Ms Katherine Licken:

The Council has the authority to make that decision. However, it is a co-decision issue, so the Parliament must also make up its mind on this. The deadline is an aspiration by the Commission and does not mean it must be introduced by a certain date. It is for member states in the Council formation and for Members of the Parliament to decide on what is the best date and how much time they need to consider the proposal. That has been our experience to date - that Council and Parliament take the time they need to deal with the proposals before them.