Today's Movers & Shakers are about: news on the Parliament before the plenary session, the latest appointments in the Commission and the public affairs, Brexit and more.
European Parliament:
Substitutes of Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Nathan GILL (EFDD, UK) joined the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).
Rapporteurs:
Jiří MAŠTÁLKA (GUE/NGL, CZ) has been appointed as rapporteur for the JURI Committee's own-initiative report on a statute for social and solidarity-based enterprises and Martina DLABAJOVA (ALDE, CZ) as the rapporteur for the EMPL Committee’s own-initiative report on the Skills Agenda.
National Parties:
Steven WOOLFE (EFDD, UK) left the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and will now sit as an Independent. Once he has recovered from his injuries – allegedly the result of being punched by MEP Mike HOOKEM – WOOLFE said he would sit as an independent MEP.
Political Groups:
Over 500 people gathered in the European Parliament on Wednesday 19 October for the launch of ‘Together – A new direction for a progressive Europe – Stand up for our future’, an 18-month campaign organised by the S&D group and its partners. As part of the project, events will be organised across Europe. The launch included speeches from EU foreign affairs chief Federica MOGHERINI, Parliament President Martin SCHULZ and S&D group Chair Gianni PITTELLA.
Plenary session:
MEPs are in Strasbourg from Monday 24 to Thursday 27 October.
Latest news:
Morten MESSERSCHMIDT (ECR, DK): The EU’s anti-fraud office has been called in to investigate fresh allegations against the controversial MEP about EU funds on “summer camps” run by the far-right Danish People’s Party (DF) in 2014 and 2015. Read more.
European Commission:
Budget (BUDG):
Directorate A – Expenditure: Johan UREEL became acting Director following the promotion of former Director, Silvano PRESA to the position of Deputy Director-General. Mr URELL is also Head of Unit, ‘Internal Policies’, in Directorate A.
Communications Networks Content and Technology (CNECT):
Ilias IAKOVIDIS joined the DG as Adviser for Societal Challenges reporting to the Director-General.
Competition (COMP):
Directorate A – Policy and Strategy: Kris DEKEYSER became Director having served in the role as acting Director since March 2016.
Directorate D – Markets and Cases III: Financial Services: Maria VELENTZA was appointed as Director as of 1 November. Ms VELENTZA is currently Head of Unit, ‘Macroprudential Policy and Relations with the European Systematic Risk Board (ESRB)’, in DG ECFIN. She will replace Alberto BACCHIEGA, Head of Unit ‘Mergers’, who has been acting in the Director role.
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International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO):
Directorate A – EU Development Policy and International Cooperation: Nicoletta MERLO became acting Head of Unit, ‘Financing and Effectiveness’, replacing Chantal MARIJNISSEN who was also acting in the role.
Directorate C– Sustainable Growth and Development: Chantal MARIJNISSEN became Head of Unit, ‘Environment, Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Wildlife’, replacing Jose SOLER CARBO who was acting in the role.
European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO):
Directorate A – Emergency Management: Johannes LUCHNER became Director having taken over the role as acting Director in July 2016.
Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (EMPL):
Directorate B – Employment: Adam POKORNY became Head of Unit, ‘Working Conditions’, replacing Muriel GUIN.
Directorate C – Social Affairs: Muriel GUIN became Head of Unit, ‘Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania’, replacing Egbert HOLTHUIS. The unit moved from Directorate D to C.
Directorate D – Labour Mobility: Egbert HOLTHUIS became Head of Unit, ‘Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia’, replacing Adam POKORNY. This unit moved from Directorate C to D.
Environment (ENV):
Directorate C – Quality of Life: Deputy Director-General, Joanna DRAKE, became acting Director following the retirement of the previous Director, Marianne WENNING, on 30 September.
Justice and Consumers (JUST):
Directorate A – Civil and Commercial Justice: Salla SAASTAMOINEN became Director replacing Jeroen HOOIJER who was acting in the role. Mr HOOIJER moved out of the Directorate and became Head of Unit, ‘Interinstitutional, International Coordination’, reporting directly to the Director-General and replacing Marc JORNA. Ms SAASTAMOINEN moved to her new role from Directorate D – Equality where she was Director.
Andreas STEIN became Head of Unit, ‘Civil justice’, replacing Deputy Head of Unit Karen VANDERKERCKHOVE who was acting in the role. Mr STEIN moved from Directorate D where he was Head of Unit, ‘Equality Legislation’.
Maija LAURILA became Head of Unit, ‘Company law’, replacing Jeroen HOOIJER.
The unit ‘Programme Management’ was moved out of the Directorate and reports to the Deputy Director-General with Daniela BANKIER as its new Head. Ms BANKIER was previously Head of Unit, ‘Gender equality’, in Directorate D, leaving the position vacant for the time being.
Directorate B – Criminal Justice: Peter-Jozsef CSONKA, former Adviser in the Directorate, became the head of a new unit, ‘General criminal law’.
Alexandra JOUR-SCHRÖDER became the head of a new unit, ‘Financial crime’, which was formerly a task force in the Directorate. She was previously Head 'European Public Prosecutor’s Office and Criminal Law’, which has been removed from the Directorate.
Marc JORNA became head of a new unit, ‘Judicial Training and e-Justice’, having moved from ‘Interinstitutional, International Coordination’.
Directorate C – Fundamental rights and rule of law (was fundamental rights and Union citizenship): Emmanuel CRABIT became head of a new unit, ‘Justice policy and rule of law’. He moved from unit, ‘General justice policies and judicial systems’, which reported to the Deputy Director-General and has now been dissolved.
Olivier MICOL became Head of Unit, ‘Data Protection’, replacing Bruno GENCARELLI who became head of a new unit ‘International data flows and protection’.
Directorate D – Equality and Union citizenship (was Equality): Marie-Hélène BOULANGER became acting Director, replacing Salla SAASTAMOINEN who moved to Directorate A. Ms BOULANGER is also Head of Unit, ‘Union citizenship rights and free movement’, which moved into Directorate D from C.
Directorate E – Consumers: the Directorate reduced its units from six to four.
Renatas MAZEIKA became Head of Unit, ‘Consumer policy’. He moved from the ‘Programme management’ unit that was previously a part of Directorate A. Marie-Paule BENASSI became Head of Unit, ‘Consumer enforcement and redress’, having previously been head of ‘Enforcement and European Consumer Centres’.
Valeriu DAN DIONISIE moved out of the Directorate to became of a new unit, ‘Economic analysis and evaluation’, reporting to the Deputy Director-General.
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Regional and Urban Policy (REGIO):
Directorate A – Budget and General Affairs: Deputy Director-General Nicholas MARTYN became acting Director following Veronic GAFFEY’s move to the Commission’s PMO on 1 October.
Directorate B – Policy: Eric VON BRESKA became Director replacing Rudolf NIESSLER. Mr VON BRESKA was previously Head of Unit, ‘Economic analysis’ in the same Directorate, which has been taken over by Moray GILLAND.
Carole MANCEL-BLANCHARD, Deputy Head, became acting Head of Unit, ‘Legal Affairs’, replacing Charles GRANT. Mr GRANT moved into Mr GILLAND’s previous role as head of the Better Regulation unit.
Directorate D – Territorial Co-operation, Macro-regions and Programmes Implementation I (was Territorial Cooperation, Macro-regions and North-West Europe): Units ‘Estonia, Finland and Latvia’ and ‘Denmark, Lithuania and Sweden’ moved into D from Directorate H, which was dissolved.
Directorate E – Administrative Capacity Building and Programmes Implementation II (was Administrative Capacity Building and South-East Europe): Unit ‘Hungary’ moved from Directorate F.
Directorate F – Closure, Major Projects and Programmes Implementation III (was Operational Efficiency and Central Europe): Unit ‘Slovakia’ was dissolved and unit ‘Poland’ moved into the Directorate from H.
Directorate G – Smart and Sustainable Growth and Programmes Implementation IV (was Smart and Sustainable Growth and Southern Europe): Rudolf NIESSLER moved from Directorate B to become Director of G, replacing Colin WOLFE who was acting in the role.
Competence Centre, Inclusive Growth, Urban and Territorial Development: the unit moved from the disbanded Directorate H to report directly to the Deputy Director-General for Implementations.
Committee of the Regions (CoR):
Political groups:
PES: Bastian MEÍĆ joined the secretariat as a Political Adviser. He is in charge of the Commission for Finance and Administrative Affairs, the working group on EU budget and the management of budgetary resources.
National Delegations:
Italy: Andrea BALLARÈ (PES) became a Member on 17 October having previously served as an Alternate. Antonio DECARO (PES) became an Alternate having served as a Member.
Permanent Representations:
Finland: Minna KIVIMÄKI became the new Deputy Permanent Representative, replacing Marianne HUUSKO as of 1 September.
Public affairs:
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA): Kyriakos ANASTASSIADIS, CEO of Celestyal Cruises, was appointed as the new CLIA Europe Chairman. ANASTASSIADIS will be taking over from Pierfrancesco VAGO as of 1 January 2017.
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ENTSO-E: Laurent SCHMITT, currently Global SmartGrid Strategy Leader at General Electric, was appointed as Secretary-General. He will succeed Konstantin STASCHUS, who was not pursuing a third four-year mandate beyond his current one which ends in early 2017.
European Agricultural Machinery (CEMA): Dr. Markus BALDINGER, Chief Technical Officer, Pöttinger (Austria), was unanimously elected as the new Chairman of the Technical Board for a two-year term. In his new role, BALDINGER will be supported by Jeannot HIRONIMUS, who was re-elected as Vice-Chairman.
News in a nutshell:
Brexit: Prime Minister Theresa MAY said at her first ever European summit that: “I am here with a clear message. UK is leaving the EU but we will continue to play a full role until we leave and we will be a strong and dependable partner after we have left”. Meanwhile, Parliament’s EPP group leader Manfred WEBER has launched a blistering attack on UK Prime Minister Theresa May, telling her, “If you want to leave please do so, but don’t decide for the EU.” Read more.
Croatia: A coalition government led by former MEP Andrej PLENKOVIĆ, comprising of the Croatian Democratic Union (EPP) and the Bridge (Most) of Independents List (NA), has taken office. Fellow ex-MEP Davor Ivo STIER is the new Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Zdravko MARIĆ remains the Finance Minister.
Finland: Former Commissioner Olli REHN stepped down as Minister for Economy to join the Board of Directors of the Bank of Finland as member. Prime Minister Juha SIPILÄ, Centre Party (ALDE) said that his successor will be named by the end of October.
France: Greens/EFA group MEPs Michèle RIVASI and Yannick JADOT made it to the second round of the French Green party’s primaries for the country’s presidential elections next year.
Lithuania: The Peasants and Green Union (Greens/EFA) has won almost 40% of the seats in the run off on Sunday 23 October and will now start coalition talks to form a government. Health Minister Juras POŽELA has died from pancreatitis, aged just 34. He will receive a state funeral. Economy Minister Evaldas GUSTAS was appointed as acting Health Minister.
Spain: The Socialist Party decided to lift veto that preventing acting Prime Minister Mariano RAJOY from forming a new government, breaking the ten-month political deadlock and avoiding a third election.
