The House will debate the outcome of the summit on Tuesday morning with the Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates.
President Pöttering stated that the Reform Treaty would be signed in Lisbon on 13 December.
On 12 December, he said, there would be a formal ceremony in Strasbourg for the signing of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as part of the Reform Treaty. He also congratulated the three MEP representatives at the Intergovernmental Conference - Enrique BARÓN CRESPO (PES, ES), Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE) and Andrew DUFF (ALDE, UK).
In response to a question from Daniel COHN-BENDIT (Greens/EFA, DE), President Pöttering underlined that the President of the European Parliament would have full voting rights.
Changes to the agenda
At the request of Daniel COHN-BENDIT (Greens/EFA, DE)and with the support of Graham WATSON (ALDE, UK), MEPs voted in favour of adding a vote on a resolution to the EU-Russia debate. The debate takes place on Wednesday, the vote on the resolution will take place on Thursday. The EU-Russia summit is to be held in Mafra (Portugal) on Friday 26 October 2007.
The House also voted in favour of replacing Uzebekistan with Pakistan for the debates and votes on human rights issues on Thursday afternoon. The situation in Uzebekistan will be taken at the next plenary session.
Highlights of the week:
The key debate of the Strasbourg week is the outcome of the Informal Summit and the Reform Treaty with MEPs debating with Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates and Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Parliament will debate and vote on three reports on pesticides. Smoking in public places will come under close scrutiny. The House also debates and votes on carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars. Two prize-winners will be announced: the winner of the Sakharov Prize for freedom of expression and the Lux (light) Prize for European cinema. The House also debates and votes on the EU 2008 budget. Afghanistan, Serbia and Russia are among the key debates on foreign affairs.
Monday 22 October 2007
The session starts with MEPs debating three reports on plans to modernise EU law on pesticides (part of the "pesticides package"). From their different standpoints, the chemicals industry, farmers, health professionals, environmentalists and the general public will be watching to see if the plenary endorses the amendments adopted by the EP Environment Committee. The vote takes place on Tuesday 23 October. A press conference follows at 3pm on Tuesday.
Later on Monday evening, Parliament will debate a report on conventional energy sources and energy technology. The need to produce and use energy more safely, efficiently and sustainably across the Union is underlined in an own-initiative report proposed by the EP Industry Committee.
Richard Corbett (PES, UK, Labour Yorkshire) will present his report on the verbatim coverage of debates in plenary.
On Monday evening, the EP debates a non-binding report from Chris Davies (ALDE, UK, Liberal Democrat, North West) saying that carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars should be capped at an average of 120g/km from 2012, because the industry's voluntary commitment to reduce them is not working. About 19% of the EU's CO2 emissions come from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The vote takes place on Wednesday.
As part of a joint debate on Community statistics, Sharon Bowles (ALDE, UK, Liberal Democrat, South East) will present her legislative report on the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board.
Tuesday 23 October 2007
At 10am on Tuesday morning, MEPs will debate the outcome of the informal summit of heads and state government taking place in Lisbon on 18 and 19 October. The Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates will explain the outcome of the key summit with Commission President José Manuel Barroso giving his view.
Tuesday afternoon is dedicated to the first reading of the EU budget for 2008. MEPs in the Budgets Committee wish to reduce the amount allocated in the budget to the Common Foreign and Security Policy and to use the flexibility instrument to fund the EU's external policy. Funding for Galileo and the European Institute of Technology is sharply increased. If the plenary approves these proposals, some hard bargaining with the Council is in store. The vote takes place on Thursday.
On Tuesday evening, MEPs will debate a report from the Environment Committee on wide-ranging restrictions on smoking in public places and rules to make it harder for underage people to buy cigarettes. The own-initiative report, drafted by Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, DE) in response to a Commission consultation paper, says that 650,000 people a year die from smoking, including 80,000 from passive smoking, with children and unborn babies being particularly vulnerable.
Wednesday 24 October 2007
Wednesday starts with a debate on EU-Turkey relations with the Foreign Affairs Committee welcoming the recent elections in Turkey, especially the new government's renewed commitment to reforms. In a resolution being proposed, two years after the accession negotiations with Turkey began, the committee also indicates areas in which further progress was still necessary, especially concerning the content of upcoming constitutional reforms.
The House will also debate the forthcoming EU-Russia summit to be held in Mafra (Portugal) on Friday 26 October 2007. President Putin recently announced that he would take part in Russia's legislative elections.
At 11.50am the LUX (light) Prize for European cinema will be awarded by the European Parliament President, Hans-Gert Pöttering. The prize goes to the director of the winning film from the three films in competition. A trophy, inspired by a representation of the Tower of Babel which forms the LUX Prize's visual identity, will be given to the laureate.
The International Trade Committee will vote on Monday 22 October on granting Parliament's assent to amendment to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). If the committee takes its vote, Parliament will debate on Wednesday 24 and vote in plenary on Thursday 25 on the report by Gianluca SUSTA (ALDE, IT).
Wednesday night also sees Parliament debating the production of opium for medical purposes in Afghanistan. The EP Foreign Affairs Committee is urging the Council to put forward a plan to the Afghan government which would include the possibility of a pilot project to turn part of the illicit poppy crop into legal opium-based analgesics.
Thursday 25 October 2007
Parliament debates the activities of the European Ombudsman in 2006. The European Ombudsman, Mr Nikoforos Diamandouros will be present for the debate. The report says that the Ombudsman has continued to exercise his powers in a balanced and energetic way both with regard to examining and handling complaints, and conducting and concluding enquiries, and with regard to maintaining constructive relations with the European Union's institutions and encouraging citizens to avail themselves of their rights in relation to those institutions.
The winner of this 2007 Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought will be announced by the Conference of Presidents on Thursday. The three candidates are: Deceased Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Sudanese lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman and Chinese dissidents Zeng Jinyan and Hu Jia.
As is usual, the session ends with three debates and votes on human rights issues in the world. On this occasion, the topics are: Iran, Pakistan and Sudan - killing of African Union soldiers.
Author: European Parliament
