Enlargement Issues Set To Dominate Plenary Session

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT : ENLARGEMENT ISSUES SET TO DOMINATE PLENARY SESSION

 

European Report

September 25, 2006

 

The European Parliament's second plenary session this month, which

will be held in Strasbourg from 25 to 28 September, will focus on

enlargement with the adoption of the Eurlings report' on Turkey's

progress towards accession, and a Commission declaration on Bulgaria

and Romania's entry into the EU. Parliament is also due to vote on

the Rapkay report' on Services of General Interest.

 

Turkey must relaunch reforms, normalise relations with Cyprus and

recognise the Armenian genocide. This in substance is the tenor of

the own-initiative report by Camiel Eurlings (EPP-ED, NL), which will

be examined in plenary session following its adoption by the Foreign

Affairs Committee on 4 September. While the rapporteur welcomes the

opening of negotiations with Turkey, he nevertheless regrets the

slow pace of the reform process in the country. Accession remains

the objective of negotiations, even though it cannot be considered

automatic. MEPs will vote on the report on 27 September, but the

outcome remains uncertain since some 79 amendments have been tabled.

 

While the EPP-ED has already pledged its support for the text, the

Socialists (PES) reserve the right to reject it if certain amendments

are not retained. The European Commission has, meanwhile, postponed

until 8 November (two weeks later than originally scheduled) the

publication of its annual report on progress made by Turkey towards

EU accession.

 

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn will present a communication to

the EP on 26 September on the progress made by Bulgaria and Romania

towards their EU accession. The Commission must in effect decide

whether to maintain the 1 January 2007 date for the two countries'

entry into the European Union and decide whether to trigger certain

safeguards. An exchange of views will follow but the real debate will

come on 11 October in Brussels at the mini plenary session.

 

Parliament will vote on the two resolutions the following day. The

various groups generally expect the accession date to be maintained

at 1 January 2007.

 

INVESTITURE OF COMMISSIONERS

 

In another field, the own-initiative report by Bernhard Rapkay (PES,

DE) on the Commission White Paper on Services of General Interest will

be debated on 26 September in the presence of Commission President Jose

Manuel Barroso. The vote will take place the following day. The text

looks at how EU legislation should affect public services provided in

the member states. The report reflects a consensus negotiated between

the different political groups.

 

The plenary assembly will also examine the recommendation from its

Committee on Budgetary Control to grant discharge to the European

Parliament's president for the 2004 budget year. This vote has been

postponed since April following the controversy over EP buildings in

Strasbourg. However, the settlement now appears to be in sight. In

this context, the Budget Committee, which meets on 26 September,

must decide whether or not to approve the acquisition of buildings

for a total of E143.125 million.

 

On the fringes of the plenary session, and in addition to the solemn

session on 26 September with the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson

Sirleaf, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora will address the

Conference of Presidents of Political Groups on 27 September.

 

Symbolically, the plenary session will be interrupted for an hour

and a half to allow this Conference to be opened exceptionally

to all MEPs. However, since this meeting will also be held in the

Parliament chamber, there will be little visible difference with the

plenary session.

 

Finally, three nominees among the ten candidates for the 2006 Sakharov

Prize will be revealed on evening of 25 September. The winner will be

chosen in October. On 28 September, the Conference of Presidents is

expected to begin discussing a date and procedures for the investiture

of the future Bulgarian and Romanian commissioners as well as current

commissioners who will be required to change their portfolio. A priori,

the commissioners should be appointed at the end of October, appear

before the European Parliament in November and be invested by the

December plenary session.

 

 

PS: In the years to come Armenian diplomacy should rise and shine, because we hardly would have another chance. The recognition of the Genocide is an issue that would be dicided by Washington. Turks have no say in that, but the recognition is the first step. The next step is the re-negotiation of the border between Europe and ARmenia. The next step is the "pay back" Of ALL STOLEN from Armenians money that were kept in European banks. Germany and Swiss should open their turkish accounts and give full report of what, when and how. Then the next step is that this money should be transfered into Armenian accounts, not as institutional or blah-blah help by Europe, but as I said a pay back of what has been due for loooong time!!!

 

The Queen of Britan should pull out the Cillician tresures of the last ARmenian kingdom under her bed and should in official ceremony hand them over to the Armenian president.

 

Later