European Parliament 2019-2024 Committee on Petitions PETI_PV294_1 MINUTES Meeting of 2 December 2019, 15.00-18.30, and 3 December 2019, 9.00-12.30 and 14.30-18.30 BRUSSELS The meeting opened at 15:07 on Monday, 2 December 2019, with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. 1. Adoption of draft agenda OJ– PE 643.016 FdR 1191533 The agenda was adopted in the form shown in these minutes. 2. Approval of minutes of meetings of : There were none. 3. Chair's announcements The Chair informed Members of the results of the written procedure regarding the B-items of 2-3 October 2019: PV\1194172EN.docx PE644.850v01-00 EN United in diversityEN - Petitions 371/2006, 175/2007, 608/2018 and 691/2018 have been closed. - Petitions 1606/2010, 454/2011, 172/2013, 430/2013, 709/2013, 1264/2013, 1481/2013, 1552/2013, 2229/2013, 2378/2013, 2617/2013, 1887/2014, 2520/2014, 384/2015, 395/2015 and 1228/2015 have been kept open and further information will be required from the Commission and from the Spanish authorities for petitions 1606/2010, 454/2011, 172/2013, 430/2013, 1481/2013, 2617/2013 and 2520/2014. - As regards Petitions 1490/2016 and 144/2019, further information will be required from the Commission. - Petitions 291/2018, 837/2018, 838/2018 and 943/2018 have been kept open and will be included in the agenda of a future meeting. - Petition 631/2018 will be sent for information to DEEA and closed. - As regards Petitions 930/2018 and 67/2019, 2 months has been given to the petitioners to react to the Commission’s reply. - As regards Petition 2533/2014, the additional information sent by the petitioner has been sent to the Commission for a further assessment. In the presence of the European Commission A. Petitions for discussion in committee on the basis of the Commission's written reply or other documents received Employment 4. Petition 0759/2015 by Jose Ramón Gil Bento (Spanish), on behalf of CCOO, on commercial trading hours Speakers: Adam Pokorny (EC-EMPL) and Pablo Arias Echeverría. Decision: Close the petition and send to the petitioner the information about the EU Work-life Balance Directive. 5. Petition 0364/2018 by A.M.F. (Italian) on the former employees of the Sicilian vocational training programmes who have been left without employment Speakers: A.M.F. (petitioner), Egidio Campoli (EC-EMPL), Ignazio Corrao, Eleonora Evi and Peter Jahr. Decision: keep the petition open and write a letter to the regional authorities to seek clarifications. PE644.850v01-00 2/14 PV\1194172EN.docx EN Internal market 6. Petition 0547/2018 by M.L. (German) on problems with implementing the Posting of Workers Directive Speakers: Carita Rammus (EC-EMPL) and Peter Jahr. Decision: close the petition. Environment 7. Petition 0661/2018 by Matias Eduardo Diaz Crescitelli (Italian) on the alleged violation of environmental EU law by an unhealthy industry in Borgo Val di Taro (PR), Italy Speakers: Matias Eduardo Diaz Crescitelli (petitioner), Daniele Franzone (EC-ENV), Eleonora Evi and Peter Jahr. Decision: keep the petition open, send to ENVI for an opinion and write a letter to the regional authorities to seek information, ask the Commission for further information. 8. Petition 0527/2018 by Dimitar Vasiliev (Bulgarian) on the impact of Struma motorway on Kresna Gorge and the region, Bulgaria Speakers: Desislava Stoyanova (petitioner), Dimitar Vasiliev (petitioner), Petko Kostadinov Kovachev (petitioner), Aurélio Cecilio (EC-REGIO), Daniel Shekerletov (Permanent Representation of Bulgaria), Andrey Novakov, Angel Dzhambazki, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Andrey Slabakov, Emil Radev, Margrete Auken, Tatjana Ždanoka, Yana Toom, Alexander Alexandrov Yordanov and Peter Jahr. Decision: close the petition. 9. Petition 0238/2019 by J. L. P. (Danish) on the alleged violation of the EU Habitats Directive Speakers: J.L.P. (petitioner), Luisa Samarelli (EC-ENV) and Margrete Auken. Decision: keep the petition open, ask the Commission for transmission of the updated guidance and write to the national authorities to seek clarifications. 10. Petition 0255/2019 by I. R. S. (Spanish), on behalf of the United Left of Cantabria, on possible irregularities with regard to the granting of a prospecting licence for mining in Cantabria PV\1194172EN.docx 3/14 PE644.850v01-00 EN Speakers: I.R.S. (petitioner), José M. Servert Martin (EC-ENV), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, Tatjana Ždanoka and Jude Kirton-Darling. Decision: keep the petition open and send a letter to the Spanish competent authorities (Cantabria’s regional government) to seek answers to the petitioner’s queries. The meeting continued at 17:38 with Tatjana Ždanoka (Vice-Chair) presiding. 11. Petition 0560/2019 by Timothée Galvaire (French) on behalf of Fairosene on the introduction of a tax on aviation fuel (kerosene) for flights within the Union Speakers: Timothée Galvaire (petitioner), Nikolaos Theodosiadis (petitioner), Carola Maggiulli (EC-TAXUD), Margrete Auken, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, Pierre Larrouturou and Jude Kirton-Darling. Decision: keep the petition open and follow the European Citizens’ Initiative process, ask the Commission for further information and treat together with petition 621/2019. The meeting continued at 17:59 with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. Fishery 12. Petition 0915/2015 by Jose Ortega Ortega (Spanish) on behalf of the Federation of Fishermen's Associations (Comisión inter federativa de la Cofradía de pescadores) of the Valencian Community against the new policy on discards, that obliges fishermen to unload all of their catch Speakers: Julia Ortega Tessmer (petitioner), José Ortega Ortega (petitioner), Evelien Ranshuysen (EC-MARE) and Francisco José Millán Mon. Decision: keep the petition open, ask PECH for an updated opinion and ask the Commission to send its reply in writing. Fundamental rights 13. Follow-up of the Fact-finding Visit to Famagusta, Cyprus (7-8.05.2018) (petition 0733/2004 by Loizos Afxentiou (Cypriot), on behalf of the Famagusta Refugee Movement, concerning the return of the closed area of the occupied town of Famagusta to the original inhabitants Speakers: Loizos Afxentiou (petitioner), Kjartan Björnsson (EC-SRSS), Lefteris Christoforou, Demetris Papadakis, Costas Mavrides, Loucas Fourlas and Tatjana Ždanoka Decision: keep the petition open, write a letter to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to ask about the follow-up on the single recommendation made in the fact- finding visit report adopted by the Committee on Petitions on 21 November 2018 and write to PE644.850v01-00 4/14 PV\1194172EN.docx EN AFET to ask to include PETI recommendation in its forthcoming resolution on EC-Turkey report 2019. The meeting adjourned at 18:42 *** Tuesday, 3 December 2019 The meeting resumed on Tuesday, 3 December 2019 at 09:06, with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. 14. Coordinators' meeting (in camera) from 9:00 to 10:00 The meeting adjourned at 10:05. *** The meeting resumed at 10:11, with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding 15 & 16. Hearing of the candidates for the post of European Ombudsman 1. Procedural announcements by the Chair Ms Dolors Montserrat 2. Hearing of Mr Giuseppe FORTUNATO Speakers: Giuseppe Fortunato (candidate), Peter Jahr, Cristina Maestre Martín De Almagro, Yana Toom, Margrete Auken, Kosma Złotowski, Loránt Vincze, Andris Ameriks, Ulrike Müller, Ádám Kósa, Tatjana Ždanoka and Raffaele Stancanelli. The meeting adjourned at 11:08 and resumed at 11:23 with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. 3. Hearing of Ms Julia LAFFRANQUE Speakers: Julia Laffranque (candidate), Axel Voss, Andris Ameriks, Ulrike Müller, Margrete Auken, Kosma Złotowski, Loránt Vincze, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Cristina Maestre Martín De Almagro, Tatjana Ždanoka, Mario Furore, Agnès Evren and Ádám Kósa. The meeting adjourned at 12:30. PV\1194172EN.docx 5/14 PE644.850v01-00 EN *** The meeting resumed at 14:36 with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. 4. Hearing of Mr Nils MUIŽNIEKS Speakers: Nils Muižnieks (candidate), Peter Jahr, Andris Ameriks, Yana Toom, Margrete Auken, Kosma Złotowski, Ádám Kósa, Jude Kirton-Darling, Ivars Ijabs, Sandra Kalniete, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Tatjana Ždanoka, Matt Carthy, Margrete Auken and Dolors Montserrat. The meeting adjourned at 15:32 and resumed at 15:42 with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. 5. Hearing of Ms Emily O’REILLY Speakers: Emily O’Reilly (candidate), Peter Jahr, Jude Kirton-Darling, Yana Toom, Margrete Auken, Kosma Złotowski, Seán Kelly, Sylvie Guillaume, Jordi Cañas, Jarosław Duda, Cristina Maestre Martín De Almagro, Tatjana Ždanoka, Matt Carthy, Eleonora Evi, Ádám Kósa and Frances Fitzgerald. 6. Hearing of Ms Cecilia WIKSTRÖM Speakers: Cecilia Wikström (candidate), Peter Jahr, Cristina Maestre Martín De Almagro, Yana Toom, Margrete Auken, Kosma Złotowski, Loránt Vincze, Jude Kirton-Darling, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, Ádám Kósa, Sven Mikser, Tatjana Ždanoka, Emmanouil Fragkos, Matt Carthy and Eleonora Evi. The meeting adjourned at 17:57 * * * The meeting resumed at 18:01 with Dolors Montserrat (Chair) presiding. 17. Chair's announcements concerning Coordinators´ decisions 1. Adoption of the Agenda The draft agenda was adopted. 2. Chair’s announcements PE644.850v01-00 6/14 PV\1194172EN.docx EN Further to the request by the GUE to move committee meetings from Mondays, the Coordinators decided to maintain the current committee meetings’ calendar. 3. Adoption of the agenda of the PETI meeting on 20-21 January 2020 The agenda was adopted. 4. Requests by the Groups a) With regard to the S&D request: It was decided to include