Brussels, 18/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament will meet for the second time for a plenary session in Strasbourg in September from Monday 24 - Thursday 27 September. Subjects on the agenda include European railways, restructuring the EU sugar industry and the common organisation of the sugar markets in the EU, and immigration. The European Commission is expected to make a statement about dangerous toys made in China and the Commission and Council will issue a statement about the CIA's illegal detention and 'rendition' of people involving Council of Europe member states.
The provisional agenda for the plenary:
Monday 24 September (from 17: 00 - 22: 00)
Recommendation by Gianluca Susta on the Protocol amending the TRIPS (Council for Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights) (assent). Joint debate on the EU railways: - Report by Georg Jarzembowski on the development of the Community's railways (codecision, 3rd reading); - Report by Gilles Savary on certification of train and locomotive drivers (codecision, 3rd reading); - Report by Dirk Sterckx on customers' rights and obligations (codecision, 3rd reading). Oral question on the negotiations on an Interregional Association Agreement with Mercosur and the new bilateral strategic partnership with Brazil. Report by Nikolaos Sifunakis on statistics on education and lifelong learning (codecision, 3rd reading). Own initiative report by Britta Thomsen on the road map for renewable energy in Europe.
Tuesday 25 September (starting at 9: 00)
Possibly votes on requests for urgent procedure. Joint debate on sugar: Reports by Katerina Batzeli on the restructuring of the sugar industry and the common organisation of the sugar industry markets (consultation). Statement by the European Commission on dangerous toys made in China. Report by Klaus-Heiner Lehne on legal protection of designs (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Bill Newton Dunn on mutual aid and cooperation among member states' administrative authorities and the Commission to ensure the correction application of customs and agriculture rules (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Reino Paasilinna on the European Technology Institute (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Mario Mantovani on the qualifications framework for lifelong learning (codecision, 1st reading). Own initiative report by Tomáš Zatloukal on efficiency and equity in European education and training systems.
Midday onwards: Voting on the following report: Paolo Costa, accords EC/Panama, EC/Kyrghyzstan and EC/Jordan agreements on certain aspects of air services (consultation). Report by Angelika Niebler on the scientific and technical cooperation agreement between the EC and Israel (consultation). Report by Helmuth Markov on Bulgaria and Romania's participation in the EEC-San Marino agreement on cooperation and customs union (consultation). Report by Neil Parish on national aid granted by Finland for seeds and cereal seed (consultation). Report by Gerardo Galeote on excise duty on rum (consultation). Reports by Hans-Peter Mayer (codecision, 1st reading) on: - road safety: passenger hand-holds on two-wheel motor vehicles (codified version); - road safety: stands for two-wheel motor vehicles (codified version); - rear registration plate of two or three-wheel motor vehicles (codified version); - application of trade rules to transport by rail, road and inland waterway (codified version); - rear-view mirrors for wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (codified version); - roll-over protection structures for wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors (codified version). Report by Pervenche Berès on the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Committee (implementing powers conferred to the Commission) (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Françoise Grossetête on the Community Code relating to medicinal products for human use (implementing powers conferred to the Commission) (codecision, first reading). Report by Gyula Hegyi on deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (implementing powers conferred to the Commission) (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Karin Scheele on genetically modified food and feed (implementing powers conferred to the Commission) (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Michael Cashman on the Community Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code) (implementing powers conferred to the Commission) (codecision, 1st reading). Report by Philip Bradbourn on the prevention of money-laundering and terrorist financing (implementing powers conferred to the Commission) (codecision, 1st reading). Draft resolution on international accounting standards.
17: 30 - 19: 00: Question Time (Commission).
Wednesday 26 September (9: 00 to midnight)
Joint debate on immigration: - statements by the Council and the Commission, in particular on events during the summer and the role of Frontex; - own initiative report by Lilli Gruber on legal immigration; - own initiative report by Javier Moreno Sánchez on policy priorities in the fight against illegal immigration of third country nationals.
From 12: 00 - 13: 00: Votes on texts on which debate is closed.
From 15: 00 Council and Commission statements on secret detentions and unlawful interstate transfers involving Council of Europe member states (Fava and Marty reports). Report by Andrew Duff on amendment of directive 93/109/EC (Right to vote and stand in elections to the European Parliament for EU citizens residing in a foreign member state) (consultation). Own initiative report by Jacek Saryusz-Wolski: “Towards a common European foreign policy in Europe”. Own initiative report by Lasse Lehtinen on obligations of cross-border service providers. Own initiative report by Marie-Hélène Descamps on digital libraries.
17: 30 - 19: 00: Question time (Council).
Thursday 27 September (from 10: 00)
Own initiative report by Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. Own initiative report by Piia-Noora Kauppi on equality between men and women in the European Union (2007).
Between 12: 00 - 13: 00, and from 16: 00: Votes on texts on which debate is closed. (ol)