Brussels, 07/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - First European Parliament session this year in Strasbourg next week will allow for the Greek presidency to be discussed and hear a Commission communication on the spring report, as well as elect the successor to Jacob Söderman as European Ombudsman. The EP will also be giving its assent to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the EU and the Lebanon (see EUROPE 30 November p 16) and 6 December p 16) and discuss the 2002 activities of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the presence of its president Mr Lemierre. The Commission and the Council will be making declarations on the situation in Afghanistan a year after the Bonn agreement and the Commission will make a declaration on the Nordic dimension of the Union. Some of the main reports will include those on the role of the regional and local authorities in Europe (see EUROPE 2/3 December p 6) on the fundamental rights in the EU in 2001 and on transport policy (particularly the packet on rail). The detailed agenda for the day is as follows but could be revised.
Monday 13 January (from 17 H - 21 H)
Napolitano (PES, Italy) on the role of the regional and local authorities in European construction
Pirker report (EPP-ED, Austria)on the Commission's communication on integrated external border management of EU Member States
Swiebel report (PES, the Netherlands) on fundamental rights in the EU in 2001
Tuesday 14 January (with first night session)
Common discussion of Jarzembowski reports (EPP-ED, Germany) on the draft amendment to the directive on the development of Community railways, Sterckx (ELDR, Belgium) on safety on the railways, the sharing of railway infrastructure and tariffs for railway infrastructure, Ainardi (GUE/NGL, France) on the amendments to the directives on the inter-operability of the European railway system and Savary (PES, France) on the regulation on the setting up of a European railway agency (in all four cases, co-decision, first reading)
Markov report (GUE/NGL) on the regulation on the harmonisation of certain social provisions in the area of road transport (co-decision, first reading)
12 H, election of the Ombudsman
votes
15 H - 17 H, declaration on the work programme of the Greek presidency
17 H to 17.30 H, Commission communication on the spring report
17.30 H to 19 H, questions to the Commission
Izquierdo Collado report (PES, Spain) on the Commission White Paper on European transport policy to 2010
Andria report (EPP-ED, Italy) on compensation mechanisms and delivery regulation in the EU
Mantovani report (EPP-ED, Italy) on the Commission's communication on the future of health care for the elderly
Wednesday 15 January (with second night session)
Council and Commission declarations on the situation in Afghanistan
Common discussion on Galeote Quecedo (EPP-ED, Spain) on the decision on the Euro-Med agreement between the EU and the Lebanon (assent) and oral questions from Elmar Brok (EPP-ED, Germany) on this agreement
Roth-Behrendt report (PES, Germany) on the seventh amendment to the directive on the harmonisation on legislation on cosmetic products (co-decision, third reading)
12 H, second possible round in the election of the Ombudsman
votes
Medina Ortega report (PES, Spain) on the Commission communication "Simplifying and improving environment regulation"
Commission declaration on the Nordic dimension
17.30 H - 19 H, questions to the Council
Thursday 16 January
Markov report (GUE/NGL, Germany) on EBRD in 2002
Hugues Martin report (EPP-ED, France) on aquaculture in the EU
Miguelez Ramos (PES, Spain) on fishing in international waters in the context of external action under the Common Fisheries Policy.
12h00 - voting
16h30 to 17h30 - debates in the case of violation of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.