ISSN 0378-liiM1 Annex Official Journal of the European Communities No 234 October 1978 English edition Debates of the European Parliament 1978-1979 Session Report of Proceedings from 9 to 13 October 197 8 Europe House, Strasbourg Contents Sitting of Monday, 9 October 1978 Resumption, p. 2 - Death of John Paul I, p. 2 - Committees, p. 2 - Petitions, p. 2 - Documents, p. 2 - Texts of treaties, p. 5 - Authorization of reports, p. 5 - Urgent procedure, p. 5 - Urgent procedure (decision~ p. 6 - Order of business, p. 6 - Limitation of speaking-time, p. 10 - Procedure without report, p. 10 - Amendments, p. 11 - Action taken on the opinions of Parliament, p. 11 - Community VAT, p. 12- Implementation of the 1978 budget, p. 16- Amend­ ments to the Financial Regulation, p. 25 - Floods in Northern Italy, p. 27 - Next sitting, p. 29. Sitting of Tuesday, 10 October 1978 30 Minutes, p. 32 - Documents, p. 32 - Transfers of appropriations, p. 32 - Urgent procedure, p. 32 - Illegal migration, p. 37 - Question Time, p. 52 - Votes, p. 60 -Equal treatment for men and women, p. 65- 1978 Tripartite Conference, p. 74 - Agenda, p. 78 - 1978 Tripartite Conference (resumption), p. 79 - Agricultural research programmes, p. 90 - Approximation of legislation, p. 98 - Price of milk products, p. 104 - Massacre of seals, p. 110 - Next sitting, p. 113. Sitting of Wednesday, 11 October 1978 114 Minutes, p. 116 - Documents, p. 116 - Texts of treaties, p. 116 - Agenda, p. 116 - Supplies of armaments, p. 117 - Summer-time, p. 125 - Camp David Conference, p. 129- Urgent procedure, p. 135- Question Time (continued~ p. 135- Welcome, p. 146- Votes, p. 147- Lebanon, p. 148- Nicaragua, p. 152 -Energy policy, p. 156- Iran, p. 176- Next sitting, p. 180- Annex, p. 181. Sitting of Thursday, 12 October 1978 183 Minutes, p. 184- Documents, p. 184- Resolutions pursuant to Article 47 (5), p. 184 - Urgent procedure, p. 185 - Food aid, p. 185 -Aid to the iron-and-steel (Continued overleaf) ,J NOTE TO READER Appearing at the same time as the English edition are editions in the five other official languages of the Communities : Danish, German, French, Italian and Dutch. The English edition contains the original texts of the interventions in English and an English transla­ tion of those made in other languages. In these cases there are, after the name of the speaker, the following letters, in brackets, to indicate the language spoken : (DK) for Danish, (D) for German, (F) for French, (I) for Italian and (NL) for Dutch. The original texts of these interventions appear in the edition published in the language spoken. Contents (continued) industry, p. 186- Agenda, p. 205- Question Time (conclusion), p. 205- Votes, p. 210- Competition policy, p. 211 -Air-traffic control, p. 224- Next sitting, p. 229 - Annex, p. 230. Sitting of Friday, 13 October 1978 233 Minutes, p. 234 - Documents, p. 234 - Petitions, p. 234 - Procedure without report, p. 234 - Statement by the chairman of the Socialist Group, p. 234 - Stan­ dards on board merchant ships, p. 235 - Procedure, p. 237 - Regional policy, p. 238 - Health and safety in the steel industry and mines, p. 242 - Transport of goods by road, p. 243 - Transport of goods by rail, road and inland waterway, p. 246 - Sentencing of Tunisian trade-unionists, p. 247 - Stateless money, p. 248 - Votes, p. 249 - Next part-session, p. 250 - Budget debate, p. 251 - Minutes, p. 251 - Adjournment, p. 251. Resolutions adopted at sittings of 9 to 13 October 1978 appear in the Official Journal of the European Communities C 261 of 6. 11. 1978. Sitting of Monday, 9 October 1978 SITTING OF MONDAY, 9 OCTOBER 1978 Contents 1. Resumption of the session 2 behalf of the Socialist Group; Mr Aigner, on behalf of the Christian-Democratic 2. Death of His Holiness john Paul I 2 Group (EPP); Mr Spinelli, on behalf of the 3. Membership of committees 2 Communist and Allies Group; Mr Cointat, on behalf of the Group of Euro­ 2 4. Petitions . pean Progressive Democrats; Mr 5. Documents received 2 Cunningham; Mr Lange; Mr Patijn; Mr Burke; Mr Deschamps ........... 12 6. Text of treaties forwarded by the Council 5 16. Oral question with debate: Implementa­ 5 7. Authorization of reports tion of the budget of the Communities for 8. Urgent procedure . 5 1978 (Doc. 342178): 9. Decision on urgent procedure . 6 Mr Aigner, author of the question; Mr Tugendhat, Member of the Commission; I 0. Order of business: Mr Spine/It; on behalf of the Communist Mr Rippon; Mr Lagorce; Mr Hughes; Mr and Allies Group; Mr Cointat, on behalf Cointat; Mr Lagorce Procedural motion: of the Group of European Progressive Mr Dalyell; Mr Deschamps; Mr Klepsch; Democrats; Mr Shaw, on behalf of the Mr Cointat; Mr Lagorce; Sir Derek European Conservative Group; Mr Lange; Walker-Smith, chairman of the Legal Mr Aigner; Mr Tugendhat ........ 18 Affain Committee; Mr Calewaert; Mr Hughes; Mr Broeksz; Mr Scott-H(Jpkins; 17. Regulation amending the Financial Regla­ Mr Broeksz . 6 tion - Report by Mr Shaw, on behalf of the Committee on Budgets (Doc. 3 53/78): II. 10 Limit on speaking-time . Mr Shaw, rapporteur ........... 25 12 . .Procedure without report . .10 Mr A1gner, on behalf of the Christian­ Democratic Group (EPP); Mr Spinelli; on 13. Time-limit for tabling amendments II behalf of the Communist and Allies 14. Action taken by the Commission on the Group; Mr Tugendhat, Member of the opinions of Parliament: Commission ................ 26 Lord Bruce of Donington; Mr Burke, Member of the Commission . 11 18. Floods in Northern /tal)' - Motion for a resolution (Doc. 311/78): 15. Oral question with debate; Entry into Mr Albertini; Mr Dalyell; Mr Tugendhat, force of Community VAT (Doc. 340178): Member of the Commission . 27 Mr Deschamps; Mr Burke, Member of the Commission; Lord Bruce of Donington, on 19. Agenda for the next sitting . 29 2 Debates of the European Parliament IN THE CHAIR : MR COLOMBO 4. Petitions President President. - I have received : - from Mr G. Maertens, on behalf of the Europa Espe­ (The sitting was opened at 5.10 p.mJ ranto Centre, Brussels, a petition on the improvement of communications between citizens of the Member States of the European Community and the officials President. - The sitting 1s open. of the institutions of the European Community; - from Mr H. Meinardi, on behalf of the Federation 1. Resumption of the session against Epilepsy, a petition on a certificate of fitness to drive for epileptics. President. - I declare resumed the session of the These petitions have been entered under Nos 17/78 European Parliament suspended on 15 September and 18/78 respectively in the register provided for in 1978. Rule 48 (2) of the Rules of Procedure, and, pursuant to paragraph 3 of that same rule, referred to the 2. Death of His Holiness john Paul I Committee on the Rules of Procedure and Petitions. President. - At the meeting of the ACP-EEC Consultative Assembly of 29 September in Luxem­ burg, we learned with surprise and grief of the death 5. Domments receit·ed of Pope John Paul I. Although John Paul I was barely able even to outline President. - I have received : the tasks he wished to accomplish, the impact of his a) from the Council, requests for opm•ons on the brief reign was far greater than could have been following Commission proposals : expected in only 34 days. His choice of name was a clear indication in itself that I. a fourth directive amending Directive 69/169/EEC on he intended to continue the work of his two distin­ the harmonization of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action relating to exemp­ guished predecessors, John XXIII and Paul VI. His tion from turnover tax and excise duty on imports in first statement to the world gave a clear indication of international travel, the course he intended to steer : II. a second directive amending Directive 74/651/EEC We are all committed to the effort to direct the world on the tax reliefs to be allowed on the importation of towards a growing sense of justice, a more stable peace goods in small consignments of a non-commercial and more sincere cooperation ; and it is for that reason character within the Community, and that we beg and entreat you all, from those at the very humblest level in society, who are linked to the peoples III. an amendment to the proposal for a directive on the of all other nations by the common bonds of humanity, exemption from taxes on importation of small to the most distinguished heads of state, to participate consignments from third countries of goods of a non­ actively in creating a more just and more authentic order. commercial nature This message from what has been the shortest pontifi­ (Doc. 314/78), cate for three centuries cannot fail to have a lasting impact on the Church and on the world. which has been referred to the Committee on External Economic Relations ; (The Assembly stood for one minute's silence) - a letter on the Council's recommendation concerning the discharge to be gi"ven to the Commission in 3. Membership of committees respect of the implementation of the budget and of the amending and supplemen~ary budgets of the Euro­ President. - At its meeting of 28 September 1978 pean Communities for the financial year 1976 (Doc. in Luxembourg, the Bureau provisionally approved, 317/78) pursuant to Rule 37 (4) of the Rules of Procedure, the which has been referred to the Committee on appointment of Budgets; - Mr Nielsen as a member of the Committee on Budgets, to replace Mr Caillavet ; - a directive amending Directive 64/433/EEC on health and of problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat (Doc.