Brussels, 04/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Next week's plenary in Strasbourg will be the occasion for celebrating the 60th anniversary of the end of the second world war and to listen to a speech by the Grand-Duke of Luxembourg (the country of Acting President of the Council of the EU). The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, will also be making a speech. The EP will also be having another debate on the Sudan (EUROPE 8933 debates at the Parliamentary Assembly ACP/EU) and a debate on Kirghizistan (EUROPE 8917 for EU declaration following resignation of president Tanayev). The Commission will make a declaration on the McCartney sisters' campaign for breaking the wall of silence on the killing of their brother in Northern Ireland (EUROPE 8921). The plenary will also have to approve the appointment of Lorenzo Bini -Smaghi as a member of the ECB directory with the replacement of Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa (EUROPE 8931). The Commission and Council will make a declaration on the World Bank, following the choice of Paul Wolfowitz as successor to James D. Wolfensohn (EUROPE 8930 on declarations of Commissioner Louis Michel following his meeting with Mr Wolfowitz). Debates are also planned on China and the WTO, the budget of the EU for 2006 (EUROPE 8936 and 8937) and the communication strategy of the Commission (EUROPE 8935). The provisional agenda is as follows.
Lun9 May: - Maaten report on common position of the Council regarding the quality of bathing water (co-decision, second reading); - Florenz report on the agreement on Swiss participation in the European Environment Agency (consultation); - Hegyi report on cinematographic heritage and competitiveness in lined industrial activities (co-decision, first reading);- declaration of the Commission on the McCartney sisters' campaign.
Tuesday 10 May: - Berès report on the appointment of a member of the ECB directory (consultation); - Chichester report on draft directive on measures to guarantee security of electricity supply and investments in infrastructures (co-decision, first reading); - Cercas report on amendment to draft directive on changes to working hours (co-decision, première reading: EUROPE N.8933); - Zappal report on common position of the Council on a directive on recognition of vocational qualifications (co-decision, second reading, EUROPE 8940); - Lehne report on cross border mergers of capital companies (co-decision, first reading: EUROPE 8920 and 8933); -presentation of the budget for 2006 by the Commission: - Dombrovskis report on EP forecasts for spending and income for 2006;
- Hudghton report on changes to directive on Valued Added Tax (consultation); - Hennis-Plasschaert report on draft amended directive on improvements to port security (co-decision, first reading); - Busk on amendments to regulations on exceptional measures for market support (consultation); - Herranz Garcia report on simplification of the common organisation of the fruit and vegetable markets, - Wojciechowski report on quota system for potato starch (consultation); - question from Lapo Pistelli on Sudan; - at 12H, speech by president of Afghanistan Ahmid Karzai; - 17H, communication by Commission on day's decisions.
Wednesday 11 May: - declarations by Council and Commission on World Bank; - declaration by Council and Commission on Kirghizistan and Central Asia; - speech by Grand-Duke Henri de Luxembourg; - declarations on the future of Europe sixty years after the end of the second world war; - question from Karl-Heinz Florenz on climate change; - question by Jo Leinen on European service for external action; - Moreno Sanchez report on assessment of Doha round; - question by Enrique Baron on the application of WTO rules by China;- Gargani report on directive on foodstuffs for specific feeds (co-decision, first reading).
Thursday 12 May: - Herrero-Tejedor report on Commission information strategy;
- question by Bart Staes on the agreement between Commission/Member States and Philip Morris on fight against fraud (EUROPE 8925); - debate on human rights violations, democracy and rule of law.