Brussels, 08/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The last plenary of the European Parliament for this year will be a very busy one, with the traditional debate prior to the European Council of 14 December, with an intervention by the Minister for European affairs Douglas Alexander (and President Barroso), whilst Tony Blair will take stock of the Summit at a Conference open to the presidents of the political groups, to be held in Brussels on 20 December. The British Prime Minister will be in Strasbourg on 15 December, for a lunch with President Borrell and the President of the political groups, before coming to Brussels for the summit. On 14 December, the Council and the Commission will make statements during the afternoon, on the use allegedly made by the CIA of European countries to transport prisoners (see other article on statements by Condoleezza Rice in Brussels). Other important themes of this session: the vote on the budget of the EU for 2006, on Thursday (see EUROPE 9080), and delicate issues such as data retention within the framework of the fight against terrorism, to be dealt with on Wednesday afternoon (EUROPE 9081), and the Eurovignette during the night session on Wednesday. Other issues will be dealt with, of importance to the future of the EU's energy supply, such as the directive on energy efficiency, which will be looked at on Monday afternoon (EUROPE 9083). Later on Tuesday afternoon, the Commission will present its information strategy. Here is the draft agenda.
Monday 12 December: - Blokland report on the common position of the Council on the directive concerning batteries and accumulators and their waste (co-decision, second reading); - Rothe report on the common position of the Council on the directive concerning energy efficiency at end use (co-decision, second reading); - Bersani report on a common consolidated base for corporate taxation (consultation) ; - Roure report on the proposed decision on the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007)-Towards a fair society (co-decision, first reading); -Kauppi report on the proposed directive concerning the financial instruments markets (co-decision, first reading); - Fourtou report on the application of the law on the regulation of urbanistic activities.
Tuesday 13 December: -debate on the budget 2006: Pittella/Dombrovskis reports on the draft which was modified by the Council, the Böge report on the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument and the Garriga Polledo report on the rectifying budget n.8 for 2005);-declaration of the Commission on its legislative and work programme for 2006 ; - Alvaro report on the proposed directive on the holding of data under the provision of electronic telecommunications services (co-decision, first reading: vote on Wednesday); -declaration of the Council on the annual report on human rights; -declarations of the Council and the Commission on human rights and press freedom in Tunisia; -declarations of the Council and the Commission on the situation in Chechnya after the elections; -Commission communication on its White Paper on the information strategy; - Wortmann-Kool report on the common position of the Council modifying the directive on the taxation of heavy goods lorries for the use of certain infrastructures (eurovignette, co-decision, second reading); - Costa report on the common position of the Council on the application of the International Security Management code (ISM) within the EU (co-decision, second reading); -Evans report on the regulation concerning the rights of people with reduced mobility during air travel (co-decision, first reading); - Kristensen report on the protection of consumers in the new Member States; -joins discussion of the Pomez Ruiz reports on the appointment of eight members of the Court of Auditors (one each from Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Italy); - Koterec reports on the role of State aid as an instrument of regional development; - Lehideux report on the regulation on measures in favour of the signatory countries of the "sugar" protocol, hit by the reform of the EU's regime in this sector (co-decision, first reading).
Wednesday 14 December: -declarations of the Council and the Commission on preparations for the European Council; -award of the Sakharov Prize 2005 (to Damas de Blanco de Cuba, the lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim of Nigeria and to Reporters Without Borders) ; -declarations of the Council and the Commission on CIA flights; Attwooll report on womens' networks in fishing and farming; - Stihler report on the regulation concerning financial measures for the fisheries policy and the law of the sea; - Casaca report on the decision on the financial participation of the EU in fisheries control programmes of the Member States; - Schwab report on the common position of the Council on the machines directive (co-decision, second reading).
Thursday 15 December: - votes, most notably on the budget and the CIA flights; -debate on violations of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.