Strasbourg, 28/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 September, the conference of presidents of the political groups at the European Parliament decided to hold an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday 2 October in Brussels, on the work underway on the new draft treaty. José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, will attend.
The aim of the meeting is to take stock of work being done and to look at any stumbling blocks still remaining, such as the legal consequences of provisions allowing the United Kingdom and Ireland to choose between taking part in the new Schengen measures or withdrawing from them, in order to stick to the earlier provisions (EUROPE 9505 and 9510). Above all, the timetable for entry into force of the new treaty will be discussed. The effect would be different on the nomination of the future president of the European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign and security policy depending on whether it were to take effect in January or November 2009. If it were to take effect in January, the nomination in which the European Parliament is actively involved would be provisional and would only run for the period preceding the setting in place of the new Commission. (mb)