First plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg under the French Presidency of the Council of the EU
- from: 07.07.2008
- to: 10.07.2008
- In: Strasbourg, European Parliament Headquarters
The European Parliament meets every month in Strasbourg for its plenary session, with work lasting from Monday to Thursday.The MEPs debate legislative reports prepared in the parliamentary committees and vote on legislative resolutions representing Parliament's position on European draft acts negotiated in the EU institutions. They may also debate and possibly vote on resolutions on subjects relating to current political affairs. European Commissioners and, in most cases, the competent Ministers from the country holding the Presidency of the Council sit in on these debates. Alongside the work accomplished within the Hemicycle, the plenary sessions traditionally provide an occasion for lively discussion with members of civil society and the press.
In this first plenary session of the second half of 2008, the main legislative items on the agenda concern the gas market, food additives, airfares and the integration of air transport into the CO2 emission quota trading scheme. A debate on the policies of the European Central Bank (ECB) in 2007 in the presence of the ECB President, Jean-Claude Trichet, is also scheduled. The session will above all be marked by the presence of the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, who will present the programme of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This presentation will be in the form of a statement from the Council, followed by a debate.
To represent the Council of the European Union in the different debates, several ministers will travel to Strasbourg for the plenary session. The Minister of State with responsibility for European Affairs will however attend the whole plenary session of the European Parliament.
- Updated: 23.12.2008
