Brussels, 20/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - The conference of presidents of the political groups only made a few changes to the planned agenda of the European Parliament's plenary session that is to open in Strasbourg on Monday (see EUROPE of 16 September, p.16). Monday, the Lambert report on the status of refugees, which was not adopted in committee, has been withdrawn. Tuesday, work will begin with the Sjostedt report (cross-border movement of GMOs) and the afternoon will be devoted to the debate on the 2003 budget. The two Blokland reports on chemical products will be postponed to October's second session.
On 25 September, the European Parliament is celebrating its 50 years of existence since the first session of the ECSC Parliamentary Assembly, on 10 September 1952. The day will be marked by a speech by President Cox in the Chamber at midday, a ceremony on the esplanade Louise Weiss, at 13.00, with the raising of the European flag and the European hymn, as well as, at 14.45 the opening of a permanent exhibition entitled "A Story with a Future" that will be accessible to visitors to the institution.
The Spanish President of the Socialist Group, Enrique Baron, took advantage of Thursday's meeting to protest against the attitude of the members of the EPP/ED Group, mainly the British Conservatives, who tabled an amendment to the draft general budget for 2003, in view of placing 400,000 euro in reserve for the costs of the Commission's mission expenses, travel etc., only to be released when allegations by a suspended accountant, Ms. Andreasen, as well as the reasons for her suspension had been clarified (see EUROPE of 11 September, p.2). Mr. Baron considered that Parliament had other means of raising this issue. He also criticised the proposal by the same group to invite Ms. Andreasen before the Committee on Budgetary Control whereas she can turn either to the European Ombudsman or the Court of Justice. He asked the EPP-ED Group to ponder on the precedent that would be created with as consequence that all officials who consider themselves badly treated could ask to be heard by a parliamentary committee. The Danish President of the EDD Group, Jens-Peter Bonde referred to an internal European Commission correspondence that is said to confirm certain criticisms made by Ms. Andreasen on the functioning of the accounting system. President Pat Cox put an end to the discussion sauing that he would inform the chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control, Diemut Theato (CDU) of the concerns expressed by the presidents of the political groups and propose that he come explain himself at a forthcoming meeting of the conference of presidents. In a press release, Mr. Baron, who considers that with this amendment the EPP Group is trying to take the commission hostage, says that he has informed President Prodi of the "totally unacceptable" nature of this amendment for the Socialist Group, that sees in it an undercover vote of censure.
The British President of the Liberal Group, Graham Watson, moreover, declared: "The Liberal Group is confident that the financial and managerial reforms currently underway in the Commission under Vice-President Kinnock will address the principle weaknesses o the current accounting system. Most of the flaws identified by Marta Andreasen were recognised long ago by the Committee of Independent Experts, the Court of auditors or the Commission itself. What we need now is an honest and open dialogue on how to resolve any outstanding problems. We should not allow the substance of the matter to be overshadowed by a dispute between Ms. Andreasen and Commissioner Kinnock, which is being deliberately inflamed by the British conservatives for domestic political purposes".