Brussels, 12/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - Following the letter from the speaker of the Bulgarian parliament to European Parliament President Josep Borrell (see EUROPE 9341), the Conference of the Presidents has decided to put the case of the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor, condemned to death in Libya, on the agenda for the European Parliament's plenary session (see EUROPE 9340). The EP will thus be able to make known its position on this sentence, which was confirmed at the end of December 2006, through a resolution to be debated on Wednesday 17 January and voted on the next day. The Commission and Council will make a statement.
On the same day, MEPs will debate enhanced convergence in control practices at EU level, with an oral question from French Socialist MEP Pervenche Berès, chairwoman of the economic and monetary affairs committee. The Conference of the Presidents will also present its proposals on the review of the make-up of the various parliamentary committees for the second half of this parliament. The composition of the new committees will be revealed the following week.
There will be a meeting of the parliamentary development committee on Monday 15 January at which European Commissioner Louis Michel will take stock of the situation in Somalia, particularly following the American air raids on Al-Qaida hideouts which also claimed civilian lives. (mb)