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PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG
EN EN
PE-6/CPG/PV/2007-24
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS
MINUTES
of the meeting of Thursday
27-09-2007
Louise WEISS Building - Room R 1.1
- - -
STRASBOURG
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 2/33
EN
PE-6/CPG/PV/2007-24
CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS
MINUTES
of the ordinary meeting of
Thursday, 27 September 2007
from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm
Louise WEISS Building – Room R 1.1
Strasbourg
CONTENTS
Page
1. Adoption of draft agenda ............................................................................................................ 7
2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 5 July 2007 ......................................................................... 8
2a. Modification of the final draft agenda for the October-I part-session (10-11 October
2007). .......................................................................................................................................... 9
3. Preliminary draft agenda for the October-II part-session (22 to 25 October 2007) -
scheduling of debates in plenary .............................................................................................. 10
4. Statements by the President ...................................................................................................... 11
4.1 Official visits by the President.................................................................................................. 11
4.2 The European Parliament and the Middle East ........................................................................ 11
5. Preparation of the Conference of Presidents' meeting with Mr BARROSO
concerning the Amending Treaty and the 2008 Legislative and Work Programme and
involving the three Parliament representatives to the IGC and Mr LEINEN ........................... 12
5a. Report from the delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on Development
to the Palestinian Territories (18-21 September 2007) ............................................................. 17
6. Authorisation for the Committee on Foreign Affairs to draw up an own-initiative
report on EU election-observation missions and, possibly, appointment of two co-
rapporteurs – Letter from the chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen .............. 20
PV CPG 27.09.2007
3/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
7. Proposal for a joint EP/Council and Commission declaration with a view to
designating 2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation and to
establishing a political implementing framework – Letter from Mr FIGEL (member
of the Commission) ................................................................................................................... 22
8. Request from the ad hoc Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament for
authorisation to meet in Midrand (South Africa) on 18 and 19 October 2007 (week
set aside for group meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the
ad hoc delegation ...................................................................................................................... 23
9. Attendance by a delegation from the Committee on Development at the European
Development Days from 7 to 9 November 2007 in Lisbon (week set aside for group
meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of that committee ....................... 24
10. Twenty-five-member ad hoc delegation to the Second EU-Africa Summit, to be held
in Lisbon on 8 December 2007 – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of
the Committee on Development ............................................................................................... 25
11. Attendance by a working party comprising three members of the Delegation for
relations with Korea at a seminar to be held on 23 and 24 October in North Korea
(Strasbourg part-session week) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of
the delegation concerned .......................................................................................................... 26
12. Invitation from the Commission for five MEPs to be nominated as members of the
High-Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemical Industry in the EU –
Letter from the chairman of the Committee on the Environment ............................................. 28
13. Despatch of a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections to be held on 22
November 2007 in Nepal – invitation – financial statement – Letter from the co-
chairman of the coordination group .......................................................................................... 30
14. Urgent matters and other business ............................................................................................ 31
14.1 Abolition of the death penalty in Europe .................................................................................. 31
14.2 Naming Parliament's Press room in Strasbourg after Ana POLITKOVSKAYA ..................... 31
15. Items for information ................................................................................................................ 32
16. Date and place of next meeting ................................................................................................. 33
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 4/33
EN
CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS
MINUTES
of the meeting of Thursday, 27 September 2007
from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon
Strasbourg
The meeting opened at 10.05 am, with Mr PÖTTERING, President of the European Parliament,
in the chair.
Present
Political group Chairmen
Mr DAUL (EPP-ED)
Mr SCHULZ (PES)
Mr WATSON -
Mr MAATEN (acting Chair) (ALDE)
Ms MUSCARDINI (Co-Chair) (UEN)
Ms FRASSONI (Co-Chair) (Greens/EFA)
Mr WURTZ (GUE/NGL)
Mr BONDE (Co-Chair) (IND/DEM)
Mr CLAEYS (acting Chair) (ITS)
Non-attached Members1
Mrs BELOHORSKÁ
Also Present
Mr RØMER, Secretary-General
1 Present pursuant to Rule 23(2) of the Rules of Procedure.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
5/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
Invited for item 5:
Mr LEINEN, Chair of the AFCO Committee,
Messrs BROK, BARÓN CRESPO and DUFF, Parliament's representatives to the IGC on the
Reform Treaty
Also invited for item 5a
Ms MORGANTINI, member of the DEVE Committee's delegation to the Palestinian Territories
The Council
represented by Mr LOPEZ SABINO
Mr DÍEZ PARRA
The Commission
represented by Mr PIERUCCI
Mr BAKANY
The Economic and Social Committee
represented by Mr RATH
*****
Office of the President
Mr WELLE
Mr STOKELJ
Mr TEASDALE
Mr PRETO
Office of the Secretary-General
Mr SUAREZ MELLA
Ms RYAN
Ms MIGO
Secretariat
DG Presidency Mr HARLEY/Ms STENSBALLE/Ms VERGER/Ms DUDZINSKA/
Mr MASUR/Mr SANCHEZ-RODRIGUEZ/Mr SCOTT
DG Internal policies Mr RIBERA D'ALCALÁ/Ms VANDENBOSCH
DG External policies Mr NICKEL/Mr AGUIRIANO/Ms ECKER
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 6/33
EN
DG Information Ms F. RATTI/Mr DUCH GUILLOT
DG Finances Mr COLLING
Legal Service Mr PENNERA/Mr PERILLO
Ms O. RATTI, Director for relations with the secretariats of the political groups.
Political groups
Mr PEDERSEN/Mr KAMP/Mr RYNGAERT/Mr PAPI (EPP-ED)
Mr BEUMER/Ms BAPTISTA/ Mr WINKLER (PES)
Mr BEELS/Ms COLERA GARZON (ALDE)
Mr PRETA (UEN)
Ms TSETSI/Mr LINAZASORO/Mr DENKINGER (Greens/EFA)
Ms D'ALIMONTE (GUE/NGL)
Ms VANGRUNDERBEECK (IND/DEM)
Mr DESTOUCHES (ITS)
Mr BUGALHO (NI)
Mr DREXLER, Mr CALINOGLOU and Mr WILKINSON acted as secretary to the meeting.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
7/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
1. Adoption of draft agenda
The Conference of Presidents
- noted the draft agenda (PE 395.426/CPG) and adopted it in the form shown in these
minutes.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 8/33
EN
2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 5 July 2007
The Conference of Presidents
- noted and approved the minutes of meeting of 5 July 2007 (PE 392.441/CPG).
PV CPG 27.09.2007
9/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
2a. Modification of the final draft agenda for the October-I part-session (10-11 October 2007).
The Conference of Presidents, on a proposal by the President, pursuant to Rule 132(2) of
the Rules of Procedure
Wednesday 10 October 2007
- decided to include statements by the Council and the Commission on the
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to wind up the debate by a resolution.
This item will be dealt with after the LAMASSOURE-SEVERIN report on the
composition of the European Parliament (A6-0351/2007).
Thursday, 11 October 2007
- decided to
defer consideration of the MEDINA ORTEGA report on International
Accounting Standards (A6-0370/2007) to the October-II part-session,
to include the MARKOV report on "Conclusion of the relevant agreements
under Article XXI GATS on the necessary compensatory adjustments resulting
from the 1995 and 2004 enlargements" (A6-0340/07) under Rule 43.1 of the
Rules of Procedure.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 10/33
EN
3. Preliminary draft agenda for the October-II part-session (22 to 25 October 2007) -
scheduling of debates in plenary
The Conference of Presidents
- noted a letter from Mr GALEOTE, Chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairs
(CCC), dated 25 September 2007, submitting the CCC's recommendations
concerning the preliminary draft agenda for the October-II part-session (PE
395.459/CPG and annexes);
- considered the preliminary draft agenda for the October II part-session on the basis
of a note drafted by the Directorate-General for the Presidency on the various
options, which had been circulated after the preparatory meeting with the political
group secretaries-general on 26 September 2007, and adopted the proposals made
therein with the following changes:
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
- decided that the debate that will follow the declarations from the Council and the
Commission on EU-Russia relations will not be wound up by a resolution;
- decided, following a vote, to proceed with the award of the Cinema prize (upon
completion of the relevant procedure) after the debate and before the votes.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
11/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
4. Statements by the President
4.1 Official visits by the President
The Conference of Presidents,
- heard from the President, who outlined details of his forthcoming official visits to
Croatia (on 28 September 2007 where he will, inter alia, address the Parliament),
Romania (15-17 October 2007) and Algeria (28-31 October 2007).
4.2 The European Parliament and the Middle East
The Conference of Presidents,
- heard the President, who reported on continuing contacts with Mr Tony BLAIR,
Quartet Envoy for peace in the Middle East, with a view to his possible participation
in a conference in Parliament on the subject later in the year,
- heard the President, who indicated that the question of the requested authorisation
from the Committee on Foreign Affairs to set up a Working Group on the Middle-
East would be discussed at the meeting of the Conference of Presidents during the
October II part session.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 12/33
EN
5. Preparation of the Conference of Presidents' meeting with Mr BARROSO concerning the
Amending Treaty and the 2008 Legislative and Work Programme and involving the three
Parliament representatives to the IGC and Mr LEINEN
The Conference of Presidents,
- heard the President, who informed Group leaders that Commission President
BARROSO had agreed to attend an extraordinary meeting of the Conference of
Presidents on 2 October 2007 from 3.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m., the focus of which would
be the Reform Treaty and the Commission's legislative and work programme for
2008;
- heard Mr LEINEN, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, who
informed the meeting that his Committee was preparing to table a report to
plenary aimed at formally adopting the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which
would no longer be part of the Reform Treaty as such,
proposed that a ceremony be held in the context of a part-session, at an
appropriate time between the October European Council and the end of the
year, at which the Presidents of the European Parliament, the Council and the
Commission would sign the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights,
pointed out that Parliament's representatives to the IGC had regularly updated
the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the progress of the IGC's work and
had made available the relevant documents;
- heard Messrs BROK, BARÓN CRESPO and DUFF, Parliament's representatives to
the IGC on the Reform Treaty, who
informed Group leaders of the state of play of the negotiations and in particular
the outstanding issues thereof,
PV CPG 27.09.2007
13/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
indicated that they were willing to provide full information to any political
group on these matters;
proposed that upon completion of the work of the IGC legal experts, Members
of the European Parliament should receive an information note focused, in
particular, on what had been achieved in the IGC from the point of view of the
European Parliament;
- heard the President, who suggested that the Chairman of the AFCO Committee and
Parliament's three representatives to the IGC on the Reform Treaty attend the
extraordinary meeting of the Conference of Presidents to be held on 2 October 2007
in the presence of Mr BARROSO, Commission President;
- heard Ms FRASSONI, Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA Group, who
regretted that, within the IGC, some Member States had been less than
constructive and suggested that the Parliament might make that knowledge
more widely known;
asked whether the Charter on Fundamental Rights would be uniformly legally
binding,
requested Parliament's representatives to the IGC to regularly provide full
information on the work of the IGC;
- heard Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, who
thanked Mr LEINEN and Parliament's representatives to the IGC for the
information provided,
raised the question of voting rights of MEPs from Member States which had
obtained "opt-outs" on various areas covered by co-decision,
said that the decision concerning the date of entry into force of the new Treaty
should take into account the modalities for the nomination of the EU's High
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 14/33
EN
Representative for Foreign Affairs and the fact that the Treaty had to be ratified
(be it by referendum or by parliamentary vote) by no less than 27 Member
States;
- heard Mr DAUL, Chair of the EPP-ED Group, who asked whether, under the
emerging Treaty, MEPs from the United Kingdom would have the right to be
appointed rapporteurs and to participate in votes concerning texts which would not be
applicable in their country;
- heard Mr WATSON, Chair of the ALDE Group, who
underlined that opting out of co-decision legislation is a very different thing
from opting out of legislation which does not involve co-decision,
proposed that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Right Hon.
Gordon BROWN, be invited to address the plenary on the future of Europe, as
had already been the case with other heads of government,
with regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, suggested that Parliament
consider (possibly through the LIBE Committee) referring to the European
Court of Justice the question whether the Court believes that it could interpret
legislation in such a way that it was not blind to the citizenship of the
appellant;
- heard Mr BONDE, Co-Chair of the IND/DEM Group, who
regretted that none of Parliament's three representatives in the IGC were
women nor did they come from small or new Member States,
took the view that Members belonging to some Groups were much better
informed than others on the work of the IGC and asked for remedial action to
be taken in this respect,
said that he found it difficult to understand some Member States' opt-out from
the Charter of Fundamental Rights, since its preamble explicitly stipulates that
PV CPG 27.09.2007
15/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
the Charter reaffirms the rights as they result, in particular, from the
constitutional traditions and international obligations common to the Member
States;
- heard Mr WURTZ, Chair of the GUE/NGL Group, who
thanked Mr LEINEN and Parliament's representatives to the IGC for the
information provided,
shared Mr BONDE's view on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and requested
clarification concerning its legally binding character,
asked whether the EU's legal personality would effectively be mentioned in the
new Treaty;
- heard Mr LEINEN, who said that
the Charter of Fundamental Rights would be a document totally separate from
the new Treaty and should, therefore, be formally proclaimed by the EU
Institutions. However, it would be legally binding, since Article 6 of the draft
Treaty explicitly referred to the Charter;
under the new Treaty, the EU would indeed have a legal personality;
- heard Mr BROK who
reiterated the readiness of Parliament's representatives to the IGC to provide
full information to all political groups on the IGC's work,
in response to Mrs FRASSONI's suggestion that Parliament should publicly
denounce the tactics used by some Member States in the IGC, said that a
decision should be taken after the meeting of 2 October 2007 with Mr
BARROSO,
in response to Mr SCHULZ, he took the view that all MEPs should have equal
voting rights, regardless of whether the country in which they were elected had
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 16/33
EN
obtained opt-outs, because they represent not the Member State in question but
their voters,
suggested that one of the questions to be dealt with at the above-mentioned
meeting with Mr BARROSO be the duration of the ratification process of the
new Treaty;
- heard Mr BARÓN CRESPO, who pointed out that the question of what he called
"Parliament's institutional unity" was not new, to the extent that MEPs from the
United Kingdom had always taken part in votes related to areas in which their country
had obtained an opt-out;
- decided to invite Messrs LEINEN, BROK, BARÓN CRESPO and DUFF to
draw up an information note for the MEPs, focused, in particular, on what had
been achieved in the IGC from the point of view of the European Parliament,
attend the extraordinary meeting that the Conference of Presidents will hold in
the presence of Commission President BARROSO on 2 October 2007;
- approved the AFCO Committee's intention to table a report to the plenary on the
formal adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as the proclamation of
the said Charter.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
17/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
5a. Report from the delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on Development to
the Palestinian Territories (18-21 September 2007)
The Conference of Presidents
- noted a press release issued by the above-mentioned delegation dated 21 September
2007 (PE 395.474/CPG);
- heard Mrs MORGANTINI, member of the delegation, who reported on the visit - in
particular the plight of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip - and presented its
conclusions:
calling on the Council, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy and on the Commission, whose ECHO operations are seriously
impeded, to make urgent representations to the Israeli authorities with a view
to lifting the blockade and reopening the border crossings to Gaza so as to
enable the delivery of necessary supplies,
noting that the situation in the West Bank was equally desperate due to the
checkpoints, closures (roadblocks, etc), the wall, daily military incursions and
the expansion and proliferation of settlements, all of which have turned Hebron
into a ghost town, just like Gaza,
calling on the Commission to come to an agreement with the Palestinian
authorities (the President and the Government of Mr Salam FAYYAD), while
avoiding involvement in the Hamas-Fatah conflict, with a view to fully
resuming its activities in the Gaza Strip;
- heard Mr DAUL, Chair of the EPP-ED Group, who suggested that Ms
MORGANTINI's proposals be followed;
- heard Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, who supported the course of action
suggested by Ms MORGANTINI. However, he signalled his scepticism with regard
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 18/33
EN
to the Commission's ability to do something to alleviate the Palestinian population's
plight;
- heard Mr MAATEN, acting Chair of the ALDE Group, who agreed that the
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip was dramatic and proposed that the
Commission and the Council make a statement on the matter during the October-I
part-session in Brussels;
- heard Mrs FRASSONI, Co-Chair of the Green/EFA Group, who
supported the above-mentioned proposal and asked for the adoption of a
resolution to wind up the proposed debate;
said that the EU should intensify its humanitarian activities in the region;
- heard Mr WURTZ, Chair of the GUE/NGL Group, who
thanked both Ms MORGANTINI for her commitment and the President for
having invited her to present her report at this meeting,
pointed out that it was Parliament's duty to draw peoples' attention to the
situation in the Gaza Strip and that it would be very positive if a broad
consensus could emerge in favour of a resolution demanding that the
information provided by Ms MORGANTINI be taken into account;
- heard Ms MUSCARDINI, Co-Chair of the UEN Group, who
thanked Ms MORGANTINI for her report,
agreed with the suggestion to wind up by a resolution the debate which will
follow the Council and Commission declarations on the matter during the
October-I part-session;
- heard the President who thanked Ms MORGANTINI for her work;
- endorsed the conclusions of the delegation;
PV CPG 27.09.2007
19/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
- decided to wind up by a resolution the debate that would follow the Council's and
Commission's declarations on 10 October 2007 concerning the humanitarian
situation in the Gaza Strip;
- invited the President to send a letter to the Commission and the Council informing
them of the decision taken by the Conference and inviting them to make a
declaration in plenary on 10 October 2007.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 20/33
EN
A. DECISIONS
6. Authorisation for the Committee on Foreign Affairs to draw up an own-initiative report on
EU election-observation missions and, possibly, appointment of two co-rapporteurs –
Letter from the Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs
The Conference of Presidents
- noted the following documents:
the above-mentioned letter dated 5 September 2007 (PE 392.664/CPG),
a letter dated 19 September 2007 from Mr SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Chairman of
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, providing justification for the requested
authorisation (PE 395.430/CPG);
- noted the AFET Committee's requested authorisation for:
drawing up an own-initiative report on EU Election Observation Missions;
involving, under the Rule 47 procedure, the Committee on Development in the
drawing up of the report;
appointing two co-rapporteurs on this matter.
- heard Ms FRASSONI, Co-Chair of the Greens/EFA Group, who
supported the drawing up of the own-initiative report in question,
objected to the appointment of two co-rapporteurs;
- heard Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, who pointed out that his Group was in
favour of the AFET Committee's request;
- heard Ms MUSCARDINI, Co-Chair of the UEN Group, who shared Ms
FRASSONI's position;
PV CPG 27.09.2007
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EN
- heard Mr MAATEN, acting Chair of the ALDE Group, who expressed himself in
favour of the drawing up of the report but appointing only one rapporteur;
- authorised the drawing up of the report in question, the involvement of the DEVE
Committee under the enhanced cooperation procedure (Rule 47) and the appointment
of two rapporteurs.
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PE 395.429/CPG 22/33
EN
B. EXCHANGES OF VIEWS
7. Proposal for a joint EP/Council and Commission declaration with a view to designating
2009 as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation and to establishing a political
implementing framework – Letter from Mr FIGEL (member of the Commission)
The Conference of Presidents
- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 9 August 2007 (PE 392.724/CPG);
- heard brief statements from the President and Ms MUSCARDINI, Co-Chair of the
UEN Group;
- decided to consider this item at a subsequent meeting.
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23/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
C PROPOSALS FOR DECISIONS WITHOUT DEBATE
8. Request from the ad hoc Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament for
authorisation to meet in Midrand (South Africa) on 18 and 19 October 2007 (week set
aside for group meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the ad hoc
delegation
The Conference of Presidents, without debate
- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 11 September 2007 and the financial statement
thereof (PE 392.733/CPG and annexes);
- noted the authorisation requested by the ad hoc Delegation for Relations with the Pan-
African Parliament (PAP) to send a working group of up to five of its members to the
8th Ordinary Session of the PAP, to be held in Midrand, South Africa (dates requested:
18-19 October 2007), with a view to preparing the Parliamentary input to the Joint EU-
Africa Strategy for Africa and to the EU-Africa Summit to be held on 8 December
2007 in Lisbon (see item 10);
- noted that so far this year the ad hoc Delegation
a) had sent a two-member working group to South Africa to attend the 7th Ordinary
Session of the PAP (May) and
b) held a meeting with PAP President Mrs MONGELLA in the context of the ACP-
EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Wiesbaden, 26 June);
- pointed out that the above-mentioned forthcoming events as well as meetings held by
President PÖTTERING and President MONGELLA in Wiesbaden and Brussels bear
witness to the great importance attached by the European Parliament to its cooperation
and partnership with the PAP;
- granted the requested authorisation on an exceptional basis, since the dates of the visit
coincide with a period set aside for political group activities.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 24/33
EN
9. Attendance by a delegation from the Committee on Development at the European
Development Days from 7 to 9 November 2007 in Lisbon (week set aside for group
meetings) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of that committee
The Conference of Presidents, without debate
- noted the above-mentioned letter and the financial statement thereof
(PE 395.440/CPG and annexes);
- noted the authorisation requested by the Committee on Development to send a ten-
member delegation to the European Development Days (Lisbon, 7-9 November
2007) organised by the European Commission, which would concentrate on climate
change and its links to development cooperation;
- noted that the delegation in question was not included in the 2007 programme of
travel by committee delegations outside the three places of work of the EP (adopted
by the Bureau on 11 December 2006) and that the 2007 quota of the said committee
was complied with;
- agreed to the above-mentioned request on an exceptional basis due to the fact that the
dates of the event coincide in part with a period set aside for group activities;
- referred the matter to the Bureau, as the competent governing body, for decision.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
25/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
10. Twenty-five-member ad hoc delegation to the Second EU-Africa Summit, to be held in
Lisbon on 8 December 2007 – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the
Committee on Development
The Conference of Presidents, without debate
- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 7 September 2007 and the financial statement
thereof (PE 395.423/CPG and annex);
- recalled its positive response to the President's proposal at its meeting of 20 September
2007 for the holding of an inter-parliamentary meeting in Lisbon on the eve of the EU-
Africa Summit, at which the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament
would each be represented by 25 Members;
- decided that Parliament should be represented at the above-mentioned inter-
parliamentary meeting, scheduled to take place on 7 December 2007 in Lisbon, by an
ad hoc delegation of 25 members to be appointed by the political groups on the basis of
the rolling d'Hondt system, which would also apply to the non-attached Members. As
far as possible, half of the members of the delegation are to be appointed among the
members of the Committee on Development (including ex officio its Chairman and its
rapporteur on the state of play in EU-Africa relations) with the seven members of the ad
hoc Delegation for Relations with the Pan-African Parliament to be also appointed ex
officio members.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 26/33
EN
11. Attendance by a working party comprising three members of the Delegation for relations
with Korea at a seminar to be held on 23 and 24 October in North Korea (Strasbourg part-
session week) – financial statement – Letter from the chairman of the delegation concerned
The Conference of Presidents, without debate
- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 6 September 2007and the financial statement
thereof (PE 392.725/CPG and annex);
- noted that:
on 14 June 2007, the President had authorised, on an exceptional basis since
the dates would coincide with a constituency week, a working group of the
Delegation for Relations with the Korean Peninsula to visit Seoul from 29
October to 2 November 2007 (visit mentioned in the annual programme for
2007),
in the context of that visit, the working group would participate in the annual
Economic Seminar in Pyongyang, to be organised by the "Friedrich Naumann
Stiftung" on behalf of the European Commission;
- noted that, following in particular the positive developments on nuclear issues, the
North Korean authorities had consented to hold the 2007 Seminar and had fixed
the dates for 23-24 October, which however coincide with the October II part-session
in Strasbourg;
- pointed out that Parliament, through the Delegation set up in 2004, has been trying to
establish contacts and dialogue with the members of the North Korean Legislative
Assembly and Administration, supporting the views shared by the Commission, the
South Korean Government and most EU Member States;
- authorised three members of the working group who will be on mission in Seoul
from 29 October to 2 November 2007, to visit Pyongyang from 23 October with a
PV CPG 27.09.2007
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EN
view to addressing the Economic Seminar in question (23-24 October) and pursuing
contacts and dialogue with members of the North Korean Legislative Assembly and
Administration (25-26 October) before joining the rest of the working group in
Seoul. The authorisation was granted on an exceptional basis since the dates of the
visit coincide with the October II part-session.
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PE 395.429/CPG 28/33
EN
12. Invitation from the Commission for five MEPs to be nominated as members of the High-
Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemical Industry in the EU – Letter from the
chairman of the Committee on the Environment
The Conference of Presidents, without debate
- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 18 September 2007 (PE 395.439/CPG and
annexes);
- noted the Commission Decision of 14 June 2007 (2007/418/EC) "setting up the
High-Level Group on the Competitiveness of the Chemicals Industry in the European
Union" and Commission Vice-President VERHEUGEN's letter dated 5 July 2007
inviting the Chairs of the ENVI, ITRE and IMCO Committees to make a "joint
nomination" of up to five Members of the European Parliament to that Group;
- recalled its unanimous decision of 15 February 2006 "to abstain from appointing
representatives to the High-Level Group on Competitiveness, Energy and the
Environment" so as not to compromise Parliament's role as co-legislator on these
matters;
- supported the decision of the ENVI Committee coordinators not to appoint any
members of that Committee to the High-Level Group in question;
- underlined that, pursuant to Rule 24(3) of the Rules of Procedure, Parliament's
relations with other EU institutions and bodies fall within the remit of the Conference
of Presidents;
- reiterated its position of 15 February 2006 and decided that no Member of the
European Parliament should take part, in any capacity, in working groups or advisory
fora (regardless of their denomination) set up by the Commission, where these bodies
deal with subject-matters in which Parliament is co-legislator;
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29/33 PE 395.429/CPG
EN
- invited the President to inform in writing Commission President BARROSO and
Vice-President VERHEUGEN of the decision of the Conference of Presidents on the
matter.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 30/33
EN
13. Dispatch of a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections to be held on 22 November
2007 in Nepal – invitation – financial statement – Letter from the co-chairman of the
coordination group
The Conference of Presidents, without debate
- noted the above-mentioned letter dated 20 September 2007 and the financial
statement thereof (PE 395.438/CPG);
- authorised the sending of a delegation to observe the parliamentary elections in
Nepal, scheduled for 22 November 2007. The delegation would consist of seven
Members, to be appointed by the political groups on the basis of the rolling d'Hondt
system, which would also apply to the non-attached Members.
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14. Urgent matters and other business
14.1 Abolition of the death penalty in Europe
The Conference of Presidents,
- heard a proposal by Mrs FRASSONI to hold one minute's silence at the beginning of
the sitting of 10 October 2007 (World Day against the death penalty) in the presence
of Commission President BARROSO and the Council Presidency and to pursue
efforts to establish a European Day against the death penalty;
- agreed with the proposal of the President, who indicated that he would make a
statement in plenary on 10 October 2007.
14.2 Naming Parliament's Press room in Strasbourg after Ana POLITKOVSKAYA
The Conference of Presidents,
- heard Mr WURTZ, Chair of the GUE/NGL Group, who proposed to name
Parliament's Press room in Strasbourg after Ana POLITKOVSKAYA;
- heard the President, who indicated that he was happy for the issue to be addressed by
the Bureau.
PV CPG 27.09.2007
PE 395.429/CPG 32/33
EN
15. Items for information
The Conference of Presidents,
- noted the following documents:
Inter-institutional correspondence
External correspondence
Internal correspondence
- a letter from Mr GALEOTE, Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, dated 25
September 2007, transmitting the Conference's recommendations of the same date
concerning requests from parliamentary committees to draw up own-initiative reports
(PE 395.460/CPG and annexes);
- a letter from Mr GALEOTE, Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, dated 25
September 2007, transmitting the Conference's recommendations of the same date
concerning a request for application of the procedure with associated committees (PE
395.461/CPG and annex);
- a letter from Mr GALEOTE, Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, dated 25
September 2007, concerning cooperation modalities between the CLIM Temporary
Committee and the specialised standing committees concerned (PE 395.464/CPG
and annexes);
- a letter from Mr SCHULZ, Chair of the PES Group, dated 12 September 2007
concerning modification of the composition of the DROI Sub-committee
(PE 395.448/CPG).
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16. Date and place of next meeting
The Conference of Presidents
- decided to hold its next ordinary meeting from 5.00 to 6.30 p.m. on 17 October 2007
in room 6B01 of the Paul-Henri SPAAK building in Brussels.
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*
The meeting closed at 12.00 noon.
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*