Mr Speaker to attend meeting of the President of the European Parliament

The Hon Anton Tabone, Speaker of the House of Representatives, accompanied by the parliamentary whips, Hon Mario Galea, and Hon Joe Mizzi, will be attending the 8th meeting of the President of the European Parliament with the Presidents of the Parliaments of countries participating in the enlargement process to be held in Brussels on the 30th November and 1st December 1999.

The opening address will be delivered by the President of the European Parliament, Hon Nicole Fontaine. A discussion on the political situation in the EU and the candidate countries, and on the role and responsibility of parliaments in the enlargement process, will ensue.

During the course of the meeting there will be an exchange of views with Mr G'?nter Verheugen, Commissioner responsible for EU Enlargement, while the President of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, will be delivering a speech.

Another item on the agenda is the discussion on the preparation of the Helsinki meeting of the European Council, during which there will be an exchange of views with Mr Elmar Brok, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The visiting Presidents will also have the opportunity of following the debate on the preparation of the Helsinki meeting of the European Council, in the plenary session of the European Parliament.