Brussels Agenda

In the upcoming European Parliament committee week, Greens/EFA agenda priorities and events include:

Greens/EFA priorities

Monday:

Council of Foreign Affairs ministers (Haiti, Iran)

EP development committee with Commissioner De Gucht (Haiti)

Tuesday:

EP foreign affairs committee with Serge Brammertz (International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia)

EP environment committee: Michèle Rivasi oral question on swine flu vaccinations. (See below for Wednesday conference on the same topic.)

Wednesday:

EP foreign affairs committee to vote on progress reports for Turkey, Croatia and Macedonia

EP Civil Liberties committee will discuss the EU-US SWIFT agreement. EP President Buzek has written to the EU Council calling for a delay to the interim agreement's entry into force on 1 February in order to allow an EP vote on the issue. It will also discuss airport security measures including the controversial "body scanners"

EU Commission will publish assessment of budget deficit responses in Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Hungary

Greens/EFA events

Launch event: International Parliamentarians for West Papua
Tuesday, 26 January 2010, 18.30-20.00
Member Salon, ASP Ground Floor, European Parliament, Brussels
> Green MEP Caroline Lucas and S&D MEP Thijs Berman co-host this event, which will feature speeches from experts and a traditional West Papuan dance performance.
Further information by email: caroline.lucas@europarl.europa.eu

Conference: Risk management of medicines  
Wednesday, 27 January 2010, 12.30-15.00
Room JAN 6Q1, European Parliament, Brussels
> French Green MEP Michèle Rivasi co-hosts this conference, which will take a critical look at Commission proposals on acting on undesired effects of medicines. It will look at the wider issue of putting patients first in terms of safety. Particular consideration will be given to the experience of swine flu vaccines, which were produced in great volumes, very rapidly and at high expense.

Seminar: Environmental and humanitarian impact of cross-border military operations in Iraq
Wednesday, 27 January 2010, 13.00-14.30
Room ASP 8F388, European Parliament, Brussels
> Turkey and Iran have been engaging in operations in northern Iraq, ostensibly to fight Kurdish groups the PKK and PJAK. This seminar, hosted by Green MEP Jean Lambert will examine the compelling evidence of harm to the civilian populations and the international response.

Israel-Palestine discussion: Combatants for peace
Wednesday, 27 January 2010, 18.00-20.00
Room PHS 7C 050, European Parliament, Brussels
> Green MEPs Nicole Kiil-Nielsen and Franziska Brantner co-host this discussion together with GUE and S&D MEPs. Israeli and Palestinian representatives will give their accounts and call for a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

Film screening and debate: For Cod's Sake
Wednesday, 27 January 2010, 18.30-20.30
Room ASP 3G2, European Parliament, Brussels
> More than half of fish caught in the Baltic Sea are discarded. Swedish Green MEP Isabelle Lövin co-hosts this film screening and debate, which will highlight the important environmental role of cod stocks.

Greens/EFA conference with the Spanish Presidency
Thursday, 28 - Friday, 29 January 2010
Congreso de diputados,Madrid, Spain
> Greens/EFA members meet with Spanish Presidency and civil society representatives to discuss the programme ahead for the next six months. Spanish ministers will set out their aims and Green MEPs will put forward their expectations for the Presidency. The "Green New Deal", especially energy, as well as immigration and violence against women will be featured topics.

Full programme