AFTER 1965 THE PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE SESSIONS OR THE PRACTICE OF THE PARLIAMENT WERE SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED IN RELATION TO THE PREVIOUS PERIOD . AS AT THE TIME OF THE FACTS WHICH GAVE RISE TO CASE 101/63 , THE ANNUAL SESSIONS OF THE PARLIAMENT FOLLOW EACH OTHER WITHOUT A BREAK .
10 IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 21 OF THE STATUTE OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EEC , THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WAS INVITED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE CONCLUSIONS IN RELATION TO THE SCOPE OF PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY WHICH IN ITS VIEW FOLLOW FROM THE LEGAL PROVISIONS CONCERNING THE ORGANIZATION OF ITS SESSIONS AND FROM ITS OWN PRACTICE IN THAT REGARD . IT STATED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY DEFINITION OF THE WORD ' SESSION ' IN THE TREATIES OR ANY LIMIT PLACED ON THEIR DURATION BY THE TREATIES , IT WAS FOR THE PARLIAMENT ITSELF TO DETERMINE THE DURATION OF ITS SESSIONS ; IT HAD DONE SO BY DECIDING THAT EACH SESSION SHOULD LAST FOR A YEAR . THE PARLIAMENT EMPHASIZES THAT THAT DECISION CORRESPONDS TO THE ACTUAL SITUATION SINCE , LEAVING ASIDE THE MONTH OF AUGUST AND THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY PERIOD , THE ACTIVITY OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND ITS VARIOUS ORGANS ( THE BUREAU , THE ENLARGED BUREAU , THE COLLEGE OF QUAESTORS , AD HOC COMMITTEES , PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS ) IN FACT CONTINUES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR .
11 IN ORDER TO REPLY TO THE COUR D ' APPEL ' S QUESTION , IT IS NECESSARY IN THE FIRST PLACE TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF ARTICLE 10 OF THE PROTOCOL , ACCORDING TO WHICH THE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ENJOY , ' DURING THE SESSIONS OF THE ASSEMBLY . . . ( A ) IN THE TERRITORY OF THEIR OWN STATE , THE IMMUNITIES ACCORDED TO MEMBERS OF THEIR PARLIAMENT ' , REQUIRES THAT REFERENCE SHOULD BE MADE TO NATIONAL LAW NOT ONLY IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE ACTUAL SCOPE OF THE IMMUNITY OF MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT BUT ALSO IN ORDER TO INTERPRET THE WORD ' SESSION ' .
12 IT MUST BE POINTED OUT IN THAT REGARD THAT ARTICLE 10 EXPRESSLY REFERS TO THE CONCEPT OF A SESSION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT . IT FOLLOWS THAT TO REFER TO NATIONAL LAW IN ORDER TO INTERPRET THAT CONCEPT WOULD BE INCOMPATIBLE NOT ONLY WITH THE WORDING OF THE PROTOCOL BUT ALSO WITH THE VERY OBJECTIVE OF THAT PROVISION , WHICH IS INTENDED TO ENSURE IMMUNITY FOR THE SAME PERIOD FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT , WHATEVER THEIR NATIONALITY .
13 IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING CONSIDERATIONS IT MUST THEREFORE BE HELD THAT THE DURATION OF SESSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CAN BE DETERMINED ONLY IN THE LIGHT OF COMMUNITY LAW .
14 IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THERE ARE PROVISIONS OF COMMUNITY LAW DETERMINING THE DURATION OF SESSIONS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT .
15 IT MUST BE POINTED OUT FIRST OF ALL THAT