Brussels, 30/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Next Wednesday the European Parliament will hold, at 12pm, a solemn session during which Johannes Rau, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, will make a short speech. Also on Wednesday, it will be the President of the European Council himself, Goran Persson who, with the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi, will outline the results of the Stockholm Summit on 23 and 24 March. On this occasion the Swedish Presidency will make a statement on the situations in the Middle East, and the plenary will vote on Thursday over three separate resolutions on the Summit, covering the economic aspects, financial markets (Lamfalussy report) and foreign policy.
Furthermore, it will be the Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström, who will present, on Tuesday at 1730pm, the Commission Communication on the works by the College, the same day in Strasbourg, covering the traceability and labelling of GMO.
Three other points have been added to the agenda: - Tuesday a declaration by the European Commission on foot and mouth disease (at 16pm) and oral questions to the Commission on the golden share; - Thursday a declaration from the Commission on the blocking of fishing negotiations with Morocco and a question to the Commission on the obligatory fixing of price scales for lawyers.
Furthermore, the topical debates on Thursday afternoon will cover: - the session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission presently underway in Geneva (in particular with regards to China: the EU will not present any resolutions on this issue, but approves those of the United States); - the respect for the aims of the Kyoto Protocol on climatic change, after the abandonment of the protocol by Washington (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.10); - human rights; - the situation in Mexico (certain political groups have called for the Zapatista leaders to be invited to the EP: see EUROPE of 28 March, p.5); - the situation in Somalia following attacks against "Medecins sans frontieres".
See detailed agenda in EUROPE of 29 March, pages 12 and 13.