Strasbourg, 01/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the report by French Socialist François Zimeray, the European Parliament decided to “defend Francesco Musotto (Forza Italia)'s immunity” in the legal proceedings launched against him by an Italian court for libel (in line with changes in Italian legislation, Italian MEPs must ask Parliament to confirm their immunity in order to stop proceedings, Ed). Musotto made the comments in question during a TV programme before the current European Parliament was sworn in (in July 1999) but Parliament agreed with its Legal Committee's recommendations that the MEP should be immune as from the date the European election results were announced.