A busy day in plenary

9.00 Arrive in Parliament and have meeting with Microsoft. Their technical chap joins in via telephone, which is useful. We are now expecting a decision on the competition case in September. However even after that, and irrespective of which way it goes, we will still be left with interoperability and standards to deal with. I point out, as I have to everyone, that if industry can not get its act together and agree the way to go it will be all the more up to politicians to decide. The annoying thing is that different arguments are deployed at different times and places by several companies because of the particular litigation in which they are embroiled. I see major work coming up on all this next year.

10.00 Yet more email spats on the van den Burg Report. There are some split votes on references to tax. Wolf and I say we would prefer them out as a subsidiarity point, Margarita wants them in. Rest of the morning spent on papers and sorting votes.

12.00 I go to plenary armed with three extra voting lists. I gather the EPP will back taking out investment banks, so I should be able to chalk up another little success. Votes are deferred until 12.30, then start late at 12.45, there are complaints. Apparently the Portuguese Presidency spoke for too long. Lots of the votes are tight and have to be checked. The vand den Burg report seems to go reasonably OK, investment banks come out. We are still voting at ten past two when Pervenche Beres interrupts with a point of order that we can not continue and will have to start early tomorrow. (There are still three long voting lists left. It also means lunch meetings are being spoiled and plenary starts again at 3pm). Nobody waits to hear, we all clap, bang desks and vote with our feet. We have an LDEPP photo call outside plenary.

14.35 I get to my office and the stock exchange people who expected to see me at 2pm are waiting. We have a useful discussion, I am glad I grabbed a sandwich before votes! I am having another of those no meals weeks so far.

15.15 Well it is now getting into the routine of organising things that need to be done over the holiday. My TRIPS speaking time is moving onwards towards 8pm from its original schedule of around 6.45. I hope it does not get too late as we have a dinner on private equity at 8pm

19.20 Into plenary for TRIPS. I am not really impressed by the contributions, there is no point blaming the provisions in the amendments as being the reason it has not been invoked, the necessary circumstances have not really arrived yet, which I endeavour to explain, again.

20.05 Debate finishes just in time to go for the dinner. The presentations are quite informative although they overlap a lot with information in this week’s Economist. It ends just after 10pm. I have missed the Group barbeque because I attended this – however I bet I will be glad in the morning.