Brussels, 17/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - The presidents of the political groups at the European Parliament are to meet on Wednesday 18 February to discuss reform of the parliamentary committees on the basis of proposals from the working group on the way the EP operates (chaired by Dagmar Roth-Behrendt). Several points concerning improvements in the work of committees or delegations will be tackled, including enhanced cooperation between the various bodies, the establishment of joint meetings, the future division of labour, the future role of the petitions committee, etc. Another question to be settled is the recognition of the current sub-committees on human rights and security/defence as fully-fledged parliamentary committees.
Given the balance of power between the political groups, the outcome of the discussion on this point still remains uncertain. Although the EPP-ED and UEN Groups are against such upgrading, the Greens/EFA and also the ALDE and probably the GUE-NGL support it. Although in, the past its president Martin Schulz supported the strengthening of sub-committees, the PES is now undecided. The group presidents may finally decide to reject such internal changes at the time when the Lisbon Treaty takes effect (due to the transition to codecision in many areas).
For some, such postponement would not be justified concerning the sub-committee on human rights which does not really depend on the future treaty, although there is still much at stake. With the creation of a joint external action service at the Commission and Council, the EP should be able to carry possible counter-weight, the main human rights NGOs state for example, in their battle to have this sub-committee placed on an equal footing with the other committees (mainly development, civil liberties and trade) - in the hope that, with the support of a parliamentary committee that has a quota of own-initiative reports and control of its agenda, the questions relating to human rights will be taken more into account across all disciplines within the EP. (A.B./transl.jl)