Brussels, 07/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - The first European Parliament plenary session of 2002 will be devoted to electing the President of the Parliament for the second half of the president's term of office (until the European elections in June 2004) hence on Tuesday 15 January, Parliament will elect Nicole Fontaine's successor and the Vice-Presidents. The presidential candidates are the President of the Liberal group, Pat Cox (Ireland) who has the support of the EPP-ED group (the biggest parliamentary group, having 232 members); the British Labour MEP David Martin; the French President of the United Left/Nordic Green Left group Francis Wurtz; Gérard Onesta (France) of the Greens/European Free Alliance group; and Jens-Peter Bonde (Denmark), President of the Europe of Democracies and Diversities group. (See EUROPE of 1 December, p.5, on the first public debate between the presidential candidates.) During the first three rounds of the election, an absolute majority of the ballot is required in order to be elected.
Another highpoint of the session will be the presentation on Wednesday morning of the programme of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers for the first six months of the year. Parliament will also give its opinion in third reading on the draft directive on atmospheric ozone (see EUROPE of 27 November, p.12) and will debate the controversial Commission Green Paper on the future of the Common Fisheries Policy. The draft agenda is outlined below - it is likely to be extended to cover topics in the news (the introduction of the euro, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Argentina, etc).
Monday 14 January
Tuesday 15 January
First ballot in election of President of Parliament at 10: 00 hrs; followed, if necessary, by second ballot at 12: 30 hrs, third at 15: 00 hrs and fourth (and last) at 17: 00 hrs
First ballot in election of Vice-Presidents of EP possibly at 15: 00 hrs (depending on results of election for President), with potential further ballots at 17, 19, 20 and 21 hrs
Wednesday 16 January (plus night session)
First ballot in election of Quaestors of Parliament at 9: 00 hrs with second and third ballots at 12: 30 and 15: 00 hrs if necessary
At 10: 00 hrs, Statement by Spanish Presidency of Council on its programme
Zappala Report (Forza Italia) on draft directives on award of public supply, public service and public works contracts and procurement procedures for entities operating in water, energy and transport sectors (first reading, codecision)
Davies Report (British Liberal Democrat) on joint text approved by Conciliation Committee on directive on ozone in ambient air (third reading, codecision)
Myller Recommendation (Finnish Social Democrat) on common position on sixth Community Environmental Action Programme (second reading, codecision)
Garcia-Orcoyen Tormo Report (Partido Popular, Spain) on Commission Green Paper on integrated product policy
Alyssandrakis Report (United Left, Greece) on Commission Communication on Europe and Space
Joint discussion on Hatzidakis Recommendation (Nea Demokratia, Greece) on common position on amendment of directive on maximum dimensions for certain vehicles in national and international traffic and maximum authorised weight in international traffic (second reading, codecision); van Dam Recommendation (EPP, Netherlands) on driver attestation (second reading, codecision) and Grosch Recommendation (EPP, Belgium) on draft directive on the training of professional drivers for carriage of goods or passengers by road (first reading, codecision)
Rod Recommendation (French Green) on draft directive on conclusion of Partnership Agreement between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Community (assent)
At 19: 00 hrs, Announcement of Conference of Presidents proposals on appointments to committees
Thursday 17 January
Miguelez Ramos Report (Spanish Socialist) on Green Paper on future of Common Fisheries Policy
Hudghton Report (Scottish member of Greens/EFA group) on Commission Communication on rebuilding stocks of cod and hake
Lavarra Report (Democratici di sinistra, Italy) on Commission Communication on strategy for integration of environmental protection requirements into Common Fisheries Policy
Voting at 12: 00 hrs (starting with appointments to committees)
Cerdeira Morterero Report (Spanish Socialist) on initiative of the UK, France and Sweden on framework decision on application of principle of mutual recognition of financial penalties
Kauppi Report (EPP-ED, Finland) on Commission Communication on recruiting seafarers
Stauner Report (CSU, Bavaria) on Commission report on implementation of first phase of Leonardo da Vinci programme (1995-1999)
Voting at 17: 00 hrs