Brussels, 28 November 2008 -- At its meeting in mid-November, the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents stripped the EBPS of its official status vis-a-vis the European Parliament. Parliament President Pöttering announced that “the Parliament’s official participation in the scheme was in effect ended” in late September, when EBPS’ board of MEPs collectively resigned. Pöttering moreover noted that “his own patronage of the international scheme (IABP) would also come to an end on 31 December 2008.” The minutes from the meeting of the Conference of Presidents also noted that “the EBPS had vacated the office space that it had had at its disposal in Parliament.”