Summary: EU Parliament: President Borrell bids farewell as Bulgarian/Romanian MEPs join (16 January 2007: Strasbourg)
The first Strasbourg session of the year saw MEPs formally welcome new colleagues from the EU's two newest members - Bulgaria and Romania - to the Chamber. Parliament's President Borrell expressed his "great pleasure and emotion" in welcoming them on his last full day as President. He said Parliament is "better known and more widely recognised today" and pointed to the legislative record and international election observation missions under his term of office.
After their national flags were carried through the Chamber, the 18 MEPs from Bulgaria and 35 from Romania formally took their seats. As President Borrell noted, their presence takes the number of MEPs to 785 from 27 countries representing 177 different political parties.
"Enthusiasm" for Europe
The Bulgarian and Romanian deputies have been appointed by their national parliaments. Elections will be held in both countries within a few months to allow the citizens to choose their representatives.
President Borrell contrasted the "enthusiasm" for Europe in these countries with the "euro scepticism in our countries and capitals".
The new MEPs joined the whole house in a minute's silence for the two victims of a bomb attack at Madrid airport over Christmas by the Basque separatist group ETA.
Borrell bids farewell
In farewell remarks to MEPs President Borrell singled out the growing profile of the Parliament as worthy of note. On the legislative front he noted the adoption of directives on Services and Software patents as particularly important - as was the Reach chemicals regulation. He said that without Parliament's cooperation, agreement could not have been reached.
Internally he singled out the deal over MEPs' pay and conditions - the "common statute"' for members - as an important step forward in increasing transparency.
On the European Parliament's role in investigating illegal activity he spoke of the committee MEPs had set up to investigate allegations of secret CIA flights involving terror suspects being flown in and out of Europe's airports.
Human rights a "core identity"
On the Parliament's role internationally President Borrell spoke of the election observation missions to 26 countries that had taken place under his watch. These include such places as Ukraine, Palestine, Afghanistan, Congo and Venezuela. On Parliament's annual Sakharov prize for freedom of thought he said human rights was one of the "core elements of Parliament's identity".
Turning to the Constitution he noted that while MEPs had backed the Treaty they must now turn their attention to finding a solution for "crisis" the EU faces.
On energy policy he said he was "convinced that Europe can find a new reason for its existence focused around the inseparable issues energy and environment".
Ending on a personal note he was "deeply honoured" to have been President of European Parliament for two and a half years and he wished the next President every success.
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