| EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – New President and Committee Chairs. |
President Buzek is the first President of the European Parliament to come from Central and Eastern Europe following the EU's enlargement in 2004. Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) replaces the outgoing President Hans-Gert Pöttering (EPP, Germany). Mr Buzek will give a more detailed description of the work programme he intends to pursue over the next two and a half years during the 14-17 September plenary session in Strasbourg. He is a professor and has been a member of the European Parliament since 2004, elected with the best result in Poland. Vice-president of the European Energy Forum since 2004 he was also the rapporteur for the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Innovation as well as the rapporteur for the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES COMPLETE ELECTIONS OF CHAIRS AND VICE-CHAIRS
The inaugural meetings of the parliamentary committees were completed on Monday with the eight remaining committees and the two subcommittees electing their chairs and vice-chairs. The link below shows the full list of chairs and vice-chairs of the European Parliament's committees for the next two-and-a-half years. Unfortunately, it seems that the traditional Anglo-Saxon dominance is set to continue… In the 3 Committees that are of most concern to us: 2 of the 3 chairs are delegates from the UK and altogether 4 of the 15 chairs and vice chairs are delegates from the UK.
INTERNAL MARKET AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
Chair: Malcolm Harbour, ECR, UK)
Vice-chairs:
Eija-Ritta Korhola (EPP, Finland)
Bernadette Vergnaud (S&D, France)
Lara Comi (EPP, Italy)
Louis Grech (S&D, Malta)
EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
Chair: Pervenche Beres (S&D, France)
Vice-chairs:
Elisabeth Lynne (ALDE, United Kingdom)
Ilda Figuereido (GUE/NGL, Portugal)
Elisabeth Schroedter (Greens/EFA, Germany)
Thomas Mann (EPP, Germany)
ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS
Chair: Sharon Bowles (ALDE, United Kingdom)
Vice-chairs:
José Manuel Garcia-Margallo y Marfil (EPP, Spain)
Arlene McCarthy (S&D, United Kingdom)
Theodor Dumitru Stolojan (EPP, Romania)
Edward Scicluna (S&D, Malta)
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COMMITTEE WEEK IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
New EP President Jerzy Buzek wants the public to be better informed about the importance of EP Committees
After the inaugural plenary session in Strasbourg MEPs return to Brussels for the first Committee week of this term. Already last week several of the newly formed committees elected their chairs; the remaining will follow suit today. Subsequently the committees are set to deal with different subjects on Parliament’s agenda ranging from EU budget and climate changes to European satellite radio navigation programmes.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMITTEES
The Parliament has 20 permanent committees and 2 subcommittees covering issues as diverse as foreign affairs and fisheries, which act as motor to the Parliament's legislative "engine room". Each committee consists of between 24 and 76 MEPs and reflects the balance of political groups within the EP.
Between plenary sessions the committees meet with the representatives of other institutions, organisations and civil society. They draw up reports about, and make amendments to, proposed legislation, for which they have responsibility alongside ministers. They can also draw up own-initiative reports. The committees hold public hearings on the wide range of subjects that fall within their remit, with speakers from a variety of fields and backgrounds.
During the plenary session the committee "Rapporteur" responsible for drawing up a report presents its position and amendments to the full chamber so that the subject can be discussed and voted on by all MEPs.
AND FOR SPECIAL CASES…
The Parliament also sets up special committees to look into specific issues or to investigate perceived violations of European law or its application. It set up two temporary committees in the 2009-2009 term, one to investigate whether European countries and the CIA cooperated in the illegal detention and transportation of prisoners, the second on the collapse of Britain's Equitable Life insurance company. |
| ID: |
43772 |
| Author(s): |
iff |
| Publication date: |
20/07/09 |
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Created: 21/07/09. Last changed: 22/07/09.
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