, and Elmar Brok, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, on implementation of Cfsp. In addition, they will have a policy debate, on the initiative of General Morillon, on the situation in Afghanistan: the Foreign Affairs Committee has adopted a Resolution calling on the Council to confirm its will to diplomatically isolate the Taliban regime, while ensuring to keep up emergency assistance, as well as implementing special aid to anti-personnel mine clearance.

Thursday, plenary will hear the Council and Commission on the very topical subject of maritime security (see EUROPE of 22 November, p.15, for the reports on the agenda), and debate four reports on aspects on the reform of the European Commission of particular concern to Parliament.

Here is the detailed agenda:

Wednesday 29 November (from 15.00 to 20.00 hrs. and 21.00 to 24.00 hrs.).

from 15.00 hrs., declarations from the Council and Commission on the European Council of Nice;

Council declaration on defence policy;

Brok Report (German, EPP) on progress in implementing Cfsp;

Lalumiere Report (French, Socialist Group) on the establishment of a common policy in the field of security and defence after Cologne and Helsinki;

oral questions by Elmar Brok on Afghanistan;

joint discussion on aspects of the White Paper on the reform of the European Commission concerning the Parliamentary Committees of the EP, i.e., the Committees on the Budgets (Guy-Qunit Report, French Socialist), on Budget control (Pomes Ruiz Report, Spanish, EPP), on Legal Affairs (Harbour Report, British Conservative), and on Constitutional Affairs (Lamassoure report, French, EPP);

Sanquillo Perez del Arco Report (Spanish, Socialist) on the repercussions of the reform of the European Commission and its relations with developing countries.

Thursday 30 November (from 8.30 hrs. to 13.00 hrs.)

Council and Commission declarations on maritime security and on the reports (in the three cases, co-decision, first reading) by Watts (British Labour), on controls in European ports, Hatzidakis (Greek, Nea Demokratia) on the accelerated introduction of dual-hulled oil-tankers, and Ortuondo Larrea (Spanish, Green) on bodies carrying out inspections on behalf of Member States;

McKenna Report (Irish, Green) on the draft joint decision, approved by the Conciliation Committee, on cooperation against accidental marine pollution (co-decision, third reading);