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.