of the meeting of thursday 27-09-2007 - european parliament · 2017-07-24 · pv cpg 27.09.2007...

PV CPG 27.09.2007

PE 395.429/CPG

EN EN

PE-6/CPG/PV/2007-24

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS

MINUTES

of the meeting of Thursday

27-09-2007

Louise WEISS Building - Room R 1.1

- - -

STRASBOURG

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PE-6/CPG/PV/2007-24


MINUTES

of the ordinary meeting of

Thursday, 27 September 2007

from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm

Louise WEISS Building – Room R 1.1

Strasbourg

CONTENTS

Page

1. Adoption of draft agenda ............................................................................................................ 7

2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 5 July 2007 ......................................................................... 8

2a. Modification of the final draft agenda for the October-I part-session (10-11 October

2007). .......................................................................................................................................... 9

3. Preliminary draft agenda for the October-II part-session (22 to 25 October 2007) -

scheduling of debates in plenary .............................................................................................. 10

4. Statements by the President ...................................................................................................... 11

4.1 Official visits by the President.................................................................................................. 11

4.2 The European Parliament and the Middle East ........................................................................ 11

5. Preparation of the Conference of Presidents' meeting with Mr BARROSO

concerning the Amending Treaty and the 2008 Legislative and Work Programme and

involving the three Parliament representatives to the IGC and Mr LEINEN ........................... 12

5a. Report from the delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on Development

to the Palestinian Territories (18-21 September 2007) ............................................................. 17

6. Authorisation for the Committee on Foreign Affairs to draw up an own-initiative

report on EU election-observation missions and, possibly, appointment of two co-

rapporteurs – Letter from the chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen .............. 20

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7. Proposal for a joint EP/Council and Commission declaration with a view to

designating 2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation and to

establishing a political implementing framework – Letter from Mr FIGEL (member

of the Commission) ................................................................................................................... 22

8. Request from the ad hoc Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament for

authorisation to meet in Midrand (South Africa) on 18 and 19 October 2007 (week

set aside for group meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the

ad hoc delegation ...................................................................................................................... 23

9. Attendance by a delegation from the Committee on Development at the European

Development Days from 7 to 9 November 2007 in Lisbon (week set aside for group

meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of that committee ....................... 24

10. Twenty-five-member ad hoc delegation to the Second EU-Africa Summit, to be held

in Lisbon on 8 December 2007 – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of

the Committee on Development ............................................................................................... 25

11. Attendance by a working party comprising three members of the Delegation for

relations with Korea at a seminar to be held on 23 and 24 October in North Korea

(Strasbourg part-session week) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of

the delegation concerned .......................................................................................................... 26

12. Invitation from the Commission for five MEPs to be nominated as members of the

High-Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemical Industry in the EU –

Letter from the chairman of the Committee on the Environment ............................................. 28

13. Despatch of a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections to be held on 22

November 2007 in Nepal – invitation – financial statement – Letter from the co-

chairman of the coordination group .......................................................................................... 30

14. Urgent matters and other business ............................................................................................ 31

14.1 Abolition of the death penalty in Europe .................................................................................. 31

14.2 Naming Parliament's Press room in Strasbourg after Ana POLITKOVSKAYA ..................... 31

15. Items for information ................................................................................................................ 32

16. Date and place of next meeting ................................................................................................. 33

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MINUTES

of the meeting of Thursday, 27 September 2007

from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon

Strasbourg

The meeting opened at 10.05 am, with Mr PÖTTERING, President of the European Parliament,

in the chair.

Present

Political group Chairmen

Mr DAUL (EPP-ED)

Mr SCHULZ (PES)

Mr WATSON -

Mr MAATEN (acting Chair) (ALDE)

Ms MUSCARDINI (Co-Chair) (UEN)

Ms FRASSONI (Co-Chair) (Greens/EFA)

Mr WURTZ (GUE/NGL)

Mr BONDE (Co-Chair) (IND/DEM)

Mr CLAEYS (acting Chair) (ITS)

Non-attached Members1

Mrs BELOHORSKÁ

Also Present

Mr RØMER, Secretary-General

1 Present pursuant to Rule 23(2) of the Rules of Procedure.

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Invited for item 5:

Mr LEINEN, Chair of the AFCO Committee,

Messrs BROK, BARÓN CRESPO and DUFF, Parliament's representatives to the IGC on the

Reform Treaty

Also invited for item 5a

Ms MORGANTINI, member of the DEVE Committee's delegation to the Palestinian Territories

The Council

represented by Mr LOPEZ SABINO

Mr DÍEZ PARRA

The Commission

represented by Mr PIERUCCI

Mr BAKANY

The Economic and Social Committee

represented by Mr RATH

*****

Office of the President

Mr WELLE

Mr STOKELJ

Mr TEASDALE

Mr PRETO

Office of the Secretary-General

Mr SUAREZ MELLA

Ms RYAN

Ms MIGO

Secretariat

DG Presidency Mr HARLEY/Ms STENSBALLE/Ms VERGER/Ms DUDZINSKA/

Mr MASUR/Mr SANCHEZ-RODRIGUEZ/Mr SCOTT

DG Internal policies Mr RIBERA D'ALCALÁ/Ms VANDENBOSCH

DG External policies Mr NICKEL/Mr AGUIRIANO/Ms ECKER

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DG Information Ms F. RATTI/Mr DUCH GUILLOT

DG Finances Mr COLLING

Legal Service Mr PENNERA/Mr PERILLO

Ms O. RATTI, Director for relations with the secretariats of the political groups.

Political groups

Mr PEDERSEN/Mr KAMP/Mr RYNGAERT/Mr PAPI (EPP-ED)

Mr BEUMER/Ms BAPTISTA/ Mr WINKLER (PES)

Mr BEELS/Ms COLERA GARZON (ALDE)

Mr PRETA (UEN)

Ms TSETSI/Mr LINAZASORO/Mr DENKINGER (Greens/EFA)

Ms D'ALIMONTE (GUE/NGL)

Ms VANGRUNDERBEECK (IND/DEM)

Mr DESTOUCHES (ITS)

Mr BUGALHO (NI)

Mr DREXLER, Mr CALINOGLOU and Mr WILKINSON acted as secretary to the meeting.

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1. Adoption of draft agenda

The Conference of Presidents

- noted the draft agenda (PE 395.426/CPG) and adopted it in the form shown in these

minutes.

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2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 5 July 2007


- noted and approved the minutes of meeting of 5 July 2007 (PE 392.441/CPG).

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2a. Modification of the final draft agenda for the October-I part-session (10-11 October 2007).

The Conference of Presidents, on a proposal by the President, pursuant to Rule 132(2) of

the Rules of Procedure

Wednesday 10 October 2007

- decided to include statements by the Council and the Commission on the

humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to wind up the debate by a resolution.

This item will be dealt with after the LAMASSOURE-SEVERIN report on the

composition of the European Parliament (A6-0351/2007).

Thursday, 11 October 2007

- decided to

defer consideration of the MEDINA ORTEGA report on International

Accounting Standards (A6-0370/2007) to the October-II part-session,

to include the MARKOV report on "Conclusion of the relevant agreements

under Article XXI GATS on the necessary compensatory adjustments resulting

from the 1995 and 2004 enlargements" (A6-0340/07) under Rule 43.1 of the

Rules of Procedure.

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3. Preliminary draft agenda for the October-II part-session (22 to 25 October 2007) -

scheduling of debates in plenary


- noted a letter from Mr GALEOTE, Chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairs

(CCC), dated 25 September 2007, submitting the CCC's recommendations

concerning the preliminary draft agenda for the October-II part-session (PE

395.459/CPG and annexes);

- considered the preliminary draft agenda for the October II part-session on the basis

of a note drafted by the Directorate-General for the Presidency on the various

options, which had been circulated after the preparatory meeting with the political

group secretaries-general on 26 September 2007, and adopted the proposals made

therein with the following changes:

Wednesday, 24 October 2007

- decided that the debate that will follow the declarations from the Council and the

Commission on EU-Russia relations will not be wound up by a resolution;

- decided, following a vote, to proceed with the award of the Cinema prize (upon

completion of the relevant procedure) after the debate and before the votes.

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4. Statements by the President

4.1 Official visits by the President

The Conference of Presidents,

- heard from the President, who outlined details of his forthcoming official visits to

Croatia (on 28 September 2007 where he will, inter alia, address the Parliament),

Romania (15-17 October 2007) and Algeria (28-31 October 2007).

4.2 The European Parliament and the Middle East


- heard the President, who reported on continuing contacts with Mr Tony BLAIR,

Quartet Envoy for peace in the Middle East, with a view to his possible participation

in a conference in Parliament on the subject later in the year,

- heard the President, who indicated that the question of the requested authorisation

from the Committee on Foreign Affairs to set up a Working Group on the Middle-

East would be discussed at the meeting of the Conference of Presidents during the

October II part session.

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5. Preparation of the Conference of Presidents' meeting with Mr BARROSO concerning the

Amending Treaty and the 2008 Legislative and Work Programme and involving the three

Parliament representatives to the IGC and Mr LEINEN


- heard the President, who informed Group leaders that Commission President

BARROSO had agreed to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Conference of

Presidents on 2 October 2007 from 3.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., the focus of which would

be the Reform Treaty and the Commission's legislative and work programme for

2008;

- heard Mr LEINEN, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, who

informed the meeting that his Committee was preparing to table a report to

plenary aimed at formally adopting the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which

would no longer be part of the Reform Treaty as such,

proposed that a ceremony be held in the context of a part-session, at an

appropriate time between the October European Council and the end of the

year, at which the Presidents of the European Parliament, the Council and the

Commission would sign the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental

Rights,

pointed out that Parliament's representatives to the IGC had regularly updated

the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the progress of the IGC's work and

had made available the relevant documents;

- heard Messrs BROK, BARÓN CRESPO and DUFF, Parliament's representatives to

the IGC on the Reform Treaty, who

informed Group leaders of the state of play of the negotiations and in particular

the outstanding issues thereof,

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indicated that they were willing to provide full information to any political

group on these matters;

proposed that upon completion of the work of the IGC legal experts, Members

of the European Parliament should receive an information note focused, in

particular, on what had been achieved in the IGC from the point of view of the

European Parliament;

- heard the President, who suggested that the Chairman of the AFCO Committee and

Parliament's three representatives to the IGC on the Reform Treaty attend the

extraordinary meeting of the Conference of Presidents to be held on 2 October 2007

in the presence of Mr BARROSO, Commission President;

- heard Ms FRASSONI, Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA Group, who

regretted that, within the IGC, some Member States had been less than

constructive and suggested that the Parliament might make that knowledge

more widely known;

asked whether the Charter on Fundamental Rights would be uniformly legally

binding,

requested Parliament's representatives to the IGC to regularly provide full

information on the work of the IGC;

- heard Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, who

thanked Mr LEINEN and Parliament's representatives to the IGC for the

information provided,

raised the question of voting rights of MEPs from Member States which had

obtained "opt-outs" on various areas covered by co-decision,

said that the decision concerning the date of entry into force of the new Treaty

should take into account the modalities for the nomination of the EU's High

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Representative for Foreign Affairs and the fact that the Treaty had to be ratified

(be it by referendum or by parliamentary vote) by no less than 27 Member

States;

- heard Mr DAUL, Chair of the EPP-ED Group, who asked whether, under the

emerging Treaty, MEPs from the United Kingdom would have the right to be

appointed rapporteurs and to participate in votes concerning texts which would not be

applicable in their country;

- heard Mr WATSON, Chair of the ALDE Group, who

underlined that opting out of co-decision legislation is a very different thing

from opting out of legislation which does not involve co-decision,

proposed that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Right Hon.

Gordon BROWN, be invited to address the plenary on the future of Europe, as

had already been the case with other heads of government,

with regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, suggested that Parliament

consider (possibly through the LIBE Committee) referring to the European

Court of Justice the question whether the Court believes that it could interpret

legislation in such a way that it was not blind to the citizenship of the

appellant;

- heard Mr BONDE, Co-Chair of the IND/DEM Group, who

regretted that none of Parliament's three representatives in the IGC were

women nor did they come from small or new Member States,

took the view that Members belonging to some Groups were much better

informed than others on the work of the IGC and asked for remedial action to

be taken in this respect,

said that he found it difficult to understand some Member States' opt-out from

the Charter of Fundamental Rights, since its preamble explicitly stipulates that

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the Charter reaffirms the rights as they result, in particular, from the

constitutional traditions and international obligations common to the Member

States;

- heard Mr WURTZ, Chair of the GUE/NGL Group, who

thanked Mr LEINEN and Parliament's representatives to the IGC for the

information provided,

shared Mr BONDE's view on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and requested

clarification concerning its legally binding character,

asked whether the EU's legal personality would effectively be mentioned in the

new Treaty;

- heard Mr LEINEN, who said that

the Charter of Fundamental Rights would be a document totally separate from

the new Treaty and should, therefore, be formally proclaimed by the EU

Institutions. However, it would be legally binding, since Article 6 of the draft

Treaty explicitly referred to the Charter;

under the new Treaty, the EU would indeed have a legal personality;

- heard Mr BROK who

reiterated the readiness of Parliament's representatives to the IGC to provide

full information to all political groups on the IGC's work,

in response to Mrs FRASSONI's suggestion that Parliament should publicly

denounce the tactics used by some Member States in the IGC, said that a

decision should be taken after the meeting of 2 October 2007 with Mr

BARROSO,

in response to Mr SCHULZ, he took the view that all MEPs should have equal

voting rights, regardless of whether the country in which they were elected had

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obtained opt-outs, because they represent not the Member State in question but

their voters,

suggested that one of the questions to be dealt with at the above-mentioned

meeting with Mr BARROSO be the duration of the ratification process of the

new Treaty;

- heard Mr BARÓN CRESPO, who pointed out that the question of what he called

"Parliament's institutional unity" was not new, to the extent that MEPs from the

United Kingdom had always taken part in votes related to areas in which their country

had obtained an opt-out;

- decided to invite Messrs LEINEN, BROK, BARÓN CRESPO and DUFF to

draw up an information note for the MEPs, focused, in particular, on what had

been achieved in the IGC from the point of view of the European Parliament,

attend the extraordinary meeting that the Conference of Presidents will hold in

the presence of Commission President BARROSO on 2 October 2007;

- approved the AFCO Committee's intention to table a report to the plenary on the

formal adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as the proclamation of

the said Charter.

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5a. Report from the delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on Development to

the Palestinian Territories (18-21 September 2007)


- noted a press release issued by the above-mentioned delegation dated 21 September

2007 (PE 395.474/CPG);

- heard Mrs MORGANTINI, member of the delegation, who reported on the visit - in

particular the plight of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip - and presented its

conclusions:

calling on the Council, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and

Security Policy and on the Commission, whose ECHO operations are seriously

impeded, to make urgent representations to the Israeli authorities with a view

to lifting the blockade and reopening the border crossings to Gaza so as to

enable the delivery of necessary supplies,

noting that the situation in the West Bank was equally desperate due to the

checkpoints, closures (roadblocks, etc), the wall, daily military incursions and

the expansion and proliferation of settlements, all of which have turned Hebron

into a ghost town, just like Gaza,

calling on the Commission to come to an agreement with the Palestinian

authorities (the President and the Government of Mr Salam FAYYAD), while

avoiding involvement in the Hamas-Fatah conflict, with a view to fully

resuming its activities in the Gaza Strip;

- heard Mr DAUL, Chair of the EPP-ED Group, who suggested that Ms

MORGANTINI's proposals be followed;

- heard Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, who supported the course of action

suggested by Ms MORGANTINI. However, he signalled his scepticism with regard

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to the Commission's ability to do something to alleviate the Palestinian population's

plight;

- heard Mr MAATEN, acting Chair of the ALDE Group, who agreed that the

humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip was dramatic and proposed that the

Commission and the Council make a statement on the matter during the October-I

part-session in Brussels;

- heard Mrs FRASSONI, Co-Chair of the Green/EFA Group, who

supported the above-mentioned proposal and asked for the adoption of a

resolution to wind up the proposed debate;

said that the EU should intensify its humanitarian activities in the region;

- heard Mr WURTZ, Chair of the GUE/NGL Group, who

thanked both Ms MORGANTINI for her commitment and the President for

having invited her to present her report at this meeting,

pointed out that it was Parliament's duty to draw peoples' attention to the

situation in the Gaza Strip and that it would be very positive if a broad

consensus could emerge in favour of a resolution demanding that the

information provided by Ms MORGANTINI be taken into account;

- heard Ms MUSCARDINI, Co-Chair of the UEN Group, who

thanked Ms MORGANTINI for her report,

agreed with the suggestion to wind up by a resolution the debate which will

follow the Council and Commission declarations on the matter during the

October-I part-session;

- heard the President who thanked Ms MORGANTINI for her work;

- endorsed the conclusions of the delegation;

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- decided to wind up by a resolution the debate that would follow the Council's and

Commission's declarations on 10 October 2007 concerning the humanitarian

situation in the Gaza Strip;

- invited the President to send a letter to the Commission and the Council informing

them of the decision taken by the Conference and inviting them to make a

declaration in plenary on 10 October 2007.

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A. DECISIONS

6. Authorisation for the Committee on Foreign Affairs to draw up an own-initiative report on

EU election-observation missions and, possibly, appointment of two co-rapporteurs –

Letter from the Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs


- noted the following documents:

the above-mentioned letter dated 5 September 2007 (PE 392.664/CPG),

a letter dated 19 September 2007 from Mr SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Chairman of

the Committee on Foreign Affairs, providing justification for the requested

authorisation (PE 395.430/CPG);

- noted the AFET Committee's requested authorisation for:

drawing up an own-initiative report on EU Election Observation Missions;

involving, under the Rule 47 procedure, the Committee on Development in the

drawing up of the report;

appointing two co-rapporteurs on this matter.

- heard Ms FRASSONI, Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA Group, who

supported the drawing up of the own-initiative report in question,

objected to the appointment of two co-rapporteurs;

- heard Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, who pointed out that his Group was in

favour of the AFET Committee's request;

- heard Ms MUSCARDINI, Co-Chair of the UEN Group, who shared Ms

FRASSONI's position;

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- heard Mr MAATEN, acting Chair of the ALDE Group, who expressed himself in

favour of the drawing up of the report but appointing only one rapporteur;

- authorised the drawing up of the report in question, the involvement of the DEVE

Committee under the enhanced cooperation procedure (Rule 47) and the appointment

of two rapporteurs.

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B. EXCHANGES OF VIEWS

7. Proposal for a joint EP/Council and Commission declaration with a view to designating

2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation and to establishing a political

implementing framework – Letter from Mr FIGEL (member of the Commission)


- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 9 August 2007 (PE 392.724/CPG);

- heard brief statements from the President and Ms MUSCARDINI, Co-Chair of the

UEN Group;

- decided to consider this item at a subsequent meeting.

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C PROPOSALS FOR DECISIONS WITHOUT DEBATE

8. Request from the ad hoc Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament for

authorisation to meet in Midrand (South Africa) on 18 and 19 October 2007 (week set

aside for group meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the ad hoc

delegation

The Conference of Presidents, without debate

- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 11 September 2007 and the financial statement

thereof (PE 392.733/CPG and annexes);

- noted the authorisation requested by the ad hoc Delegation for Relations with the Pan-

African Parliament (PAP) to send a working group of up to five of its members to the

8th Ordinary Session of the PAP, to be held in Midrand, South Africa (dates requested:

18-19 October 2007), with a view to preparing the Parliamentary input to the Joint EU-

Africa Strategy for Africa and to the EU-Africa Summit to be held on 8 December

2007 in Lisbon (see item 10);

- noted that so far this year the ad hoc Delegation

a) had sent a two-member working group to South Africa to attend the 7th Ordinary

Session of the PAP (May) and

b) held a meeting with PAP President Mrs MONGELLA in the context of the ACP-

EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Wiesbaden, 26 June);

- pointed out that the above-mentioned forthcoming events as well as meetings held by

President PÖTTERING and President MONGELLA in Wiesbaden and Brussels bear

witness to the great importance attached by the European Parliament to its cooperation

and partnership with the PAP;

- granted the requested authorisation on an exceptional basis, since the dates of the visit

coincide with a period set aside for political group activities.

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9. Attendance by a delegation from the Committee on Development at the European

Development Days from 7 to 9 November 2007 in Lisbon (week set aside for group

meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of that committee


- noted the above-mentioned letter and the financial statement thereof

(PE 395.440/CPG and annexes);

- noted the authorisation requested by the Committee on Development to send a ten-

member delegation to the European Development Days (Lisbon, 7-9 November

2007) organised by the European Commission, which would concentrate on climate

change and its links to development cooperation;

- noted that the delegation in question was not included in the 2007 programme of

travel by committee delegations outside the three places of work of the EP (adopted

by the Bureau on 11 December 2006) and that the 2007 quota of the said committee

was complied with;

- agreed to the above-mentioned request on an exceptional basis due to the fact that the

dates of the event coincide in part with a period set aside for group activities;

- referred the matter to the Bureau, as the competent governing body, for decision.

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10. Twenty-five-member ad hoc delegation to the Second EU-Africa Summit, to be held in

Lisbon on 8 December 2007 – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the

Committee on Development


- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 7 September 2007 and the financial statement

thereof (PE 395.423/CPG and annex);

- recalled its positive response to the President's proposal at its meeting of 20 September

2007 for the holding of an inter-parliamentary meeting in Lisbon on the eve of the EU-

Africa Summit, at which the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament

would each be represented by 25 Members;

- decided that Parliament should be represented at the above-mentioned inter-

parliamentary meeting, scheduled to take place on 7 December 2007 in Lisbon, by an

ad hoc delegation of 25 members to be appointed by the political groups on the basis of

the rolling d'Hondt system, which would also apply to the non-attached Members. As

far as possible, half of the members of the delegation are to be appointed among the

members of the Committee on Development (including ex officio its Chairman and its

rapporteur on the state of play in EU-Africa relations) with the seven members of the ad

hoc Delegation for Relations with the Pan-African Parliament to be also appointed ex

officio members.

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11. Attendance by a working party comprising three members of the Delegation for relations

with Korea at a seminar to be held on 23 and 24 October in North Korea (Strasbourg part-

session week) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the delegation concerned


- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 6 September 2007and the financial statement

thereof (PE 392.725/CPG and annex);

- noted that:

on 14 June 2007, the President had authorised, on an exceptional basis since

the dates would coincide with a constituency week, a working group of the

Delegation for Relations with the Korean Peninsula to visit Seoul from 29

October to 2 November 2007 (visit mentioned in the annual programme for

2007),

in the context of that visit, the working group would participate in the annual

Economic Seminar in Pyongyang, to be organised by the "Friedrich Naumann

Stiftung" on behalf of the European Commission;

- noted that, following in particular the positive developments on nuclear issues, the

North Korean authorities had consented to hold the 2007 Seminar and had fixed

the dates for 23-24 October, which however coincide with the October II part-session

in Strasbourg;

- pointed out that Parliament, through the Delegation set up in 2004, has been trying to

establish contacts and dialogue with the members of the North Korean Legislative

Assembly and Administration, supporting the views shared by the Commission, the

South Korean Government and most EU Member States;

- authorised three members of the working group who will be on mission in Seoul

from 29 October to 2 November 2007, to visit Pyongyang from 23 October with a

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view to addressing the Economic Seminar in question (23-24 October) and pursuing

contacts and dialogue with members of the North Korean Legislative Assembly and

Administration (25-26 October) before joining the rest of the working group in

Seoul. The authorisation was granted on an exceptional basis since the dates of the

visit coincide with the October II part-session.

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12. Invitation from the Commission for five MEPs to be nominated as members of the High-

Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemical Industry in the EU – Letter from the

chairman of the Committee on the Environment


- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 18 September 2007 (PE 395.439/CPG and

annexes);

- noted the Commission Decision of 14 June 2007 (2007/418/EC) "setting up the

High-Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemicals Industry in the European

Union" and Commission Vice-President VERHEUGEN's letter dated 5 July 2007

inviting the Chairs of the ENVI, ITRE and IMCO Committees to make a "joint

nomination" of up to five Members of the European Parliament to that Group;

- recalled its unanimous decision of 15 February 2006 "to abstain from appointing

representatives to the High-Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the

Environment" so as not to compromise Parliament's role as co-legislator on these

matters;

- supported the decision of the ENVI Committee coordinators not to appoint any

members of that Committee to the High-Level Group in question;

- underlined that, pursuant to Rule 24(3) of the Rules of Procedure, Parliament's

relations with other EU institutions and bodies fall within the remit of the Conference

of Presidents;

- reiterated its position of 15 February 2006 and decided that no Member of the

European Parliament should take part, in any capacity, in working groups or advisory

fora (regardless of their denomination) set up by the Commission, where these bodies

deal with subject-matters in which Parliament is co-legislator;

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- invited the President to inform in writing Commission President BARROSO and

Vice-President VERHEUGEN of the decision of the Conference of Presidents on the

matter.

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13. Dispatch of a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections to be held on 22 November

2007 in Nepal – invitation – financial statement – Letter from the co-chairman of the

coordination group


- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 20 September 2007 and the financial

statement thereof (PE 395.438/CPG);

- authorised the sending of a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections in

Nepal, scheduled for 22 November 2007. The delegation would consist of seven

Members, to be appointed by the political groups on the basis of the rolling d'Hondt

system, which would also apply to the non-attached Members.

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14. Urgent matters and other business

14.1 Abolition of the death penalty in Europe


- heard a proposal by Mrs FRASSONI to hold one minute's silence at the beginning of

the sitting of 10 October 2007 (World Day against the death penalty) in the presence

of Commission President BARROSO and the Council Presidency and to pursue

efforts to establish a European Day against the death penalty;

- agreed with the proposal of the President, who indicated that he would make a

statement in plenary on 10 October 2007.

14.2 Naming Parliament's Press room in Strasbourg after Ana POLITKOVSKAYA


- heard Mr WURTZ, Chair of the GUE/NGL Group, who proposed to name

Parliament's Press room in Strasbourg after Ana POLITKOVSKAYA;

- heard the President, who indicated that he was happy for the issue to be addressed by

the Bureau.

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15. Items for information


- noted the following documents:

Inter-institutional correspondence

External correspondence

Internal correspondence

- a letter from Mr GALEOTE, Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, dated 25

September 2007, transmitting the Conference's recommendations of the same date

concerning requests from parliamentary committees to draw up own-initiative reports

(PE 395.460/CPG and annexes);


September 2007, transmitting the Conference's recommendations of the same date

concerning a request for application of the procedure with associated committees (PE

395.461/CPG and annex);


September 2007, concerning cooperation modalities between the CLIM Temporary

Committee and the specialised standing committees concerned (PE 395.464/CPG

and annexes);

- a letter from Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, dated 12 September 2007

concerning modification of the composition of the DROI Sub-committee

(PE 395.448/CPG).

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16. Date and place of next meeting


- decided to hold its next ordinary meeting from 5.00 to 6.30 p.m. on 17 October 2007

in room 6B01 of the Paul-Henri SPAAK building in Brussels.

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*

The meeting closed at 12.00 noon.

* *

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of the meeting of thursday 27-09-2007 - european parliament · 2017-07-24 · pv cpg 27.09.2007...

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