Twelve sessions in Strasbourg, six mini-sessions in Brussels

30/12/1999 (Agence Europe)

In the year 2000, the European Parliament will hold 12 plenary sessions in Strasbourg (as laid down by the Treaty of Amsterdam) and six in Brussels (always beginning on Wednesday afternoon and ending on Thursday at 1.00 p.m.). It will be recalled that, at the December plenary session, several Members took initiatives for doing away with the sessions in Strasbourg. One such MEP was Italian Radical Marco Pannella, who pointed out that, during preceding legislatures, he had proposed the creation of a "European District" to remedy the problem of Parliament's scattered work places (see EUROPE of 15 December, p. 6). It will also be recalled that in principle the European Parliament, at its January session, will be issuing its opinion -required by the Treaty- on the convening of the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference.