EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting in Strasbourg

First, the Committee adopted a Resolution on Innovation and the EEA within the context of the new Europe 2020 Strategy by co-rapporteurs Ms Thorgerdur K. Gunnarsdóttir (Independence Party, Iceland) and Mr Paul Rübig (EPP, Austria). The Committee encouraged further strengthening of EFTA-EU cooperation in the field of innovation, especially in green energy.

Second, the Committee adopted a Resolution on the European Year 2010 for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion by co-rapporteurs Mr Svein Roald Hansen (Labour Party, Norway) and Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher (ALDE, Ireland). The Committee underlined the crucial role of employment and an inclusive labour market as important safeguards against poverty and social exclusion.

Third, the Committee discussed a Working Paper on Trade in Seal Products by rapporteur Mr Kåre Simension (Labour Party, Norway). This was a follow-up to the discussions on the Common Fisheries Policy at the previous EEA JPC meeting and represented a plea by the Norwegian delegation, supported by Iceland, for a more scientific approach to the debate on seal hunting and trade in seal products. The two delegations regretted the ban that had been introduced on the latter by the EU the previous year and invited their EP colleagues to enter a new kind of debate on the issue. MEP Marlene McCarthy (S&D, United Kingdom) gave a briefing on behalf of the European Parliament outlining and defending the regulation from 2009. Whilst very much welcoming the debate with her EFTA colleagues she underlined that the ban had been supported by a majority of MEPs and EU Member States and she believed it would stand the test of potential legal challenges in the months to come. The introductions were followed by an interesting debate in the Committee.

The Committee also had an exchange of views with representatives from the EEA Council, the EEA Joint Committee and the EFTA Surveillance Authority: Mr Nikulás Hannigan, representing the President-in-Office of the EEA Joint Committee and the EEA Council; Mr Hubert Roisin, Counsellor, Belgium, representing the EU President of the EEA Council; Mr Gianluca Grippa of the European Commission; and Mr Per Sanderud, President of the EFTA Surveillance Authority. The Committee also held an exchange of views on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the work of the European Parliament based on introductions by MEP Indrik Tarand and MEP Diana Wallis.

The 35th EEA JPC was co-chaired by its President, Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher, and Vice-President, Mr Árni Thór Sigurdsson (Left-Green Movement, Iceland).

The Committee decided to hold its next meeting in April 2011 in Spitsbergen, Norway. At that meeting the Committee will devote its work to the implications EU reforms on the EEA, the Northern Dimension, and the Annual Report on the EEA.

You can find the resoluions adopted at the 35th meeting here .

To see more pictures from the meeting, click below to open the album.