WRITTEN QUESTION E-1254/02 by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Council. Attendance at Council Meetings.
Date: 2002-05-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Council of the European Union, Member of the European Parliament, interinstitutional relations (EU), non-governmental organisation, political representation, public conduct of debates

C 309 E/102

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

12.12.2002

The way in which Romania regulates exit from its territory of its own nationals currently falls
2.
entirely within its own jurisdiction since the rules of Community law relating to free movement of people
(which provide in particular that the territory may be left simply on presentation of an identity card or
passport) do not yet apply.

The rules on exit checks when leaving Romanian territory should be viewed in the light of the

3.
current arrangements for the entry of Romanian nationals into the territory of the Member States.

Since 1 January 2002 (1), Romanian nationals are no longer required to possess a short-stay visa to enter
the Schengen countries. This being the case, they must fulfil the entry conditions specified by Article 5(1)
of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement (2). One of these is the requirement to have
sufficient means of subsistence. The Schengen countries have not as yet set a harmonised amount of
means of subsistence. Some of them apply a reference amount while others do not (3). These reference
amounts, which are indicative in nature, are to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the
actual situations that arise.

The authorities take account in particular of the length of stay envisaged, the conditions of the intended
stay and the type of accommodation. The existence of a sponsorship arrangement or invitation is an
important element in assessing whether the means the person in question has at his disposal will allow
him to meet his needs during his stay.

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2414/2001 of 7 December 2001 amending Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 listing the
third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders of Member States
and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (OJ L 327, 12.12.2001). This Regulation is binding on
the Member States, except Ireland and the United Kingdom, and on Iceland and Norway.

(2) OJ L 239, 22.9.2000.
(3) Common Consular Instructions, Annex 7, ‘Reference amounts required for crossing borders fixed annually by the

national authorities’ (OJ L 239, 22.9.2000).

(2002/C 309 E/118)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1254/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Council

(6 May 2002)

Subject: Attendance at Council Meetings

Would the Council please clarify what precedents there have been for attendance by Parliamentarians or
NGO’s at Council meetings?

Reply

(30 September 2002)

Under Article 5(1) of the Council’s Rules of Procedure (1):
‘Meetings of the Council shall not be public
except in cases referred to in Article 8’ which relates to public debates. Under paragraph 2 of this Article:
‘The Commission shall be invited to take part in meetings of the Council. The same applies to the
European Central Bank in cases where it exercises its right of initiative. The Council may, however, decide
to deliberate without the presence of the Commission or of the European Central Bank’. Under paragraph 3
‘The members of the Council and of the Commission may be accompanied by officials who assist them
(…)’.

There are no instances where a Member of the European Parliament or a representative of an NGO has
been invited to attend a meeting of the Council. As to members of national parliaments, the Council has
not been informed that there would have been a member of a national parliament as part of the delegation
of a member of the Council.

This should not be confused with informal meetings between Ministers and Members of the European
Parliament which occasionally take place in the margins of meetings of the Council.

(1) OJ L 149, 23.6.2000.