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MINUTES

(2005/C 320 E/01)

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SITTING

IN THE CHAIR: Josep BORRELL FONTELLES

President

1.   Resumption of session

The sitting opened at 17.05.

2.   Statements by the President

The President made a series of statements on topical subjects and matters brought up by Members.

3.   Approval of Minutes of previous sitting

Erratum to Item 7 of the ‘Results of Votes’ Annex to the Minutes of 24.02.2005: the footnote reference relating to § 89 should be deleted.

Corrections to votes:

Commission legislative and work programme (RC-B6-0106/2005)

The Minutes of the previous sitting were approved.

4.   Approval by the Council of Parliament's positions adopted at first reading (Rule 66)

The Council had informed the House that, in accordance with Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty, it had approved the position adopted by Parliament at first reading on 17 November 2004 with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste (2004/0045(COD)).

The act in question was thus adopted. It would be signed by the President of Parliament, with the President of the Council, in accordance with Rule 68 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure.

In addition, the President had received from the Council a corrigendum to the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directives 73/239/EEC, 85/611/EEC, 91/675/EEC, 92/49/ EEC and 93/6/EEC and Directives 94/19/EC, 98/78/EC, 2000/12/EC, 2001/34/EC, 2002/83/EC and 2002/ 87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council in order to establish a new organisational structure for financial services committees (6429/1/2005 — C6-0051/2005 — 2003/0263(COD)).

The corrigendum replaced the whole of the text adopted by Parliament on 31 March 2004 and by the Council on 21 December 2004. In accordance with Rule 40(1), the President had referred the corrigendum to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and should the committee deliver a favourable opinion on the corrigendum, the text would be submitted to Parliament during the following day's voting time to enable the President and the President of the Council to sign the act in question on Wednesday.

5.   Approval by the Council of Parliament's positions adopted at second reading

The Council had informed the House that, in accordance with Article 251(3) of the EC Treaty, it had approved the position adopted by Parliament at second reading on 27 January 2005 with a view to the adoption of a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a multiannual Community programme to make digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable (2004/0025 (COD)).

The act in question was thus adopted. It would be signed by the President of Parliament, with the President of the Council, in accordance with Rule 68 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure.

6.   Membership of committees and delegations

On a request from the PPE-DE Group, Parliament ratified the following decisions:

ECON Committee:

Delegation for relations with Iran

Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

7.   Documents received

The following documents had been received:

8.   Written declarations (Rule 116)

In accordance with Rule 116(5), written declarations Nos 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53/2004 lapsed as they had not obtained the required number of signatures.

9.   Order of business

The next item was the order of business.

The final draft agenda for the March part-session (PE 356.301/PDOJ) had been distributed. The following changes had been proposed under Rule 132:

Sittings of 07.03.2005 to 10.03.2005

Monday

Tuesday:

The Commission had informed the Chair that Charlie McCreevy could make the statements between 18.00 and 18.30.

On behalf of the ALDE Group, Graham Watson asked that both statements be made on Tuesday so as not to change Wednesday's agenda.

The following spoke: Hannes Swoboda, on behalf of the PSE Group, Monica Frassoni, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Francis Wurtz, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, who echoed Graham Watson's request, and Françoise Grossetête, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, who supported the Verts/ALE Group's request concerning services, but called for the two requests to be put to the vote separately.

The following spoke: Monica Frassoni, to make a clarification, Bernd Posselt, who insisted that Commission Question Time should not be cut short, and Hans-Gert Poettering on the voting procedure.

The President put the two requests to the vote separately.

Parliament agreed to the Verts/ALE Group's request.

Via electronic vote, Parliament agreed to the PSE Group's request (137 for, 110 against, 5 abstentions).

Malcolm Harbour spoke (the President cut him off because his remarks did not constitute a point of order).

Wednesday:

The following spoke: Graham Watson, on behalf of the ALDE Group, and Françoise Grossetête, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group.

Parliament approved the request.

Thursday

***

The order of business was thus established.

10.   One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Pursuant to Rule 144, the following Members who wished to draw the attention of Parliament to matters of political importance spoke for one minute:

Marco Pannella, Malcolm Harbour, Gary Titley, Pál Schmitt, Witold Tomczak, Pedro Guerreiro, José Ribeiro e Castro, Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop, Anders Samuelsen, Gay Mitchell, Lissy Gröner, Sylwester Chruszcz, Georgios Karatzaferis, Carlos José Iturgaiz Angulo, Ana Maria Gomes, Vittorio Agnoletto, Diana Wallis, John Bowis, Hannes Swoboda, Evelyne Gebhardt, István Szent-Iványi, James Nicholson, Philip Claeys, Dorette Corbey, Frederika Brepoels, Csaba Sándor Tabajdi and Koenraad Dillen.

11.   EIB activity report 2003 (debate)

Report on the activity report for 2003 of the European Investment Bank (2004/2187(INI)) — Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.

Rapporteur: Alain Lipietz (A6-0032/2005)

Alain Lipietz (rapporteur) introduced the report.

IN THE CHAIR: Edward McMILLAN-SCOTT

Vice-President

Andris Piebalgs (Member of the Commission) spoke.

The following spoke: Corien Wortmann-Kool, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Manuel António dos Santos, on behalf of the PSE Group, Sophia in 't Veld, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Esko Seppänen, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Johannes Blokland, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, and Hans-Peter Martin, Nonattached Member, who began by expressing his disappointment that the President had not given him the floor during the one-minute speeches earlier that evening, Othmar Karas, Ieke van den Burg, Gabriele Zimmer, Ryszard Czarnecki, Katerina Batzeli, Philippe Maystadt (President of the European Investment Bank) and Hans-Peter Martin, who made a personal statement in response to Ieke van den Burg's remarks.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 08.03.2005, Item 9.5

12.   Conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks ***II (debate)

Recommendation for second reading on the common position adopted by the Council with a view to the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks (11652/2/2004 — C6-0188/2004 — 2003/0302(COD)) — Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.

Rapporteur: Esko Seppänen (A6-0012/2005).

Esko Seppänen (rapporteur) introduced the recommendation for second reading.

Andris Piebalgs (Member of the Commission) spoke.

Herbert Reul spoke on behalf of the PPE-DE Group.

IN THE CHAIR: Miroslav OUZKÝ

Vice-President

The following spoke: Bernhard Rapkay, on behalf of the PSE Group, Vittorio Prodi, on behalf of the ALDE Group, Daniel Caspary, Reino Paasilinna and Andris Piebalgs.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 08.03.2005, Item 9.2

13.   Alternative forms of energy (debate)

Oral questions tabled by:

Hannes Swoboda, Dimitrios Papadimoulis, Claude Turmes and Lena Ek moved the oral questions.

Andris Piebalgs (Member of the Commission) answered the questions.

The following spoke: Giles Chichester, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Reino Paasilinna, on behalf of the PSE Group, Claude Turmes, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Peter Liese, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Alyn Smith, Werner Langen, Lambert van Nistelrooij, Nikolaos Vakalis, Péter Olajos and Andris Piebalgs.

IN THE CHAIR: Janusz ONYSZKIEWICZ

Vice-President

The debate closed.

The following spoke: Giles Chichester, who made a personal statement in response to Hannes Swoboda's remarks, and Hannes Swoboda.

14.   Community air traffic controller licence ***I (debate)

Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on a Community Air Traffic Controller Licence (COM(2004)0473 — C6-0076/2004 — 2004/0146(COD)) — Committee on Transport and Tourism.

Rapporteur: Ingo Schmitt (A6-0038/2005)

Jacques Barrot (Vice-President of the Commission) spoke.

Ingo Schmitt (rapporteur) introduced the report.

The following spoke: Reinhard Rack, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Ulrich Stockmann, on behalf of the PSE Group, Eva Lichtenberger, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Helmuth Markov, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group, Michael Henry Nattrass, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Mieczysław Edmund Janowski, on behalf of the UEN Group, Luís Queiró, Gilles Savary and Jacques Barrot.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 08.03.2005, Item 9.4

15.   Social security schemes ***II (debate)

Recommendation for second reading on the Council common position for adopting a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community and Regulation (EEC) No 574/72 laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 (12062/3/2004 — C6-0189/2004 — 2003/0184(COD)) — Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.

Rapporteur: Proinsias De Rossa (A6-0003/2005)

Jan Andersson (deputising for the rapporteur) introduced the recommendation for second reading.

Jacques Barrot (Vice-President of the Commission) spoke.

The following spoke: Ria Oomen-Ruijten, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, Jean Lambert, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Derek Roland Clark, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group, Ljudmila Novak and Jacques Barrot.

The debate closed.

Vote: Minutes of 08.03.2005, Item 9.3

16.   Agenda for next sitting

The agenda for the next sitting had been established (‘Agenda’ PE 356.301/OJMA).

17.   Closure of sitting

The sitting closed at 21.15.

18.   Closure of session

The 2004-2005 session of the European Parliament closed.

In accordance with the Treaty, Parliament would meet the following day, Tuesday, 8 March 2005 at 09.00.

Julian Priestley

Secretary-General

Luigi Cocilovo

Vice-Chairman

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ATTENDANCE REGISTER

The following signed:

Adamou, Adwent, Agnoletto, Allister, Andersson, Andrejevs, Andria, Antoniozzi, Arnaoutakis, Ashworth, Assis, Atkins, Attard-Montalto, Attwooll, Auken, Ayala Sender, Ayuso González, Badía i Cutchet, Barón Crespo, Batten, Battilocchio, Batzeli, Bauer, Beazley, Becsey, Beer, Beglitis, Belder, Belet, Belohorská, Beňová, Berend, Berès, van den Berg, Berger, Berlinguer, Birutis, Blokland, Bloom, Bobošíková, Böge, Bösch, Bonde, Bonino, Booth, Borghezio, Borrell Fontelles, Bourzai, Bowis, Bradbourn, Mihael Brejc, Brepoels, Breyer, Březina, Brie, Brok, Budreikaitė, van Buitenen, Buitenweg, Bullmann, van den Burg, Bushill-Matthews, Busk, Cabrnoch, Calabuig Rull, Callanan, Camre, Capoulas Santos, Carlshamre, Carnero González, Casa, Casaca, Cashman, Caspary, del Castillo Vera, Catania, Cavada, Cederschiöld, Cercas, Chichester, Chiesa, Chmielewski, Chruszcz, Claeys, Clark, Coelho, Cohn-Bendit, Corbett, Corbey, Cornillet, Correia, António Costa, Cottigny, Coûteaux, Coveney, Cramer, Marek Aleksander Czarnecki, Ryszard Czarnecki, Daul, Davies, de Brún, Degutis, De Keyser, Demetriou, Deprez, De Sarnez, Descamps, Deß, Deva, De Veyrac, De Vits, Díaz de Mera García Consuegra, Dičkutė, Didžiokas, Díez González, Dillen, Dimitrakopoulos, Dobolyi, Dombrovskis, Doorn, Dover, Drčar Murko, Duchoň, Duff, Duin, Duka-Zólyomi, Duquesne, Ehler, Ek, El Khadraoui, Elles, Estrela, Ettl, Falbr, Farage, Fernandes, Fernández Martín, Elisa Ferreira, Figueiredo, Fjellner, Flasarová, Florenz, Ford, Fotyga, Fourtou, Fraga Estévez, Frassoni, Freitas, Friedrich, Fruteau, Gahler, Gaľa, García-Margallo y Marfil, García Pérez, Gargani, Garriga Polledo, Gauzès, Gebhardt, Gentvilas, Geremek, Gibault, Gierek, Giertych, Gill, Gklavakis, Glante, Glattfelder, Goebbels, Goepel, Golik, Gollnisch, Gomes, Gomolka, Grabowski, Graça Moura, Graefe zu Baringdorf, Gräßle, de Grandes Pascual, Gröner, de Groen-Kouwenhoven, Grosch, Grossetête, Gruber, Guardans Cambó, Guellec, Guerreiro, Gutiérrez-Cortines, Guy-Quint, Gyürk, Hänsch, Hall, Hammerstein Mintz, Hamon, Hannan, Harbour, Harms, Hassi, Hatzidakis, Haug, Hazan, Heaton-Harris, Hedkvist Petersen, Hegyi, Helmer, Henin, Hennicot-Schoepges, Herczog, Herranz García, Herrero-Tejedor, Hieronymi, Hökmark, Honeyball, Hoppenstedt, Horáček, Hortefeux, Howitt, Hudacký, Hudghton, Hughes, Hutchinson, Ilves, in 't Veld, Isler Béguin, Iturgaiz Angulo, Jäätteenmäki, Jałowiecki, Janowski, Járóka, Jeggle, Jensen, Jöns, Jørgensen, Jordan Cizelj, Juknevičienė, Kaczmarek, Karas, Karatzaferis, Karim, Kasoulides, Kaufmann, Tunne Kelam, Kilroy-Silk, Kindermann, Kinnock, Kirkhope, Klamt, Klaß, Klinz, Knapman, Kohlíček, Konrad, Korhola, Kósáné Kovács, Koterec, Kozlík, Krarup, Krasts, Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Krehl, Kreissl-Dörfler, Kristovskis, Krupa, Kuc, Kudrycka, Kuhne, Kułakowski, Kušķis, Kusstatscher, Kuźmiuk, Lagendijk, Laignel, Lamassoure, Lambert, Lambrinidis, Lang, Langen, Langendries, Laperrouze, Laschet, Lax, Lechner, Le Foll, Lehideux, Lehne, Lehtinen, Leichtfried, 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Sterckx, Stevenson, Stihler, Stockmann, Strejček, Strož, Stubb, Sturdy, Sudre, Sumberg, Surján, Svensson, Swoboda, Szájer, Szent-Iványi, Tabajdi, Takkula, Tannock, Tarabella, Tarand, Thyssen, Titford, Titley, Tomczak, Toubon, Toussas, Trakatellis, Triantaphyllides, Trüpel, Turmes, Tzampazi, Uca, Ulmer, Väyrynen, Vaidere, Vakalis, Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, Vanhecke, Van Hecke, Van Orden, Varela Suanzes-Carpegna, Varvitsiotis, Vatanen, Vidal-Quadras Roca, Villiers, Vincenzi, Virrankoski, Vlasto, Voggenhuber, Wallis, Walter, Watson, Weiler, Westlund, Whitehead, Wieland, Wiersma, Wise, von Wogau, Wohlin, Wortmann-Kool, Wuermeling, Wurtz, Wynn, Xenogiannakopoulou, Yañez-Barnuevo García, Záborská, Zaleski, Zani, Zatloukal, Ždanoka, Železný, Zieleniec, Zīle, Zimmer, Zingaretti, Zvěřina

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