Romano Prodi presented the Commission’s programme of work to the European Parliament (EP) gathered in plenary session from 10 to 13 December. Prodi insisted on the “political” nature of this programme and recalled some successes obtained in the course of 2001, in particular the setting up of the Convention that will prepare the intergovernmental conference for the reform of the EU. There are four main chapters to the Commission’s programme for 2002: internal security, euro and economy, enlargement, and constituent process. The other issues discussed in the course of the EP plenary session included: aid to development and the “space of freedom, security and justice in Europe”. Graham Watson (United Kingdom) presented a report on security for European Council meetings and international summits, and Adeline Hazan (France) a report on justice and internal affairs. Also on the agenda was the report presented by Michael Gahler (Germany) on relations between the EU and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Two solemn sessions were held in the course of the session: one to receive the president of the Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-Jung, and to other to award the Sakharov Prize for 2001. The prize was awarded severally to an Angolan archbishop, Msgr. Zacarias Kamuenho, bishop of Lubango, to a Palestinian writer, Izzat Ghazzawi, and to an Israeli academic, Nurit Peled-Elhanan (cf. SirEurope no. 4/2000 p.13).
