Strasbourg, 19/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - By adopting a resolution, during its emergency debates in Strasbourg last Thursday, the European Parliament urges all States parties to the 1972 Convention on the ban on bacteriological weapons and their destruction to show proof of maximum flexibility and readiness to reach a compromise before the fifth examination conference of the Convention (November-December), in view of the adoption of a protocol allowing for the most vigorous as possible verification system to be put in place. Parliament is concerned both by the short lapse of time it has (the last working session is scheduled for 17 August) and the rumours referring to a possible rejection of the planned compromise by the United States.