I was directed to http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/200405/p103027.htm#anch0042 which is the EU Bulletin claiming the council agreed common position in May. This is also reflected in the "legislative observatory" record for the swpat proposal, although no new EuroParl date has appeared there. I had heard there was some dispute about it. What information source is binding, if any?
From the draft agenda, it looks like the 13-16 September plenary will be concerned with budgets, stability, human rights and Iraq. The next plenary is 13 October 2004 - 28 October 2004, so watch http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep/owa/p_calses.plenary?ilg=EN&iorig=plenar... for an agenda in case swpat appears.
At Fri, 03 Sep 2004 01:49:30 +0100, MJ Ray wrote:
I was directed to http://europa.eu.int/abc/doc/off/bull/en/200405/p103027.htm#anch0042 which is the EU Bulletin claiming the council agreed common position in May. This is also reflected in the "legislative observatory" record for the swpat proposal, although no new EuroParl date has appeared there. I had heard there was some dispute about it. What information source is binding, if any?
That's a plain lie. The council made a political agreement on 17 and 18 May. A political agreement is an internal Council thing, it has no legal status. Every country can still change its vote and that's indeed what's happening at the moment. The parlaiament in The Netherlands already told the government to change their vote and maybe the same will happen in Hungary.
The council text still has to be formally adopted as a common position. This will likely be done as soon as possible, before more countries change their mind. We don't know when exactly, but I think it's very likely that it will be at the Competitiveness Council of 24 September.
From the draft agenda, it looks like the 13-16 September plenary will be concerned with budgets, stability, human rights and Iraq. The next plenary is 13 October 2004 - 28 October 2004, so watch http://wwwdb.europarl.eu.int/ep/owa/p_calses.plenary?ilg=EN&iorig=plenar... for an agenda in case swpat appears.
The Council first has to adopt a common position before it can be scheduled for a second reading the European Parliament.
Jeroen Dekkers