Brussels, 08/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament will discuss, during its session next week, several reports concerning issues of immigration and asylum, as well as the report which will move for the opening of a new round of multilateral trade negotiation, another which rejects the Commission proposals for the common market organisation for sugar, and another that denounces the frauds in the flax and butter sectors. Furthermore, the Parliament will question the Council and Commission, on Wednesday - which will make statements concerning the Stockholm Summit (already raised during the February plenary, without the Parliament managing to adopt a resolution: see EUROPE of 16 February, p.12) - concerning the report from the Committee of the Wise chaired by Alexandre Lamfalussy on the regulating of European financial markets. On Wednesday, the Council and Commission will also make statements on the post-Nice process, after the opening of the public debate on the future of Europe, on 7 March in Brussels (see yesterday's EUROPE p.4 and also of 14 February, pages 4 and 6, on the plenary debate concerning the "State of the Union", which largely covered the post-Nice). On Thursday, the Parliament will broach the delicate and still unresolved issue of the statute of MEPs assistants. Furthermore, the President of the United Left/Nordic Green Left group Francis Wurtz called for statements on the American plan for an anti-missile shield and the co-President of the Green group Paul Lannoye felt, after the Perkins case (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.12), that the problem of espionage presently being examined by the Parliament's temporary committee on the Echelon system must be also broached in plenary. Below is the agenda in detail, which is susceptible to being modified:
Monday 12 March (from 17pm to 21pm)
Hatzidakis report (EPP, Greek) on the report by the permanent working group for the safety in the transportation of radioactive material,
Schwaiger report (EPP, German) on a recommendation to the Commission concerning the WTO negotiations on the built-in agenda (see EUROPE of 5/6 March, p.15),
Daul report (EPP, French) on the draft regulation on the sugar CMO (see EUROPE of 2 March p.9),
Question from Mr Graca Moura (EPP, Portuguese) on the EU strategy in terms of information and communication,
Question from the EPP on the situation of ship building in the EU.
Tuesday 13 March (with a first night session)
Joint discussion of the Kirkhope report (British Conservative) on the draft Directive concerning sanctions against hauliers introducing illegal immigrants into the EU and the French initiative in view of harmonising these sanctions, Wiebenga report (Dutch Liberal) on temporary protection in case of a massive influx of displaced persons (for two reports see EUROPE of 16 March), Deprez (EPP, Belgian) on the initiative by Finland concerning the methods to examine the visa requests, Frahm (United Left, Danish) on the initiative by Portugal concerning the period during which the third country nationals, exempted from the requirement to have visas, may travel within the EU and Nassauer (EPP, German) on the initiative by France in view of a Directive on the mutual recognition of decisions distancing third country nationals (for all the reports, consultation in a single reading),
Angelilli report (Union for a Europe of Nations) on the initiative by France and Sweden in view of establishing a European network for the prevention of organised crime (consulation),
Marinho report (Portuguese Socialist) on the initiative by Germany in view of a regulation on the obtaining of evidence in civil and commercial matters (consultation),
Bosch report (Social Democrat, Austrian) on the fight against fraud and the protection of the EU's financial interests in 1999 (see EUROPE of 2 March, p.9),
Korhola report (EPP, Finland) on the Directive concerning public access to environmental information (codecision, first reading: see EUROPE of 5/6 March, p.16),
Oomen-Ruijten recommendation (EPP, Dutch) on the Council common position in view of the Directive on the limiting of emissions of certain pollutants from major combustion installations (codecision, second reading: see EUROPE of 7 March, p.16),
Myller recommendation (Social Democrat, Finnish) on the Council common position in view of the Directive setting the ceilings for national emission for certain atmospheric pollutants (codecision, second reading),
At 12 o'clock, votes including on the Cashman report (British, Labour) on public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (codecision, first reading),
From 17pm to 17: 30pm, Commission Communication on decisions of the day,
From 1730pm to 19pm, questions to the Commission,
Wednesday 14 March (with a further night session)
Joint discussion on declarations from Council and Commission concerning preparatory works for Stockholm Summit and over issue of President of Economic and Monetary Committee Mrs Randzio-Plath (Social Democrat, German) concerning the final report from the Committee of Wise on the regulation of European stock and shares markets (concerning the draft resolution by the parliamentary committee, see below),
Oral question from Mr Brok (EPP, German), President of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, on the enhancing of the Union's capabilities in the prevention of conflicts and the civil aspects of crisis management,
Declarations by Council and Commission on the post-Nice process,
Von Wogau report (EPP German) on the Commission's annual economic report for 2000,
Kauppi report (EPP, Finnish) on the modification of the regulation covering swap agreements and guaranteed rates contracts (codecision, first reading),
Fava report (Democratici di sinistra, Italian) on the Commission Communication concerning EU assistance election monitoring missions,
Vayrynen report (Liberal group, Finnish) on the EU's common strategy towards the Ukraine,
Carraro report (Democratici di sinistra, Italian) on the Commission Communication concerning the organisation and management of the Internet,
Martinez Martinez report (Socialist, Spain) on the works of the ACP/EU joint assembly in 2000,
At 12, votes
From 1730pm to 19pm, questions to the Council,
Thursday 15 March
Inglewood report (British Conservative) on the proposal to remould the Directive on life insurance (codecision, first reading),
Question by the Greens on the management of water in Europe,
Purvis report (British Conservative) on the future of the biotechnology industry in Europe,
At 12om, votes,
From 15pm to 1730pm, topical, urgent debates and those of major significance,
From 1730pm to 1830pm, debate on a question from Mr Rocard (Socialist, French), President of the Social Affairs Committee, over Commission proposal concerning the statute of assistants.
At 1830pm, votes.
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