Parliament's approval of the nomination of Wim Duisenberg for appointment as president of the new European Central Bank, and that of the other Board members, put the spotlight firmly on the European Parliament this month. Lobbies representing various interest groups were very much in evidence in the run-up to the votes to ban tobacco advertising and allow the patenting of new discoveries involving genetic engineering. Concern was expressed about various trouble spots such as Kosovo and Malaysia, and measured support was given to the development of a European defence policy.
The Brussels session at the beginning of the month saw Parliament give the go-ahead to the launch of the single currency with 11 Member States. The House will reconvene in Brussels on May 27th and 28th to look closely at the EU's common foreign policy, and hear a Council statement on the situation in South Africa.