EPP-ED Highlights (4-8 May 2009)

European Council
Debate on Wednesday

EPP-ED Group Chairman Joseph Daul will lead the key debate on the upcoming European Council (18-19 June) that will deal with risks to employment across the EU in the midst of the financial crisis.

Joseph Daul MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5525
Antoine Ripoll, tel: +32-475-856290

New rules for banking sector
Debate on Wednesday

Parliament will vote on the legislative report by Othmar Karas MEP which amends the "Capital Requirements" Directive to improve the transparency and the supervision of the financial system to ensure proper risk management in the banking sector. Leading tough negotiations with Council and Commission, Karas has secured a first reading agreement to have the new legislation approved before the end of current legislative term. This review of the Capital Requirements Directive is a cornerstone of the Union's fundamental legislative answer to the financial crisis. The new rules are designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, reduce risk exposure and improve supervision of banks that operate in more than one EU country.

Othmar Karas MEP, tel.: +33-3-8817-5627
Philipp Schulmeister, tel.: +32-475-790021

Ship source pollution penalties
Debate on Monday

Parliament will approve a new directive to strengthen EU legislation against illegal ship discharges of polluting substances into the sea. The proposal drafted by Luís de Grandes requires criminal penalties not only for serious cases of maritime pollution but also for minor cases if they are repeated, deliberated or caused by serious negligence. Member States will determine the level of penalties, which have to be effective, dissuasive and targeting not only ship-owners but also other agents involved in sea transport, such as cargo owners or classification societies.

Luis De Grandes Pascual MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5512
Pedro López de Pablo, tel.: +32-475-493352

Renewed Social Agenda
Vote on Wednesday

José Silva Peneda's report on the Renewed Social Agenda will be debated on Tuesday. The new Social Agenda aims at enabling EU policy to react effectively to economic and social challenges.

José Albino da Silva Peneda MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5381
Miguel Seabra, tel: +32-475-849000

Animal testing
Debate on Monday

Neil Parish's report updates EU legislation on animal testing. His proposals seek to eventually make animal testing obsolete by encouraging the development of better alternative methods. The report accepts that Europe is not yet in a position to ban all animal tests as this would impede medical research into a number of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. However, Parish insists on a thematic review of primate experiments with a view to eliminating those that are not absolutely necessary for essential medical research.

Neil Parish MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5392
James Holtum, tel: +32-473-211174

EU budget to be revised due to economic crisis
Debate on Tuesday

Parliament will vote on Reimer Böge's report on the revision of the multiannual financial framework to take account of the EU's economic recovery plan allocating additional 5 bn Euro from EU funds to finance trans-european energy connections and broadbrand infrastructures in rural areas. Within the framework of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, Member States shall be enabled to adjust their economies to current changes and challenges. A report by Petya Stavreva MEP examines how Member States can make additional resources available for rural development.

Reimer Böge, MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-7326
Petya Stavreva, MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-7678
Knut Goelz, tel: +32-479-972144

Celebrating 5 years of EU Reunification

In honour of 'Five years of European Union Reunification', EPP-ED Chairman Joseph Daul is hosting a celebratory event on Tuesday, 5 May, at 17.30 hrs in the WIS restaurant in Strasbourg. The event is open to the media.

Robert Fitzhenry, tel: +32-475493356

Working time
Debate Monday

Parliament will take note of the failure of the negotiations to find an agreement with the Council on changes to the Working Time Directive. The EPP-ED Group regrets the failure.

José Albino da Silva Peneda MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5381
Miguel Seabra, tel: +32-475-849000

Impact of the Lisbon Treaty
Debate on Wednesday

Parliament will debate on a series of reports analysing the impact of the Lisbon Treaty. Elmar Brok has prepared a report on the role of national parliaments under the Lisbon Treaty, while Jean-Luc Dehaene's report discusses the results the Lisbon Treaty will have for the power equilibrium within the EU. The Lisbon Treaty will lead to important shifts in the competences of the various institutions, giving Parliament and Council the same powers as regards budget and legislative work. Both Parliament and Council will need to reorganize themselves in order to cope with this new situation, says Jean-Luc Dehaene. Elmar Brok emphasises that the Lisbon Treaty strengthens both the European Parliament as well as national parliaments, thus giving Europe's citizens a greater say in EU legislation. The reports are, of course, subject to the ratification of the Treaty.

Elmar Brok MEP, tel.: +33-3-8817-5323
Jean-Luc Dehaene MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5867
Greet Gysen, tel.: +32-497-028054
Lasse Boehm, tel.: +32-484-656897

Fingerprint system for asylum seekers
Debate on Wednesday

In order to tackle the issues encountered in real life situations and to fulfil the expectations of persons from third countries and people with no country seeking refuge in more than one Member State, a system for the comparison of fingerprints called EURODAC was created. A new proposal aims to make EURODAC more effective in providing international protection to those that need it. Rapporteur Nicolae Vlad

Popa puts forward some improvements to the proposal concerning data collection and data storage.

Nicolae Vlad Popa MEP tel: +33-3-8817-5576
Delia Vlase, tel: +32-476-331038

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
Vote on Tuesday

The EGF was created in 2006 within the framework of the multiannual financial framework. Its main aim is to provide additional support to e.g workers made redundant due to company relocation and to assist them to reintegrate into the labour market. Reimer Böge welcomes the mobilisation of the fund. However, as EPP-ED-rapporteur Gabriele Stauner stresses in another report, this should not jeopardise the financing of the European Social Fund. Stauner tables several proposals to make the EGF more efficient to ensure that those workers directly affected will benefit from the available funding.

Reimer Böge MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-7326
Gabriele Stauner MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5711
Knut Goelz, tel: +32-479-972144

Better cooperation in the audiovisual sector
Vote on Thursday

The report tabled by Ruth Hieronymi deals with the newly established MEDIA Mundus programme which focuses on developing the EU?s relations with third countries' audiovisual markets. Plenary will vote on this programme offering new opportunities for international cooperation and aiming to improve the overall effectiveness of measures to strengthen the EU audiovisual sector.

Ruth Hieronymi MEP, tel.: +33-3-8817-7859
Knut Goelz, tel: +32-479-972144

Community programme on financial services
Debate on Wednesday

With regard to the present financial crisis, the report drafted by Karsten Hoppenstedt calls for the establishment of a Community programme supplying adequate co-financing of supervisory bodies in the financial sector including financial reporting and auditing. The programme should run from 2010 until 2013 to support ongoing reforms of the financial sector including the development of standards, their implementation as well as effective monitoring.

Karsten Hoppenstedt MEP, tel.: +33-3-8817-7660
Knut Goelz, tel: +32-479-972144

Working time for bus drivers
Debate on Monday

Parliament will vote on a report by Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou on the proposal to change rules for working time of bus drivers. The rapporteur calls on the plenary to endorse the result of the vote of the Employment Committee in order to avoid the inclusion of independent workers in the scope of the Directive, as this would have a strongly negative impact on entrepreneurship. Independent and self-employed drivers should have the possibility to work longer if they so wish, as long as safety rules are applied.

Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou MEP, tel.: +33-3-8817-5447
Theo Georgitsopoulos, tel.: +32-475-750566

Bilateral agreements with third countries
Debate on Tuesday

Parliament will debate Tadeusz Zwiefka?s report aiming at establishing a procedure for the negotiation and conclusion of bilateral agreements between Member States and third countries concerning sectoral matters and covering applicable law in contractual and non-contractual obligations.

Tadeusz Zwiefka MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5258
Katarzyna Klaus, tel: +32-484-138359

Self-employed men and women
Debate on Monday

Parliament will vote on a report by Astrid Lulling on the equal treatment of self-employed men and women. This legislative report aims to improve conditions for women working in a self-employed capacity.

Astrid Lulling MEP, tel: +33-3-8817-5386
Marion Jeanne, tel: +32-479-840293

Press Conferences:

Tuesday @ 11.00: EPP-ED Group Chairman Joseph Daul will give the regular EPP-ED briefing, accompanied by Othmar Karas (on the CRD)

Tuesday after the votes: Neil Parish on the use of animals in scientific experiments

Tuesday @ 15.30: Jacques Toubon a.o. on 'European Film Directors meet MEPs: The
Telecom Package and the cinematographic creation'

Wednesday after the votes (press working room): Othmar Karas will be available for comments on the vote on the Capital Requirements Directive

Wednesday @ 15.30: Astrid Lulling on equal treatment between self-employed men and women

Wednesday @ 16.30: Malcolm Harbour a.o. on the telecoms package