8-12 February European Parliament plenary session

Date: 18/02/1999

ENVIRONMENTAL proposals were high on MEPs' agenda at their plenary session in Strasbourg, but attention nevertheless remained focused ona report by Italian Socialist Roberto Barzanti on the European Commission's proposed copyright directive.

AFTER heavy lobbying from the music industry, MEPs adopted a number of amendments designed to strengthen the position of rights holders in future legislation aimed at adapting EU copyright rules to the digital age. Most notably, the Parliament supported calls for a ban on the private copying of electronically transmitted music and films. However, in voting through a number of amendments concerning exclusive rights, Euro MPs risked putting themselves on a collision course with the Commission, which said the proposed changes strayed from the original scope of its proposed directive.

INDUSTRY welcomed the Parliament's decision, but consumer groups said non-commercial copiers of material should not be treated as criminals. Barzanti's report and most of his amendments were adopted by a huge majority in the assembly, making it more difficult for EU governments to go against MEPs' wishes.

EURO MPs approved a report by British Socialist David Bowe on the release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment, but by a much slimmer majority. The Parliament voted to weaken the Commission's proposals in one area, calling for the time frame for reviewing the licences granted for GM products to be extended from seven to 12 years, but it strengthened them in others. In particular, MEPs called for manufacturers of GMOs to be held legally responsible for any damage caused to human health and the environment, for the compulsory labelling of all genetically modified products and for antibiotic-resistant genes and toxic substances to be banned from GMOs.

ENVIRONMENT Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard said the Union's executive arm could only accept half of the assembly's amendments. However, the Parliament has joint decision-making powers with governments on the issue and it is likely to be supported by a number of member states which are anxious about the health and environmental effects of GMOs.

THE Parliament voted to tighten up changes made by EU governments to a key Comm-ission proposal on waste going to landfill tips. In adopting a report by UK Conservative Caroline Jackson, MEPs called for the amount of landfilled waste to be cut to 25&percent; over a 15-20 year period, instead of the 35&percent; figure agreed by the Council of Ministers. The Strasbourg-based assembly also agreed to give countries which rely on landfill disposal, like the UK and Ireland, an extra two years to comply with the directive, rather than the four years favoured by the Council.

IN A surprise decision, MEPs narrowly voted to reject a report, drawn up by Irish Liberal member Pat Cox, calling for an EU-wide energy tax. The assembly has traditionally supported calls for such a levy, but a sharp divide opened up among MEPs between those favouring a stricter directive than that proposed by the Commission in 1997, and those who argued that such a move would penalise heavy industry. The report has been sent back to the Parliament's economic committee for further discussion, in the light of the members' concerns.