Today's Movers & Shakers are about: the incoming and outgoing MEPs, the new Deputy Director General of DG BUDG, the European Week of Regions and Cities, the new Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, the newly established organisations, Brexit and more.
European Parliament:
Outgoing:
Andrej PLENKOVIĆ (EPP, HR) has left the Parliament, as he was named as Prime Minister-designate of Croatia. Davor Ivo STIER (EPP, HR) also left his seat, probably to take up a ministerial post in the new government.
Incoming:
Florent MARCELLESI (Greens/EFA, ES) officially joined the Parliament as member on 11 October, replacing Jordi SEBASTIÀ.
Vice-Chairs of Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Igor ŠOLTES (Greens/EFA, SI) left his role as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT).
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Members of Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Indrek TARAND (Greens/EFA, EE) joined the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT).
Ramona Nicole MĂNESCU (EPP, RO) left the Delegation to the EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee (D-SCA).
Traian UNGUREANU (EPP, RO) joined the Delegation to the EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee (D-SCA).
Substitutes of Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Antanas GUOGA (EPP, LT) joined the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI).
Frank ENGEL (EPP, LU) joined the Committee on Development (DEVE).
Ramona Nicole MĂNESCU (EPP, RO) joined the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula (D-ARP).
Traian UNGUREANU (EPP, RO) left the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula (D-ARP).
Damian DRĂGHICI (S&D, RO) left the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).
Viorica DĂNCILĂ (S&D, RO) joined the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).
Florent MARCELLESI (Greens/EFA, ES) joined the Committee on Development (DEVE), the Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee (D-CL) and the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (D-LAT).
National parties:
Antanas GUOGA (EPP, LT) left the Liberal Movement and became independent. Last week he switched from ALDE to EPP member.
Latest news:
The Parliament has launched an investigation into the incident involving Steven WOOLFE (EFDD, UK). Read more.
Richard HOWITT (S&D, UK) chaired the last Foreign Affairs Committee he attended as an MEP, before taking up his new role as Chief Executive of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC).
European Commission:
Budget (BUDG):
Silvano PRESA was appointed as Deputy-Director General as of 16 October, in a newly created role for the DG. Mr PRESA will work to improve the relationship between budget programmes and financial tools to increase their effectivity and influence. He was previously Director for the ‘Expenditure’ directorate.
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Representations in Member States:
Lithuania: Arnoldas PRANCKEVIČIUS has been appointed as Head of the Representation in Vilnius, as of 16 October. Prior to this appointment, Mr PRANCKEVIČIUS was an Adviser on Eastern European policy in Parliament President, Martin SCHULZ’s, cabinet since 2012. Mr PRANCKEVIČIUS will replace Laimute PILUKAITE for an extendable three-year term.
Committee of the Regions (CoR):
Last week, marked the 14th edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities, the EU's largest gathering of representatives of regional and local authorities, EU institutions, businesses, academics and many other stakeholders. Read Commissioner Corina CREŢU’s opinion. Want more? Read the special Regional Review issue of Parliament Magazine.
President of the Committee of the Regions, Markku MARKKULA (EPP, FI) said supporting cities and regions and encouraging them to work together can restore confidence in Europe. Read more.
Political parties:
ALDE Group: Flemish MP of Open VLD, Bart SOMERS, was elected as President and will lead the liberal group in the CoR.
National delegations:
Austria: Peter FLORIANSCHÜTZ (PES) joined as an Alternate Member on 10 October.
Germany: Member Detlef MÜLLER and Alternate Andreas TEXTER left the CoR.
Netherlands: Klass KIELSTRA (ALDE) joined as a Member on 7 October. He is a member of the ECON and SEDEC commission.
Spain: Joan CALABUIG RULL (PES) joined as an Alternate Member on 7 October.
European Investment Bank (EIB):
Management Committee:
Former Slovakian Minister for the Economy, Vazil HUDÁK, was appointed as a Vice-President. He replaced László BARANYAY who had reached the end of his three year tenure.
European Stability Mechanism (ESM):
Board of Auditors:
François-Roger CAZALA and Kevin CARDIFF were appointed for a non-renewable three-year term. Mr CAZALA, formerly a member of the French Court of Audit, replaced Ulrich GRAF on 8 October while Mr CARDIFF, a member of the European Court of Auditors, will replace Igors LUDBORŽS on 17 December 2016
Public Affairs:
Edso for Smart Grids: Secretary General Ana AGUADO sadly has passed away.
European Power Tool Association (EPTA): Josef M. ORTOLF was appointed as the new Director General, succeeding Charles TOLLIT who retired after six years in the position.
European Renewable Gas Registry (ERGaR) aisbl: was established on 28 September in Ghent, Belgium. The new association consists of eight members: AGCS Gas Cleaning & Settlement AG (AT), European Gas Association (BE), Energinet.dk (DK), Landwärme GmbH (DE), CIB – Consorzio Italiano Biogas (IT), STX Services B.V. (NL), Renewable Energy Association Ltd (UK) and VSG – Swiss Association of Gas Industry Energy 360° AG. Jeppe BJERG from Energinet.dk was elected as President. ERGaR’s mission is to establish an independent, transparent and trustworthy documentation scheme for mass balancing of biomethane distributed along the European natural gas network.
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Open Europe: Lord WOLFSON of Aspley Guise was appointed as Chairman. He will replace Lord Leach of Fairford who passed away earlier this year. A restructure in the executive team saw Stephen BOOTH taking over as Acting Director and Director of Policy and Research and Raoul RUPAREL leaving Open Europe to take up his new role as Special Advisor to the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the EU. A new Chief Executive will be appointed.
SDG Watch Europe: was officially launched on Thursday 13 October at the North Rhine-Westphalia Representation in Brussels. The mission of the new, EU-level alliance of NGOs from development, environment, social, human rights and other sectors is to ensure that the EU and its member states are committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
News in a nutshell:
Brexit: British MPs have approved an opposition Labour Party motion calling on Theresa MAY’s government to give the UK Parliament the right to examine its negotiating strategy before Brexit talks that are set to start by the end of March. Read more.
First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola STURGEON confirmed during the party’s conference that an independence referendum bill will be published for consultation next week. Read more.
Northern Ireland's deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has warned the British government is on a "collision course" with the EU as a result of the Brexit vote and that Northern Ireland would be "collateral damage". Read more.
Croatia: MEP Andrej PLENKOVIĆ (EPP) was named as Prime Minister-Designate after getting support from more than half of the MPs. He now has 30 days to form a government.
Lithuania: According to the latest results, the conservative Homeland Union (EPP) came first in the elections held on 9 October, the Peasant and Green Union (Greens/EFA) second and the ruling Social Democratic Party third. The runoff vote will be held on 23 October.
United Nations: Former Prime Minister of Portugal António GUTERRES was officially appointed as the next Secretary General as of 1 January 2017 for a five-year term. He will succeed Ban Ki-moon who held the post for ten years.
