MEPs target Commission with more Brussels sessions

The European Parliament could hold more plenary sessions in Brussels in a bid to improve scrutiny of the European Commission under plans which are winning growing support from MEPs.

A proposal to hold additional plenary sessions in Brussels on the same day as the Commission's meeting was one of the ideas contained in a package of reforms put forward by Parliament President Josep Borrell in February.

The full package has received only limited support from the Parliament's two biggest political groups, the centre-right EPP-ED and the Socialists. But the plenary session plan, which is already strongly backed by the Liberal Democrats, the Greens/European Free Alliance and the Independence and Democracy group, is also gaining in popularity with the two bigger groups.

"All groups are generally in favour," said a senior Parliament official.

Under the plan, the Parliament would hold extra plenaries in Brussels in addition to the current mini-plenary sessions and the 12 annual Strasbourg sessions. These extra plenaries would last for only a couple of hours on Wednesdays when the Commission holds its weekly meeting, according to officials.

Commissioners would be invited to present major legislative proposals to MEPs and there would be a short debate featuring group leaders and spokespersons from the relevant committees. The meetings would not see formal votes and would probably be timed for committee weeks rather than when groups are meeting.

"We wouldn't like it if it comes in the middle of group meetings," said Monica Frassoni, co-president of the Greens/EFA group, predicting that the main problem would be internal organisation in the Parliament rather than objections of political principle.

An alternative suggestion to have enlarged meetings of the conference of presidents, which are more informal, instead of the more strictly ordered plenaries, has less backing because it would give the group leaders less control over which MEPs spoke in what debates.

Several pro-reform MEPs see the initiative as a way of gradually transferring the Parliament's main seat away from Strasbourg, as more and more business could be done during plenaries in Brussels.

The decision to go ahead with the additional sessions could be taken shortly after the summer break. Borrell has asked group leaders to indicate in September which of his reform proposals they support. Other proposals such as introducing a 'catch-the-eye' system for deciding which MEPs speak in plenary debates have been opposed by the leaders of the two biggest groups because they want to keep control over who is addressing the plenary.

A spokesperson for Borrell said the president was confident that the conference of presidents "would reach an agreement on some issues [of the reforms] in the second half of the year".

One senior Parliament official said that the extra plenaries would be held only when the Commission had something major to unveil. He added that the format could be extended to ask Council representatives to appear for debates on current issues such as the conflict in the Middle East.

Initial reactions from the Commission suggested that it could accept having to make more presentations of proposals to the Parliament, provided it did not interfere too much with its own communications efforts, in particular, its desire to hold press conferences close to midday. One official said that the Commission had already agreed to make presentations of proposals to MEPs under the framework agreement it had negotiated with Parliament shortly after taking office.

The European Parliament could hold more plenary sessions in Brussels in a bid to improve scrutiny of the European Commission under plans which are winning growing support from MEPs.

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