Brussels, 18/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - Next Monday, the European Parliament will discuss with President Barroso on the Commission's legislative programme for 2005, on which it is to adopt a resolution on Thursday. While the Socialist Group has prepared a text that is somewhat critical (yesterday's EUROPE, p.5), the elected UMP member, Françoise Grossetête, announces in a press release that the EPP-ED Group, “unlike other political movements”, will approve the programme “and propose a number of improvements to the work programme” in the form of concrete signals to citizens (education and research, health, security and the fight against terrorism, clarification of Europe's position on geographic borders). “An ambitious and courageous programme which the EPP-ED Group, the largest political force in the European Parliament with 268 members, will support”, the French MEP said.
On Friday, during a brief pre-session, the spokesperson fro the Socialist Group announced that the group would negotiate with the other political groups on the subject of the Commission's legislative resolution on the programme despite the signs showing that its intention was to remain firm and to refuse compromises that could dilute the text.