The fifth session has officially started and the MEP’s decided, with consensus, to make a unmoterated caucus in order to discuss and evaluate the previous points and afterwards purpose new ones. The parties’ main goal was to collaborate and complete the document that is going to gather all the funtamental suggestions. It is important to say that one of the commissioners, Mr. Konstantinos Gazis, came over to the committee, in order to help the MEPs to finish with their working paper.
After the second unmoderated caucus, Mr. Kaltsas from EPP supported that the committee should discuss the progress of the previous unmoderated caucus. All the MEPs were greatful for the collaborative draft, but some of them, such as Ms. Phira, expressed her disapointment for the approval of ‘Passengers’ Name Record’ measure.
In addidion, all the MEPs decided to extent the unmoderated caucus for another 15 minutes in order to finalize their document and after that to vote for a rupporteur. More specific, the rupporteur is one of the most crusial roles in the committee. Rupporteur’s main job is to express, in front of the whole European Parliament, the committee’s dominating purposals and say a few things about their policies.
In TRAN committee four MEPs were nominated for the position of rupporteur: Mr. Moutso, Mr. Loukas, Ms. Anastasopoulou and Mr. Kaltsas. Finally, Mr. Loukas was voted for this position and Mr. Moutso is going to represent him when it is necessary. Some EPP members, Mr. Kaltsas and Mr. Loukas, brought again in the surface the topic about biometrics, scanners and fingerprints in the airports, in order to eliminate terrorist attacks. Mr. Moutso and Ms. Phira were opposed to this kind of control. Then some notes came in in order to lighten the atmosphere!
Finally, the Commissioner Ms. Gazis, made clear to the MEPs that ‘Passengers’ Name Record’ known as PNR is not something illegal and all the MEPs should collaborate in order to make the framework of ‘Passengers’ Name Record’ more strictly.
Christina Dry, Journalist of TRAN, EU Focus
