Brussels, 05/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs, chaired by Giorgio Napolitano (Democratici di Sinistra, Italy), will be holding its first meeting of the new year on Monday 8 January. This first meeting will be devoted to an exchange of views on the outcome of the Intergovernmental Conference that was brought to conclusion in Nice. The discussion will be led by Mr Napolitano and will include the participation of Parliament's two representatives to the IGC, Elmar Brok (CDU) and Dimitris Tsatsos (Pasok). It will be recalled that the Committee on Constitutional Affairs will be drafting a report on the Treaty of Nice and that Mr Napolitano has expressed the view that, after the first political reaction expressed "on-the-spot" at the December plenary session (see EUROPE of 13 December, pp. 5-7), Parliament will undoubtedly be giving its detailed opinion on the new treaty in March.
At Monday's meeting, the Committee will also be exchanging views on: - amendment of the regulation on the Ombudsman (rapporteur: Teresa Almeida Garrett, EPP, Portugal); - the procedure applied during Parliament's Question Time to the Commission and Council (rapporteur: José Ribeiro e Castro, Union for the Europe of Nations, Portugal); - publication of Members' financial interests on internet (rapporteur: Richard Corbett, Labour, UK).