Brussels, 02/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - In line with the decision of 20 December 2005 on opening all Council co-decision debates to the public (see EUROPE 9095), on 30 January, the General Affairs Committee adopted the list of legislative texts, debate on which over the next six months will be open to the public under the Austrian Presidency: - amendment of Directive 89/552/EC Television without borders (Education/Culture Council, 18-19 May); - draft regulation on Visa Information System (VIS) and data exchange between Member States for short-term visas (JHA Council, 1st June); - draft directive on improving portability of pension rights (Employment/Social/Health Council, 1st June); - proposal on New Legal Framework for Payments in EU (NLF) (Ecofin Council, 7 June).
The Council also approved the list of topics for public debate under the Austrian Presidency: - negotiations on the 10th European Development Fund (General Affairs Council, 27 February); small and medium-sized enterprises (Competitiveness Council, 13 March); - genetically modified organisms (Environment Council, 9 March); - review of EU strategy for sustainable development and road safety (Transport/Energy/Telecommunications Council, 27-28 March); - regional protection schemes and framework decision on the fight against organised crime (JHA Council, 27-28 April); - life-long learning (Education Council, 18-19 May); - application of the principle of mutual recognition of sentences in EU (JHA Council of mid-June); - social inclusion in the framework of the EU strategy on sustainable development (Employment/Social/Health Council of mid-June); - Better Regulation (Competitiveness Council, 29-30 June); security of transport infrastructure and revision of White Paper on European Transport policy, as well as development of river transport (Transport Council, 8-9 June).