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PV BUR. 02.10.2017
PV\1139181EN.docx PE 610.419/BUR/rev
EN United in diversity EN
PE-8/BUR/PV/2017-9
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
B U R E A U
MINUTES
of the meeting of
02-10-2017
Louise Weiss Building - Room R1.1.
- - -
Strasbourg
PV BUR. 02.10.2017
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EN
BUREAU
MINUTES
of the meeting of Monday, 2 October 2017
from 18:30 to 20:30 hours
Louise Weiss Building - Room R1.1.
Strasbourg
CONTENTS
Page
1. Adoption of draft agenda ...................................................................................... 7
2. Adoption of the Minutes of the meeting of 11 September 2017 ........................... 8
3. Communications by the President ......................................................................... 9
3.1. Official visit to France .......................................................................................... 9
3.2. European Council in Tallinn ................................................................................. 9
3.3. Presence of Ms KHALED of the PFLP in the Parliament .................................. 10
3.4. Deactivation of the long-term badges held by representatives of the company Monsanto ............................................................................................................. 10
3.5. Inauguration of the Schirmeck Memorial ........................................................... 11
4. The Internal Auditor’s Annual Report for 2016 - in presence of Mr GALVIN,
Internal Auditor ................................................................................................... 12
5. Progress report on the implementation of additional security measures in the European Parliament - Note from the Secretary-General ................................... 16
6. Review of the flat rate amounts for the reimbursement of expenses incurred in respect of duty travel between Parliament’s three places of work for Accredited
Parliamentary Assistants - Implementing measures for Title VII of the conditions
of employment of other servants of the European Union, Bureau Decision of 14
April 2014 - Note from the Secretary-General ................................................... 18
7. Draft Programme of the Seminar on ‘The External Policies of the EU’ to take place in the European Parliament in Brussels from 15.00 - 18.00 on 6 December
2017 - Letter from Ms McGUINNESS, Vice-President responsible for
Parliament’s dialogue with churches, religions and philosophical organisations,
foreseen under Article 17 TFEU ......................................................................... 20
8. Request for authorisation of STOA's Annual lecture 2017 taking place in the European Parliament in Brussels on 21 November 2017 - Letter from Ms KAILI,
Chair of the STOA Panel .................................................................................... 21
9. Closure of accounts of the European political parties and foundations for 2016 -
Note from the Secretary-General ........................................................................ 22
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10. Report on the use of the interpretation services in 2015 and 2016 - Note from the Secretary-General ................................................................................................ 23
11. Request for authorisation of a two-Member STOA mission to attend INNOVEIT,
16-17 October 2017 in Budapest......................................................................... 27
12. Request from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) for
authorisation to hold a joint public hearing on ‘The European Protection Order’ to
be held on 12 October 2017 in Brussels - Letter from Mr MORAES and Ms
BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Chairs of the respective Committees concerned ................ 28
13. Request for the use of the Esplanade “Solidarność” from 4 to 8 December 2017 to install a wooden cottage to celebrate 100 years of independence of Finland - Letter
from Mr TORVALDS, Vice-Chair of the ALDE Group .................................... 30
14. Urgent matters and any other business................................................................ 32
14.1. Sanitary facilities on Parliaments’ premises in Brussels .................................... 32
14.2. Date for European Parliament elections 2019 ..................................................... 32
14.3. Guide on Parliaments’ architecture and art exhibition ........................................ 32
15. Items for information .......................................................................................... 34
16. Date and place of next meeting ........................................................................... 35
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BUREAU
MINUTES
of the meeting of Monday, 2 October 2017
Strasbourg
Mr Antonio TAJANI, President of the European Parliament, opened the meeting at 18.37
hours.
Present
Antonio TAJANI, President*
Vice-Presidents
Excused
Ms McGUINNESS* Ms LUNACEK
Mr LIBERADZKI* Mr LAMBSDORFF
Mr SASSOLI*
Mr WIELAND*
Ms GUILLAUME
Mr CZARNECKI*
Mr VALCÁRCEL SISO*
Ms GEBHARDT
Mr PAŞCU*
Mr TELIČKA*
Mr PAPADIMOULIS*
Quaestors Excused
Ms MORIN-CHARTIER*
Mr KOVATCHEV*
Mr MAŇKA*
Ms BEARDER
Mr KARSKI*
Also Present
Mr WELLE, Secretary-General*
Mr WINKLER, Deputy Secretary-General and Director-General DG PRES*
* present for Item 5 in camera
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Invited for item 4
Mr GALVIN, Internal Auditor
List of officials present at the meeting:
Private Office of the President
Mr CANGA FANO*
Mr CHIOCCHETTI*
Mr CAPOGROSSO*
Ms BOLYA*
Private Office of the Secretary-General
Mr MANGOLD*
Mr SORENSEN
Ms
Mr
ALTENBERG*
MARTINELLI*
Private Office of the Deputy Secretary-General
Mr SCHWARZ
Secretariat
DG Internal Policies (IPOL) Mr RIBERA d’ALCALA
DG External Policies (EXPO) Mr AGUIRIANO NALDA
DG Parliamentary Research Services (EPRS) Mr TEASDALE
DG Information (COMM) Mr
Ms
DUCH-GUILLOT* /
VAN DEN BROEKE
DG Personnel (PERS) Mr KNUDSEN
DG Infrastructure and Logistics (INLO) Ms LINNUS*
DG Translation (TRAD) Mr MAVRIC
DG Interpretation and Conferences (INTE) Ms WALTER-DROP*
DG Finance (FINS) Mr KLETHI
DG Innovation, Technical Support (ITEC) Mr VILELLA
DG Security and Safety (SAFE) Mr
Ms
CAROZZA* / Mr MOLS*
LEMAIRE*
Legal Service Mr DREXLER*, Jurisconsult
Conference of President's Secretariat Ms SCHADE
* present for Item 5 in camera
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Political group secretariats
Ms ROIG LINANA (EPP)
Mr HORNAK (S&D)
Mr DANECKI (ECR)
Ms BOVEINGTON-FAURAN (ALDE)
Ms PANTAZIDOU (GUE/NGL)
Mr BROUWER (GREENS/EFA)
Mr PITTARELLO (EFDD)
Mr HOLZFEIND (ENF)
Mr GLASER (Non-attached Members)
Mr TZIORKAS*, Mr ADLER, Mr CORLETT, Ms GIPPERT and Mr PETERS acted as
secretary to the meeting.
* present for Item 5 in camera
Vice-Presidents' and Quaestors' assistants
Ms O'HEA Ms McGUINNESS
Mr VOGT Mr LIBERADZKI
Mr COBUCCI Mr SASSOLI
Ms KRONTAL Mr WIELAND
Ms BARREIRA Ms GUILLAUME
Ms SOBKIEWICZ Mr CZARNECKI
Mr RODRIGUEZ GUILLEN Mr VALCÁRCEL SISO
Ms PAPENBERG Ms GEBHARDT
Ms KYRIAKAKI Mr TELIČKA
Mr VINTILA Mr PAŞCU
Mr ALATOPOULOS Mr PAPADIMOULIS
Ms ROSENBERG Ms LUNACEK
Mr RICHARD Ms MORIN-CHARTIER
Mr IVANOV Mr KOVATCHEV
Ms KUCHTIKOVA Mr MAŇKA
Ms KONTÁR Ms BEARDER
Mr SKOCZEK Mr KARSKI
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1. Adoption of draft agenda
The Bureau,
- noted the draft agenda and adopted it as shown in these minutes
(PE 610.417/BUR).
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2. Adoption of the Minutes of the meeting of 11 September 2017
The Bureau,
- approved the Minutes of the Bureau meeting of 11 September 2017 held in
Strasbourg (PE 605.879/BUR).
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3. Communications by the President
3.1. Official visit to France
The Bureau,
- heard the President inform the meeting that on 21, 22 September 2017 he made
an official visit to France, during which he met, inter alias, Mr MACRON,
President of the Republic, Mr PHILIPPE, Prime Minister and Mr de RUGY,
Speaker of the National Assembly, noting that the former informed him that he
would be able to address the European Parliament during the October II or
November part-sessions of 2017; explain that the reform of the Dublin
Regulation, European defence, anti-terrorism co-ordination and a growth
strategy for Africa were among the themes discussed; announce that he had
participated in a meeting of the Regional Assembly of the Ile de France region
and had met with students of the “École Ferrandi”, a school for the restaurant
sector, and with a group of entrepreneurs in the field of green businesses; thank
Ms GUILLAUME, Vice-President, and Ms MORIN-CHARTIER, Quaestor for
their participation.
3.2. European Council in Tallinn
The Bureau,
- heard the President inform members that he had participated in the meeting of
the European Council in Tallinn, which had followed up on the timetable set in
Bratislava one year earlier, debating the high unemployment rates among young
people, terrorism, illegal immigration and climate change, which are Europe’s
primary challenges today; further noting that, in order to solve these problems,
the European Institutions and Member States must work closely with the
citizens, recalling that this was one of the themes to be discussed at the Bureau’s
Away-Days the following week; explain that, in Tallinn, he had met, inter alias,
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the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Ms MAY, whom he had reminded
that real progress is needed in the negotiations preparing her country’s departure
from the European Union; recall that the theme of the European Council meeting
was the further development of Europe’s digital economy and that he had
presented the Parliament’s position in this area.
3.3. Presence of Ms KHALED of the PFLP in the Parliament
The Bureau,
- heard the President inform the meeting that, on 26 September 2017,
Ms Leila KHALED of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
had participated in a conference in Parliament, at the invitation of two Members;
recall that the PFLP had been included in the Council’s list of persons, groups
and entities involved in terrorist acts and subject to restrictive measures, which
made the presence of Ms KHALED in the Parliament unacceptable, noting that
he had expressed the view, in the Conference of Presidents, that such an incident
must not be repeated in future; suggest, therefore, that the Directorate-General
for Security and Safety take measures to systematically deny access to the
Parliament’s premises to representatives of organisations or persons included in
the aforementioned list;
- agreed with the President’s suggestion.
3.4. Deactivation of the long-term badges held by representatives of the company
Monsanto
The Bureau,
- heard the President inform members that the Conference of Presidents, at its
meeting of 28 September 2017, had requested the suspension of the access
badges for the accredited representatives of the agrochemical company,
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Monsanto, who had refused to participate in a joint hearing of the Committee of
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on
Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), stating, inter alia, in their letter,
that: “It is not the role of the European Parliament to question the credibility of
the scientific output of either the independent EU agencies or those in third
countries”; recall the relevant provision of Rule 116a of the Rules of Procedure1,
which entitles the Secretary-General, with the authorisation of the Quaestors, to
withdraw or temporarily deactivate their long-term access badges, informing
members that the matter would be examined by the Quaestors at their meeting
the next day.
3.5. Inauguration of the Schirmeck Memorial
The Bureau,
- heard the President announce that he would inaugurate, on 24 October 2017,
together with Mr RICHET, President of the Grand-Est Region, and Mr MARX,
Prefect of the Bas-Rhin Department, the newly enlarged Schirmeck Memorial,
close to the former concentration camp of Natzweiler-Struthof, originally
opened in 1995 by then French President Jacques CHIRAC, noting that the
Members of the Bureau were cordially invited to attend the ceremony, and that
further information would be circulated shortly.
1 Rule 116a, paragraph 3, second subparagraph: “Without prejudice to the applicability of the general rules
governing the withdrawal or temporary deactivation of long-term access badges, and unless there are
significant arguments to the contrary, the Secretary-General shall, with the authorisation of the Quaestors,
withdraw or deactivate a long-term access badge where its holder has been disbarred from the transparency
register for a breach of the Code of Conduct for Registrants, has been guilty of a serious breach of the
obligations laid down in this paragraph, or has refused, without offering a sufficient justification, to comply
with a formal summons to attend a hearing or committee meeting or to cooperate with a committee of inquiry.
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A. DECISIONS/EXCHANGE OF VIEWS
4. The Internal Auditor’s Annual Report for 2016 - in presence of Mr GALVIN, Internal
Auditor
The Bureau, with debate,
- noted a note dated 19 July 2017 from Mr GALVIN, Internal Auditor, to the
President, forwarding to the Bureau the “Internal Auditor’s Annual Report for
2016” (PE 610.436/BUR and annex);
- heard Mr GALVIN, Internal Auditor, note in general that the aim of the internal
audit is through proposed actions and with dialogue and consultation with the
services to reach agreement with the audited entities and present in detail his
Report for 2016, noting inter alia that:
Section 2 of the Report describes the mission of the Internal Audit Service
("IAS"), the nature and scope of its activity, the professional standards to
which it adheres, and how it is organised;
Section 3 of the Report refers to the audit work carried out in 2016 and the
reports resulting therefrom, focusing on providing assurance on the
effectiveness and efficiency of governance, risk management and control
processes in key operational areas, including the Institution's Activity
Reporting Process; the recruitment process (for officials, temporary staff and
contract staff); the audio-visual sector in DG Communication; external
expertise on building works’ projects in DG INLO; the central IT
infrastructure and operations (inventory and management of external
expertise in the Data Centre); and a major project for the introduction of a
new Financial Management System;
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Section 4 on corporate governance in 2016, describes the role of the Audit
Panel in providing oversight of the risk and control processes administered
by management;
Section 5 contains the report's conclusion, which explains that in its 2016
assignments, Internal Audit continued to prioritise the assessment of the level
of overall compliance with the principle of sound financial management. It
also draws attention to the progressive lowering of the risk profile of the open
actions resulting from the 2016 transversal follow-up;
- heard Mr GALVIN, Internal Auditor, note that throughout 2016 his
independence was neither impaired nor compromised and thank the members of
the Audit Panel and the Secretary-General for their support and advice in 2016
and express his appreciation for the excellent cooperation afforded to the Internal
Audit by all authorising departments;
- heard Mr SASSOLI, Vice-President and member of the Audit Panel:
stress the reduction of 48 open actions from the beginning of 2016, out of
which 21 represented a significant risk, to currently 26 open actions, out of
which only 10 have a significant risk attached to them;
welcome the valuable, high quality and professional work done by the
Internal Audit;
point out that the synergy between Parliament’s Secretariat-General and the
Internal Auditor’s office has made it possible to achieve good results;
state that the Bureau has always been attentive to the Internal Audit’s
recommendations, such as, for instance, the reform of the reimbursement for
sponsored visitor groups from cash payments to bank transfer, and recall that
the new procedure is more accountable and transparent;
comment on the audit of the recruitment process for contract staff and suggest
to better inform the political groups about actions to be adopted and
implemented by them in the future;
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- heard Mr VALCÁRCEL SISO, Vice-President and member of the Audit Panel,
fully support Mr SASSOLI’s remarks, which largely reflected his own remark,
congratulate Mr GALVIN on the splendid report and thank Parliament’s
departments for the work;
- heard the Secretary-General point out the excellent services offered to the
Institution from Mr GALVIN from the crucial position of Internal Auditor and
recall that the Bureau had therefore decided last year to appoint him as Director
ad personam; further stress that the constant dialogue and the preparation of
action plans with the different Directorates-Generals have led to virtually no
comments by the Court of Auditors this year, as various problems have been
previously identified and cleared out by the Bureau before they turned up into
real problems;
- heard Mr PAPADIMOULIS, Vice-President, underline the need for quicker
recruitment procedures for contract staff, while at the same time respecting the
relevant rules, and suggest that political groups are involved in the consultation
process about the points contained in the relevant audit as most recruitment
procedures for contract staff concern the political groups;
- heard Mr MAŇKA, Quaestor, thank Mr GALVIN and his team for contributing
to that the whole administration works less costly and more efficient and
transparent, helping to make the right decisions and to push the administration
to make specific changes and improvements, and further suggest that the Internal
Auditor provides feedback on how the administration implements resolutions
adopted by the Plenary;
- heard Mr GALVIN, Internal Auditor,
thank the members of the Bureau for their generous appraisal of the work of
the Internal Audit;
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acknowledge that in the area of reducing the overall level of risk important
work was done by the departments after having agreed to action plans
proposed by the Internal Audit;
agree with Mr SASSOLI and Mr PAPADIMOULIS, Vice-Presidents, on the
need to involve the political groups concerning the recruitment process for
contract staff, while pointing out that the audit in question was not directly
about the recruitment by political groups other than as a proposing entity; in
the course of this audit a specific issue was identified and it was agreed with
the two responsible services, DG FINS and DG PERS, to consult directly with
the political groups in order to arrive at an appropriate solution;
note that the political groups are outside of the scope of Parliament’s internal
rules and the Audit Charter, but nevertheless, as political groups are key
operational initiators of the recruitment of contract staff, there is an agreement
that the two DGs concerned should arrive at a solution in cooperation with
the political groups;
- heard the President thank the Internal Auditor for his Report;
- invited the President to forward the Report to the Committee on Budgetary
Control.
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From 20.02 hours in camera
5. Progress report on the implementation of additional security measures in the European
Parliament - Note from the Secretary-General
The Bureau, in camera,
- took note of a note from the Secretary-General entitled “Progress report on
security measures approved by the Bureau - Achievements and outlook”;
- heard the President introduce the matter at hand thanking Mr LIBERADZKI,
Vice-President responsible for security and Chair of the ad hoc working group
on security as well as all members of this working group and the responsible
Parliament services (DG SAFE) for their good work and continuous efforts,
further noting that security standards in the European Parliament had improved
significantly, nevertheless the alert level should remain high as danger was still
out there as was evident from recent incidents in Europe;
- heard Mr LIBERADZKI, Vice-President responsible for security and Chair of
the ad hoc working group on security, list in detail the security improvements
that have taken place on the Parliament premises in all its working places over
the last years, with special emphasis on the positive effects of the recent
internalisation of Parliament’s security service with the recruitment of well
trained, experienced and committed staff;
- held a wide ranging exchange of views with the participation of Mr WIELAND
and Mr SASSOLI, Vice-Presidents, and Mr MAŇKA, Quaestor, who
acknowledged the security improvements that have already taken place, while
noting the need for a more holistic approach to include cybersecurity,
Parliament’s premises outside its three working places, such as its Information
Offices, and to take account of any risks associated with recent building projects
in Parliament’s vicinity in Brussels and Strasbourg;
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- heard the Secretary-General note the important improvements regarding
Parliament’s security over the last years, while referring to some specific
outstanding issues, and stress that Parliament should not allow itself to become
complacent;
- heard the President wind-up the debate by noting overall agreement on the
significant security improvements over the last years, the need to remain vigilant
also in the future, and inviting Mr LIBERADZKI, Vice-President responsible,
to hold a special meeting on cybersecurity with Ms GEBHARDT and Mr
TELIČKA, Vice-Presidents and co-chairs of the working group on ICT.
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B. DECISIONS WITHOUT DEBATE
6. Review of the flat rate amounts for the reimbursement of expenses incurred in respect
of duty travel between Parliament’s three places of work for Accredited Parliamentary
Assistants - Implementing measures for Title VII of the conditions of employment of
other servants of the European Union, Bureau Decision of 14 April 2014 - Note from
the Secretary-General
The Bureau, with debate,
- took note of the note dated 22 September 2017 from the Secretary-General,
entitled “Accredited parliamentary assistants - Review of the flat-rate amounts
for the reimbursement of expenses incurred in respect of duty travel between
Parliament’s three places of work” (PE 602.127/BUR, annexes and financial
statement);
- heard Mr PAPADIMOULIS, Vice-President, refer to an email sent before the
meeting from the APA Committee to all Bureau members and noting that all
staff categories have the same expenses while on mission, request an explanation
why the increase could not be adopted with retroactive effect from
September 2016 as demanded in plenary resolutions;
- heard the Secretary-General explain that a retroactive effect was not possible due
to budgetary constraints as these expenses were linked to the Members’
budgetary envelope and there was no room for manoeuvre for the year 2017 for
a lot of Members who already planned their budget;
- heard Mr PAPADIMOULIS, Vice-President, thank the Secretary-General for his
explanation and suggest that in this case maybe the Bureau could hold in a few
months’ time, based on a proposal from the Secretary-General, a more general
discussion on a number of issues linked with the APAs Statute (e.g. pensions)
considering that all staff categories were faced with the same expenses, for
instance, in Strasbourg;
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- heard Mr SASSOLI, Vice-President, express his full support for the proposal as
presented by the Secretary-General, agree with the indexation as from next year
and suggest to examine, if appropriate, further changes for the next legislative
period;
- heard Mr LIBERADZKI, Vice-President, note that the current proposal foresaw
a quite generous increase and such increases were often viewed skeptically in
the public;
- heard Mr WIELAND, Vice-President, criticise the constant efforts to align the
rules for accredited parliamentary assistants to officials noting that the former
constituted a special category of the Staff Regulations; point out that a
retroactive implementation was not possible; underline that a further increase of
the ceilings would become possible only if the expenses for parliamentary
assistance were increased;
- heard Mr MAŇKA, Quaestor, point out that the proposal would currently not
lead to an increase in the overall spending of Parliament and underline his
support for the proposal of the Secretary-General; note that further
improvements in the statute of APAs would necessitate an increase in the budget
and that such a question was something to be possibly debated at a future point
in time;
- adopted the proposal on the review of the flat-rate amounts for the
reimbursement of all expenses, except travel expenses, incurred by accredited
parliamentary assistants in respect of their duty travel between Parliament’s
three places of work according to the linear approach;
- decided to set the flat-rate amounts as follows: EUR 137, EUR 160 and
EUR 183 with effect from 1 January 2018.
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7. Draft Programme of the Seminar on ‘The External Policies of the EU’ to take place in
the European Parliament in Brussels from 15.00 - 18.00 on 6 December 2017 - Letter
from Ms McGUINNESS, Vice-President responsible for Parliament’s dialogue with
churches, religions and philosophical organisations, foreseen under Article 17 TFEU
The Bureau, without debate,
- took note of the letter dated 25 September 2017 from Ms McGUINNESS, Vice-
President responsible for Parliament’s dialogue with churches, religions and
philosophical organisations, foreseen under Article 17 TFEU, submitting the
draft programme of the seminar on ‘The External Policies of the EU’, scheduled
to take place in the European Parliament in Brussels on 6 December 2017 from
15.00 - 18.00 (PE 610.438/BUR, annex and financial statement);
- took note of the draft programme for the planned seminar with representatives
of the religious and philosophical organisations;
- took note that a maximum of seven external guests from Europe will require
reimbursement of costs, in accordance with Article 4 of the Bureau rules on
public hearings, and that interpretation and reception costs are also included;
- approved the seminar and authorise the estimated budget of EUR 25 650 set
aside for it.
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8. Request for authorisation of STOA's Annual lecture 2017 taking place in the European
Parliament in Brussels on 21 November 2017 - Letter from Ms KAILI, Chair of the
STOA Panel
The Bureau, without debate,
- took note of the letter dated 25 September 2017 from Ms KAILI, Chair of the
STOA Panel, requesting authorisation to hold its annual lecture 2017 in the
European Parliament in Brussels on 21 November 2017 (PE 610.469/BUR,
annex and financial statement);
- took note of the draft programme and speakers invited to STOA's 16th Annual
Lecture;
- took note that the cost of this event is estimated at EUR 23 925, including
interpretation, an official lunch and travel and accommodation costs of invited
speakers;
- authorised the holding of STOA's 16th Annual Lecture on the premises of the
European Parliament in Brussels on 21 November 2017, subject to the availability
of the room, and the related budget thereof.
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9. Closure of accounts of the European political parties and foundations for 2016 - Note from
the Secretary-General
The Bureau, without debate,
- took note of the note dated 22 September 2017 from the Secretary-General on
the “Closure of accounts of the European political parties and foundations for
2016” (PE 610.470/BUR and annexes);
- took note of the analysis and remarks made by the authorising officer by
delegation;
- approved the final reports and the financial statements of the 28 beneficiaries,
taking into account the adjustments proposed;
- determined the amount of the final grants as indicated in Annex 1 to this note
and require the authorising officer by delegation to pay or recover the relevant
amounts;
- corrected the amount of the final grant for the financial year 2015 in case of one
political party at European level;
- decided the initiation of the termination procedure of the grants to ADDE and
IDDE for the financial year 2016 pursuant to Article II.9.2(c) of the grant award
decision;
- instructed the Secretary-General to inform the political parties and political
foundations at European level of these decisions.
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10. Report on the use of the interpretation services in 2015 and 2016 - Note from the
Secretary-General
The Bureau, with debate,
- took note of the note from the Secretary-General on the report on the use of the
interpretation services in 2015 and 2016, within the framework of the Code of
Conduct on Multilingualism (PE 610.471/BUR);
- heard Ms GEBHARDT, Vice-President, enquire about the consultation of the
Staff Committee on the new working conditions for interpreters and stress that
working conditions should not be changed without a consensus with the staff
concerned; enquire whether it was possible to simply change them now with a
decision by the Secretary-General; demand that such decisions be made in
consensus with the staff concerned;
- heard the President state that he had himself met the representatives of the
interpreters, listened to their arguments and offered them a transitional phase of
three months during which there would be an assessment of the new system and
its possible health impact, with the involvement of the medical service; inform
the members of the Bureau that the compromise suggested by him had been
rejected by the representatives of the interpreters; note that there was a difference
between interpreters who were EP officials and external interpreters (free
lancers);
- heard the Secretary-General inform the meeting that the working conditions of
interpreters were being discussed already since 2013 and explain that a
multilingual international institution like the European Parliament, with 24
official languages, was a very ambitious project, which necessitated a very
efficient organisation if it was to work properly; inform members of the Bureau
that a screening conducted two years ago showed that there was a wide gap
between interpreters, with some working 6 and others up to 16 hours in the booth
per week; state that some of the inefficiencies and wrong incentives in the system
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had already been corrected by management decisions; point out that the system
of two slots of 3,5 hours per day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, did
not reflect working reality for Members anymore as meetings had become
shorter and more meetings (such as trilogues or coordinators meetings) were
scheduled during lunch-time or later in the evening; point out that the maximum
number of hours in the booth per day had been increased from 7 to 7,5 hours a
day with a maximum of 8 hours six time a month. The comparable figure in the
European Commission was 10 hours. The average weekly working time in the
booth still would reach only 14 to 15 hours per week on average, with three
interpreters staying in each booth and effectively sharing the work; underline
that there had been a continuous social dialogue with the representatives of the
interpreters for more than three years who had not delegated this dialogue to the
Staff Committee and that three proposals to find an agreement with the
interpreters had been refused by them as well as the proposal of the President.
The responsible Vice-President PAŞCU was permanently informed. The
Secretary-General is the responsible Appointing Authority for decisions on
working time. A consent of the interpreters is legally not necessary and proved
impossible to achieve in practice. The former working conditions of 2006 were
also decided by the Secretary-General, the Bureau received the decision for
information. The Medical Service has no information that interpreter’s health
represents a special risk.
- heard Mr PAŞCU, Vice-President with responsibility for multilingualism, fully
support the Secretary-General’s approach; inform the meeting that he was fully
involved in the dialogue with the interpreters and point out that repeated attempts
to find an agreement with them during the last 3.5 years had failed due to the
lack of any constructive approach from the interpreters; stress in particular that
actually an agreement had been found with the negotiators of the interpreters,
which, however, was then rejected by the latters’ general assembly, which also
dismissed the negotiators, and enquire how it was possible to agree with
somebody who disagreed with everything without making any constructive
proposals; finally stating that rapid technological change in this area will have a
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considerable impact in the mid-term and could even replace interpretation
services in their current form;
- heard Mr WIELAND, Vice-President, express his great empathy for
multilingualism but note that work in Parliament had become more intense and
flexible for everyone in Parliament in the last years and all staff had to adapt
accordingly; deplores the misuse of leave arrangements by some interpreters in
the past; declare his full support for the proposal of the Secretary-General;
- heard Mr KARSKI, Quaestor, state that it was always preferable to have an
agreement but if such an agreement was not possible it was up to the employer
to decide about more efficient working conditions, not the Bureau as a political
organ; express his full support for the decision of the Secretary-General; point
out that working at the European Parliament is not forced labour. Also, the
European Parliament does not employ all interpreters operating in Europe.
Therefore, if any of the current European Parliament interpreters are not happy
with the conditions of work it will result in inevitable personnel movements.
Some interpreters will leave voluntarily, and others will come to work;
- heard Mr PAPADIMOULIS, Vice-President, underline the importance of social
dialogue and express his disagreement with a sort of “decide and order”
approach; request to support the proposal from the President for a three-month
health assessment period in order to keep the window open for a possible
solution;
- heard Mr CZARNECKI, Vice-President, state that the positions were not
converging; underline that the situation was not ideal, but that he was in favor of
dialogue;
- heard Mr TELIČKA, Vice-President, declare his full support to the proposal
presented by the President and the Secretary-General;
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- heard the President underline that he had the highest respect for interpreters as
his father had worked as an interpreter for the Italian military; point out that his
offer for a transitional phase with the cooperation of the medical service
concerning the health aspects was still on the table; state his highest respect for
the work of the Secretary-General and Mr PAŞCU, Vice-President responsible;
- requested the Secretary-General to seek continuous efforts in the implementation
of the Resource Efficient Full Multilingualism in Interpretation.
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Committee missions within the EU, Candidate countries and the EEA countries
11. Request for authorisation of a two-Member STOA mission to attend INNOVEIT, 16-17
October 2017 in Budapest
The Bureau, without debate,
- took note of the letter dated 5 September 2017 from Ms KAILI, Chair of the
STOA Panel, requesting authorisation to send a two-Member STOA mission,
composed of herself and Mr RÜBIG, Member and first STOA Vice-President,
to attend INNOVEIT on 16-17 October 2017 in Budapest (PE 610.439/BUR,
annex and financial statement);
- noted that the dates concerned, which have been fixed by the organisers of the
event, coincide with two days set aside for committee/group activities;
- noted that no interpretation will be needed and that the estimated cost for the two
Members concerned will amount to EUR 4 399;
- authorised the STOA mission to Budapest on 16-17 October 2017, including
journey times.
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Public Hearings
12. Request from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the
Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) for authorisation to hold a
joint public hearing on ‘The European Protection Order’ to be held on 12 October 2017 in
Brussels - Letter from Mr MORAES and Ms BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Chairs of the respective
Committees concerned
The Bureau, without debate,
- took note of the letter dated 7 September 2017, co-signed by Mr MORAES,
Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) and
Ms BLINKEVIČIŪTĖ, Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender
Equality (FEMM), requesting authorisation to hold a joint public hearing on
‘The European Protection Order’ to be held on 12 October 2017 in Brussels
(PE 610.440/BUR and financial statement);
- took note of the letter dated 13 September 2017 from Ms WIKSTRÖM, Chair
of the Conference of Committee Chairs, providing a competence clearance for
this hearing (PE 610.440/BUR/ANN);
- took note that, as the requested hearing is not included in the programme of
committees’ public hearings for the second half of 2017, approved by the Bureau
on 15 May 2017, it requires a specific individual authorisation under Article 3(3)
of the applicable Rules;
- took note that the requested hearing is expected to take place on a date and time
set aside for meetings of the LIBE Committee and that reimbursement of travel
and subsistence expenses for two invited guests will take place within LIBE’s
and FEMM’s respective 2017 quotas (one guest per committee);
- granted the authorisation on the understanding that the LIBE and FEMM
Committees will remain within their 2017 quota of sixteen paid guests each, as,
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beyond this ceiling, guests cannot be reimbursed;
- invited the LIBE and FEMM Committees, pursuant to Article 5 of the applicable
Rules, to notify the President, prior to the hearing, of the final programme and
whether the invited guests comply with the registration requirements of the
Transparency Register, as required by Article 7 of the applicable Rules.
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Requests for authorisation to use the Esplanade Solidarność 1980
13. Request for the use of the Esplanade “Solidarność” from 4 to 8 December 2017 to install
a wooden cottage to celebrate 100 years of independence of Finland - Letter from Mr
TORVALDS, Vice-Chair of the ALDE Group
The Bureau, without debate,
- took note of the request dated 13 July 2017 from Mr TORVALDS, Vice-Chair
of the ALDE Group, requesting authorisation to use the Esplanade ‘Solidarność
1980’ from 4 to 8 December 2017 to install a wooden cottage to celebrate 100
years of independence of Finland;
- took note that the aim of the event is to celebrate the 100 years of independence
by highlighting the value of log, a typical Finnish construction material, as one
of the best solutions in terms of atmospheric carbon balance, and to showcase
sustainable handicraft from Finland;
- took note that the ALDE Group has supplied information about the dimensions
and other specifications of the cottage, as well as the logistical needs;
- took note that the request emanates from a political group, thus fulfilling the
requirements of the applicable rules for the use of the Esplanade Solidarność
1980;
- recalled that, in accordance with Article 5 of the applicable rules, any such
request must be submitted for approval at least four months in advance, and that
the request at hand has been submitted approximately five months prior to the
event;
- took note that the Esplanade ‘Solidarność 1980’ is available on the requested
dates;
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- took note of a recommendation from Mr WIELAND, Vice-President responsible
for relations with the Belgian authorities, dated 28 September 2017, in which he
recommends to grant the request, on condition that:
all parties concerned, and especially the organisers, pay particular attention
to the prevention and mitigation measures that have been proposed by DG
SAFE to reduce the security risk;
Parliament’s services shall follow up appropriately in order to facilitate the
event and its security. This includes liaising with the organisers and the
relevant public authorities. They shall also closely monitor the set-up,
dismantling and the event itself, in order to be able to react if necessary;
the organisers understand and accept that changes to the event might be
requested and that the opinion of the Parliament and final authorisation by
the Borough of Ixelles may be revoked if justified by changes to the
security context, or if the organisers fail to implement the necessary
security measures;
- took note of the fact that a favourable recommendation has been issued by
DG SAFE.
- in the light of the favourable recommendations, granted the authorisation as
requested, on the understanding that the conditions suggested by Mr WIELAND,
Vice-President responsible, are met by the organisers and all parties involved in
the event.
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14. Urgent matters and any other business
14.1. Sanitary facilities on Parliaments’ premises in Brussels
The Bureau,
- heard Mr CZARNECKI ask for an update on the supply of hot water on
Parliament’s premises in Brussels;
- heard the Secretary-General explain that as, agreed previously in the Bureau and
the Quaestors, the supply of hot water had been cut-off due to health concerns
as the rare use of showers in the Members’ offices facilitated the creation of
legionella bacteria; inform the meeting of a proposal to be submitted shortly to
the Quaestors, including the possibility to set up separate showers with hot water
close to the Members’ offices;
- took note of the information provided.
14.2. Date for European Parliament elections 2019
The Bureau,
- heard Mr WIELAND, Vice-President, reiterate his request that the date of the
European elections in 2019 be decided by the European Council as soon as
possible, in order to allow Parliament to adapt its own calendar accordingly;
- heard the President agree with this request and inform the meeting that the Head
of his Private Office would take up this matter with the Office of the President
of the European Council.
14.3. Guide on Parliaments’ architecture and art exhibition
The Bureau,
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- heard Mr WIELAND, Vice-President, present a proposal from Mr FERBER,
Member, to find partners, without Parliament incurring significant costs, for
publishing a guide on the architecture of, and works of art in, various Parliament
buildings; the guide could, for instance, be sold in the souvenir shops of
Parliament and the House of European History;
- took note of the proposal and agreed to ask the responsible services to examine
its feasibility.
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15. Items for information
The Bureau,
- noted the following documents:
Interinstitutional mail
External mail
Internal mail
- European Parliament Resolution of 5 April 2017 on Parliament’s estimates of
revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2018, Section I - Parliament
(2017/2022(BUD)) - Note from the Secretary-General (PE 610.484/BUR).
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16. Date and place of next meeting
The Bureau,
- decided to hold its next extraordinary meeting on 9 and 10 October 2017 in
the Jean Monnet House in Bazoches, France.
*
* *
The meeting closed at 20.30 hours.
*
* *