Today’s Movers & Shakers are about: The new Frontex Security Working Group in Parliament, rapporteurs for the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, JURI committee votes to lift immunity of Catalan MEPs, commissioner cabinet and DG appointments, Slovenia’s new health minister, and more!
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European Parliament
MEP News
Frontex Security Working Group: A new Frontex Security Working Group has been established to monitor all aspects of the functioning of the border agency, including its compliance with fundamental rights. Fourteen MEPs – two from each political group – will form the Working group. The EPP’s Roberta Metsola (MT) will lead the investigation.
EPP: Roberta Metsola (MT) and Lena Düpont (DE)
S&D: Bettina Vollath (AT) and Javier Moreno Sanchez (ES)
RE: Malik Azmani (NL) and Dragos Tudorache (RO)
ID: Nicolas Bay (FR) and Peter Kofod (DK)
Greens/EFA: Erik Marquardt (DE) and Tineke Strik (NL)
ECR: Patryk Tomas Jaki (PL) and Jorge Buxadé Villalba (ES)
The Left: Sira Rego (ES) and Cornelia Ernst (DE)
Digital Services Act: Rapporteurs for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee’s (IMCO) text on the Digital Services Act (DSA) have now been confirmed. Christel Schaldemose (S&D, DK) who was appointed lead rapporteur at the end of January, will be joined by shadow rapporteurs are Arba Kokalari (EPP, SE), Dita Charanzová (RE, CZ), Alessandra Basso (ID, IT), Alexandra Geese (Greens/EFA, DE), Adam Bielan (ECR, PL) and Martin Schirdewan (The Left, DE).
Digital Markets Act: Meanwhile, the Committee’s rapporteurs for the Digital Markets Act (DMA) are still to be finalised. As it stands Andreas Schwab (EPP) is lead rapporteur while Evelyne Gebhardt (S&D, DE), Andrus Ansip (RE, EE), Virginie Joron (ID, FR), Martin Schirdewan (The Left, DE) are shadow rapporteurs.
Catalan MEPs: The Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) have voted 15-18 with two abstentions to recommend waiving the immunity of three Catalan MEPs - Carles Puigdemont (NI), Antoni Comín (NI) and Clara Ponsatí (NI) - accused of sedition in Spain. The committee’s decision must be ratified at a full sitting of the Parliament with the next plenary session to take place on 8 March.
European Commission
Commissioner Cabinets
Dimitri Lorenzani has joined the cabinet of Vice-president and Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maroš Šefčovič. Lorenzani, who was previously team leader for strategic foresight at the Secretariat General, will be responsible for coordination with the Joint Research Centre, evidence-based policymaking and relations with Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Caroline Boeshertz joins the cabinet of Executive Vice-president and Commissioner for An Economy that Works for the People Valdis Dombrovskis responsible for sanitary and phytosanitary issues, procurement, trade and biotech and raw materials. Boeshertz was previously deput head of unit in DG Trade.
Directorates-General and Services
Mobility and Transport
Helmut Morsi has left his position as adviser in directorate B (Investment, Innovative and Sustainable Transport) leaving a vacant tenure.
Public Affairs
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National News
Slovenia
Janez Poklukar was appointed as the country’s new health minister on Tuesday taking over the health portfolio from defence minister Matej Tonin, who stepped in after the previous minister, Tomaž Gantar, stood down in December. The 42-year-old doctor and health manager has said that his priorities will be to reorganise the ministry and enhance its staffing as well reforming the vaccination strategy and preparing for Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU.
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