European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway and to the Eea Joint Parliamentary Committee
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION FOR RELATIONS WITH SWITZERLAND, ICELAND, AND NORWAY AND TO THE EEA JOINT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE MINUTES OF THE MEETING 28 October 2004 in STRASBOURG CONTENTS Page 1. Adoption of the draft agenda (PE 342.084) .................................................................................. 2 2. Approval of the minutes of the constituent meeting held in Brussels on 12 October 2004 (PE 349.255) ..................................................................................................... 2 With a view to the 23rd EU-Switzerland interparliamentary meeting to be held in Strasbourg on 17-18 November 2004 3. Briefings by : ................................................................................................................................ 2 - Mr Philippe GUEX, Minister, Deputy Head of the Mission of Switzerland to the EU, on the situation in Switzerland and on its relations with the EU - Mr Matthias BRINKMANN, representing the European Commission, on EU-Switzerland relations followed by an exchange of views 4. Consideration of the draft programme and the draft agenda of the interparliamentary meeting ... 3 - nomination of first EP speakers 5. Any other business ............................................................................................................................ 4 6. Date and place of the next meeting ................................................................................................... 4 Annex: Attendance list _______________ 10 November 2004 HO/kn PE 349.258 The meeting opened at 9.55 with Mrs Diana WALLIS, chairperson, in the chair. Mr Paul van BUITENEN was excused. 1. The draft agenda was adopted. Interpretation available for the meeting: DE - EL - EN - NL - SV 2. Due to the short time between the last and today's meetings, it had not been possible to translate the minutes, which were distributed in English only. The minutes were approved. With a view to the 23rd EU-Switzerland interparliamentary meeting to be held in Strasbourg on 17-18 November 2004 3. Mr GUEX briefed the delegation on EU-Switzerland relations concentrating on the nine bilateral agreements signed on 26 October. The two Houses of the Swiss Parliament were examining the agreements (savings taxation, fight against fraud, Schengen Agreement, Dublin Convention on asylum, processed farm produce, environment, European statistical system, Community media programme and double taxation of European officials retired to Switzerland) to be accepted in a parallel process by mid December. To call for a referendum would probably take 100 days. Mr BRINKMANN gave the members a broader introduction to the EU-Switzerland relations from the EC-EFTA agreement in 1972 to the signature of the latest EU-Switzerland bilateral agreements. He also commented on Switzerland's contribution to the EU cohesion funds, making a reference to the EEA financial mechanism. The figure mentioned for Switzerland's access to the EU market was 130 mill Euro per year over a 5-year period. Less than Norway's contribution. Negotiations on this matter were to start soon for conclusion in 2006. For the moment, there were more than 100 EU-Switzerland agreements. On question from the chair (signature enough for referendum? independent study on pro and cons), Mrs Dürkhop (would bilaterals prevent Switzerland from EU membership? Guillotin clause in bilateral II ? Listing of bilateral I and II?) and Mr SCHWAB (custom Unions with the EU?), Mr GUEX responded that the Schengen/Dublin would be voted in a referendum. Customs Union was not on the political agenda. Mr BRINKMANN noted that the EU had an interest in a guillotin clause in I, but not in II (fraud, etc.). Mrs DÜRKHOP spoke on the Schengen Agreement and the Dublin Convention. On a question from Mrs PANAYOTOPOULOS on educational training and the referendum system, Mr GUEX informed members that Switzerland would in the future participate to the Socrates and Leonardo programmes. Mr SCHWAB was of the opinion that the Schengen/Dublin were complicated matters and suggested that the Delegation should visit a boarder region between EU/Switzerland. 2 PE 349.258 4. The chair presented the draft programme. The chair presented the preliminary draft IPM agenda. Mr SCHWAB suggested that crossboarder issues should be discussed at the IPM. Nomination of first EP speakers: item 3: Political and economic development of the EU - Present and future enlargement of the EU Mr Paul RÜBIG - Convention Mr Jens-Peter BONDE item 4: European Parliament after 2004 elections Mrs Dagmar ROTH-BEHRENDT item 6: Switzerland-EU Bilateral Negotiations II Mrs Diana WALLIS item 7: Schengen and Dublin Convention Mrs Barbara DÜRKHOP item 8: Free movement of services Mrs Diana WALLIS item 9: Crossboarder Information Policy - Nuclear Waste Mr Andreas SCHWAB item 10: Railway transport policies Mrs Ewa HEDKVIST PETERSEN Mrs HEDKVIST PETERSEN and Mr SCHWAB spoke on transport matters. The chair reminded the delegation of the joint statement issued on 18-19 February 1998 by the EP and the Swiss delegation claiming the establishing of a European Commission representation in Bern. The chair would raise this question with the Swiss counterparts. 3 PE 349.258 5. No item was raised. 6. The next delegation meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 17 November, 15.00 - 16.00, in Strasbourg to prepare the EEA JPC meeting on 22 - 23 November in Brussels. * * * The meeting closed at 11.15. BILAG/ANLAGE/ΠΑΡΑΡΤΗΜΑ/ANNEX/ ANNEXE/ALLEGATO/BIJLAGE/ANEXO/BILAGA 4 PE 349.258 DELTAGERLISTE/ANWESENHEITSLISTE/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/LIITE RECORD OF ATTENDANCE/LISTA DE ASISTENCIA/LISTE DE PRESENCE/ELENCO DEI PRESENTI/PRESENTIELIJST/LISTA DE PRESENÇAS/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/DELTAGARLISTA Til stede Formandskabet/Vorstand/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Ufficio di Presidenza/Mesa/Puhemiehistφ/J.L. Presidium: (*) WALLIS (P) HEDKVIST PETERSEN (1st VP) Anwesend Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Μέλη/Members/Diputados/Dιputιs/Deputati/Leden/Deputados/jδsenet/ Ledamöter: GOEPEL, PANAYOTOPOULOS, RÜBIG, JANOWSKI, ŠKOTTOVÁ,, STHILER, DIČKUTÉ Παρόντες Stedfortrædere/Stellvertreter/Αναπληρωτές/Substitutes/Suplentes/Supplιants/ Membri supplenti/Plaatsvervangers/Membros suplentes/Varajäsenet/Suppleanter: SCHWAB, DÜRKHOP DÜRKHOP, SKINNER, ANDRIA, BUDREIKAITÉ Present Presentes Présents Presenti Aanwezig Lasna Närvarande Art. 138,2 Art. 151,4 Endv. deltog/Weitere Teiln./ Συμμετείχαν επίσης/Also present Participaron igualmente/ Participaient également/ Hanno partecipato altresi΄/ Andere deelnemers/ Outros participantes/ Muut osallistujat/ Dessutom deltog (Dagsorden/Tagesordnung Pkt/Ημερήσια Διάταξη Σημεί/Point OJ/Punto OG/Agenda Punt/Ordem do dia- punto/punto orden del dia/ Esityslista Kohta/Föredragningslista punkt): * (P) =Formand/Vorsitzender/Πρόεδρος/Chairman/Prιsident/Presidente/Voorzitter/Presidente/Puhemies/Ordfφrande (VP) =Næstform./Stellv. Vorsitz./Αντιπρόεδρος/Vice-Chairman/Vice-Prιsident/Vicepresidente/Varapuhemies Ondervoorz./Vice-Pres./Vicepres/Vice ordförande. Til stede den/Anwesend am/Παρών στις/Present on/Prιsent le/Presente il/Aanwezig op/Presente em/Presente el/Lδsnδ/Nδrvarande den. (1) 28.10.2004 (3) 5 PE 349.258 Efter indbydelse fra formanden/Auf Einladung d. Vorsitzenden/Με πρόσκληση του Προέδρου/At the invitation of the Chairman/Por invitación del presidente/Sur l'invitation du président/Su invito del presidente/Op uitnodiging van de voorzitter/A convite do presidente/Puhemiehen kutsusta/ På ordförandens inbjudan: Radet/Rat/Συμβούλιο/Council/Consejo/Conseil/Consiglio/Raad/Conselho/Neuvosto/Rεdet: (*) Kommissionen/Kommission/Επιτροπή/Commission/Comisión/Commissione/Commissie/Commissão/Komissio/ Kommissionen: (*) BRINKMANN Cour des comptes: C.E.S.: Andre deltagere/Andere Teilnehmer GUEX, Mission of Switzerland to the EU Επίσης Παρόντες/Also present Otros participantes/Autres participants/Altri partecipanti Andere aanwezigen/Outros participantes Muut osallistujat/Övriga deltagare Gruppernes sekretariat PPE-DE HEISTER Sekretariat der Fraktionen PSE Γραμματεία των Πολ. Ομάδων ALDE COLLANDER Secretariat political groups Secr. de los grupos politicos Secr. groupes politiques Segr. dei gruppi politici Secr. van de fracties Secr. dos grupos politicos Puolueryhmien sihteeristö Gruppernas sekretariat Cab. du Président Cab. du Secrétaire Général Generaldirektorat I Generaldirektion II Γενική Διεύθυνση III HARRIS Directorate-General IV Dirección general V Direction générale VI Direzione generale VII Directoraat-generaal Direcção general Contrôle financier Service juridique Pääosasto Generaldirektorat Udvalgssekretariatet OLSEN Ausschubsekretariat Γραμματεία επιτροπής Committee secretariat Secretaria de la comisión Secrétariat de la commission Segretariato della commissione Commissiesecretariaat Secretaria de comissão Valiokunnan sihteeristö Utskottssekretariatet Assist./Βοηθός D'AGOSTO/NANBRU * (P) =Formand/Pres./Πρόεδρος/Chairman/Prιsident/Voorzitter/Puhemies/Ordfφrande (VP) =Næstform./Vize-Pres./Αντιπρόεδρος/Vice-Chairman/Vice-Prιsident/Ondervoorz./Vice-pres/Varapuhemies/Vice ordfφrande. (M) =Medlem./Mitglied/Μέλος/Member/Miembro/Membre/Membro/Lid/Membro/Jδsen/Ledamot (F) =Tjenestemand/Beamter/Υπάλληλος/Official/Funcionario/Fonctionnaire/Funzionario/Ambtenaar/ Functionαrio/Virkamies/Tjδnsteman 6 PE 349.258.