Today's Movers & Shakers are about: Changes in Parliament's committee and delegations, latest appointments in the European Commission and public affairs, Brexit, Italy and more.
European Parliament:
Composition of the committees and delegations:
Members:
Giuseppe FERRANDINO (S&D, IT) joined the committee on economic and monetary affairs (ECON), replacing Udo BULLMANN (S&D, DE).
Aymeric CHAUPRADE (EFDD, FR) left the subcommittee on human rights (DROI) and joined the subcommittee on security and defence (SEDE).
James CARVER (EFDD, UK) left the subcommittee on security and defence (SEDE) and joined the subcommittee on human rights (DROI).
Dobromir SOŚNIERZ (NI, PL) joined the delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China (D-CN).
Substitutes:
Mireille D'ORNANO (EFDD, FR) left the delegation to the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly (D-ACP).
Aymeric CHAUPRADE (EFDD, FR) switched from member to substitute of the delegation to the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly (D-ACP).
This week:
MEPs are back in Brussels this week with a packed programme of legislative issues to deal with. Find out what’s on the agenda.
Get to know:
Laima Liucija ANDRIKIENĖ (EPP, LT) in 5 questions.
Lithuanian MEP Laima ANDRIKIENĖ is the latest deputy to take part in the Parliament Magazine's 5Qs. She has been an MEP since 2016, and also served from 2004 to 2014. Earlier this year, she won an MEP award for her work on international trade. She is a Vice-Chair of the delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan, EU-Uzbekistan and EU-Tajikistan parliamentary cooperation committees and for relations with Turkmenistan and Mongolia.
Interview with Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN (EPP, RO):
Adina-Ioana VĂLEAN, Chair of Parliament's environment committee, gave an interview to the Parliament Magazine ahead of Green Week, in which she discussed circular economy, plastic pollution, glyphosate, protecting Europe's forests, and reducing air pollution. Read more
European Commission:
Directorates-General:
Energy (ENER):
Christopher JONES, previously Deputy Director-General was appointed as Hors Class Adviser, leaving the role vacant.
Directorate A – Energy Policy: Łukasz KOLINSKI was appointed as head of unit, economic analysis and financial instruments, replacing Tom HOWES, who was acting in the role.
Directorate E – Euratom Safeguards: Fernando MAZZA was appointed as acting head of unit, nuclear accountancy and international obligations, replacing Stefano CICCARELLO.
International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO):
Directorate B – People and Peace: Fabienne VAN DEN EEDE was appointed as acting head of unit, gender, equality, human rights and democratic governance, replacing Jean-Louis VILLE.
Directorate F – Asia, Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf and Pacific: Jean-Louis VILLE was appointed as head of unit, East, South-East Asia and the Pacific, filling in a vacancy.
Translation (DGT):
Directorate S - Customer relations: Hiie TAMM, previously advisor, language applications in Directorate C was appointed as adviser, workflow systems, replacing Raymund BERNERS.
Special advisers:
Najat VALLAUD-BELKACEM was appointed as special adviser to Commissioner Andrus ANSIP to promote digital skills in education, with main focus on primary and secondary schools as of 15 January 2019.
Want to know more? Click here for information on our Dods People EU service.
Public affairs:
Got any new appointment you would like us to include in our next newsletter? Contact Ifigenia Balkoura!
BSA | The Software Alliance: Matteo QUATTROCCHI joined the Brussels office as Manager, Policy – EMEA. He will work closely with the BSA policy team to help develop strategies and implement plans to advance BSA’s advocacy agenda in Europe on behalf of BSA members. Matteo joins BSA from the U.S. Mission to the European Union, where he served as a public affairs specialist. He was previously an associate at lobbying shop Alber & Geiger in Brussels, with a focus on EU-U.S. relations.
European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders (EFFAB): Ana GRANADOS CHAPATT was appointed as the new director as of 1 June, taking over from Jan VENNEMANS. She will also take up the General Secretary role of FABRE TP, the Technological Platform for the farm animal breeding and reproduction sector.
Missing Children EU: MEP and co-chair of the intergroup on the rights of the child Anna Maria CORAZZA BILDT (EPP, SE), former Commissioner for employment László ANDOR and former Europol executive director Rob WAINWRIGHT became members of the Patron’s Council.
Toy Industries of Europe (TIE): Foye PASCOE, Hasbro - President, European Sales and Marketing was appointed as chairman, having previously served on an interim basis.
News in a nutshell:
Brexit: The UK Government suffered another defeat in the House of Lords, after the peers voted 311 to 233 in favour of an amendment to remove the Brexit date (29 March 2019) from the EU Bill. On 8 May, peers also passed another amendment with 245 to 218 votes that requires the UK government to ensure that EEA membership is negotiable, giving the MPs the chance to vote on the UK’s membership in the EEA, when the Bill returns to the House of Commons.
In the security field, the Department for Exiting the EU published a position paper setting out the UK Government’s vision for the future UK-EU security partnership. The paper, proposes a new security treaty in internal security, external security and wider cooperation. Regarding UK-EU cooperation in space, the paper emphasises that collaborating through Galileo would help develop Europe’s satellite navigation capabilities, in which the UK has significantly contributed. Brexit Secretary David DAVIS also warned that lives could be put at risk after Brexit if the UK is left out of the Galileo.
The department for environment, food and rural affairs published a new environmental principles and governance bill to ensure that the environmental protection and standards will not be weakened post-Brexit. Consultations have already been launched on scrutiny and advice of existing laws, response to complaints about the governmental delivery of environmental law and exercising enforcement where appropriate. According to the bill, a new body will be established to “hold the government account for environmental outcomes.”
According to the BuzzFeed News, the UK ministers were briefed on potential economic effects on hundreds of thousands of companies being outside of the customs union post-Brexit. Peers have also warned that food prices could be increased up to 22 per cent if the UK fails to secure a free trade agreement with the EU.
Elsewhere, the pro-Brexit group Leave.EU was fined £70.000 for breaching the referendum funding rules, after failing to declare at least £77,380 of spending.
Italy: The 5 Star Movement announced that it reached a coalition agreement with the League, which will be presented to president Sergio MATTARELLA on Monday 14 May.
Lithuania: Giedrius SURPLYS was appointed as the new agriculture minister as of 15 May, replacing Bronius MARKAUSKAS, who stepped down from the role amid allegations of misuse of land. Mr SURPLYS is currently deputy minister for the interior. The country will also become the 36th member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in the end of May.
