EUROPEAN COUNCIL: PARLIAMENT INSISTS ON BETTER INTER-INSTITUTIONAL CO-OPERATION.

Opening the session, the new European Parliament President, Pat Cox, welcomed the "active partnership" that prevailed during preparations for the Summit but reminded MEPs that in addressing EU Heads of State and Government in Barcelona he had called for "better inter-institutional co-operation in the interests of legislative simplification". His appeal was not recorded in the European Council's Conclusions (see European Report 2668 and 2669 for further details). Intervening in the general debate, Hans Gert P?ttering, President of the EPP group, drew a link with the unusual procedure chosen by Member States for the reform of the Council in repeating his call for the an inter-institutional group to be set up "to ensure the best results are achieved at Seville", the next Summit, at which decisions should be taken on improving the functioning of the Council. Recalling that on his previous appearance before the Assembly in Strasbourg in January, Mr Aznar had expressed sympathy with calls for the creation of such a group, the President of the PES group, Enrique Baron Crespo, emphasised the point, reminding Spain's Prime Minister: "you pledged to enhance inter-institutional dialogue, but there is nothing in the Council conclusions". Visibly annoyed at being called thus to account by Parliament, Jos? Maria Aznar recalled in an aside the existence of the inter-institutional committee on public access to documents.The general debate provided Mr P?ttering with an opportunity to express his disappointment with the European Council's Conclusions on the liberalisation of energy markets. "We would have liked to obtain more", he indicated, whilst recognising that a more ambitious line was blocked by just one Member State, although he avoided mentioning France by name. ELDR President Graham Watson suggested that "the partial agreement on energy damages the credibility of the European Council". Co-President...