[Fsfe-ie] McCreevy takes up post 1.11.2004

[Teresa Hackett [default]]

Yes there is, because the proposal has to go back to the European Parliament
for a second reading, perhaps around December/January. Gay Mitchell belongs
to the European People's Party, the largest political group (268 out of 720
MEPs), so how the EPP group vote will be crucial. What text the Parliament
votes on depends on what the Council sends over to them.

Before it goes back to the Parliament, it will be formally approved by the
Council in September, following political agreement last May. Formal
approval means just being voted on without further discussion. As you know,
the Dutch have since pulled back on their position (and will abstain?). I
don't know if it will go back to the Competetiveness Council for formal
approval (where Mary Harney represents Ireland) or it could go to another
one e.g. agricultural, fisheries, etc, that gets announced later. The Dutch
minister currently chairs the Council meetings because they have the
Presidency of the EU, so that should be rather odd for him/her ;-)

Then there's the Commission in the form of McCreevy. We know that Bolkestein
was very pro-patent and the Commission did not agree with the Parliament's
amendments. I don't know enough about the politics to know how much
influence the in-coming Commission has on the outgoing. I don't know that
anyone knows what McCreevy's view are ??, but if he did disagree with the
directive, *perhaps* that could influence the Council especially if some
countries are wobbling. Cos it's the Council that has the real power, not
the Parliament.

Even though the Munich Linux migration seems to be on again, the chill
effect of the draft directive is here
http://www.it-director.com/article.php?articleid=12168.

Best

Teresa
-------

Hi Teresa --

so who should we be thinking of talking to, as Irish voters (and farflung
can't-vote-right-now people like myself ;)?

Is there any point in talking to MEPs like Gay Mitchell who still
believe that being pro-swpat is a good thing?  Will he have input?

- --j.