02/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - Tuesday, in a short debate in the committee on industry, trade, research and energy, which he chairs, Spanish Socialist Carlos Westendorp welcomed the compromise the "Competitiveness" Council reached on Monday on the question of ethics raised in the context of the 6th research framework-programme (see EUROPE of 30 September/1 October, p.9). Mr. Westendorp stressed in particular that the compromise preserved the right of the European Parliament to participate in "the drafting of specific rules", says a press release, adding that Westendorp nevertheless remarked that the lesson of this inter-institutional conflict was that Parliament had to be more cautious, when negotiating informally with the Council on written agreements.