Brussels, 06/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - During the meeting of the conference of presidents, which was held on Wednesday and attended by Romano Prodi, the representatives of the political groups of the European Parliament gave a favourable welcome to the new European Commission proposals aimed at improving the quality of European legislation (see EUROPE of 6 June, p.6). MEPs insisted on the need to reach an interinstitutional agreement between the three players in the Community legislative process. This wish was shared by the president of the European Commission and is to be evoked by the president of the Council, Josep Piqué, during his meeting with the conference of presidents, next Tuesday on the fringe of the plenary session in Strasbourg. MEPs trust the Spanish Foreign Minister will announce the Council's assent for negotiating such an agreement, during the meeting that will be devoted to the state of relations between the two institutions as well as to the European Parliament's access to sensitive documrnts concerning cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs and in external policy matters and common security.
It should be noted, moreover, that Romano Prodi said (in response to a question put to him during the presidents' conference on Wednesday) that he was in favour of systematic organisation of a meeting of presidents of the three main institutions before each European Council in order to fix the objectives.