Today’s Movers & Shakers are about: Parliament bids farewell to a Maltese member, the EPP group nominates Parliament’s next vice-president, the new EIB vice-president, the new Polish minister for education and science, the latest Commission, public affairs appointments, and more!
European Parliament
Committees and Delegations
Members
Sara Matthieu (Greens/EFA, BE) joins the International Trade Committee (INTA) and the South Asia Delegation (D-SAS).
Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA, DE) moves from substitute to member on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO).
Manuela Ripa (Greens/EFA, DE) moves from substitute to member in the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA).
Substitutes
Sara Matthieu (Greens/EFA, BE) joins the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI), the Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL), the Ukraine Delegation (D-UA) and the India Delegation (D-IN).
Asim Ademov (EPP, BG), Isabel Benjumea (EPP, ES) and Gabriel Mato (EPP, ES) join the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT).
Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA, DK) leaves the International Trade Committee (INTA).
Dace Melbārde (ECR, LV) joins the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE).
Political groups
EPP
The group have nominated Roberta Metsola (MT) for the role of Parliament vice-president, succeeding Commissioner Mairead McGuinness. Metsola won a two-way contest against fellow EPP member Seán Kelly (IE) with 116 votes as opposed to Kelly’s 61. A wider Parliamentary vote on the vice-presidency is expected in November.
Outgoing
Parliament bids farewell to a further MEP as Maltese member and vice-president of the Socialists and Democrats, Miriam Dalli, becomes a member of Malta's parliament, filling the seat of a Labour MP who recently resigned. Dalli, a lawyer and former broadcaster, had served in Parliament for the past six years, most recently as a member of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI), the Cariforum Delegation (D-KAR) and the Korean Peninsula Delegation (D-KOR). Cyrus Engerer, a government adviser and human rights activist, has confirmed that he will contest the upcoming casual election for Dalli’s seat.
MEP news
Greek authorities have forwarded a request for the immunity of Ioannis Lagos (NI, EL) to be waived so that criminal proceedings may be brought against him. Lagos is one of the leaders of Greece’s Golden Dawn party which was founded as a Neo-nazi party in the 1980s. On Thursday Lagos and other leaders of the party were sentenced to 13.5 years in prison for “running a criminal organisation”. The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) will now hold a hearing and a secret ballot on the matter.
European Commission
Directorates-General and Services
Budget (BUDG)
Christelle Goulard replaces José Antonio Lopez Sanchez as head of unit C3 (Budgetary structure and validation of local systems). Lopez Sanchez had been performing the role in acting capacity.
Economic and Financial Affairs (ECFIN)
Christian Weise replaces Stefan Ciobanu as head of unit C4 (Fiscal Governance).
Stefan Kuhnert replaces Weise in his previous role as head of unit G2 (Denmark, Ireland, Portugal) in an acting capacity.
Ciobanu moves to replace Dino Pinelli as head of unit F4 (Finland, Hungary, Slovenia). Pinelli had been performing the role in an acting capacity.
Angela D’Elia replaces Michael Stierle as head of unit G1 (Czech Republic, Malta, Poland, Slovakia). Stierle had been performing the role in an acting capacity.
Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (FISMA)
Former deputy head of unit Alina Nedea replaces Peter Grasmann as head of unit E5 (Sanctions). Grasmann had been performing the role in an acting capacity.
Principal adviser Nathalie de Basaldua has been seconded to the Cabinet of Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union Mairead McGuinness.
Health and Food Safety (SANTE)
Maya Matthews moves from her role as deputy head of unit, strategy and coordination under the director-general, to the role of head of unit B1 (Performance of national health systems).
Human Resources and Security (HR)
Dirk Lapage moves from his role as adviser for HR Digital Transformation under the director-general to head of unit A3 (HR Processes, Data & Information Systems).
Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO)
Normunds Popens replaces Lena Andersson Pench as director of directorate D (European Territorial Cooperation, Macro-regions, Interreg and Programme Implementation I) in an acting capacity.
Spokesperson’s Service
Alice Hobbs has left her role as press officer for justice and consumers, equality and the rule of law as she moves to a role as speechwriter for Commissioners Didier Reynders and Helena Dalli.
Other EU Institutions and Agencies
European Investment Bank (EIB)
Ricardo Mourinho Félix (PT) is the new vice-president and member of the management committee as of 16 October succeeding Emma Navarro. His areas of oversight include financing for the environment, climate action and the circular economy, the EIB Institute, the relations with national promotional institutions and the European Association of Long-Term Investors (ELTI), financing operations in Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Latin America, Cuba, the Caribbean States and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Prior to his appointment Félix was deputy minister of finance and secretary of state for finance of Portugal between 2017 and 2020.
European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency
Rodrigo da Costa (PT) has taken up his duties as executive director as of 16 October. Da Costa had been the only candidate presented by the Commission and was elected in September. He succeeds Pascal Claudel who was performing the role in an acting capacity.
Public Affairs
AmCham EU
Zeger Vercouteren, vice-president, worldwide government affairs and policy, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and global supply chain initiatives, Johnson & Johnson, has been elected as chair. Vercouteren succeeds Maxime Bureau who has served as chair for the past three years.
EuroGeographics
Léa Bodossian has been appointed new secretary-general and executive director. Bodossian’s previous roles include secretary-general of the Airport Regions Council and a number of positions within the European Commission and Parliament. She succeeds Mick Cory who is retiring after leading EuroGeographics since 2015.
Incisive Health, Brussels
Recently joining the health policy specialist team are Marie Montant, Emilie Hoogland and Giulia Colombo. Montant, who previously worked with Ogilvy Social.Lab, joins the team as account executive while Hoogland and Colombo join as account managers from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Healthcare Distribution Association (GIRP) respectively.
Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE)
Shweta Kulkarni has been director of communications while Sergi Mesonero has been appointed head of ISFE Esports.
National News
Poland
President Andrzej Duda appointed Przemysław Czarnek as minister of education and science on Monday. Initially, Czarnek was to be sworn in with the rest of the new cabinet on 6 October but was unable to do so as he had tested positive with COVID-19. Czarnek’s new role merges two previous roles, those of science and higher education, run by Wojciech Murdzek and education run by Dariusz Piontkowski.
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