Official Journal of the European Communities Debates of the European Parliament 1998/99 Session. Report of proceedings from 11 May to 15 May 1998

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• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION
• Nombre de lectures: 25
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

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ISSN 0378-5041
Official Journal Annex
of the
European Communities
No 4-519
Debates of the European Parliament English edition
1998/99 Session
Report of proceedings
from 11 May to 15 May 1998
Europe House, Strasbourg
Sitting of Monday, 11 May 1998 General contents
1. Resumption of the session, p. 1 - 2. Request for the waiver of Mr Ribeiro Campos'
immunity, p. 3 - 3. Request for the waiver of Mr Rosado Fernandes' immunity, p. 4 -
4. Legal protection of biotechnological inventions, p. 5 - 5. Second banking directive,
p. 19
Sitting of Tuesday, 12 May 1998 23
I. Approval of the Minutes, p.5 -. Decision on urgency, p. 26 - 3. Conciliation pro­
cedure concerning investment services, p. 26 - 4. Control of synthetic drugs, p. 28 -
5. Preliminary draft general budget for 1999 (presentation), p. 35 - 6. Tobacco adver­
tising, p. 37 - 7. Votes, p. 51 - 8. Water quality, p. 64 - 9. Limit values for pollutants
in ambient air - Strategy to combat acidification -, p. 71 - 10. Eco-label, p. 80 -
II. Question Time (Commission), p. 83-12. 'Towards a Europe of Knowledge', p. 95
- 13. Protection of minors in audiovisual and information services, p. 103-14. Interim
agreement on trade with Mexico, p. 108 - 15. Community customs code, p. 113
Sitting of Wednesday, 13 May 1998 117
1. Approval of the Minutes, p. 119-2. Appointments to the Executive Board of the
European Central Bank, p. 120 - 3. Euro-Mediterranean cooperation (joint debate),
p. 135-4. Votes, p. 145-5. Common defence policy, p. 170-6. Nuclear tests in India,
p. 185 - 7. Agenda, p. 189 - 8. Kosovo, p. 190 - 9. Question Time (Council), p. 193 -
10. Euro-Mediterranean cooperation (continuation), p. 203 - 11. Kosovo (continua­
tion), p. 205 - 12. Competitiveness of European industry, p. 206 - 13. Electronic com­
merce, p. 212 - 14. Provision ofinformation in the field of technical standards and reg­
ulations, p. 218 - 15. Operator number portability and carrier pre-selection, p. 219 -
16. Labelling of certain foodstuffs produced from genetically modified organisms,
p. 221 NOTE TO READER
Parallel editions will also be appearing in the following official languages of the Union:
Danish, German. Greek, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese. Finnish and
Swedish. The English edition contains the original texts of the interventions in English
and an English translation, provided by freelance translators, of those made in other
languages. In these cases, the following letters appear in brackets after the name of the
speaker to indicate the language spoken: (DA) for Danish. (DE) for German. (EL) for
Greek, (ES) for Spanish, (FR) for French, (IT) for Italian, (NL) for Dutch, (PT) for
Portuguese. (Fl) for Finnish and (SV) for Swedish.
The original texts of these interventions appear in the edition published in the language
spoken.
Contents (continued) Sitting of Thursday, 14 May 1998 275
1. Approval of the Minutes, p.6 - 2. Improvements in the functioning of the
Institutions, p.6 - 3. Information and communication policy, p. 286 - 4. Welcome,
p. 295 - 5. Votes, p. 295 - 6. Topical and urgent debate, p. 304 - 7. Votes (continua­
tion), p. 328 - 8. Competition in the air traffic sector, p. 330 - 9. Code of conduct for
computerized reservation systems (CRSs), p. 335 - 10. Marketing of seeds -
Implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1467/94, p. 337
Sitting of Friday, 15 May 1998 343
1. Approval of the Minutes, p.3 - 2. Votes, p. 344 - 3. Payment card crime, p. 346
- 4. Use of antibiotics in animal food. p. 349 - 5. Audit of certain aspects of German
reunification measures (Court of Auditors report), p. 358 - 6. Combined heat and
power, p. 361 - 7. Adjournment of the session, p. 364
Abbreviations used for Political Groups as shown following the name of the speaker
(PSE) Group of the Party of the European Socialists
(PPE)p of the European People's Party (Christian-Democratic Group)
(UPE)p of the Union for Europe
(ELDR) Group of the European Liberal Democratic and Reformist Party
(GUE/NGL) Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left
(V) Green Group in the European Parliament
(ARE) Group of the European Radical Alliance
(I-EDN)p of Independents for a Europe of Nations
(NI) Non-attached Members
Resolutions adopted at the sitting of 11-15.5.1998 appear in the Official Journal
of the European Communities C167 of 1.6.1998 Debates of the European Parliament No 4-519/1 11.5.98
SITTING OF MONDAY, 11 MAY 1998
Contents
/. Resumption of the session
Monti (Commission), Ahern, Ripa di Meana, Bianco, Marinucci, Diez de Rivera
/caza, Christodoulou, Pomés Ruiz, Medina Ortega, Gutiérrez Díaz, Morris, Schifane,
Vallvé · , 1
2. Request for the waiver of Mr Campos' immunity
Palacio Vállelersundi, Wibe 3
3. Request for the waiver of Mr Rosado Fernandes ' immunity
Wijsenbeek, Wibe 4
4. Legal protection of biotechnological inventions
Rothley, Barzanti, Mosiek-Urbahn, Pompidou, Monfds, Ephremidis, Tamino, Ewing,
Sandbæk, Gebhardt, C. Casini, Hyland, De Clercq, Sjöstedt, Ahern, Barthet-Mayer,
Blokland, Raschhofer, Oddy, Liese, Eisma, Querbes, Graefe zu Baringdorf, Berger,
Palacio Vallelersundi, Plooij-Van Gorsel, Seppänen, Ullmann, White, K. Jensen,
Malone, van Putten, Cot, Monti (Commission), Graefe zu Baringdorf, van Putten,
Monti .. 5
5. Second banking directive
Wijsenbeek, Peijs, Rothley, Mosiek-Urbahn, Monti (Commission) 19
five people have been injured, and more than a thousand IN THE CHAIR: MR GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO
have lost their homes and possessions.
President
I think that at times like this it is important for the whole
(The sitting was opened at 5.00p.m.) European Union to show solidarity with the victims and
their families. If you agree, I will convey our institution's
condolences and sympathy to the Italian authorities.
1. Resumption of the session
(Applause)
President. - I declare resumed the session of the Euro­
Monti, Member of the Commission. - (IT) Mr President,
pean Parliament adjourned on 2 May 1998.
the Commission shares these sentiments regarding such a
serious and immense tragedy and, for its part, is consider­
ing the possibility of some form of concrete intervention
to show this solidarity.
Ahern (V). - Mr President, I would like to inform this President. - Ladies and gentlemen, you are all aware that
House that today at 13.00 hours GMT India made an un­Italy is currently undergoing a time of great suffering and
derground thermonuclear test similar to the one that she sorrow because of the tragic mudslides and floods which-
conducted in 1974. I would ask this House to condemn have affected various localities in the region of Campa­
these nuclear tests outright and condemn India for not be­nia, particularly Sarno, Bracigliano, Quindici and Siano.
So far, there are known to have been 135 victims, and the ing part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. I would
number of people missing may be even higher. Ninety- also ask this House to criticize the acknowledged five nu-Debates of the European Parliament No 4-519/2 11.5.98
Ahern
clear powers for setting a bad example and in particular sponsibly carved out the most advantageous national pol­
for the nuclear test in Mururoa some time ago. We in the icy and laid the foundations for the growth of prosperity
European Union have set India a bad example and I would in the region. But Konstantinos Karamanlis was also a
also like this House to condemn the transfer of civil nu­ great European, not only because he was a unique and
clear technology to third countries. wonderful leader who, literally by himself, placed Greece
among the ranks of the European Communities, but also
(Applause)
because he always had a clear and definite idea of the Eu­
ropean ideal. He believed that only a united Europe could Ripa di Meana (V). - (IT) Mr President, a very quick
achieve great things and safeguard democracy, prosperity point of order to express the wish that the Commission
and peace for its peoples. may rapidly set aside an adequate sum to deal with the se­
rious disaster which hit Campania and the Sarno valley.
Tomorrow morning at 8.00 a.m. in the Palais, the Greek
Members of the European Parliament will hold a short Bianco (PPE). - (IT) Mr President, I had already asked to
memorial service to honour Konstantinos Karamanlis and speak, but you were sensitive enough to open this sitting
all those colleagues who would like to take part will be by immediately remembering the victims in the Sarno
welcome. valley. I would like to thank you and Professor Monti for
this solidarity. Parliament must urge the European Coun­
Pomes Ruiz (PPE). - (ES) Mr President, this Parliament,
cil and the Commission to intervene effectively, so that
which has so often demonstrated its desire to defend hu­
these tortured people - whom I have visited and seen for
man rights, must not ignore the fact that last week the ter­
myself the conditions in which they are living-can know
rorist organization ETA once again attacked a politician,
that Europe is not far away.
a defender of liberty, in Spain. He was Tom&#