§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of(a) the draft MEP statute agreed by the Council of Ministers, (b) the proposal from the European Parliament set before the Council and (c) the European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee report on the Council amendments; what assessment he has made of the prospects for agreement being reached on an MEP statute; what action his Department is taking to reach such an agreement; and if he will make a statement.[83944]
§ Ms QuinThe first two documents have already been sent to the House Scrutiny Committee. I shall arrange for further copies to be deposited in the Library. The European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee proposed a resolution which was adopted with some amendments by the plenary on 5 May. I will also arrange for the resolution to be deposited in the Library.
In the resolution, the European Parliament did not consider the draft Statute agreed by the Council and reaffirmed the Parliament's text on 3 December 1998. The Council is continuing to talk to the European Parliament to resolve outstanding issues. But in view of the imminence of the June European elections prospects for adoption of a Statute during this European Parliamentary term are uncertain. Agreement would have to be sought with the new Parliament. In the meantime, existing arrangements for MEPs would continue.
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