Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting: see Minutes


11. EU-Serbia relations (vote)
- Kacin report
- Before the vote on Amendment 8
(DE) Mr President, I wanted to say a word on this amendment. We had to make a correction there, and I ask Mr Schöpflin and other Members to vote in favour, because there was a mistake in the original text. 1992 is the wrong year. We would keep that mistake in the recommendation if we did not vote for Mr Kacin's amendment. Let us please vote for this amendment.
- Before the vote on Amendment 29
rapporteur. - Mr President, I have an oral amendment to Paragraph 29, because there is something that has to be deleted. In the English version, the words 'both entities of' have to be deleted. Otherwise, the split vote would not make sense.
This has been agreed by the PPE-DE Group.
(The oral amendment was adopted.)
- After the vote
Mr President, on a point of order, I rise under Rule 166, which says that the Member shall first specify to which rule he is referring. I am referring to that one.
I understand that you cut off Mr Martin before he had a chance to finish what he wanted to say. He was making a point about yesterday.
Yesterday, Mr Schulz made a lengthy political statement without referring to the rule under which he was speaking. It was allowed by the President, whereas Mr Martin was cut off.
I think there is a bias at work here and a double standard, where those in favour of the EU are allowed to say what they want and those who are not in favour of it are cut off.
Could we have an even application of the Rules please?
(Applause from the right)
I am in the chair today, and I always endeavour to apply the Rules of Procedure as prescribed.


11. Amendment of the Rules of Procedure concerning the hearings of Commissioners-designate (


11. Trade and economic relations with Ukraine (vote)
Zaleski report
- Before the vote:
rapporteur. - (DE) Mr President, before the vote I, together with my colleagues from the Committee on International Trade, should like to say thank you for the successful work that has been done, which allows us to save time due to the absence of amendments.
This report should send a clear signal to the new government and the parliament in Ukraine that, for our part, we have done everything necessary to ensure that the negotiations for the free-trade area can take place. We are trusting partners in this dialogue. If there is a representative from Ukraine here today, please would he or she tell the national parliament that the European Parliament recommends voting without delay on the application by Ukraine for accession to the WTO, and ratifying this accession as soon as a decision has been made in Geneva.
For the mutual benefit of both the EU and Ukraine, I would ask you all now please to support this report. Thank you very much.
(Applause)
Mr Zaleski, if I were allowed to congratulate you on how well you express yourself in my own language, I would do so.