annual activity report 2015 of the epp group

Transcription

ANNUAL
ACTIVITY REPORT 2015
OF THE EPP GROUP
IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
1 / ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT OF THE EPP GROUP 2015
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Table of Contents
Foreword by the Chairman: Manfred Weber ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
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The EPP Group ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11
1. The EPP Group Structure ..............................................................................................................................................................................................11
2. How We Work ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................11
3. Description ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................12
The EPP Group Presidency ...............................................................................................................................................................................16
Heads of the EPP Group National Delegations ............................................................................................................................................18
EPP Group Members of the European Parliament’s Bureau .......................................................................................................................22
EPP Group Chairs of the Parliamentary Committees ...................................................................................................................................23
EPP Group Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees ........................................................................................................................24
EPP Group Chairs of the EU Joint Parliamentary Assemblies,
Joint Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and Interparliamentary Delegations .................................................................................28
4. The President (EPP) of the European Council...........................................................................................................................................................30
5. Members (EPP) of the European Commission ..........................................................................................................................................................30
6. The 216 Members of the EPP Group ..........................................................................................................................................................................31
7. The EPP Group Secretariat: Staff Management .........................................................................................................................................................33
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Parliamentary Work Service ................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
General Activities .................................................................................................................................................................................................36
LegislativeCoordinationandWhipOfice .......................................................................................................................................................37
Standing Working Group 'Economy and Environment' ...............................................................................................................................39
Standing Working Group 'Legal and Home Affairs' ......................................................................................................................................44
Standing Working Group 'Budget and Structural Policies' ............................................................................................................................48
External Meetings and Events ..........................................................................................................................................................................52
Hearings, Conferences and Events ...................................................................................................................................................................68
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External Policies, Committees and Delegations Service .................................................................................................................... 91
Standing Working Group 'Foreign Affairs'.......................................................................................................................................................93
Interparliamentary Delegations ..........................................................................................................................................................................97
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National Parliaments Service .............................................................................................................................................................................111
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Mediterranean Policy and Intercultural Activities Service..............................................................................................................123
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Press and Communications Service...............................................................................................................................................................137
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The European People’s Party (EPP) ..............................................................................................................................................................147
“
The EPP Group will continue
to work hard to demonstrate
Europe’s added value.
Our mission centres on the
promotion of a society founded
on the Christian-Democratic
values of liberty and solidarity,
based on a sustainable social
market economy in a unified
and peaceful continent
“
Foreword by the Chairman, Manfred Weber
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Foreword by the Chairman, Manfred Weber
2015 was a year full of upheaval for the European Union. The
migration crisis, economic and political instability in Greece, further
destabilisation in Ukraine and the decision by the UK Government
to hold a membership referendum severely tested Europe’s unity. The
Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) in the
European Parliament played an important role in shaping answers
towards these and other challenges, bolstering the EU’s cohesion to
face these interlocking crises.
With 216 MEPs from 27 Member States the EPP Group is the largest
andmostinluentialpoliticalforceintheEuropeanParliament.Our
Group provides the backbone for reinforced European cooperation
forthebeneitof allEuropeancitizens.
The arrival of Syrian and other war refugees by the hundreds of
thousands in the second half of the year risked creating division
among European Union Member States. The swift adoption and
implementation of an encompassing migration approach was therefore
of utmost importance. The EPP Group was the driving force behind
a European migration plan with the principle of concrete solidarity at
its centre. Our Group helped ensure a fair sharing of responsibilities
between Member States, reinforced border controls, the creation of
‘hot spots’ where migrants are received and registered and a list of safe
countries. The EPP Group will continue to take the lead in shaping a
well-functioningcommonasylumpolicythatwillighttrafickersand
ensurebettermanagementof migrationlows.
As well as the challenges posed by the migration crisis, the wider
security environment surrounding the EU is complex and volatile. ISIS
and other terrorist organisations are proliferating in the Middle East
and North Africa. In the South, Russia continues its hybrid warfare
against Ukraine, destabilising the Eastern Neighbourhood. The tragic
events in Paris and Copenhagen this year serve as a further reminder
for the EU to focus attention on counter-terrorism policy to protect
its citizens. With our values and interests being challenged the EPP
Groupcallsforthedevelopmentof afully-ledgedcommondefense
policy providing equal security for all Member States. We will act
swiftly, decisively and with determination to secure this goal.
While supporting the Greek people throughout 2015 we made clear
that empty populist rhetoric will not create jobs and bring prosperity.
Economic growth and stability will occur in Greece only through
constructive engagement with its European partners. This requires
solidarity and responsibility - solidarity within the EU to tackle the
common challenge, and responsibility on the part of the Greek
Government to adopt and implement the necessary reforms.
The EPP Group champions integration in Europe and turning the
dream of Europe’s founders – ever closer union – into reality. In June
I met with Prime Minister David Cameron in London to discuss the
UK’s plans to renegotiate its relationship with the EU. Our Group
believes Europe can beneit from constructive discussion aimed at
makingtheEUmoreeficient.However,if Britaindemandsopt-outs
from certain areas we are adamant that it would no longer have the
righttouseitsveto,norwouldittakepartinvotesbyqualiiedmajority.
Britain should not prevent other Member States from pursuing
further integration.
The EPP Group and EPP-led governments have been instrumental in
setting the agenda for putting Europe on the track of growth and jobs.
OurGroupisirminitsdemandforcontinuedreform.InJunethe
European Parliament approved the ‘Juncker Plan’ - or European Fund
for Strategic Investments (EFSI). The EPP Group has supported the
EFSI ever since European Commission President Juncker presented it
ashisirstpriority.Thefundwillactivateatleast€315billioninprivate
investment, thereby strengthening the backbone of our economy
and creating sustainable growth and jobs. Successfully concluding
negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
(TTIP)isakeypriorityfortheEPPGroup.AbalancedTTIPwillbeneit
European citizens, workers and businesses, reafirm environmental
standards and food security for consumers and promote Europe’s role
in the world. We also welcomed the European Commission’s proposals
in September for a Capital Markets Union as it satisies our criteria
to help inance small and medium-sized enterprises, and encourage
new entrepreneurship.
The EPP Group will continue to work hard to demonstrate Europe’s
added value. Our mission centres on the promotion of a society
founded on the Christian-Democratic values of liberty and solidarity,
basedonasustainablesocialmarketeconomyinauniiedandpeaceful
continent. We are determined to push forward the policies required to
achievethisobjective,conidentthattheEUisessentialinthedaily
livesof thecitizensourGroupstrivestorepresent.
I hope that by illustrating our policy initiatives the 2015 Annual Activity
Reportrelectsthepoliticalwillandambitionthatwillcontinuetoguide
the actions of the EPP Group in the European Parliament. To this end
our Members, supported by a committed Secretariat, will work hard to
create a more active and relevant EU, thereby delivering a better future
forEurope’scitizens.
Manfred Weber
Chairman of the EPP Group
in the European Parliament
The EPP Group
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The EPP Group
Founded as the Christian Democrat Group on 23 June 1953 as a fraction
in the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community,
the Group changed its name to the ‘Group of the European People’s Party’
(Christian-DemocraticGroup)inJuly1979,justaftertheirstdirectelections
to the European Parliament, and to ‘Group of the European People’s Party
(Christian Democrats) and European Democrats’ in July 1999. After the
European elections in 2009, the Group went back to its roots as the ‘Group of
the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)’.
1. The EPP Group Structure
The Chairman of the EPP Group is Manfred Weber MEP. He chairs
its governing bodies and speaks for the Group in keynote debates in the
European Parliament (EP).
He is supported by Coordinators on each of the Parliament’s Committees and
by Heads of the National Delegations represented in the Group.
The operational needs of the Group are serviced by a Group Secretariat,
providing policy and organisational support.
The Group runs its own think-tank - the European Ideas Network - which
brings together opinion-formers from the worlds of politics, business,
academia and civic society across Europe, to discuss the major policy issues
facing the European Union.
2. How We Work
The Group of the European People’s Party (EPP Group) is the largest in the
European Parliament with 216 Members. It has always played a key role in
the construction of Europe. It brings together centre and centre-right proEuropean political forces from the Member States of the EU. Most of the
parties represented in the EPP Group also belong to the European People’s
Party. The EPP was the irst-ever transnational political party to be formed
at European level, and has the strongest representation in the European
Council of Ministers. EPP parties came together to advance the goal of a more
competitiveanddemocraticEurope,closertoitscitizens,andbasedonasocial
market economy.
As the largest political group in a Parliament where non-socialist parties now
enjoy a clear majority, the EPP Group is in a stronger position than any other to
set that body’s political agenda and to win its most critical votes. This strength
isrelectedinthefactthat,since1999,theEPPGrouphasbeenonthewinning
side of more votes than any other group in the European Parliament’s monthly
plenary sessions.
Strength of numbers also ensures that EPP Group Members hold a range
of key positions within the Parliament - including 6 of its Vice-Presidencies,
Chairs of 8 of the EP’s 22 Committees or Subcommittees, and 2 of its 5
Quaestorships. Within the Parliamentary Committees, EPP Group Members
are best placed to secure the right to author the EP’s position on key pieces
of draft legislation and other major reports: the Group gets more of these
“rapporteurships” on more important subjects, than any other group.
The task of the European Parliament-whichiselectedeveryiveyearsby
direct universal suffrage - lies in exercising democratic control over the decisionmakingprocessintheEuropeanUniononbehalf of Europe’scitizens.
Composition: there are 751 Members of the European Parliament, representing
more than 500 million Europeans.
3. Description
The Presidency
With 216 Members the EPP Group is the largest political Group in the
European Parliament.
The Presidency consists of the Group Chairman and ten Vice-Chairs. The
Members of the Presidency agree among themselves on the allocation of
tasks, including the Group Treasurer and the Chairmanships of the Standing
Working Groups, which shall be brought to the notice of the Group.
Its Membership is made up of 1:
34 Members from Germany
5 Members from the Netherlands
23 Members from Poland
5 Members from Slovenia
The Bureau
20 Members from France
4 Members from Belgium
The Bureau, the Group’s political organ, consists of:
17 Members from Spain
4 Members from Ireland
15 Members from Italy
4 Members from Latvia
12 Members from Hungary
4 Members from Sweden
12 Members from Romania
3 Members from Finland
7 Members from Bulgaria
3 Members from Luxembourg
7 Members from Czech Republic
3 Members from Malta
7 Members from Portugal
2 Members from Cyprus
> he Presidency
> he Heads of National Delegations
> he President and Vice-Presidents of Parliament belonging
to the Group
> he Chairs of Parliamentary Committees belonging
to the Group
> he Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees
belonging to the Group
> he Chairman and the Secretary-General of the European
People’s Party if they are members of the European Parliament
> One co-opted Member for every 10 Members of a national delegation
6 Members from Slovakia
2 Members from Lithuania
5 Members from Austria
1 Member from Denmark
5 Members from Croatia
1 Member from Estonia
5 Members from Greece
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As of December 2015
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The four Standing Working Groups
The EPP Group’s political strategy is formulated in the framework of four Working Groups which coordinate its Members’ parliamentary work in the
22 Committees or Subcommittees.
Working Group ‘Foreign Afairs’
Working Group ‘Economy and Environment’
> Committee on Foreign Affairs
> Subcommittee on Security and Defence
> Subcommittee on Human Rights
> Committee on Development
> Committee on International Trade
Chairman: Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
> Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
> Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
> Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection
> Committee on Transport and Tourism
> Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
> Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Chairwoman: Françoise Grossetête
Working Group ‘Legal and Home Afairs’
Working Group ‘Budget and Structural Policies’
> Committee on Legal Affairs
> Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
> Committee on Constitutional Affairs
> Committee on Petitions
> Committee on Culture and Education
> Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
Chairman: Esteban González Pons
> Committee on Budgets
> Committee on Budgetary Control
> Committee on Regional Development
> Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
> Committee on Fisheries
Chairman: Marian Jean Marinescu
Size of political groups in the EP by Member State (as of 11 November 2015)
Source: European Parliamentary Research Service
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Strength of the political groups in each parliamentary term
The EPP Group Presidency
Manfred Weber
Lara Comi
Mariya Gabriel
Esteban González Pons
Chairman
Vice-Chairwoman
Communication Strategy
EPP Youth Strategy
Vice-Chairwoman
Mediterranean Union, Euromed
Vice-Chairman
Working Group 'Legal
and Home Affairs'
Françoise Grossetête
Sandra Kalniete
Esther de Lange
Marian Jean Marinescu
Vice-Chairwoman
Working Group 'Economy and Environment'
Vice-Chairwoman
Neighbourhood Policy and
Euronest and European Values
Vice-Chairwoman
Relations with National Parliaments
Vice-Chairman
Working Group 'Budget
and Structural Policies'
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The EPP Group Presidency
Paulo Rangel
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
József Szájer
Vice-Chairman
EIN/Future of Europe/Treasurer
Vice-Chairman
Working Group 'Foreign Affairs'
Vice-Chairman
Parliamentary Work
Heads of the EPP Group National Delegations
Federal Republic of Germany (34 Members)
Herbert Reul
Poland (23 Members)
Angelika Niebler
Elisabetta Gardini
Esteban González Pons
Alain Lamassoure
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Andrzej Grzyb
Italy (15 Members)
Spain (17 Members)
France (20 Members)
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Jan Olbrycht
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Lorenza Cesa
Hungary (12 Members)
Romania (12 Members)
heodor Dumitru Stolojan
Czech Republic (7 Members)
Luděk Niedermayer
Adina-Ioana Vălean
András Gyürk
Portugal (7 Members)
Paulo Rangel
Bulgaria (7 Members)
Mariya Gabriel
Slovakia (6 Members)
Nuno Melo
Anna Záborská
Greece (5 Members)
Croatia (5 Members)
Austria (5 Members)
Othmar Karas
Dubravka Šuica
Slovenia (5 Members)
Manolis Kefaloyannis
Ireland (4 Members)
Belgium (4 Members)
Milan Zver
Ivo Belet
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Seán Kelly
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he Netherlands (5 Members)
Esther de Lange
Latvia (4 Members)
Krišjānis Kariņš
Sweden (4 Members)
Gunnar Hökmark
Cyprus (2 Members)
Lefteris Christoforou
(replaced Eleni Theocharous
in November 2015)
Finland (3 Members)
Sirpa Pietikäinen
Lithuania (2 Members)
Gabrielius Landsbergis
Luxembourg (3 Members)
David Casa
Viviane Reding
Denmark (1 Member)
Bendt Bendtsen
Malta (3 Members)
Estonia (1 Member)
Tunne Kelam
EPP Group Members of the European Parliament’s Bureau
Antonio Tajani
Mairead McGuinness
Rainer Wieland
Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso
Vice-President
Vice-President
Vice-President
Vice-President
Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz
Adina-Ioana Vălean
Élisabeth Morin-Chartier
Andrey Kovatchev
Vice-President
Vice-President
Quaestor
Quaestor
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EPP Group Chairs of the Parliamentary Committees
Elmar Brok
Jerzy Buzek
Alain Cadec
Inge Gräßle
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Committee on Industry,
Research and Energy
Committee on Fisheries
Committee on Budgetary
Control
Danuta Maria Hübner
Giovanni La Via
Alain Lamassoure
Czesław Siekierski
Pavel Svoboda
Committee on Constitutional
Affairs
Committee on Environment,
Public Health and Food Safety
Special Committee on
Tax Rulings and Other
Measures Similar in
Nature or Effect
(The irst Special Committee
inalised its recommendations
in November 2015)
Committee on Agriculture
and Rural Development
Committee on Legal Affairs
EPP Group Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees
Cristian Dan Preda
Michael Gahler
Daniel Caspary
Petri Sarvamaa
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Security
and Defence
Committee on International Trade
Committee on Budgetary Control
Andrzej Grzyb
Davor Ivo Stier
José Manuel Fernandes
Burkhard Balz
Subcommittee on Human Rights
Committee on Development
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Committee on Budgets
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Committee on Economic
and Monetary Affairs
David Casa
Krišjanis Karinš
Wim van de Camp
Albert Deß
Committee on Employment
and Social Affairs
Committee on Industry,
Research and Energy
Committee on Transport and Tourism
Committee on Agriculture and Rural
Development
Peter Liese
Andreas Schwab
Lambert van Nistelrooij
Gabriel Mato
Committee on Internal Market
and Consumer Protection
Committee on Regional Development
Committee on Fisheries
Committee on the Environment, Public
Health and Food Safety
Sabine Verheyen
Monika Hohlmeier
Constance Le Grip
Tadeusz Zwiefka
Committee on Culture and Education
Committee on Civil Liberties,
Justice and Home Affairs
Committee on Women’s Rights
and Gender Equality
Committee on Legal Affairs
György Schöplin
Peter Jahr
Committee on Constitutional
Affairs
Committee on Petitions
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Main governing bodies in the EP
European Parliament Committees
Source: European Parliamentary
Research Service
Joint Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and Parliamentary Delegations
Manolis Kefalogiannis
Alojz Peterle
Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio
Othmar Karas
Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint
Parliamentary Committee
Delegation to the EU-Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint
Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint
Delegation to the EU-Russia
Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee
Andrej Plenković
Fulvio Martusciello
Michèle Alliot-Marie
Janusz Lewandowski
Delegation to the EU-Ukraine
Parliamentary Cooperation
Committee
Delegation for relations with Israel
Delegation for relations
with the Arab Peninsula
Delegation for relations
with Iran
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Joint Parliamentary Cooperation Committees and Parliamentary Delegations
David McAllister
Werner Langen
Michael Gahler
Luis De Grandes Pascual
Delegation for relations with the United States
Delegation for relations Southeast Asia
and the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN)
Delegation for relations with the Pan-African
Parliament
Delegation for relations with
the countries of the Andean
Community
Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
Paulo Rangel
Monica Macovei
Eduard Kukan
Delegation for relations with the Belarus
Delegation for relations with the
FederativeRepublicof Brazil
Delegation to the EU-Albania Stabilisation
and Assosiation Parliamentary Committee
Delegation to the EU-Serbia
Stabilisation and Assosiation
(left the Group in October 2015)
4. The President (EPP) of the European Council
Donald Tusk
5. EPP Members of the European Commission
Johannes Hahn
European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations
Austria (ÖVP)
President
Jean-Claude Juncker
President of the European Commission
Luxembourg (CSV)
Dimitris Avramopoulos
Migration,HomeAffairs&Citizenship
Greece (ND)
Vice Presidents
Elżbieta Bieńkowska
Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs
Poland (PO)
Kristalina Georgieva
Budget & Human Resources
Bulgaria (GERB)
Miguel Arias Cañete
Climate Action & Energy
Spain (PP)
Jyrki Katainen
Jobs, Growth, Investment & Competitiveness
Finland (Kokoomus)
Tibor Navracsics
Education, Culture, Youth & Sport
Hungary(Fidesz)
Valdis Dombrovskis
Euro & Social Dialogue
Latvia (Unity)
Members
Carlos Moedas
Research, Science & Innovation
Portugal (PSD)
Günther Oettinger
Digital Economy & Society
Germany (CDU)
Phil Hogan
Agriculture & Rural Development
Ireland (FG)
Marianne hyssen
Employment, Social Affairs, Skills & Labour Mobility
Belgium (CD&V)
Christos Stylianides
Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management
Cyprus (DISY)
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6. The 216 Members of the Group
GERMANY (34)
BALZ, Burkhard
BÖGE, Reimer
BROK, Elmar
CASPARY, Daniel
COLLIN-LANGEN, Birgit
DEß, Albert
EHLER, Christian
FERBER, Markus
FLORENZ, Karl-Heinz
GAHLER, Michael
GIESEKE, Jens
GRÄßLE, Ingeborg
HOHLMEIER, Monika
JAHR, Peter
KOCH, Dieter-Lebrecht
KUHN, Werner
LANGEN, Werner
LIESE, Peter
LINS, Norbert
MANN, homas
McALLISTER, David
NIEBLER, Angelika
PIEPER, Markus
QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL,
Godelieve
REUL, Herbert
SCHULZE, Sven
SCHWAB, Andreas
SOMMER, Renate
VERHEYEN, Sabine
VOSS, Axel
WEBER, Manfred
WIELAND, Rainer
WINKLER, Hermann
ZELLER, Joachim
POLAND (23)
BONI, Michal
BUZEK, Jerzy
GRZYB, Andrzej
HETMAN, Krzysztof
HÜBNER, Danuta Maria
JAZŁOWIECKA, Danuta
KALINOWSKI, Jarosław
KOZLOWSKA-RAJEWICZ,
Agnieszka
KUDRYCKA, Barbara
LEWANDOWSKI, Janusz Janusz
ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Elżbieta
Katarzyna
OLBRYCHT, Jan
PITERA, Julia
PLURA, Marek
ROSATI, Dariusz
SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jacek
SIEKIERSKI, Czesław Adam
SZEJNFELD, Adam
Von THUN UND
HOHENSTEIN, Róża Gräin
WAŁĘSA, Jarosław
WENTA, Bogdan
ZDROJEWSKI, Bogdan
ZWIEFKA, Tadeusz
FRANCE (20)
ALLIOT-MARIE, Michèle
CADEC, Alain
DANJEAN, Arnaud
DANTIN, Michel
DATI, Rachida
DELAHAYE, Angélique
GROSSETÊTE, Françoise
HORTEFEUX, Brice
JOULAUD, Marc
JUVIN, Philippe
LAMASSOURE, Alain
LAVRILLEUX, Jérôme
LE GRIP, Constance
MORANO, Nadine
MORIN-CHARTIER, Elisabeth
MUSELIER, Renaud
PONGA, Maurice
PROUST, Franck
SAÏFI, Tokia
SANDER, Anne
SPAIN (17)
AYUSO, Pilar
de GRANDES PASCUAL, Luis
del CASTILLO VERA, Pilar
DÍAZ DE MERA Y GARCÍA
CONSUEGRA, Agustín
ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Rosa
FISAS AYXELA, Santiago
GAMBUS, Francesc
GONZÁLEZ PONS, Esteban
HERRANZ GARCÍA, Esther
ITURGAIZ, Carlos
JIMÉNEZ-BECERRIL, Teresa
LOPE FONTAGNÉ, Verónica
LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE,
Antonio
MATO, Gabriel
MILLÁN MON, Francisco
VALCARCEL SISO, Ramon Luis
ZALBA BIDEGAIN, Pablo
ITALY (15)
CESA, Lorenzo
CICU, Salvatore
CIRIO, Alberto
COMI, Lara
DORFMANN, Herbert
GARDINI, Elisabetta
LA VIA, Giovanni
MARTUSCIELLO, Fulvio
MATERA, Barbara
MAULLU, Stefano
MUSSOLINI, Alessandra
PATRICIELLO, Aldo
POGLIESE, Salvatore
SALINI, Massimiliano
TAJANI, Antonio
HUNGARY (12)
BOCSKOR, Andrea
DELI, Andor
DEUTSCH, Tamás
ERDOS, Norbert
GÁL, Kinga
GÁLL-PELCZ, Ildikó
GYÜRK, András
HÖLVÉNYI, György
KÓSA, Ádám
SCHÖPFLIN, György
SZÁJER, József
TŐKÉS, László
ROMANIA (12)
BUDA Daniel
BUŞOI, Cristian
MANESCU, Ramona
MARINESCU, Marian-Jean
MUREŞAN, Siegfried
PREDA, Cristian Dan
SÓGOR, Csaba
STOLOJAN, heodor Dumitru
ŢURCANU, Mihai
UNGUREANU, Traian
VĂLEAN, Adina-Ioana
WINKLER, Iuliu
SLOVAKIA (6)
CSÁKY, Pál
KUKAN, Eduard
MIKOLÁŠIK, Miroslav
NAGY, Jozsef
ŠTEFANEC, Ivan
ZÁBORSKÁ, Anna
BULGARIA (7)
GABRIEL, Mariya
KOVATCHEV, Andrey
MALINOV, Svetoslav
NOVAKOV, Andrey
PAUNOVA, Eva
RADEV, Emil
URUTCHEV, Vladimir
AUSTRIA (5)
BECKER, Heinz K.
KARAS, Othmar
KÖSTINGER, Elisabeth
RÜBIG, Paul
SCHMIDT, Claudia
IRELAND (4)
CLUNE, Deirdre
HAYES, Brian
KELLY, Seán
McGUINNESS, Mairéad
LATVIA (4)
KALNIETE, Sandra
KARIŅŠ, Krišjānis
PABRIKS, Artis
VAIDERE, Inese
GREECE (5)
KEFALOGIANNIS, Manolis
KYRTSOS, Giorgos
SPYRAKI, Maria
VOZEMBERG – VRIONIDI,
Elissavet
ZAGORAKIS, heodoros
PORTUGAL (7)
COELHO, Carlos
FERNANDES, José Manuel
MELO, Nuno
MONTEIRO de AGUIAR,
Cláudia
RANGEL, Paulo
RIBEIRO, Soia
RUAS, Fernando
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BELGIUM (4)
ARIMONT, Pascal
BELET, Ivo ROLIN, Claude
VANDENKENDELAERE, Tom
CROATIA (5)
MALETIĆ, Ivana
PETIR, Marijana
PLENKOVIĆ, Andrej
STIER, Davor Ivo
ŠUICA, Dubravka
CZECH REPUBLIC (7)
NIEDERMAYER, Ludek
POLČÁK, Stanislav
POSPÍSIL, Jirí
ŠOJDROVÁ, Michaela
ŠTĚTINA, Jaromir
SVOBODA, Pavel
ZDECHOVSKÝ, Tomás
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SLOVENIA (5)
BOGOVIC, Franc
PETERLE, Alojz
SULIN, Patricija
TOMC, Romana
ZVER, Milan
SWEDEN (4)
ADAKTUSSON, Lars
CORAZZA BILDT, Anna Maria
FJELLNER, Christofer
HÖKMARK, Gunnar
FINLAND (3)
PIETIKÄINEN, Sirpa
SARVAMAA, Petri
VIRKKUNEN, Henna
NETHERLANDS (5)
de LANGE, Esther
LENAERS, Jeroen
SCHREIJER-PIERIK, Annie
van de CAMP, Wim
van NISTELROOIJ, Lambert
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LUXEMBOURG (3)
BACH, Georges
ENGEL, Frank
REDING, Viviane
MALTA (3)
CASA, David
COMODINI CACHIA, herese
METSOLA, Roberta
CYPRUS (2)
CHRISTOFOROU, Lefteris
THEOCHAROUS, Eleni
LITHUANIA (2)
LANDSBERGIS, Gabrielius
SAUDARGAS, Algirdas
DENMARK (1)
BENDTSEN, Bendt
ESTONIA (1)
KELAM, Tunne
7. The EPP Group Secretariat - Staff Management
Martin Kamp
John Biesmans
Joanna Jarecka-Gomez
Paolo Licandro
Secretary-General
Deputy Secretary-General
Head of the Internal
Organisation Service
Head of the External Policies –
Delegations Service
Head of the Mediterranean Policy
and Intercultural Activities Service
Juan Salafranca
Natacha Scriban-Cuvelier
Pedro López de Pablo
Johan Ryngaert
Head of the External
Policies – Committees
Service
Head of the Parliamentary Work
Service
Head of the Press and
Communications Service
Head of the Presidency Service
Beatrice Scarascia
Mugnozza
Head of the Relations with
National Parliaments Service
Parliamentary Work Service
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Parliamentary Work Service
he EPP Group Parliamentary Work Service is composed of 5 units:
• The Legislative Coordination and Whip Oice, under the responsibility
of József Szájer MEP (HU), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the
European Parliament (EP)
• The Standing Working Group ‘Economy and Environment’, under the
responsibility of Françoise Grossetête MEP (FR), Vice-Chairwoman of the
EPP Group in the European Parliament (EP)
• The Standing Working Group ‘Budget and Structural Policies’, under the
responsibility of Marian Jean Marinescu MEP (RO), Vice-Chairman of the
• The Standing Working Group ‘Legal and Home Afairs’, under the
responsibilityof EstebanGonzálezPonsMEP(ES),Vice-Chairmanof the
• The Policy Strategy Unit, under the responsibility of Manfred Weber MEP
(DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and Paulo
Rangel MEP (PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European
Parliament (EP)
General Activities
A. Major Votes in Plenary
B. Personalities Attending the Sitting
- Election of a Vice-President of the European Parliament (20/05)
- Unionsystemforsupplychainduediligenceself-certiicationof responsible
importers of tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and gold originating in
conlictaffectedandhigh-riskareas(20/05)
- European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) (24/06)
- Negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
(08/07)
- Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme: establishment and
operation of a market stability reserve (08/07)
- Resolution on the Commission Work Programme 2016 (16/9)
- Provisionalmeasuresintheareaof internationalprotectionforthebeneit
of Italy, Greece and Hungary (17/9)
- Payment services in the internal market (08/10)
- European single market for electronic communications (27/10)
- Insurance Mediation Directive (24/11)
- EU Budget 2016 (25/11)
- Community Trade Mark (15/12)
- Address by His Majesty King Abdullah II, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (10/03/2015)
- Address by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
(27/05/2015)
- Address by Tsakhia Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia (09/06/2015)
- Address by King Felipe VI of Spain (07/10/2015)
- Current situation of the European Union statements by François Hollande,
President of the French Republic, and Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the
Federal Republic of Germany (07/10/2015)
- Address by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic (25/11/2015)
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C. Meetings
- Following up the Secretary-General Meetings and those of the Conference
of Presidents in order to establish the plenary agenda
- RegularmeetingswiththeChairman,inordertodeinethepolicystrategy
of the EPP Group
- Plenary session organisation: votes and speaking time
- Group Meetings
Legislative Coordination and Whip Office
A. EPP Group Meetings
B. Whip Office
Personalities attending Group Meetings
The Whip Ofice follows EPP Group MEPs’ presence and participation in
votes, at plenary and committee level, and evaluates in accordance with the
agreed Group line. The Ofice has been rationalised and reorganised to
improveitseficiencyinthesetasks.
- Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible
for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness (13/01)
- Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission (10/02)
- Patriarch Philaret, Leader of the Ukrainian Church (22/04)
- Antonis Samaras, former Prime Minister of Greece (28/04)
- Günther Oettinger, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society
(28/4)
- Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for the Euro and Social Dialogue (19/05)
- Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary (19/05)
- Nikola Gruevski, Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYROM) (20/05)
- Dimitris Avramotopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home
AffairsandCitizenship(25/09)
- Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (07/10)
- Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and
Enlargement Negotiations (27/10)
- Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the Committee of the
Regions
- Donald Tusk, President of the European Council (9/12)
- Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and
Energy (14/12)
Group Meetings agenda and calendar, Chairman’s notes and Early Brieings
- Chairman’s notes and dossiers for the President
- Internalbrieingsrelatedtoallitems(reports,resolutions,andotherpoints)
which will be submitted to a plenary vote ahead each Group Meeting in
Brussels and Strasbourg
- SpeciicanddetailedbrieingsrelatedtoallitemstreatedatGroupMeetings
- MEPs’ presence list, minutes, documents to be distributed to MEPs
The President, the Presidency, the Heads of National Delegations, the
Coordinators and the Members are regularly informed of their participation
and presence rates during votes at plenary and committee level.
C. Legislative Coordination Meetings and Activities
Commission Work Programme (CWP) for 2016
TheEPPGroupdeineditspositionontheCWPfor2016undertheleadership
of József Szájer MEP (HU), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP,
who negotiated a joint resolution with the S&D, ALDE and Greens/EFA
Groups in line with the contributions of consulted EPP Group Members,
the Coordinators and the Group Presidency (adopted in September plenary).
Conference of the Committee Chairmen (CCC)
The Legislative Coordination Ofice prepares and follows the Conference
of the Committee Chairmen, working to avoid internal conlicts between
committees in the attribution of reports and competences among the
Parliamentary Committees.
SpeciicEPPGrouppreparatorymeetingsareorganisedmonthlytoinform
EPP Group stakeholders on CCC-level issues.
In close cooperation with the Coordinators, an internal early warning system has
beenestablishedaimedatidentifyingpossibleconlictsof competencesbefore
they oficially arise, especially between the committees where Chairmanship
belongs to the EPP Group.
Rapporteurship and Group line in plenary votes
“Guidelines on Rapporteurship and Group line in plenary votes”, have been endorsed
by the Group and are sent to all EPP Group MEPs. The Presidency improves
theeficiencyandeffectivenessof theGroupinparliamentarywork,bothat
committee and plenary level.
Newly appointed EPP Group Rapporteurs in all Parliamentary Committees
and comparative charts from the other Groups are regularly submitted to the
Coordinators, the Presidency and the Heads of National Delegations.
Coordinators’ Meetings
NineCoordinators’Meetingswereorganisedtodealwithhorizontalparliamentary issues. These meetings have been enlarged to EPP Group Committees’
Chairs,toreinforceGroupcohesionandpreventconlictsof competences.
The main topics treated in 2015 included:
- preparationof theplenarysessionsandconlictsof competencesbetween
committees as standing points on the agenda
- EPP Group priorities for the resolution on the CWP 2016
- revision of the Inter Institutional Agreement
- revision of the Rules of Procedures of the EP
- cooperation with the other political groups
Cooperation with other political groups and Institutions
The Unit provides the Presidency with monthly updated information regarding
the most important forthcoming and pending legislative or non-legislative
items for which closer cooperation with the other political groups and/or
Institutions might be necessary.
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Standing Working Group ‘Economy and Environment’
Françoise Grossetête MEP (EPP Group, France), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Chairwoman of the Working Group 'Economy and Environment'
he Working Group ‘Economy and Environment’ coordinates the
following Committees:
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)
In the ield of economic governance the EPP Group applied existing
legislation - the Two and Six Packs, for example - rather than advocating
modiicationof thelegalandinstitutionalframework.TheGroupinsistedon
compliance with Member State rules and enforcement of Commission and
Council rules.
Regarding inancial services, signiicantprogresswasmadein2015.Important
legislation was improved, such as the Insurance Mediation Directive and
the Payment Services Directive. These reforms increase the eficiency and
resilience of key infrastructures to beneit citizens, for example regarding
payment systems or insurance distribution. The Capital Markets Union (CMU)
Action Plan was launched in 2015. A key pillar of the Investment Plan, it
tackles investment shortages by increasing and diversifying funding sources
for Europe’s long-term business projects. The EPP Group has been working
to ensure the CMU improves SMEs’ access to funding.
The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) was adopted in 2015,
representing a major success for the EPP Group. The initiative will mobilise
€315billioninprivatecapitaltofundadditionalinvestment,whilenotcreating
additional debt. The EPP Group successfully defended operational and
managerial independence of the fund.
Tax avoidance in Europe: not a problem for a speciic country, but
a structural problem
In 2014, the “Lux Leaks” scandal highlighted controversial tax practices existing
in many Member States. The scandal led to the setting up of a temporary
Special Committee on Tax Rulings and Other Measures Similar in Nature or
Effect (TAXE), to shed light on all Member States’ tax systems, end unfair tax
practices and combat tax avoidance in Europe.
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TAXE investigated tax avoidance schemes used by multinational companies to
shiftandchanneltheirproitsthroughdifferentcountriestoreducetax.Most
of these aggressive tax planning practices are legal, but politically problematic.
While some groups labelled the Committee a ‘witch hunt’ on certain multinationals or a personal attack on Commission President Juncker, our Group
ensured its constructiveness by focusing on forward-thinking tax policies.
Delegations engaged with inance ministers, tax authorities and other
stakeholders in Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, Luxembourg
and Belgium and exchanged views with whistle-blowers, multinational
companies, Commission President Juncker, and with authorities from Gibraltar
and Bermuda.
The main inding concluded that tax avoidance in Europe is not a speciic
country problem, rather a structural problem. Mismatches between national
tax systems create loopholes. Since Member States have different tax bases, tax
rates, tax exemptions and tax incentives, some companies simply shift different
parts of their economic activity to different countries, optimising their taxes.
The Committee recommended the immediate introduction of a common
consolidated corporate tax base, and country-by-country reporting for
large multinational companies. This would oblige disclosure on how much
proit,taxesandemployeesexistineveryoperatingcountry,therebyhelping
tax authorities and the European Commission better understand where
problems lie.
The EPP Group prioritised Taxation in 2015: Alain Lamassoure MEP (FR)
wasappointedChairmanandBurkhardBalzMEP(DE)Coordinatorinthe
TAXE Committee. Danuta Hübner MEP (DE) was Shadow Rapporteur
on the TAXE Report. The mandate of the Special Committee ended
in November 2015.
The EPP Group furthermore adopted a Position Paper on Taxation addressing
important and relevant issues, and highlighting our priorities in the ield
of taxation.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
In February 2015, on the initiative of Marianne Thyssen, European
Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility and former EPP Group MEP - a proposal to increase the amount of preinancing for Member States to promote youth employment and provide
support to young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
in the most affected regions was presented. This proposal marked a major
success for the EPP Group and was necessary following the adoption of the
European Social Fund Regulation (ESF) and the Youth Employment Initiative
(YEI) in December 2013, instruments intended to help workers enter the
employment market. At the end of 2014 the results on the ground - regarding
Member State participation and the number of operational programs adopted
-didnotmeetourexpectations.Dificultiescentredonanticipatingthecosts
of employmentprogramsundertheYEIduetoliquidityinsuficiency.During
that time, over 7 million people aged between 15 and 24 remained unemployed
inEurope:theEPPGrouppressedforquickandeficientaction.
The EPP Group demanded the Council and the Commission to facilitate
MemberStateinanceaccesstounderpinafasterstart-upof theoperational
programs. The proposal was adopted by an overwhelming majority in plenary
in April 2015, under the lead of the EPP Group Rapporteur Elisabeth MorinChartierMEP(FR).TheEuropeanpre-inancingforyouthjobcreationinthe
most affected regions was increased from 1% to 30%.
Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food
Safety (ENVI)
Despite strong resistance from other political Groups, the EPP Group
managedtobothconcludeandinluenceasubstantialnumberof dossiersin
2015.Onthelegislativelevel,theplenaryadoptedlegislationinirstreading
agreement, notably on: the Market Stability Reserve, with Ivo Belet MEP (BE)
(EPP Group Rapporteur); on the Directive on Medium Combustion Plants,
with Andrzej Grzyb MEP (PL) (EPP Group Rapporteur); and on Novel
Foods. The legislative proposal on Food from Animal Clones and Cloning of
Animals for Farming Purposes, with Renate Sommer MEP (DE) (EPP Group
Rapporteur),wasvotedinPlenaryinregularirstreading.
Regarding second reading agreements, the EP adopted important legislation
such as the Directive on the Emissions from Indirect Land Use Change; the
Directive on the Reduction of Consumption of Plastic Bags; the Regulation
on CO2 Emissions from Maritime Transport; and the Directive to Restrict or
ProhibittheCultivationof GeneticallyModiiedOrganismsinMemberStates.
Some key legislative reports are currently under negotiation: Veterinarian
Medicinal Products, with Françoise Grossetête MEP (FR), Vice-Chairwoman
of the EPP Group in the EP, (EPP Group Rapporteur); Emission Limits
and Type-approval for Internal Combustion Engines for Non-Road Mobile
Machinery, with Elisabetta Gardini MEP (IT) (EPP Group Rapporteur);
Emissions from Road Vehicles, with Albert Deß MEP (DE) (EPP Group
Rapporteur); and GMOs, with Giovanni La Via MEP (IT) (EPP Group
Rapporteur). Some important reports will start negotiations in second reading:
Medical Devices, In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices, with Peter Liese MEP
(DE)(EPPGroupRapporteur),andOficialControls.
Key adopted additional own initiative reports include: Circular Economy;
Patient Safety and the Fight against Antimicrobial Resistance; and COP-21
and the New International Climate Agreement in Paris.
Resolutions on alcohol as well as on country of origin-labelling for meat in
processed food were also adopted.
EPP Group ENVI Committee Members contributed to ixing strategic
political positions and outlined its priorities in the EPP Group Position Paper on
Climate and Energy Policy.
Two EPP Group Hearings were organised by the ENVI Committee: in April,
with the collaboration of EPP Group AGRI Members, on ‘Anti-microbial
Resistance – urgent need to act in human and veterinary medicine’ and in
November on ‘The Future of GMOs in Europe – Experiences and best
practices”.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)
Under the lead of Pilar Del Castillo MEP (ES), a report on the “Connected
Continent” was tabled in 2015. An agreement on the Telecom Single Market
was reached after several months of negotiations, focusing on the enforcement
of consumer protection, and the open Internet. The abolition of roaming
charges starting on 15 June 2017 was a key achievement.
The EP adopted a report on “Family businesses in Europe” led by Angelika
Niebler MEP (DE). Family run businesses account for more than 60% of
all enterprises and up to 50% of private sector jobs in the EU. The report
addresses speciic challenges that hamper their growth and development,
especially in terms of access to inances or business transfer to the next
generation. The EPP Group organised a hearing which facilitated greater
insightintothespeciicchallengeswhichwereincorporatedintotheinalisation
of the report.
Based on the European Commission’s Green Action Plan for SMEs - an
initiativetofurtherstimulateSMEstodevelopthebeneitsof greengrowth
- the EP successfully adopted a report on “Green Growth opportunities for
SMEs”.Thetextelaboratesonaspectssuchasinancing,research,development
and innovation, as raised by stakeholders during the public consultations.
With the European Public Administrations Interoperability Solutions
(ISA) programme coming to an end on 31 December 2015, a new EU ISA
programme is needed. The ITRE Committee adopted under a irst reading
agreement the ISA2 report for the period 2016-2020. The solutions covered
by the programme will address issues such as lack of frameworks, ICT
architectures and tools enabling interoperability.
A report on the Energy Union, negotiated by András Gyürk MEP (HU),
looked at the EU’s security of supply, sustainability and competitiveness in
theieldof energy.Emphasiswasplacedonaspectsrelatedtosecurity,suchas
the need to diversify energy sources and supply routes, the completion of the
internal energy market and the moderation of energy demand.
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In 2015, the EPP Group adopted a Position Paper on the External Dimension of
Energy Securityhighlightingourprioritiesintheieldof energysecurity.
A report on Achieving the 10% Electricity Interconnection Target,
negotiated by Bendt Bendtsen MEP (DK), looked into the development of
an interconnected European energy grid, which will aid a functioning energy
market and ensure affordable, secure and sustainable energy. Focus was set on
projectswiththegreatestbeneitfortheEuropeansingleenergymarket.
Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO)
EPP Group IMCO Committee Members marked 2015 with success, manifest
throughthesupportof theeficientfunctioningof theinternalmarket,while
safeguarding consumers’ interests.
The conclusion of the Package Travel and Assisted Travel Arrangements
Directive marks a milestone for consumer rights in a marketplace where an
increasing number of purchases are done online. Birgit Collin-Langen’s MEP
(DE) leadership in negotiations resulted in a legal framework where the rights
and obligations of travellers and operators are clear and balanced.
Cristian-Silviu Buşoi MEP (RO) was instrumental, as Rapporteur, in updating
legislation regarding the ban of seal products on the European market
following an arbitration procedure lodged at the World Trade Organisation.
The ban on seal products is now fully in line with international rules.
In March 2015, in preparation of the EC Digital Single Market Strategy, the
EPP Group formulated and adopted its priorities on the digital economy. The
EPP Group Position Paper on the Digital Economy outlines these key requests
whichincludealevel-playingieldbetweenthedifferentactors,afairbalance
between consumer rights and the needs of businesses, incentivising investment
in infrastructure while embracing innovation and new business models, as well
as working towards a balanced copyright framework that enables the access
toserviceswhilegeneratingsuficientbeneitstopromoteEurope’scultural
diversity.
Work is ongoing in the IMCO Committee on major initiatives, including
Network and Information Security and Digital Single Market policies, which
willshapemajoraspectsof citizens’everydaylives.TheEPPGroupisactive
in shaping both policies.
Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN)
The EPP Group played a key role in reinforcing sustainable and environmental
friendlylegislationinallmodesof transport.Thiswasrelectedinthetechnical
pillar of the fourth railway package. The European Railway Agency (ERA) Markus Pieper MEP (DE), Railway safety - Georges Bach MEP (DE), and the
Interoperability - Luis de Grandes Pascual MEP (ES), will remove the technical
obstacles posed by differences in national standards, thus cutting the time and
costs required to obtain authorisation for operators, locomotives and rolling
stock to use the European rail network. The ERA would become a “onestop shop” for all applications for safety certiication and authorisation of locomotives and rolling stock for cross-border services. For services within one
Member State, operators and manufacturers choose submitting applications to
either the ERA or the national safety authorities.
The EPP Group strived to achieve sustainable funding for infrastructure,
and better predictability and improvement of competitiveness in all modes
of transport - underlined in the Implementation of the 2011 White Paper on
Transport - Wim van de Camp MEP (NL). The Rapporteur stressed the earning
capacity of the transport sector and the need for an eficient co-modality
wheretheusesof themostenergy-eficientandsustainabletransportmodes
are prioritised.
The Implementation of Multimodal Integrated Ticketing in the EU (report
of Dieter-Lebrecht Koch MEP (DE)) emphasised the creation of integrated
ticketing with real-time information and passenger rights for multimodal
travel,toallowseamlessmobilityforEUcitizens.
The EPP Group requires that the EC put forward legislative proposals
(aviationandroad)toallowEUcitizenstravelfaster,saferandcleaner.
Standing Working Group ‘Legal and Home Affairs’
Esteban González Pons MEP (EPP Group, Spain), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group ‘Legal and
Home Affairs’
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he Working Group ‘Legal and Home Afairs’ coordinates the following
Committees:
Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI)
Access to justice
The Small Claims Procedure intends to make small claims litigation in crossborder cases more eficient and quick for consumers and SMEs. Shadow
Rapporteur Daniel Buda MEP (RO) played a key role in the negotiations and
EPPGroupprioritiesarerelectedintheirstreadingagreement.
Reducing administrative burdens of businesses by efective common rules
Klaus-HeinerLehneMEP(DE)andTadeuszZwiefkaMEP(PL)ledonthe
Insolvency Regulation report and an agreement was adopted in May 2015.
The regulation aims to streamline cross-border insolvency proceedings to
ensure the smooth functioning of the internal market and its resilience in
economic crises, while increasing legal certainty.
Corporate Governance and Long-term Shareholders’ Engagement
Package
The EPP Group Shadows Giovanni Toti MEP (IT) and Tadeusz Zwiefka
MEP (PL) were instrumental in this important dossier. The EPP Group strives
to improve Europe's business environment by reducing bureaucracy and costs
andbyindingsolutionsthatfavourEuropeancompetitiveness.Thereforea
legal framework should be created which enables companies to grow and to
create jobs.
Better Regulation
The EPP Group has always instigated efforts to improve the quality of
European laws. It continues to push revision of the 2003 Inter-institutional
Agreement on Better Law-making. Although the new EC proposal addresses
some longstanding Group priorities - such as more independent impact assessments - there is room for improvement, in particular regarding delegated acts.
The EPP Group has established its own Working Group to safeguard its position throughout the process.
Improving Intellectual Property Rights
The report on the Implementation of the Copyright Directive was a popular
topic ahead of the EC proposal. The EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur Therese
Comodini Cachia MEP (MT) was instrumental in securing a balanced report
thatrelectsourposition.Thebalanceof rightsbetweentheauthorsandthe
public interest of disseminating knowledge will continue to foster investment,
safeguard employment and encourage job creation, while allowing the industry
to embrace digital technologies.
The report on the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights was drafted
by Pavel Svoboda MEP (CZ). It recognises that tackling IPR infringement
effectively is complex, particularly in the online environment. It reiterates
the importance of strengthening the ight against IPR infringements while
safeguarding the fundamental rights of all parties. The Rapporteur played a key
role in the negotiations and achieved a result supported by all groups.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home
Affairs (LIBE)
Time for action on the Migration and Refugee crisis
The EPP Group has taken the lead in providing immediate long-term
solutions to the migration crisis. Roberta Metsola MEP (MT), EPP Group
Justice and Home Affairs Spokeswoman, has been appointed chief negotiator
on a report on Migration due to be adopted by the end of the year. As chief
negotiator on two joint resolutions on migration she has facilitated the EP
to send a strong signal of solidarity by supporting a fairer distribution of
persons in need of protection through a binding redistribution mechanism.
Migration was the top priority at the EPP Group Bureau meeting in Milan.
Under the leadership of Monika Hohlmeier MEP (DE), the EPP Group held
apublichearingonasylumtodevelopawayforwardtotackletheidentiied
shortcomings in the implementation of the existing rules.
he security of our citizens is our priority
Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)
The EPP Group has put security at the core of its political priorities. Monika
Hohlmeier MEP (DE), EPP Group Coordinator in the LIBE Committee of
the EP, convinced mainstream political groups to adopt a joint resolution
ontheightagainstterrorism.Furthermore,theEPPGroupinitiatedinthe
EPareportonthePreventionof Radicalisationof EUCitizensbyTerrorist
Organisations under the leadership of Rachida Dati MEP (FR). At the
BureauMeeting in Toledo, under Esteban Gonzalez Pons MEP (ES),ViceChairman of the EPP Group in the EP, the EPP Group Position Paper on an
Anti-terrorism Pact was discussed for adoption. Regarding air travel, after
protracted negotiations the EPP Group overcame left-wing resistance by
approving the setting-up of an EU Airline Passenger Name Records system
(PNR) in committee.
Protecting EU citizen’s personal data and exploring data driven
security
Digitalisation is changing our lives. For this reason the EPP Group,
through its negotiator Axel Voss MEP (DE), supported the adoption of
the proposed Data Protection Regulation to increase legal certainty for
businesses and consumers. We have continuously worked for solutions that
seek to deliver robust data protection for EU citizens, legal certainty and
trust for companies. Group priorities are articulated in our Position Paper on
Data Protection, adopted in Budapest, centering on the adjustments deemed
necessary to achieve balanced legislation. Our Group is also working on
the development of digital solutions and technologies to tackle cyberspace
threats. During a public Hearing on Data Driven Security, sponsored by
Michał Boni MEP (PL), the EPP Group explored the possibilities of utilising
moderntechnologytoightcybercrime.
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The hearing of nominees for European Commissioners is an essential feature
of European democracy. Before the vote on the College of Commissioners
as a whole, the nominees appeared before the relevant EP Committees.
This allowed MEPs to assess whether the nominee meets the minimum
requirements for the post of Commissioner.
The AFCO Committee followed closely each of the hearings and presented a
report on Hearings voted in plenary in September 2015. The report includes
a request aimed at a more agile process adequate to cope with new tailored
Commission portfolios. It also asks that in the future each Member State
indicates not one but rather two candidates - of each gender - in order to allow
more freedom to the President-elect of the Commission in the composition
of his/her College, and to ensure proper respect for gender balance.
Committee on Petitions (PETI)
In 2014, the European Commission continued “The European Year of the
Citizens”, launched in January 2013. As the right of petition is enshrined
in the Lisbon Treaty under Article 227, the Petitions Committee of the
EPremainedactiveintheinitiativesaimedatengagingcitizensinshaping
Europe’sfuture,mainlyintheieldoftheenvironment,fundamentalrights
andfreemovementofcitizensandworkers.
Regarding fundamental rights, the First Vice-President and European
Commissioner for Better Regulation, Inter-institutional Relations, the Rule
of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Frans Timmermans, was
present at the committee meeting on 7 October to discuss the limits of
applicability of the Charter on Fundamental Rights imposed by Article 51.
SincemanypetitionsrefertotheCharter-forinstanceintheieldofthe
protection of children’s rights - Commissioner Timmermans clariied and
justiiedtocitizenstheapplicabilityoftheCharter.
Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality
(FEMM)
The EPP Group was active in 2015 in shaping the work of the FEMM
Committee according to its priorities. Rapporteur, Mariya Gabriel MEP
(BG), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, insisted that the
Council react to the Women on Boards Directive, asking for more women
as non-executive board members in companies listed on stock exchanges.
The EPP Group also prioritised the Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value and
theFightagainsttheExistingGenderPayGap,coveredbyAnnaZáborská
MEP (SK).
The EPP Group report on Women’s Careers in Science and University and
Glass Ceilings Encountered by Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi MEP (EL)
proposes measures to increase equality in the framework of the European
ResearchAreaandthespeciicprogramHorizon2020,targetedatwomenin
universities and the world of science.
Committee on Culture and Education (CULT)
ThankstoErasmus+Programme(2014-2020)-withatotalbudgetof €14.8
billion-over4millionpeoplewillbeneitfromEUgrantsforeducationand
training.
Thanks to the previous work of EPP Group Rapporteur Doris Pack MEP (DE),
the Erasmus+ Programme has brought together EU education, training and
youth programmes - Comenius, Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus, Leonardo da Vinci
(professional training) and Grundtvig - under a single umbrella. The programme
alsoincludessportfortheirsttime.
The Erasmus+ Programme supports learning mobility for individuals, cooperation for innovation and good practices in education, training, youth exchanges
and European voluntary service. The Programme also focuses on cooperation
and activities in grassroots sport by supporting international study, training,
teaching and volunteering activities.
The EPP Group is also committed to combat violence against women.
Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio MEP (ES) and Anna Maria Corazza Bildt
MEP (SE) are active within the FEMM Working Group, created with the
aim of prevention and eradication.
Standing Working Group ‘Budget and Structural Policies’
Marian Jean Marinescu MEP (EPP Group, Romania), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group ‘Budget
and Structural Policies’
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he Working Group ‘Budget and Structural Policies’ coordinates the
following Committees:
Committee on Budgets (BUDG)
TheEPPGroupwasresponsiblefortwomainbudgetaryilesthisyear:the
European Fund for Strategic Development (EFSI) and the EU Budget 2016.
For both, EPP Group Coordinator in the BUDG Committee, José Manuel
Fernandes MEP (ES), was the EP Rapporteur.
EFSI: The EPP Group fully supported the EFSI (‘Juncker Plan’) as a boost
for investment in the EU. This fund is established by a contribution coming
from the EU budget. The EPP Group could minimise the impact of this
contribution on the important policies of Research: Horizon 2020 and
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
EU Budget 2016: The EPP Group worked actively to secure the immediate
budgetary means to address the refugee and migration crisis, while ensuring
also the necessary resources in favour of programmes and policies conducive to
growthandemployment.Theinalagreementforeseestheinancingof apackage
of extraordinary measures for migration for an amount of €1,530 million,
bringing the total migration igure to €2,672 million. An additional amount
of €285.3millionisalsoagreedtoaddresstheexternaldimensionandroot
causes of the crisis. Moreover, a number of additional increases are agreed for
programmessuchasCOSME,Erasmus+andHorizon2020.Ajointstatement
between the three Institutions calls on the European Commission (EC) to make
proposals for the continuation of the Youth Employment Initiative until 2020.
A€500millionpackageof measurestoEuropeanfarmersaffectedbytheongoing crisis - especially in the milk sector - is also part of the Budget agreement.
Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT)
The EP discharge procedure ensures democratic oversight on how the
EU Budget has been used. In 2015, the EPP Group was responsible for
scrutinising the EC implementation of the 2013 Budget. EPP Group CONT
Committee Chair Ingeborg Gräßle MEP (DE) stressed in her report the lack
of reliability regarding the irst-level checks performed by Member States,
especially in the areas of regional policy and agriculture. The report demands
more transparency from Member States in cooperation with the EC and says
that misinformation by Member States must be followed up with sanctions.
EPP Group CONT Committee Coordinator Petri Sarvamaa MEP (FI) drafted
an own-initiative report on the Protection of the Financial Interests of the
Union in the area of Agriculture, aiming to reduce the level of complexity
of rules, thus making the life of farmers easier. The report stresses the
necessity to strike the right balance between less administrative burden and
effectiveinancialcontrol.Thereportadvocatessimpliicationandrisk-based
monitoring of expenditures.
On the initiative of the EPP Group, the EP adopted a resolution on the
effective functioning of the Supervisory Committee of the EU anti-fraud
body, OLAF. The Group attaches great importance to independent oversight
of OLAF’s investigative activities.
In September, Members of the Budgetary Control Committee undertook
a fact-inding mission to Greece to study the implementation of major
infrastructure projects funded by the EU budget.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
(AGRI)
EPP Group Members monitored closely the application of the new Common
Agricultural Policy. Conscious of the need to simplify the Common Agriculture
Policy (CAP), Members made suggestions to reduce complexity and red-tape,
notably with regard to the new “greening” requirements for direct payments.
The EPP Group, through its Coordinator Albert Deß MEP (DE) and
CommitteeChairCzesław Siekierski MEP (PL), were instrumental in ensuring
the AGRI Committee organised major hearings on CAP simpliication
and implementation.
Rapporteurs for key reports adopted in 2015 included: Elisabeth Köstinger
MEP (AT), who secured the backing for her report on a new EU Forest
Strategy. Nuno Melo MEP (PT) achieved near unanimous support for his
report on Producer Organisations in the Fruits and Vegetables Sector – as a
drive to strengthen the bargaining power of farmers in the food supply chain.
Michel Dantin MEP (FR), Rapporteur for legislation on Conditions for Trade
and Imports of Breeding Animals, is negotiating to bring updated rules into
force. Herbert Dorfmann MEP (DE) worked on the key legislative package
on animal health.
The EPP Group responded to the major challenges faced by farmers. Members
initiated an EP resolution on measures to combat the spread of Xylella
Fastidiosa, a deadly bacterium which has struck olive trees in large parts of Italy.
This underlined the importance of the on-going work being coordinated by
Pilar Ayuso MEP (ES) on improved rules to protect the EU from a growing
inluxof pestsharmfultoplanthealth.
In September, EPP Group Members signed a letter co-authored by Esther
HerranzGarcíaMEP(ES)totheECdemandingimmediatemeasurestodeal
withtheextrememarketdificultiesexperiencedbyfarmers,especiallyinthe
dairy and pigmeat sectors.
Committee on Regional Development (REGI)
The EPP Group, led by Coordinator Lambert van Nistelrooij MEP (NL),
was vigilant on developments in the ield of cohesion policy. Concerns
centred on the current 2014-2020 programming period, as well as the longer
term perspectives.
Following the publication of the European Commission’s Sixth Report on
the Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion, EPP Group Vice-Coordinator
TamásDeutschMEP(HU),preparedareportonthe2007-2013programming
period. It highlighted the successes of cohesion policy, job creation and
investments through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and
the important support from the European Social Fund (ESF). The effects of
these investments will increase over the next years.
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The report on Cohesion Policy and the Review of the Europe 2020 Strategy,
drafted by Fernando Ruas MEP (PT), represents the irst EP position on
the mid-term review of the Union's strategy for growth and jobs, currently
being prepared by the EC. The Rapporteur focused on several key points:
betterinterlinkingobjectivesandlagshipinitiatives,strengtheningmultilevel
governance, ensuring effective co-ownership along the implementation by
involving stakeholders, and introducing the possibility of voluntary regional
targets where appropriate. The EPP Group insisted that both future cohesion
policy and future EU long-term strategy be concluded before the current term
of the EC ends, an approach embraced by other political groups.
Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL), an expert on cohesion policy, has been Shadowing
the report on the Urban Dimension of EU policies. This report argues that
the challenges facing Europe are either related to the economy, climate or
environment and society, and manifest themselves in and around cities. Cities
therefore need to be more involved in the conception and implementation of
EU policies, and these policies need to be better adapted to urban realities.
Committee on Fisheries (PECH)
The legislative activity during 2015, coordinated by Gabriel Mato MEP (ES),
concentrated mainly on two principal questions: the landing obligation and the
multiannual management plan for the stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the
Baltic Sea.
The EP approved the progressive implementation of the landing obligation
starting from 1 January 2015. The goal is to gradually eliminate discards.
The Commission published an 'Omnibus Proposal' in 2014 to iron out the
contradictions in the remaining legislation and to implement the obligation to
discardnon-marketableish,orishcaughtinexcessof quota.Thepractice
of discardingishcametoanendon1January2015forpelagicspecies,such
as anchovy, herring and sardines - in general - and for cod and salmon in the
Baltic Sea, in particular. Rapporteur Alain Cadec MEP (FR) played a key role in
achieving an agreement between the EP and the European Council, adopted on
3 June 2015.
Secondly, the aim of the Multiannual Plan is to establish a framework for
the multispecies management of Baltic Sea stocks of cod, herring and sprat.
The multispecies plan - “a Constitution for the Baltic isheries” - had long
been awaited. It aims to take account of inter-species interactions, such as
the inluence of cod on herring and sprat stocks and vice versa. The plan
should provide for a balanced, sustainable exploitation of stocks and thereby
beneitishermen.Itshouldadditionallyguaranteethatmanagementisbased
onthemostup-to-datescientiicadviceregardingthestatusof stockscovered,
and interactions between species and other aspects related to ecosystem
and isheries. The multispecies management approach is considerably more
effective than the management of single species.
Rapporteur Jarosław Walesa MEP (PL) is involved in trialogues with the
EuropeanCouncilandtheEuropeanCommission.Theaimistoreachairst
reading agreement and adopt the plan in line with the reformed Common
Fisheries Policy. The most controversial part of this dossier concerns the
scientiicadvice-namelytargetishingmortalityranges-whichindicatehow
muchishishermenwillbeallowedtocatch.
External Meetings and Events
The EPP Group hosts meeting and events both in the European Parliament
buildings and within individual Member States. Many of these meetings and
events are organised by the Political Strategy Unit and the European Ideas
Network (EIN).
The Unit offers a valuable mechanism for further developing the Group’s
political identity by increasing the number of forums for debate:
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> Meetings of the EPP Group Bureau outside the three working seats of
the European Parliament: aim to deepen relations with Member States
and to express support to EPP sister parties.
> Study days: are organised in a different Member State each year, as understanding the different national realities allows a better grasp of the political
themes that are important at a national level.
> European Ideas Network: the EIN represents an open pan-European
think-tank designed to promote new thinking on the key challenges facing
the European Union.
1. EPP Group Bureau meetings outside the three working
seats of the European Parliament
Toledo, Spain
EPP Group Bureau Meeting – 5-6 March 2015
The Group Meeting was dedicated to the following themes: Restoring Europe's
online leadership, protecting democratic values, preventing radicalisation and
ightingagainstIslamicterrorism.
Following these debates, two Position Papers on the Digital Economy and
on an Anti-terrorism Pact were inalised for approval by the EPP Group.
The Position Paper on the Digital Economy outlines the steps necessary to
buildatrulyinclusiveDigitalSingleMarkettothebeneitof consumersand
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businesses. The Position Paper on an Anti-terrorism Pact highlights how the
EPPGroupisattheforefrontinadoptingmeasurestostrengthenourcitizens'
security, defend our values of freedom, democracy and human rights and to
uphold international law.
The event was highlighted by the special intervention of Mariano Rajoy, Prime
Minister of Spain.
Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament EP (speaking), (r-l) Marian Jean Marinescu MEP (Romania), Françoise
Grossetête MEP (France), Lara Comi MEP (Italy), Esteban Gonzáles Pons MEP (Spain), all Vice-Chairpersons of the EPP Group in the EP, Mariano Rajoy, Prime
Minister of Spain and President of the People's Party, María Dolores de Cospedal, President of Castilla-La Mancha, Secretary-General of the People's Party, and József Szájer
MEP (Hungary), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP
Milan, Italy
EPP Group Bureau Meeting – 23-24 April 2015
The speakers were invited to intervene on the following themes: How to address
current trends of global migrations and asylum; how to combat irregular
migration, smuggling and traficking, and on the transatlantic dimension of EU trade policy.
Two Position Papers were debated at the Group Meeting. The Position Paper
on Migration advocates an all-encompassing strategy with the principle of
concrete solidarity at its centre in dealing with the crisis. The Position Paper
on International Trade outlines the EPP Group position on the Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and EU trade policy in a global
context.
The event was highlighted by the special intervention by Angelino Alfano,
Italian Minister of Interior, and Silvio Berlusconi, Former Prime Minister of
Italy,andPresidentof ForzaItalia.
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l-r: Robert Črepinko, Operations Department, Serious and Organised Crime, EUROPOL, Elizabeth Collett, Director of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) Europe and Senior Advisor to MPI’s Transatlantic Council on Migration, Lara Comi MEP (Italy), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the
EPP Group in the EP, and Martin Kamp, Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the EP
Budapest, Hungary
EPP Group Bureau Meeting – 4-5 June 2015
The speakers were invited to intervene on the following themes: tax fairness in
the EU and data protection.
Following these debates, two EPP Group Position Papers on Taxation and on
Data Protection were discussed for approval by the EPP Group.
The Position Paper on Taxation outlines EPP Group priorities on tax, and
requests for speciic legislative and non-legislative measures in the area of taxation. The Position Paper on Data Protection highlights the means by which
theEPPGroupseekstodeliverrobustdataprotectionforEUcitizens,legal
certainty and trust for companies, and the enhancement of EU competitiveness.
A further discussion took also place on the role of education in tackling youth
unemployment.
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l-r: Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Euro and Social Dialogue, Mihály Varga, Hungarian Minister of National Economy, Manfred
Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group Group in the EP, John Biesmans, Deputy Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the EP, and Françoise Grossetête
MEP (France), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP
Katowice, Poland
EPP Group Bureau Meeting – 3-4 September 2015
The Group Meeting was dedicated to the external dimension of energy
security and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). EPP Group
Position Papers on the External Dimension of Energy Security and Towards
a European Defence Union were discussed for approval by the EPP Group.
The Position Paper on the External Dimension of Energy Security highlights
EPP Group objectives to ensure higher security of external energy supplies
for the EU. The EPP Group welcomes the creation of the Energy Union as
the primary tool for achieving stronger energy security, reducing energy prices
and increasing the competitiveness of the European economy. The Position
Paper on Towards a European Defence Union highlights the means by which
the EU and Member States should undertake concrete steps to develop a fullyledgedcommondefencepolicyprovidingequalsecurityforallcitizens.
TheeventwashighlightedbythespecialinterventionbyEwaKopacz,Prime
Minister of Poland.
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Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, and Ewa Kopacz, Prime Minister of Poland
Prague, Czech Republic
EPP Group Bureau Meeting – 10-11 December 2015
The speakers debated on the following themes: the future of the EU and
Performance-based budgeting. A round table discussion followed on what
Europe should expect of the UK referendum? An EPP Group Position Paper
on Performance-based Budgeting was discussed for approval.
The Position Paper on Performance-based Budgeting evaluates PerformancebasedBudgeting(PBB)asamethodtoimprovethesoundinancialmanagement
of EUexpenditurebylinkinginancingwithresultsinatransparentmanner.
The concept of 'spending better' will become a reality with Performance-based
Budgeting.
The event was highlighted by the special intervention of Wolfgang Schäuble,
Federal Minister of Finance of Germany.
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Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, and Wolfgang Schäuble, Federal Minister of Finance, Germany
2. EPP Group Study Days
Madrid, Spain
EPP Group Study Days – 21-22 October 2015
EPP Group Study Days were held in the margins of the EPP Party Congress
in Madrid, Spain. Key issues of discussion included: the EPP success story
on growth and jobs, and the reform process in EU Member States serving
toincreasecitizens'welfare.ThedebatewasheldwithIrishTaoiseachEnda
Kenny,SorayaSáenzDeSantamaría,Vice-Presidentof theGovernmentof Spain and Alexander Stubb, Finnish Minister of Finance.
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l-r: Esteban González Pons MEP (Spain), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, Joseph Daul, President of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber MEP (Germany),
Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, and Martin Kamp, Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the EP
3. The European Ideas Network (EIN)
The European Ideas Network, sponsored by the EPP Group, is an open panEuropean think-thank. Launched in 2002 it rapidly emerged as an important
meeting-point and intellectual cross-roads for the centre-right in European
politics designed to promote new thinking on the key challenges facing the
European Union.
With an active membership of around 3,000 policy-makers and opinionshapers across the European Union, the EIN brings together politicians,
businessmen, academics, policy advisers, think tankers, journalists and
representatives of civil society who share a common Europe-wide outlook, as
well as outside non-party experts and commentators interested in the public
policy issues being addressed. The network offers a unique forum in which to
develop innovative ideas.
The EIN organises a number of different types of activity:
> Breakfast Meetings, Food for hought lunch debates and Working
Group Seminars
In 2015, the EIN organised an active programme of breakfast meetings,
Food for Thought lunches/debates and seminars to offer a forum for
both elected policy makers and political researchers in Brussels to discuss
subjects of topical interest, the outcome of which was stimulated with
interventionsbyleadersintheirield.Theseminarshadspecialrelevanceon
the outcome of the referendum in Scotland, the MFF and Own Resources,
populism and nationalism and the importance of Mediterranean stability
for democracy and regional progress.
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> EIN and the Trans-Atlantic-Group (TAG)
This year's Trans-Atlantic-Group on counter-terrorism meeting in Washington, held within the context of the EIN meetings organised in the capital of the US, provided a unique experience, allowing nine MEPs and
eight Congressmen to draw important conclusions. The meetings were
co-organised by the EIN, the Wilfried Martens Centre, the International
Republican Institute and the Hudson Institute. This year's TAG meeting
focused on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP),
the role of Russia and China in the new world architecture, the new
security framework and transatlantic cooperation.
>
Summer University
The EIN summer University was the highlight of the 2015 programme of
events. This year’s 14th EIN Summer University took place in Copenhagen
on 1-2 October. The theme for the 2015 meeting surrounded 'Security and
political stability'.
The international and growing global character of the Summer University
was once more reafirmed and further extended with speakers and
participants from Singapore, the United States, Egypt and Lebanon joining
European colleagues for discussions. This enabled the EIN Summer
University to reach important conclusions in a truly global perspective.
The 2015 Agenda consisted of three special plenary sessions focusing on
areas of current regional, European and international interest. In addition,
eleven roundtables gave the participants the opportunity to reach in-depth,
internationally oriented conclusions in strategic areas of European policy.
European Ideas Network Summer University
l-r: Mairead McGuinness MEP (EPP Group, Ireland), Vice-President of the European Parliament, David McAllister MEP (EPP Group, Germany), and Jon B Perdue, Director
of Latin America Programmes at The Fund for American Studies
4. Hearings, Conferences and Events
12/01/2015
Je suis Charlie
Members of the European Parliament observe a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the terrorist attacks in France
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04/02/2015
EPP Group Hearing on the Perspectives for the Single Market 2014-2019
l-r: Antonio Preto, Commissioner for Infrastructures and Networks, Italian Communication Authority – AGCOM, Professor André Sapir, Senior Fellow at Bruegel and Professor
of Economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Elżbieta Bieńkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, Andreas Schwab
MEP, EPP Group Coordinator in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament (EP) and host of the hearing, Günther Oettinger, European
Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, and Professor Michael Hüther, Director at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research
04/02/2015
EPP Group Hearing on the Sixth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion
l-r: Philip McCann, Professor, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (right), Stanislav Polčák MEP (EPP Group, Czech Republic), Vice-Chairman of the Regional Development Committee
of the EP, Moderator (left), and Rudolf Niessler, Director for Policy, European Commission, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy
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04/03/2015
EPP Group Hearing on Asylum: Reinforcing a Holistic Approach
Monika Hohlmeier MEP (Germany), EPP Group Coordinator in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the EP and co-host of the hearing (in the middle), (l-r)
Eugenio Ambrosi, Director, Regional Ofice EEA, EU & NATO International Organisation for Migration, Leon Prop, Director, Red Cross EU Ofice, Roberta Metsola MEP
(Malta), EPP Group Vice-Coordinator in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the EP and co-host of the hearing, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, State Secretary
for European Affairs, Latvia, an assistant to Ms Kalniņa-Lukaševica, and Claus Folden, Head of Centre for Operational Support, EASO
24/03/2015
European Parliament High-Level Conference: The Rise of Religious Radicalism and Fundamentalism
and the Role of Inter-religious Dialogue in the Promotion of Tolerance and Respect for Human Dignity
Antonio Tajani MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Vice-President of the European Parliament
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21/04/2015
EPP Group Hearing on the State of EU-Russia Relations
Gabrielius Landsbergis MEP (EPP Group, Lithuania), European Parliament Rapporteur on the State of EU-Russia Relations (in the middle), Sandra Kalniete MEP (Latvia),
Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest and European Values and Roland Freudenstein, Deputy Director and Head of
Research, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
22/04/2015
EPP Group Hearing on 'Anti-microbial Resistance – Urgent Need to Act in Human and Veterinary Medicine'
l-r: Gemma Roig, EPP Group Secretariat, Martin Seychell, Deputy Director General for Health responsible for Directorates B and C., Georgeta Vasile, EPP Group Secretariat,
Peter Liese MEP (Germany), EPP Group Coordinator in the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the EP, Albert Deß MEP (Germany), EPP Group
Coordinator in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the EP, Harald Welsch, EPP Group Secretariat, and Prof. Dr Johanna Fink-Gremmels Utrecht University,
Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences and President of the European Association for Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology
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22/04/2015
EPP Group Hearing on the Protection of Traditional Minorities
r-l: Pál Csáky MEP, József Nagy MEP (both EPP Group, Slovakia), Monika Hohlmeier MEP (Germany), EPP Group Coordinator in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home
Affairs Committee of the EP, Csaba Sógor MEP (EPP Group, Romania) and Dr Gabriel Toggenburg, Senior Legal Advisor, European Union Fundamental Rights Agency
02/04/2015
EPP Group Hearing on Family Businesses in Europe
Angelika Niebler MEP, Head of the German Delegation (CSU) of the EPP Group in the EP (in the middle), Anna Záborská MEP, Head of the Slovakian Delegation of the
EPP Group in the EP, and Dr Peter von Möller, Member of European Family Businesses
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02/05/2015
Open Days of the European Institutions in Strasbourg
EPP Group Stand at the European Parliament Open Days in Strasbourg
09/05/2015
Open Days of the European Institutions in Brussels
Visitors in Brussels
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16/06/2015
EPP Group Event: EU Health Kick for EU Healthcare
Giovanni La Via MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Chairman of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee of the EP, and young healthcare experts from the pan-European
platform European Health Parliament (EHP)
01/07/2015
EPP Group Hearing on Good Administrative Behaviour
l-r: Karel Lannoo, Chief Executive Oficer, Centre for European Policy Studies, Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, Inge Gräßle MEP
(EPP Group, Germany), Chairwoman of the Budgetary Control Committee of the EP, Petri Sarvamaa MEP (Finland), EPP Group Coordinator in the Committee on Budgetary
Control of the EP, Professor Dr Reinhard Quick, Chemical industry association VCI, and Carl Dolan, Director of the Transparency International EU Ofice
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01/07/2015
EPP Group Hearing on Cohesion Policy and the Review of the EU 2020 Strategy
Jan Olbrycht MEP, Head of the Polish Delegation of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Moderator, right, and Fernando Ruas MEP (EPP Group, Portugal)
01/07/2015
EPP Group Hearing on Data Driven Security
Michał Boni MEP (EPP Group, Poland), Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the EP and host of the Hearing (in the middle), (l-r) Professor
Udo Helmbrecht, Executive Director of ENISA, Agnieszka Wawrzyk, Mr Boni's Parliamentary Assistant, Wil van Gemert, Deputy Director of Europol, and Juan Hardoy,
Digital Crimes Unit Lead for EMEA, Microsoft
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30/09/2015
EPP Group Hearing on the Future of Medicine
Françoise Grossetête MEP (France), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP (in the middle), Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, Director, Health Directorate, DG Research,
European Commission, and Stefan Oelrich, General Manager Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sanoi
14/10/2015
Presentation of the Schuman Medal
Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP (2nd from right), presents US Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (2nd from left) with the Schuman Medal
together with Viviane Reding MEP (EPP Group, Luxembourg) and David McAllister MEP (EPP Group, Germany)
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18/11/2015
Commemorative Ceremony for Paris Attack Victims
Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, (in the middle), Françoise Grossetête MEP (France), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP,
(on the left), and Alain Lamassoure MEP, Head of the French Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP
18/11/2015
EPP Group Hearing on the Future of GMOs in the European Parliament
l-r: Giovanni La Via MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Chairman of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee of the EP, Elisabeth Köstinger MEP (Austria), EPP
Group Vice-Coordinator in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee of the EP, György Hölvényi MEP (EPP Group, Hungary), and Alojz Peterle MEP (EPP
Group, Slovenia)
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18/11/2015
EPP Group Hearing on 'Gender-focused Cooperation Policies of the European Union'
Esteban González Pons MEP (Spain), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP (in the middle), (l-r) Rosa Estaràs Ferragut MEP (EPP Group, Spain), Hyn Joo Min,
Member of the National Assembly of Republic of Korea, Mu Sochua, Member of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Teresa Jiménez Becerril-Barrio MEP (EPP
Group, Spain), Shukria Barakzai, Member of the Lower House of the Afghanistan Parliament, and Anna Maria Corazza Bildt MEP (Sweden), EPP Group Vice-Coordinator
in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the EP
18/11/2015
Award Ceremony for European Capitals and Cities for Sport
l-r: Jens Nymand Christensen, Deputy Director-General for Education and Culture, European Commission, Santiago Fisas Ayxelà MEP (EPP Group, Spain), Member of
the Committee on Culture and Education of the EP, Gian F Lupattelli, President, ACES Europe, Andrey Kovatchev MEP (EPP Group, Bulgaria), Quaestor of the European
Parliament, Hugo Alonso, General Secretary of ACES, and Steven De Meyer, Flemish Institute for Sport Management and Recreation Policy, Antwerp
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09/12/2015
EPP Group Hearing Event on the Implementation of the Erasmus+ Programme
r-l: Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Sabine Verheyen MEP (Germany), EPP Group Coordinator in the Committee on Culture
and Education of the EP, Brunhild Kurth, President of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany,
and Prof Dr Christoph Ehmann, Secretary-General at the European University Foundation - Campus Europae
External Policies, Committees and Delegations Service
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External Policies, Committees and Delegations Service
The EPP Group Service for External Policies, Committees and Delegations
aims to assist the design of the EU’s external policies by promoting external
action based on democracy and the rule of law, strengthening political
relations with third countries, ensuring the effectiveness of the enlargement
process, encouraging the spread of fundamental principles and human
rights, promoting free trade and contributing to the eradication of poverty
throughout the world.
1. External Policies - Committees Service
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski MEP (EPP Group, Poland), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Chair of the Working Group 'Foreign Affairs'
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As of from 1 September 2014 the Standing Working Group Foreign Affairs was formally reconstituted from the Parliamentary Work Service to the External Policies: Committees Service
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Standing Working Group 'Foreign Affairs'
Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)
Eastern Partnership
External Aspects of Migration
2015 oversaw the preparation of the review of the European Neighbourhood
Policy (ENP), and persisting instability in the region. The Kukan Report called
forarenewed,morestrategic,focused,lexible,coherentandpoliticallydriven
ENP to respond to the needs of the neighbourhood countries. The focus was
on the three Association Countries - Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. Each
have serious problems: Ukraine - the illegal annexation of Crimea and Russian
waged hybrid war in Donbas, ambitious reform efforts, including stabilising the
economy, reforming the judiciary, eradicating corruption and decentralisation;
Georgia - the instrumentalisation of the justice system as a tool of political
retribution;Moldova-permanentpoliticalinstabilityfollowingthetheftof €1
billion from the banking system. Permanent assistance and political support to
implement the AA/DCFTA - strongly backed by the EPP Group - will bring
tangibleresultsforcitizens.
Thelowof migrantsarrivingintheEUhasreachedanunprecedentedscale,
challenging the EU’s capacity to cope. The EPP Group has been working for
the establishment of a common European list of safe countries of origin and
transit, which will relieve asylum systems and facilitate effective return. It is
an important prerequisite to focus our asylum and reception capacities on
those truly in need of protection. The EPP Group argues that third countries
near crisis regions, such as the Arab Gulf States, should be pushed to show
more preparedness to receive refugees. The development of reception and
protection capabilities in countries of origin and transit, including in North
Africa and Turkey should be promoted. The most important issue, however, is
tacklingtherootcausesof themassivemigrationlows:ageopoliticalsolution
has to be found, especially against Islamist terror.
Russia
The European Parliament (EP) adopted the report on the State of EU-Russia
Relations with a large majority on 10 June 2015. The Group organised a
Hearing on 'The State of EU-Russia Relations' on 21 April. The EP reiterates
thatRussia'sdirectandindirectinvolvementinthearmedconlictinUkraine
and its illegal annexation of Crimea, the violation of the territorial integrity
of Georgia, economic coercion and political destabilisation of its European
neighbours constitute a deliberate violation of democratic principles and
fundamental values and of international law. The EP believes that in the
long run a constructive and predictable relationship between the EU and
Russia is possible, but it must be based on respect for international law and a
dialogue. A resumption of cooperation is envisaged on the condition that
Russia respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, including
Crimea, fully implements the Minsk Agreements and stops destabilising
military and security activities at EU Member States' borders.
Human Rights
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded yearly to honour
individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental
freedoms. In 2015 it was awarded to Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger,
writer, activist and the creator of the website Free Saudi Liberals.
Initiated by the EPP Group, the EP adopted the resolution on the European
Endowment for Democracy (EED), a support tool for the European neighbourhood
relecting the direct link between democracy support and human rights
enhancement. It aims at fostering deep and sustainable democratisation in
countries in political transition by ighting corruption, promoting dialogue,
encouraging social and political participation, as well as protecting civil society
activists and journalists.
Intheieldof ElectionObservationMissions,EPPGroupMEPsparticipated
in in Nigeria, Tajikistan, Burundi, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Burkina Faso,
Ukraine, Guinea and Myanmar in 2015.
External Dimension of Energy Security
Committee on International Trade (INTA)
The EPP Group adopted in October a Position Paper on the External Dimension
of Energy Security. The Group aim to ensure a higher security of energy supply
by decreasing dependency on Russian energy imports and increasing the EU's
resilience to external pressure. The Position Paper underlines that negotiating
uniformly with third countries would increase the EU's negotiating power,
highlights enhanced coordination, and the collective purchasing of gas,
starting at the regional level.
The EP position on the ongoing negotiations regarding the Transatlantic
Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union and
theUnitedStatesdominatedin2015.ThiswasclearlyrelectedduringtheEPP
Group INTA Trade Seminar organised by Coordinator Daniel Caspary MEP
(DE) in October 2014, and in the EPP Group Position Paper on International
Trade adopted in Milan in April, which focused on the transatlantic dimension
of trade. Two years after commencing, negotiations are proceeding slowly. EU
public concern is thus growing, fuelled by anti-trade and therefore anti-TTIP
associations, parties and organisations. To combat this mounting negativity
the EPP Group acted accordingly. Consultations with parliamentary groups
ended with majority support for the EPP Group. Chairman Weber MEP
(DE) and MEPs Daniel Caspary (DE) and Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl
(DE) were at the forefront in securing a common position on the Investor
State Dispute Settlement2 in line with what was deined in the EPP Group
Bureau Meeting Milan: the EU and the US are key strategic partners; therefore
possible agreement should reinvigorate this partnership as a whole beyond its
trade aspects.
Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP)
Also in October the EPP Group adopted a Position Paper on Towards a European Defence Union, calling for the establishment of a European Defence
Union, and urging defence responsibility. Members supported an increase
in defense spending to reach the 2% commitment and the strengthening of
the solidarity clause enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty (42)7 TEU - which could
become the equivalent of NATO's Article 5 - simplifying CSDP decisionmaking within the CSDP and utilising military potential whenever European
values and interests are threatened.
Trade aspects, however, must not be underestimated and we are convinced that
an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced agreement articulated in its three
fundamentalparts-marketaccess,regulatorycooperationanddeinitionof newrules-willleadtopromotingsustainablegrowthwithsharedbeneitsfor
the two parties. An EPP Group Working Group on TTIP Chaired by Shadow
Rapporteur Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl MEP (DE) has been set up to build
a strong position on all aspects of the agreement.
Theconclusionsof thenegotiationsontheTrans-PaciicTradePartnershipon
October 5, where the US has played a major role, set forth a renewed dynamic
in the TTIP negotiations; the process for a balanced agreement has been
accelerated. The European Commission is thereby enhanced by the support
of the EP.
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The dividing issue among the groups was the ongoing system of Investor State Dispute Settlement-whichallowsforeigncompaniestochallengenationalandlocalauthoritiesbutonlyunderfewandspeciic
circumstances.TheinalformulationinspiredbyourGroupproposesanalternativeandmodernisedstructureforthemechanism,whilenotexcludingthesystem.
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Jaromír Štětina MEP (EPP Group, Czech Republic) (3rd from left, back row), Vice-Chairman in the Subcommittee on Security and Defence of the EP and Member of the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the EP, with the military command of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Defence Units (YPJ) in Kobani, Syria, October 2016
Committee on Development (DEVE)
he 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The UN Sustainable Development Summit took place in New York on
25-27 September 2015. A delegation from the EP Development Committee
attended, including EP Rapporteur and EPP Group Coordinator Davor Ivo
StierMEP(HR),andTeresaJiménez-BecerrilMEP(ES),respectively.
The Summit adopted an outcome document titled Transforming our World: the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious universal and transformative
agenda which encompasses 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
169 targets. They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and
complete what they did not achieve. In addition, the SDGs aim to enhance
countries' ownership, inclusiveness and shared responsibility as they have been
developed in a long and comprehensive consultation and negotiation process
involving all UN Member States and a wide range of stakeholders, rather than
by experts behind closed doors. They are universal, integrated and indivisible,
and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic,
social and environmental.
The EPP Group from the beginning of the negotiations attached particular
importance to Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build efective,
accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. From our perspective
it is important that combatting corruption and promoting good governance
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becomeSDGspriorities.Assistancemustfocusonhelpingcountriesirstlyto
identify structural drivers of corruption and then come up with the necessary
reforms suitable for their own circumstances. The second important area is
focusing global efforts on the creation of basic socio-economic conditions in
developing countries to ensure an inclusive process of consolidating peace,
stability and development. That demands a new approach comprising better
opportunities for trade and economic development leading to wealth creation
fromwhicheverybodycanbeneit.
Although serious commitments at the highest levels were made and work
towards the implementation of the Agenda has started in earnest, the main
issue remains how the Agenda 2030 will be implemented, monitored and
inanced. As called for by the EPP Group, the Financing for Development
Conference held in Addis Ababa in July 2015 presented the opportunity for
the EU to recommit to ambitious targets and to insist on the need to mobilise
all partners as well as the necessary and adequate resources, whether public or
private. In the words of Davor Ivo Stier MEP, EPP Group Coordinator in the
Development Committee of the EP:
“We are facing times of profound change that call for a new paradigm and a renovated EU
development policy. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must address the root
causes of poverty instead of treating the symptoms. It needs to be people-centred and rightsbased, putting human dignity at the core of all our endeavours. Global good governance and
bringing justice to all people through building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
needs to become the cornerstone of the new global development framework”
2. External Policies - Delegations Service
The main objective of the Interparliamentary Delegations and Assemblies
is the maintenance and development of international contacts through
parliamentary diplomacy, and contributing to enhancing the role and visibility
of the European Union in the world. The EPP Group holds 16 Presidencies
and is strongly represented in each Interparliamentary body. Consistency and
continuity underpin our actions in a changing world facing mounting security
challenges.
In 2015 the External Polices - Delegations Service assisted EPP Group Members in maintaining and further developing international contacts with our
partners through various activities. Besides the institutional framework of the
Interparliamentary Delegations meetings, the Service organised a number of
EPP Fact Finding Missions in neighbouring countries; regular meetings of the
Working Group on Eastern Neighbourhood and Enlargement; meetings with
Commissioners, seminars and conferences as well as working lunches with
Ambassadors from the Western Balkans and the Eastern Neighbourhood. The
Service issued bi-monthly publications and daily briefs, in particular on Ukraine,
to keep Members well informed of the rapidly evolving political situation in the
EU neighbourhood. The Service also strengthened channels of communication
with our sister parties and explored new possibilities for cooperation. 2015
marked an intense year regarding the activities of the Interparliamentary
Delegations. This relected, to a large extent, the evolving geopolitical
situation that we witnessed in different regions such as the migration crisis,
terrorist threats, political instability and the rise of populism and xenophobia.
Interparliamentary Delegations constituted a forum for exchanges and
dialogue to promote better understanding of the challenges that we face today.
In this respect, the following Delegations deserve special attention.
Eastern Neighbourhood
The EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) was extremely
active in 2015: sixteen meetings were organised in close cooperation with the
AFET Committee.
TheirstEU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (PAC) meeting
took place in Brussels on 24-25 February under the Co-Chairmanship of
Andrej Plenković MEP (HR). The Committee discussed the state of play
regarding EU-Ukraine relations, as well as Russia's aggressive and expansionist
policy and undeclared hybrid war - which constitutes a threat to the unity,
integrity and independence of Ukraine. It was followed by the second PAC
which took place in November in Kyiv to review and assess the progress of the
Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the framework of the Association Agreement
(AA). The discussion was constructed around speciic policy priorities,
creating a spirit of active engagement, frank exchange, and trust among participants. MEPs also met with President Poroshenko, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk,
as well as Ukrainian oficials responsible for anti-corruption activities, thus
gaining valuable insights from those working on the ground.
The cooperation built around the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association
Committeehassecuredthecoherent,consistentandinluentialpositionof the
EPP Group. At the same time, within these multiple platforms, MEPs have
communicated to their counterparts in Ukraine the need of a rigid reform
process, the non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and the
temporary occupied parts of Donbas, as well reassuring Ukrainian colleagues
that the Minsk Agreements should be fulilled in order for sanctions to be
lifted against Russia.
Ukraine Conflict: Timeline
November 2013 - February 2015
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The irst meeting of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association
Committee (PAC) took place on 2-4 November 2015 in Tbilisi. The EP
Delegation acknowledged the important efforts in terms of approximating
Georgian legislation with EU standards, and the need of sustenance and
support for EU assistance. Results of the DCFTA implementation have been
positive and Georgia has committed to fully implement the Visa Liberalisation
Action Plan (VLAP).
Relations with Russia remain challenging, namely due to two so called
"treaties"betweenRussia,South-OssetiaandAbkhazia. Georgia'spragmatic
approachtowardsAbkhaziacontributedtoimprovetheGenevatalks.NATO
ambitions, however, are not likely to be successful in the short-term. Despite
launched reforms, democracy still suffers due to polarisation, amidst accusations
of selective justice and politically motivated anti-corruption campaigns.
The 4th Ordinary session of the Euronest PA in Yerevan from 15-18 March
2015 was very successful from an EPP Group viewpoint. The Assembly
adopted two political resolutions: “resolution on the Russian military aggression
against Ukraine and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution of the conlict" and a
“resolution on the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide". Both resolutions relect
the EPP Group core positions. In addition, at the request of the EPP Group,
AlexanderMilinkievich,SakharovPrizewinnerin2006andformeropposition
presidential candidate in Belarus, was invited to address the plenary as the
representativeof BelarusianCivilSocietyfortheirsttimeinthehistoryof the Assembly. This has been one of the major EPP Group achievements since
the Assembly's creation.
The EP Delegation for relations with Belarus visit took place in Minsk on
18-19June2015.BogdanAndrzejZdrojewskiMEP(PL),Chairmanof the
Delegation, welcomed the timing due to presidential elections in Belarus, and
signals of favourable relations with the EU. Belarus is additionally facilitating
the Minsk dialogue.
4th Ordinary session of the Euronest PA in Yerevan
Sandra Kalniete MEP (EPP Group, Latvia), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest and European Values (in the
middle), Agnieszka Kozłowska-Rajewicz (EPP Group, Poland), Eduard Kukan MEP (EPP Group, Slovakia), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and
Association Agreement) (far right), and Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski MEP (EPP Group, Poland), 15-18 March 2015
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Western Balkans
North America
The 10th EU-Montenegro SAPC meeting took place in Podgorica on
8-9 April. The EU Ambassador informed that the political situation remains
stable and that Montenegro opened two additional chapters (chapter 16 on
taxation and chapter 30 on the external reforms). Major problems surround
theightagainstorganisedcrime,corruptionandthefreedomof media.
During the 76th EU-US Interparliamentary Meeting and Trans-atlantic
Legislator's Dialogue (TLD) in Washington DC in November, led by David
McAllister MEP (DE), Chairman of the Delegation, Members noted the
uniqueness and importance of the Transatlantic relationship and friendship.
In this context trust and dialogue among legislators is paramount. Exchanges
highlighted the necessity for the EU and the US to face global challenges and
threats together. Cooperation was urged regarding security, foreign affairs,
climate, energy and trade to uphold our common values and principles.
Members highlighted that more action on high-level corruption is needed.
Despite the establishment of a new agency against corruption, the situation is
still far from being satisfactory.
The 8th meeting of the European Union-Albania Stabilisation and
Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) took place in Tirana, 16-17
March 2015.
During discussions with the EP Delegation, Prime Minister Edi Rama
categorically rejected the notion of the “decriminalisation of Parliament,”
stating that elected MPs cannot be considered as criminals until proven so
by a court. Despite sensitivities over certain issues, the parties agreed about
the need to pursue Albania’s European aspirations and work on establishing a
genuine political dialogue and consensus.
Members advised the advancement of the TTIP agenda for economic and
geostrategic reasons; negotiations must proceed in a fair, pragmatic and
accelerated pace. Differences over government procurement, geographic
indications or ISDS should not be impediments to achieving a balanced and
comprehensive agreement. The complexity of some issues should not
overshadow our joint and shared goal of reinforcing the world trade
architecture. Trade is a major geostrategic tool, for stabilisation, peace and
shared growth.
As to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - after more than
18 months of deep political crisis - the EU facilitated a political agreement
in July which led to the return of the opposition to Parliament in September.
This facilitated the 13th EU-FYROM JPC taking place in December 2015 in
Skopje.
TheEPDelegation,Co-ChairedbyAlojzPeterleMEP(SI),managedtoadopt
a joint recommendation which highlighted the importance of restoring trust
and cooperation between the ruling party and opposition in order to pursue
the European aspirations of the country.
EPP Members at the November TLD meeting in Washington DC, November 2015
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Latin America
Asia
PauloRangelMEP(PT)ledtheirstmeetingof thenewlycreated-atthebehest
of the EPP Group - EU-Brazil Delegation in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte
from 2-6 November. Members met with Congress Member Jô Moraes,
President of the Foreign Affairs and National Security Commission, Eduardo
Barbosa, President of the EU-Brazil Friendship Group, Aloysio Ferreira,
President of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Commission in the Senate,
Roberto Requião, Co-Chair of EuroLat Parliamentary Assembly and other
representatives from authorities and civil society. It was also an opportunity
fortheDelegationtocelebratethe20thanniversaryof EU-Brazilcooperation.
The EP Delegation for relations with Southeast Asia and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Chaired by Werner Langen MEP (DE),
visited Vietnam in November. The visit took place in a wider context of
enhanced bilateral relations: the European Union and Vietnam celebrated
the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Most EU
MemberStateshaveratiiedthePartnershipandCooperationAgreement,and
the two sides have reached agreement in principle on the EU-Vietnam Free
Trade Agreement. These two instruments will be the key pillars of bilateral
relations in the coming years. It demonstrates the shared conviction of the
EU and Vietnam that trade is essential to growth, the creation of jobs and to
sustainable development. The Chairman recalled that both agreements require
the approval of the EP.
The Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America visited
Guatemala and Honduras from 16-20 February 2015. Discussions were
marked by the ongoing peace process in Colombia and Ecuador's accession
to the Multiparty Agreement between the EU, Colombia and Peru. The EP
should give its consent in 2016. The Delegation for relations with the Mercosur
Countries focused on the ongoing negotiations to achieve an EU-Mercosur
Association Agreement. Both parties are coming close to the exchange of
offers. The Delegation visited Paraguay and Uruguay in February and met with
government and the opposition.
As to Mexico, the 18th meeting of the EU-Mexico JPC took place on 18,
19 and 20 February in Mexico City. The main issue of discussion, aside
from the Joint Declaration, concerned the tragedy of the students killed
in Guerrero.
Regarding the conlict with China, the EP called on China to accept the
upcoming decision of the International Sea Court on the South-China
Sea.ThisafirmstheEUstancethatapeacefulandcooperativesolutionin
accordance with international law- in particular the UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea - must be found.
The delegation emphasised the legally binding link between the Free Trade
Agreement and the human right clause in the Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement, and declared that the EP will pay particular attention to the
humanrightssituationinVietnam,inparticularintheieldsof freedomof expression and freedom of religion. The government was also urged to adopt
a moratorium on the death penalty.
The two meetings of the EU-Chile JPC which took place this year focused on
the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement.
Roberta Metsola (EPP Group, Malta) Vice-Coordinator in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the EP, discusses her report on a holistic approach to migration.
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Africa
Working Group on the Eastern Neighbourhood and Enlargement
Since 1996, the Windhoek Dialogue has served as the EPP Group African
policy initiative. The 2015 Windhoek Dialogue Meeting organised from
30 October to 1 November brought together EPP Group Members, Members
of the Union of African Parties for Democracy and Development (UPADD),
representatives of other centre-right political parties from Angola, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda and representatives of the Konrad Adenauer
Foundation. Participants discussed current Africa-EU relations; the political
situationinparticularcountries(Angola,DRCongo,Mozambique,Tanzania,
Uganda,Togo);thesecuritycrisis,rootcausesof terrorismandethnicconlicts;
the challenge of migration and its humanitarian, security, development and
political dimension; the economic challenges in Sub-Sahara Africa; regional
integration and ways to achieve an inclusive economic growth.
The Working Group on the Eastern Neighbourhood and Enlargement,
Chaired by Sandra Kalniete MEP (LV), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group
in the EP, responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest and European
Values, convened monthly to discuss the political, security and humanitarian
situation in countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans.
This year meetings were held with some notable speakers such as Patriarch
Philaret from Ukraine, Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for
Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Ambassadors and oficials from
the EEAS and the European Commission.
In a joint declaration participants underlined that democracy in Africa was
deteriorating: the joint aim therefore was to foster the rule of law. In this
context they stressed the role of unbiased education and of investing in future
generations as key for a democratic political culture, social emancipation
and participation. The declaration notes also that an absence of democratic
governanceremainsakeyfactorformigrationandrefugeelowsoutof Africa.
The participants remained committed to building on the Windhoek Dialogue
by intensifying dialogue, networking between Africa and Europe and amongst
African parties themselves. The African participants agreed also to review the
conigurationof theUAPDDandtoadoptthechangesatthenextUAPDD
meeting- foreseen early next year - to be facilitated by KAS.
The Working Group meetings aim to understand the roots of various crises
erupting in the EU neighbourhood and to elaborate possible solutions with
high-level personalities and experts. Discussions centred on the review of the
Eastern Neighbourhood Policy, the political crisis in Moldova, presidential
elections in Belarus, EU-Armenian relations and the humanitarian situation
in Ukraine.
The Service organised monthly meetings in Strasbourg with Johannes
Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy
and Enlargement Negotiations. Discussions reviewed the European
NeighbourhoodPolicy(ENP),theindingsof ECProgressReportsandthe
questions related to the migration crisis, especially in the Western Balkans.
Besides their involvement in Interparliamentary Delegations and Assemblies,
EPP Group Members also participated in different activities that the
Service organised during 2015, including: the Working Group on Eastern
Neighbourhood and Enlargement, regular meetings with Ambassadors, fact
indingmissionsandconferences.
EPP Working Lunches with Western Balkans Ambassadors
Fact Finding Missions
This year the Service organised two EPP Working Lunches with Western
Balkan Ambassadors and EPP Group Members, respectively on 30 June
and 13 October. Guests took the opportunity to express their concerns
regardingtheissueof migrationlowsintheregion,andalsoonlongerterm
objectives such as implementation of reforms needed by countries on their way
towards EU integration. Sandra Kalniete MEP (LV), Vice-Chair of the EPP
Group in the EP, responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest and
European Values, shared an understanding of the frustration felt by Western
Balkan countries regarding the EU Institutions' commitment to Enlargement
Policy. Urging positivity, she advised Ambassadors to highlight what unites
their countries.
An EPP Group Fact Finding Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 4-6
February 2015 took place one week after BiH’s leaders signed the written
commitment (initiated by Germany and Great Britain) that should make
BiH a more functional country and bring it closer to Europe. EPP Group
MEPs underlined the need for broad consensus among all political forces on
implementing reforms: Sandra Kalniete MEP (LV), Vice-Chairwoman of the
EPP Group in the EP, responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest
and European Values, and Christian Dan Preda MEP (RO), EP Rapporteur on
BiH, underlined the great importance for the BiH leadership to focus on the
most urgent reforms and for political parties to cooperate. The EPP Group
Delegation also held a meeting with the Chair of the BiH Presidency, Mladen
Ivanic, and discussed the joint statement on EU integration.
In addition, the EPP Group organised a working lunch in July with Edgars
Rinkēvičs, Latvian Foreign Affairs Minister on the Latvian EU Council
Presidency, on the policy areas of EU Neighbourhood, security and Russia.
The meeting was organised on the eve of the Latvian Presidency of the EU
and the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga.
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An EPP Group Fact Finding Mission to Serbia on 19-20 November
focused on the migration crisis as well as Serbia's progress toward EU
accession. Sandra Kalniete MEP (LV), Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in
the EP, responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest and European
Values, Eduard Kukan MEP (SK), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia
Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, and Franc Bogovic
MEP (SL) held a series of meetings in Belgrade. They also visited the railway
station of Šid at the border with Croatia where the refugees coming from
Greece and the FYROM were transported to a temporary winter camp. The
visit included meetings with the Serbian Prime Minister Alexandar Vučić, who
expressed gratitude for the support the EPP Group offers to Serbia on its path
to the EU.
War and Peace: 1945-2015, Brussels, 6 May
Hans-Gert Pöttering, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former President of the European Parliament and former Member of the EPP Group in the EP
Publications and Conferences
The External Policies-Delegations Service launched two new publications in
2015: “EPP Eastern Neighbourhood Review” and “EPP Western Balkan Review”.
These reviews gave an overview of political developments in both regions,
including interviews with politicians from neighbouring “sister parties”.
Each publication includes reports on key EPP Group MEP initiatives, and
important news and statistics on political and security developments in the
Eastern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans regions.
The Service assisted with organising two large EPP Group conferences
throughout the year. he 'War and Peace 1945 – 2015' conference was held
on 6 May in the European Parliament in Brussels to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Notable speakers included
Hans-Gert Pöttering, Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former
President of the European Parliament and former Member of the EPP Group
and Timothy Snyder, Housum Professor of History at Yale University, author
of 'Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin'.
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On 22 June 2015 in Warsaw, the EPP Group in cooperation with the
POLIN Museum of History of Polish Jews organised the Conference on the
'Contribution of Jews to European culture and values' with the participation
of Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European
Parliament. Members and guest speakers discussed the role of Jews in shaping
European culture and European values and their contribution to the European
integration process. The aim of the conference was to analyse how the
potential of a common culture and values can be used to create a safe and
strong Europe that is free of xenophobia and extremism.
Contribution of Jews and Jewish Communities to European Culture and Values, Warsaw, 22 June 2015
Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, addresses the audience
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In 2015, EPP Group activities on Relations with National Parliaments focused
on strengthening interparliamentary cooperation by exchanging views on
challenges facing both National Parliaments and the European Parliament.
Issues included bolstering economic growth and dealing with migration.
The EPP Group has a long-standing tradition of organising meetings between
the European Parliament and National Parliaments. This tradition was
honoured again this year.
In addition to these meetings, the Young Members Network was also active; it
held well attended meetings in Vienna and Brussels. The EPP Group intends
to further boost relations with National Parliaments in 2016.
he Group organised the following activities in 2015
The 22nd Summit of Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the National Parliaments of the EU
and the European Parliament, Brussels, 29 June
2015
The 22nd Summit of Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the
National Parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament took place on
29 June 2015, when the Chairmen of 21 EPP Parliamentary Groups from
27 Member States met in Brussels. The Chairpersons and representatives of
EPP Parliamentary Groups met to discuss topics of common interest, such as
the situation in Greece, EFSI funds and a future Energy Union. The Summit
was Co-Chaired by Esther de Lange MEP (NL), Vice-Chair of the EPP Group
in the EP, responsible for relations with National Parliaments, together with
Solvita Āboltiņa MP, Chair of the Unity parliamentary group in the Saeima,
Latvia.
On the issue of the Greek crisis, all participants expressed their concern
about the current situation, and especially voiced their concerns for the Greek
citizens.AllspeakersoutlinedtheirpreferenceforGreecetobeinsiderather
than outside the Eurozone; they noted however that solidarity cannot exist
without due responsibility and underlined that all Member States should be
treated equally. In this regard, Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the
EPP Group in the European Parliament, said that Greece risked leaving the
Eurozoneasaresultof itsradicalgovernment'sfailuretoreachanewbailout
agreement with its creditors. The Chairman said he hoped that the Greeks
would vote 'yes' in the government’s referendum on the bailout proposal.
Participants also received irst-hand information on the EFSI investment
fund from Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President of the European Commission for
Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. The Commissioner said that
as soon as one Member State experiences success with the EFSI investment
platform, it is likely that others will want to participate in this investment
strategy.ItalianMPMaurizioLupicommentedthattheEFSIisverypositive,
especially when it is noted that almost two thousand projects were already
proposed. However, he pleaded for simpliied procedures for the sake of accessibility. French Senator Jean Bizet asked Commissioner Katainen that
special attention be given to small and micro-enterprises.
Esther de Lange MEP (NL), Vice-Chair of the EPP Group in the EP,
responsible for relations with National Parliaments, concluded the meeting by
thanking participants.
22nd Summit of Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the National Parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament, Brussels, 29 June 2015
EPP Political Family picture at the 22nd Summit of Chairmen
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22nd Summit of Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the National Parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament, Brussels, 29 June 2015
EPP European Affairs Network
The 13th Meeting of the Network of EPP National
Parliamentarians responsible for European Affairs
and EPP Group Members in the European Parliament, 2 March 2015, Brussels
TheEPPGroupwastheirstpoliticalgroupintheEuropeanParliamentto
discuss EU rules on own resources. During the 13th Network meeting of
EPP National Parliamentarians responsible for European Affairs and EPP
Group Members in the European Parliament, the former Commissioner and
Chair of the High-Level Group on Own Resources, Mario Monti, presented
airstassessmentreportonthissubject.MarioMonti,statedthattheHighLevel Group still had a lot of work to do and that a preliminary report will be
presented at an Interinstitutional conference in 2016, in which representatives
of National Parliaments will also participate.
Alain Lamassoure MEP (FR), Chair of the Special Committee on Tax Rulings
and Member of the High-Level Group on Own Resources, explained that the
current system of EU contributions is not satisfactory and that all Member
States should be involved in its review. The Chair underlined that a reform
of thesystemof EUownresourcesshouldnotinluencetheoverallpublic
spending or tax burden.
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High level speakers from the National Parliaments expressed their expectation
that a viable, fair and transparent system of own resources which should also
be complemented by a decrease in EU expenditure will provide the EU with a
stable income. Speakers included: Hans-Peter Friedrich MP, Chairman of the
CDU/CSU Group in the Bundestag; Kimmo Sasi MP, Chair of the Committee
onFinanceintheEduskunta;AntonioRodriguezMP,DeputyChairmanof the
PSD Parliamentary Group; Giannis Plakiotakis MP, Secretary General of the
NeaDemokratiaParliamentaryGroup;andJanuszLewandowskiMEP(PL).
On the issue of parliamentary scrutiny, the Chair of the EU Affairs Committee
of the Latvian Parliament, Lolita Cigane MP, guest speaker at the working
session, outlined the importance of National Parliaments in explaining the role
of EU policy in attaining solidarity and prosperity. Lolita Cigane elaborated on
the idea of a 'green card procedure', which would allow a minimum number
of National Parliaments to put a proposal on the agenda of the European
Commission. This would complement the current 'yellow card procedure',
where National Parliaments can demand that the European Commission
reconsiders a proposal.
he 13th Meeting of the Network of EPP National Parliamentarians responsible for European Afairs and EPP Group Members in the European Parliament,
2 March 2015, Brussels
l-r: Hans-Peter Friedrich MP (DE), Federal Minister of the Interior, Cornelia Gheorghiu, EPP Group Secretariat, Lolita Cigane MP (LV), Chair of the EU Affairs
Committee of the Latvian Parliament, Esther de Lange MEP (NL), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, responsible for Relations with National
Parliaments, Beatrice Scarascia Mugnozza, Head of the EPP Group Service for Relations with National Parliaments, Mario Monti, President of the ‘High Level Group on Own
Resources’, and Alain Lamassoure MEP (FR), Chair of the Special Committee on Tax Rulings and Member of the High-Level Group on Own Resources
The 14th Network Meeting of EPP National Parliamentarians responsible for European Affairs and
EPP Group Members of the European Parliament,
Brussels, 12 October 2015
The 14th EPP European Affairs Network meeting brought together members
of National Parliaments, Commission experts and Members of the European
Parliament, to discuss the current state of play of migration in the EU. The
speakerstoucheduponimportantissuessuchasborderprotection,theight
againsthumantraficking,theregistrationof migrants,apermanentmechanism
for migrants' relocation, a proper returns policy, and the proper integration of
migrants, as well as the necessity to tackle the roots of the crisis. The essential
message presented at this meeting was the importance of a stronger stance by
the EU in its external policy, with an enhanced dialogue with third countries,
such as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. It was also strongly recommended that
development policies should be coordinated more effectively than in the past
in order to overcome their present fragmentation. The speakers highlighted
the importance that these measures should be immediate and binding, without
endangering the Schengen Agreement.
Monika Hohlmeier MEP (DE), EPP Group Coordinator in the LIBE
Committee of the EP, highlighted the importance of changing the Dublin
regulation, as well as inding political support for the upcoming legislation.
She also highlighted the importance for the EPP Group to make a clear distinction between "economic migrants" and “asylum seekers". Olivier Bergeau,
Member of Cabinet of Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration,
HomeAffairsandCitizenship,gaveanoverviewof themeasureswhichthe
Commissioner announced since the adoption of the EU agenda on migration in May 2015. Olivier Bergeau presented the current state of play on the
relocation of migrants in the EU, the functioning of the so called "hotspots"
and he also highlighted the importance of increasing the number of experts
for FRONTEX. He stressed the importance of a well-managed migration policy that sets clear criteria for the migrants who can seek protection in the EU
and the economic migrants who need to be returned to their country of origin.
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he following Speakers, members of National Parliaments, addressed the
audience:
Dan Neville MP, Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Ireland;
Gunther Krichbaum MP, Chair of the Committee for European Affairs,
the Bundestag, Germany; Elena Centemero MP, Member of the Camera dei
Deputati, Italy; Georgios Koumoutsakos MP, responsible for Foreign Affairs of
Nea Demokratia, Greece; Tobias Billström MP, Former Minister for Migration
and Asylum policy, Vice-President of the European People Party, Sweden; and
Zsolt Németh MP, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Hungary.
he 14th Network Meeting of EPP National Parliamentarians responsible for European Afairs and EPP Group Members of the European Parliament,
Brussels, 12 October 2015
l-r: Olivier Bergeau, Member of Cabinet of Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Cornelia Gheorghiu, EPP Group
Secretariat, Esther de Lange MEP (NL) Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for Relations with National Parliaments, Beatrice Scarascia Mugnozza,
Head of the EPP Group Service for Relations with National Parliaments, and Monika Hohlmeier MEP (DE), EPP Group Coordinator in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice
and Home Affairs of the EP
8th Annual meeting of the EPP Young Members
Network
The 8th annual meeting of the EPP Group Young Members Network (YMN)
took place in Vienna, Austria on 15-16 October 2015. The programme
included both high-level meetings and a lecture on migration and political
communication. EPP Group YMN Coordinator, Tom Vandenkendelaere
MEP (BE), and Elisabeth Köstinger MEP (AT) were the organisers and
hosts of the event and with MPs and MEPs coming from Austria, Bulgaria,
the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia. The participants
engaged in a multi-angled approach on selected topics.
Theirstpanelwasentitled:Youth and politics: Foreign policy and migration challenges
in 2015. The main speakers were Lara Comi MEP (IT), Vice-Chairwoman
of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and Asdin El-Habbassi MP,
member of the Austrian Parliament; discussions were moderated by Jim
Lefebre, Vienna University of Economics. Referring to the relocation system
Lara Comi MEP (IT), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, said
that the EU is disappointingly late in acting on this issue. Even if the number
of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea will decrease during the winter
period it will increase again from next spring. She said it is unacceptable that
different Member States decide and act differently on this issue, which should
unite all Member States. The role of the European Council has to be revised
insolvingthisissue.Sheendorsedastrong‘yes’tosolidarityandreafirmed
her commitment to the notion that the EU has to be a political union. Solving
current issues will reinforce solidarity.
In his intervention Asdin El-Habbassi MP gave a short overview of the current
migration crisis in Austria. 8,000 migrants arrive in Austria daily; approximately
200,000 arrived in September and October. Bloodshed in Syria, he noted,
must end as migration will not cease if the violence continues. Moreover,
each National Parliament is devising its own solution instead of looking for
anoverallEUsolution.SafetyzonestoprotectEUborderseficientlyandto
deepen police cooperation must be created, he added. The EU has to agree
on a common classiication of safe countries and apply the same criteria
when deciding on asylum requests. Additionally, importance has to be given
to refugee integration. Whether refugees should be allowed access to the EU
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labour market, he noted it would not be a good idea to fully open up the market.
Lara Comi MEP (IT), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, added
that youth unemployment rates in host countries also have to be taken into
account; for instance in Greece 80% of migrants are refugees and only 20%
illegal (economic) immigrants, whereas in Italy the ratio is exactly the reverse,
namely that 80% of people crossing the Mediterranean are economic migrants.
A keynote speech by Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Foreign Affairs Minister,
followed. The Minister underlined that this migration crisis is unlike the
economic/inancialcrisisandtherecentGreekdebtcrisis;thiscurrentrefugee
crisis is much more emotional. With 5,000 to 8,000 people arriving at the
Austrian borders daily, and 7,000 to 10,000 arriving in Greece daily, the situation
canslipoutof control.MinisterKurzalsospokeabouttheroleof theEPP
Group in this crisis, noting how the EPP Group has an important role to play in
convincing governments to act in a coordinated manner “as time is almost up”.
A second panel discussed the topic of political communication methodologies.
The main speakers were Philipp Maderthaner, an expert in political
communications, and Konstantinos Kyranakis, President of the Youth of
the EPP (YEPP). The panel was moderated by Stefan Schnöll, Junge ÖVP
Secretary General. Philipp Maderthaner spoke about the new methods of
engaging audiences, and the new “currency” of eficient communication
and mobilisation power. In order to be eficient, one needs communication
knowledge and technology knowledge and also knowledge of organisational
and institutional behaviour.
Konstantinos Kyranakis gave examples of unusual methods he used in his
early political career that worked in his favour, such as wearing casual clothes
forhisirsttelevisionappearanceandalsousingmobilisingtechniqueswhich
were sometimes based on very simple, down-to-earth ideas. He also noted
thatyoungpoliticiansspeciicallywishtoavoidmakingmistakes,whichmakes
them passive and which radically decreases their chances for re-election. In
manycasesirst-timerstherebytendnottobere-elected.
The 8th meeting of the EPP Young Members Network meeting concluded
with remarks by Elisabeth Köstinger MEP (AT) and Tom Vandenkendelaere
MEP (BE), thanking all the participants for their efforts and contributions to
the successful outcome of the event.
8th Annual meeting of the EPP Young Members Network, Vienna, 15-16 October 2015
Young Members Network participants with Sebastian Kurz, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Austria
The EPP and Inter-parliamentary cooperation in
the EU
Members of the European and National Parliaments met in 2015 in the
framework of different formats. Interparliamentary meetings organised
by the EP Committees during the year included: "The Smart Borders Package:
European challenges, national experiences, the way ahead" (LIBE Committee);
"International Women's Day: Empowering women and girls through education" (FEMM
Committee); "From COP 21 Paris to 2050: a roadmap towards an innovative
low-carbon, resource-eficient Europe" (ENVI Committee); "The Review of the
European Neighbourhood Policy - Outlook at the June 2015 European Council on
Defence" (AFET Committee and SEDE Subcommittee); "Democratic oversight
of intelligence services in the European Union" (LIBE Committee); "Aggressive tax
planning and democratic control: Role of Parliaments" (TAXE Committee); "The
situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic approach to migration" (LIBE
Committee); "Unfulilled Millennium Development Goals and the implementation of the
newly-agreed Sustainable Development Goals" (DEVE Committee); "Trans-European
transport network (TEN-T) including cross-border links" (TRAN Committee); "The
future institutional evolution of the Union: Enhancing political dialogue between EP and
National Parliaments reinforcing the scrutiny over the executive at European level" (AFCO
Committee); "Education and Youth" (CULT Committee); "Migration through
Western Balkans, proxy wars in the EU's neighbourhood and the Middle East Peace
Process" (AFET Committee).
The JURI Committee invited members of National Parliaments, experts,
practitioners and academics to a workshop on "Cross-border activities in the EU
- Making life easier for citizens"; the PETI Committee hosted a public hearing
on the "Right to petition" in the presence of National Parliamentarians; and the
ECON Committee organised with National Parliaments an "Exchange of Views
on the 2015 cycle of the European Semester".
European Parliamentary Week on the European Semester
In the framework of the European Parliamentary Week that took place in
Brussels on 2 and 3 February 2015, the EPP Group organised a family meeting with EPP National Parliamentarians to discuss economic governance:
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"Structural reforms are keys to growth. We don't want to burden our children with debt", stated Esther de Lange MEP (NL), Vice-Chairwoman of the
EPP Group in the EP, responsible for relations with National Parliaments.
She continued by noting that "Europe has 7% of the world population,
25 % of world GDP, but 50% of the world's social welfare spending. This is
already a challenge for our children". The Vice-Chairwoman is also the EPP
Group Shadow Rapporteur of the report on the Review of the economic governance framework.
The need for reforms was shared by Lolita Cigane, Chair of the EU Affairs
Committee of the Latvian Parliament. The Juncker Investment Fund will not
work "without the necessary structural reforms", she noted. On the Greek
wishes for debt forgiveness, Cigane clearly stated: "No write-offs of course".
EU Member States have recently created new rules on iscal and economic
governance. This usually happened with debates on the legal basis in the EU
Treaty: at the meeting MEP Danuta Hübner MEP (PL) asked "How long can
we go on with this 'Treaty stretching'?
The MEPs speakers, including Members Dariusz Rosati (PL), David Casa
(MT),ManuelFernandez(ES)andSoiaRibeiro(PT),AndreasSchwab(DE)
aswellasMP'sVicenteMartinez-PujalteandNorbertBarthlecontributedto
a fruitful debate.
Interparliamentary Conference on Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) and Common Defence and Security Policy (CSDP)
In the framework of the Interparliamentary Conference which took place
in Luxembourg on 5 and 6 September 2015, the EPP Group organised a
political family meeting. During the preparatory meeting Members debated
the European Neighbourhood Policy and climate change in the framework of
security.Athirdsessiondiscussedthemanagementof migrationlows,civilian
CSDP missions and the follow-up on the implementation of conclusions of
the June European Council on defence. Final conclusions were adopted at the
end of the Conference.
Conference on Article 13 of the Treaty on Stability,
Coordination and Governance (TSCG)
The "debate and exchange of information and best practices, ensuring democratic accountability in the area of economic governance and budgetary policy
in the EU, particularly in the EMU", entered onto a new organisational path.
This meeting in Luxembourg, which took place from 9-11 November 2015,
marked the adoption of the "Rules of Procedure of the Interparliamentary
Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the
European Union", with the aim of strengthening the cooperation between
National Parliaments and the European Parliament on issues relating to economic governance and budgetary policy. This document, drafted on the basis
of the decision of the speakers of the conference, contains provisions on the
scope and role of the Presidency, the organisation and conduct of the meetings, and the composition of the forthcoming "Interparliamentary Conference
on SECG".
Subsequently, talks at this interparliamentary meeting focused on the social
dimension of economic governance, parliamentary scrutiny of European
economic governance, fair tax competition, growth and economic and
monetary union.
Publications
On a regular basis, the EPP Group Service responsible for Relations with
National Parliaments informs stakeholders of EPP Group activities relating
tospeciicpolicyareas.Whilethemaincommunicationchannelforreaching
the public remains the dedicated webpage, the Service issues press releases
and publications. In 2015, the Service produced a brochure on the Summit of
the Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups, four newsletters on the general
activities of the Service and the main events attended by leading EPP Group
MEPs, and two newsletters dedicated to the EPP Young Members Network.
Mediterranean Policy and Intercultural Activities Service
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Mediterranean Policy and Intercultural
Activities Service
Mediterranean Policy
2015 witnessed a deepening of the Syrian crisis and rising terrorist threats with
an increasing low of Syrian migrants to the European mainland. The EPP
Group faced the refugee challenge with several new initiatives concerning the
Mediterranean. Our Group considers the Mediterranean a political priority and
has strengthened its actions towards the region. The EPP Group took the lead
in promoting political dialogue and cooperation with the region, in the context
of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and within the framework of
the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
There are a number of common challenges to face, including the management
of migrant lows - particularly emergency situations arising from political
instability-armedconlictsintheMiddleEastandelsewhere,thestabilisation
of democratic regimes and countering youth unemployment. The acute
refugee crisis changed the strategic priorities of the European Union and
our Group adapted its strategy in order to face these challenging political
circumstances. Stability in neighboring countries is of great importance to
the EU; for that reason the EPP Group will continue to emphasise political
dialogue.Noprogresscanbeachievedinaclimateof militaryconlict,violence
and intolerance.
The EPP Group will continue to consolidate its political network and extend
itsinluenceincountriesembracingdemocratictransition-asanalternative
to the old Socialist International, given that it is perceived as a strong political
force - and offer cooperation based on true values and shared objectives. The
EPP Group will give its support for developing a political party network within
the PA-UfM and elsewhere to establish itself as a credible partner with real
plans for the Euromed region.
The EPP Group has developed its Mediterranean policy and strategy in
three different frameworks: the Working Group Euromed, the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) and Political
Activities.
EPP Group Working Group on Euromed
In 2015 the Working Group Euromed met monthly in Brussels under Mariya
Gabriel MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for
the Working Group on Mediterranean Policy, Euromed, Head of the Bulgarian
National Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP. Attendees included Members
from the AFET, INTA, DEVE, LIBE Committees, and the MAS, IL, CLP,
MAG, TUR Delegations working on Mediterranean affairs, and Members of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM). In
February2015,TokiaSaïiMEP(FR)waselectedasVice-Chairwomanof the
Working Group Euromed.
EPP Group Members who are delegates of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
UfM (AP-UFM) played an important role in the Working Group throughout
2015, in particular, Santiago Fisas Ayxelà MEP (ES), Vice-Chair of the Energy,
Environment and Water Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
UfM(AP-UFM);LorenzoCesaMEP,Headof theItalianDelegationNCDUDC-SVP of the EPP Group in the EP; Massimiliano Salini MEP (IT),
Fernando Ruas MEP (PT), Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint
Parliamentary Assembly, Antonio López Istúriz White MEP (ES); Secretary
General of the EPP; Stefano Maullu MEP (IT); Fulvio Martusciello (IT), Chair
of the Delegation for relations with Israel; Eduard Kukan MEP (SK), Chair of
the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary
Committee; Cristian Dan Preda MEP (RO), Coordinator in the Foreign
Affairs Committee of the EP; Brice Hortefeux MEP (FR), Vice-Chair of the
Economic Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the UfM (AP-UMF);
Therese Comodini Cachia MEP (MT) and Andrej Plenković MEP (HR), Chair
of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee
and Vice-Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the EP.
This Working Group Euromed represents the EPP Group political forum in
charge of the elaboration of a strategy regarding Mediterranean policy, the
following-up of all legislative events concerning the Mediterranean region and
the strengthening of networks to enhance Mediterranean policy. Moreover, the
Working Group Euromed liaises with the relevant Mediterranean personalities
inordertoexchangeviewsandindcommoncooperationlinks.Toeffectively
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carry out its mission the Working Group Euromed regularly meets with the
European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the
European Investment Bank (EIB) and other institutions at the highest level.
Meetings with key external igures in 2015 included: the Ambassador from
Morocco H.E. Menouar Alem; the Ambassador for Turkey H.E. Selim Yenel;
the Ambassador for Algeria H.E. Amar Belani; the Ambassador for Israel
H.E.DavidWalzer;theAmbassadorforLebanonS.E.M.RamiMortada;the
AmbassadorforEgyptH.E.EhabFawzy;theAmbassadorforTunisiaH.E.
TaharCherif;andtheAmbassadorforTurkey,H.E.IzzetSelimYenel.
Mariya Gabriel MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP,
responsible for the Working Group on Mediterranean Policy, Euromed, Head
of the Bulgarian National Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP, presented
an ambitious EPP Group strategy document for the Mediterranean region
outlining the Group's commitment in developing a strategy to foster a dynamic
and prosperous Mediterranean region to develop peace and security.
The EPP Group proposed reforms to the European Neighbourhood Policy
through the Kukan Report, adopted by the AFET Committee on 11 June
2015. The report aims to adapt the ENP to the new economic and political
conditions. The new strategy is based on mutual responsibility and universal
values respecting human rights and democracy. The EPP Group gives priority
to the following areas of neighbourhood policy:
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Promotingintelligentandcoordinatedmigrantlowmanagement;
Measures to combat terrorism and religious radicalisation;
Encouragingthepeacefulresolutionof conlictsintheregion;
Support for democratic consolidation and measures to strengthen
governments and administrations;
• Development of trade in the Mediterranean and free trade agreements;
• Adopting a joint approach to energy challenges.
Euromed Working Group, September 2015
Mariya Gabriel MEP Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for the Working Group on Mediterranean Policy, Euromed, Head of the Bulgarian National
Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP (in the middle), Dr. M.A. AL Jefri, President of the Saudi Arabian Delegation (left), and Paolo Licandro, Deputy Secretary-General of the
EPP Group in the EP
Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM)
The EPP Group has always been the leading force in the PA-UfM. Our main
long-termaimistheintensiicationof relationswithoursouthernneighbors.
In order to strengthen its role, the EPP Group will work for new initiatives and
competences for the Assembly.
The EPP Group Delegation, led by Brice Hortefeux MEP (FR), Vice-Chair of
the Economic Committee of the UfM and Santiago Fisas Ayxela MEP (ES),
Vice-Chair of the Energy, Environment and Water Committee of the UfM,
adopted the majority of the 49 EPP Group amendments, including:
On 9 February 2015, Mariya Gabriel MEP (BG), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP
Group in the EP, responsible for Mediterranean Policy, Euromed, Head of the
Bulgarian Delegation of the EPP Group, together with EPP Group Members
LorenzoCesaMEP(IT),Headof theItalianDelegationof theEPPGroup,
and Massimiliano Salini MEP (IT), met with Fathallah Sijilmassi, Secretary
General for the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), to discuss the future of
the UfM and its institutional role. They stressed the necessity to converge the
agendasbetweentheEUandtheUfM.FatallahSijilmassiconirmedthatthe
main objective of the UfM and its secretariat concerns regional development
and multilateral cooperation.
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On 11 March 2015, the EP plenary for the Delegation of the PA-UfM
addressedthenecessityof deepeningcooperationintheieldof securityand
development to better combat terrorism and manage refugee streams.
he 2015 Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly
On 11-12 May 2015, in Lisbon, the Parliamentary Assembly of the UfM held
its plenary session. The plenary endorsed all the recommendations previously
discussed and voted through its parliamentary committees.
The Committee on Economic and Financial Issues, Social Affairs and
Education of the UfM adopted a recommendation on the economic aspects of
migration, the protection and promotion of investments in the Mediterranean
and the development of the tourism sector among the PA-UfM countries.
On the economic and humanitarian consequences of migration
On Syrian and Libyan refugees and the role of the UN
On cultural diversity
On agricultural aspects
On security and tourism
The Committee on Political Affairs, Security and Human Rights the PA-UfM
adopted a recommendation on the role of parliaments in the protection
and promotion of human rights to guarantee the safety of migrants in the
Mediterraneanandtheightagainstterrorism.SeveralEPPGroupamendments
were adopted on the need for inter-parliamentary cooperation and a concerted
action and projects between the national parliaments of the Member States
and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. These
included:
• The need to widen the objectives of the PA-UfM with regard to the
protection and promotion of human rights in the Euro-Mediterranean
region by giving new momentum to the cooperation between the national
legislative bodies
• The need to ensure that the education system favours a culture of human
rights in society as a whole
• The need to bring together the national parliaments and civil society in the
ightagainstterrorism
• Theneedtotackletherootsof issueslinkedtoHumanTraficking
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Therese Comodini Cachia MEP (ES) led the EPP Group Delegation in the
Committee on Improving Quality of Life, Exchanges between Civil Societies
and Culture of the PA-UfM, underlining that immigration is a challenge for
the EU and Mediterranean countries and that a common approach is very
urgent.Proposalscentredonthemodiicationof anumberof amendmentsto
the committee's recommendation on the need for better cooperation between
the EU and Mediterranean countries and on how to guarantee fundamental
human rights for migrants. The recommendation welcomed the mobility
agreement between the EU countries and the inclusion of students and young
people within the Erasmus Programme.
In Lisbon, Santiago Fisas Ayxela MEP, Vice-Chair of the Committee on
Energy, Environment and Water of the PA-UfM, led the EPP Group
Delegation. A recommendation was adopted with several amendments tabled
by the EPP Group, highlighting the following:
• the importance of a tourism responsible for the environment, and as a
resource for economic, cultural and social development in Mediterranean
countries;
• the importance of developing renewable energies, the management of water,
the distribution networks for domestic use, and for the better protection of
marine environment;
• the need for a greater connection between North-African countries and
European countries for more effective energy management of gas and
electricity.
The Committee on Women's Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Union for the Mediterranean (UfM PA) adopted a recommendation on
'Women and the Media' in Lisbon. Therese Comodini Cachia MEP (ES)
introduced important modiications to the draft, with a recommendation
to portray women as equal partners and contributors to society without
stereotypical representations. She negotiated several compromise texts, in
particular on gender equality and culture.
Political Activities
In 2015, the Working Group Euromed developed concrete political actions
which served to strengthen links with Mediterranean actors, and establish a
political network with Mediterranean parties, civil society, and other relevant
personalitiesfromthecultural,economicoruniversityield.
During 2015, the EPP Group organised the following major political events:
• 10 February 2015: A parliamentarian delegation from Morocco, led by
Atmoun Abderrahim, President of the EU-Morocco Committee, met
with Mariya Gabriel MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP,
responsible for the Working Group on Mediterranean Policy, Euromed,
Head of the Bulgarian National Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP,
and Members to exchange views on the relations between the EU and
Morocco and the political situation in the country.
• 15 February 2016: A working lunch hosted by Mariya Gabriel MEP, ViceChairwoman of the EPP Group in the EP, responsible for the Working
Group on Mediterranean Policy, Euromed, Head of the Bulgarian National
Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP, with Fathallah Sijigilmassi,
Secretary-General of the UfM in Barcelona, and Eduard Kukan MEP
(SK) discussed the reform of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP).
• 24 February 2015: A working lunch with the Euromed Ambassadors
relected the EPP family joint efforts to set forth an active policy and
strategy in the Southern Neighborhood. The meeting also aimed at seeking
concrete proposals for the revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy
(ENP)andidentifedEUinstrumentsavailableinordertomaximizetheEU
Institutional Framework resources in place.
• 5 March 2015: A working lunch where Members met with Johannes
Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy
and Enlargement Negotiations, to discuss the revision of the European
Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Commissioner Hahn announced the launch
a public consultation on ENP reform, followed by a report in November.
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• 2 June 2015: A working Lunch with representatives of "Réseau des Villes
Euromed"ledbyTokiaSaïiMEP(FR),Vice-Chairwomanof theWorking
Group Euromed met with Agnes Rampal Lebon, Deputy Major of Nice and
representatives of local Mediterranean Authorities. Agreement was reached
to give strong support to the initiatives managed by Nice and inscribed in
the instruments of the ENP; the EPP Group offered its support to future
projects which will be introduced to the EU Commission.
• 6 October 2015: Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the EPP
Group in the EP, and Mariya Gabriel MEP, Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP
Group in the EP, responsible for the Working Group on Mediterranean
Policy, Euromed, Head of the Bulgarian National Delegation of the EPP
Group in the EP, met with Rachid Talbi El Alami, Speaker of the Moroccan
House of Representatives, to discuss the EU-Morocco partnership, security,
migration, review of the European Neighbourhood Policy and reform of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM).
• 17 November 2015: A meeting and working lunch discussing the Middle
EastPeaceProcesswithProfessorAlonBenMeirandH.E.PatrizioFondi,
EU Ambassador to Abu Dhabi EAU. Professor Alon Ben Meir focused on
the responsibilities of both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities in working
for peace.
• 1 December 2015: A working lunch with 11 Ambassadors from the
Mediterranean region focused on the political situation in the Mediterranean,
theinluenceof DaeshandthegrowingtensionsinSyriaandLibya.
Intercultural Dialogue
18th Annual EPP Group Interreligious Dialogue
Religious leaders from European and non-EU countries (Iraq, Syria,
Lebanon, Nigeria, and Pakistan) met with EPP Group Members, amongst
them Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the
EP, and György Hölvényi MEP (HU) and Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL),
Co-Chairmen of the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural
Relations and Interreligious Dialogue. Discussions, both in Brussels and
outside, primarily centred on 'religion and politics,' with representatives
of the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches, Islam and Judaism.
On 11 and 12 December in Prague, the EPP Group hosted its 18th Interreligious
Dialogue on “Migration: A Response to a Forced Displacement”.
he most relevant issues in 2015 centred on the importance of religion,
social cooperation and religious discrimination.
Religion is more important globally than at any time in the last 20 years. It is no
longer possible to view religion as something of only private relevance, largely
unconnected to broader political and security issues. Therefore, it is important
to pay particular attention to the strong correlations between religious
freedom and social stability and political moderation, both inside and outside
the EU. Religious leaders highlighted the importance of promoting dialogue
aimedatpreventingconlictsintheircountries.Itisalsoessentialtosupport
fundamental values, such as respect for human dignity, the rule of law, respect
for universal human rights, freedom of religion and freedom of expression.
In contemporary European and global politics, there are numerous major
problems that can only be solved by broad social cooperation. The economic
crisis, ever-increasing social tension and issues related to migration are all
global challenges that the EU faces today. It is important for the EPP Group
to have knowledge of the thoughts and activities of churches and religious
organisations relating to these issues. There is an urgent need to cooperate,
coordinate, and exchange experiences, and to ensure that the best ideas and
practices can be shared throughout the European Union. Political and religious
bodies have special responsibility and a primary role to play.
EPP Groups Members, representatives from EU Institutions, from churches,
religious institutions and international organisations contributed to a deep
debate on the current situation affecting millions of displaced people in the
EU neighbourhood, and the EU response to this increasing phenomenon.
Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP,
opened the 18th Annual Dialogue by highlighting the massive exodus
from the Middle East and the need of a stronger cooperation between
EU Member States in order to take care of people in need. Churches and
international organisations are providing fundamental support, but need more
aid from the EU Institutions.
György Hölvényi MEP (HU) and Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL), Co-Chairmen of
the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue,
Chaired two debates on the phenomenon of 'Roots' and possible strategies to
handle the situation.
The meeting was attended by Cardinal Dominik Duka, from Prague; by
Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, VicePresident of the Conference of the European Churches; and by Rabbi
Karol Sidon, Chief Rabbi of Prague. The EU Institutions were represented
by Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and
Crisis Management, who explained and provided statistics regarding the EU
engagement for helping refugees and migrants.
A working dinner was opened by Ludek Niedermayer MEP (CZ), Head of theCzechDelegationof theEPPGroupintheEP,andbyMichaelaŠojdrová
MEP (CZ), EPP Group Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Culture and
Education in the EP.
There is an increase in anti-religious incidents that target all three monotheistic
religions in Europe. Consequently, as Group Members and participants
emphasised, every form of discrimination against religions must be countered
with eficient initiatives. In this context several challenges issues must be
considered. These include historical, socio-economic, religious-cultural and
humanitarian; therefore all societal actors should be involved.
18th Annual Intercultural Dialogue with Churches and Religious Institutions, Prague, 11 December 2015
l-r: György Hölvényi MEP (EPP Group, Hungary), Co-Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural Relations and Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal Dominik
Duka, Prague, Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP,
Marian Apostol, EPP Group Secretariat, Agshin Mehdiyev, Ambassador, Permanent Observer Mission of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to the European Union, and Jan
Olbrycht MEP (PL), Co-Chairman of the the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural Relations and Interreligious Dialogue
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XV International Conference, Cracow, September
2015
The Annual Conference entitled the “Role of the Catholic Church in the
process of the European Integration” took place on 25-26 September in
Cracow. The conference was organised in cooperation with the European
People’s Party, the Polish Delegation of the EPP Group in the EP, the Konrad
AdenauerFoundation,COMECEandthePontiicalUniversityof JohnPaulII
in Cracow. The main subject concerned “Dignity, Freedom and Human Rights”.
The Conference was opened by StanisławDziwisz,Cardinalof Cracowwho
stated: “Europe must return to the roots of Christianity - the source of our
civilisation. This is the foundation of human dignity”. EPP Group Members
opined: György Hölvényi MEP (HU) spoke about Interreligious Dialogue as
an important instrument to understand other religions. Jan Olbrycht MEP
(PL) discussed the immigrant phenomenon and the concomitant subject of
dignity. Elmar Brok MEP (DE) discussed Christian spiritual heritage, and its
relation to human rights implementation. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski MEP (PL)
analysed the theme 'Europe as a Global Player', stating that “Europe can be a
globalplayerbutithastobestronger”.AndrzejGrzybMEP(PL)andAnna
Záborská MEP (SK) were moderators of the Working Group on Dignity
and Human Rights. They stressed the importance of European values and
democratic law.
Dialogue with Islam
cooperation between societies. He asked for more cooperation between the EU
and the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in order to facilitate
mutual understanding and to set up common initiatives. The Islamic countries
were represented by Arif Mammadov, Head of the OIC Mission to the EU,
and by several Ambassadors. Arif Mammadov, sharing the words of Antonio
Tajani MEP (IT), Vice-President of the European Parliament, pledged for
closer cooperation with the EU against violence, terrorism and tensions and
declared that Muslims have a moral obligation to address and defend the
rights of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa. He succinctly noted
that “human rights equate with freedom of speech, but speech should not
insult religion, race or minorities. Rights of believers must protected by law.
Defamation of religion makes people angry and hurts their feelings”.
The working lunch was chaired by György Hölvényi MEP (HU) and Jan
Olbrycht MEP (PL), Co-Chairmen of the EPP Group Working Group on
Intercultural Relations and Interreligious Dialogue.
In November, the EPP Group organised a Conference on 'Reform of Radical
Heritage and Islamic Discourse'. Scholars of Islam were represented by
SheikhDr.MustafaRashid,PresidentamongstotherSheikhsof theAlAzhar
Mosque’s School.
The seminar was opened by György Hölvényi MEP (HU) and Jan Olbrycht
MEP (PL), Co-Chairmen of the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural
Relations and Interreligious Dialogue and animated by Antonio Tajani MEP
(IT),Vice-Presidentof theEuropeanParliament,TokiaSaïiMEP(FR),ViceChairwoman of the Working Group Euromed and Elmar Brok MEP (DE),
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament.
The EPP Group is highly experienced regarding Dialogue with Islam.
In May, the EPP Group organised its annual working lunch with the
Ambassadors of the 56 Islamic countries. Antonio Tajani MEP (IT), VicePresident of the European Parliament, opened the session by underlying
thatreligiousconlicts,terrorismandinternationaltensionsareundermining
Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, underlined
the necessity to improve dialogue and mutual understanding so that religion
can unify rather than divide. EPP Group Members stressed the necessity to
stop any form of violence against Islam and minorities.
EPP Group Interreligious Dialogue Conference on Reform of Radical Heritage and Islamic Discourse, Brussels, 11 November 2015
l-r: Manfred Weber MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP (far left), György Hölvényi MEP (EPP Group, Hungary), Co-Chairman of the EPP
Group Working Group on Intercultural Relations and Interreligious Dialogue, and Jan Olbrycht MEP (EPP Group, Poland), Co-Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group on
Intercultural Relations and Interreligious Dialogue
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Persecution of Christians
Nigeria
EPP Group Hearing on the Persecution of Christians in the World
In May, György Hölvényi MEP (HU) and Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL), Co-Chairmen
of the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural Relations and Interreligious
Dialogue, organised a working breakfast with Mgr. Olivier Dashe Doeme,
Bishop of Maiduguri, Nigeria, to forward EPP Group initiatives in ighting
global Christian persecutions. Bishop Olivier Dashe Doeme informed on the
situation in Nigeria and the lack of international solidarity. Antonio Tajani
MEP (IT), Vice-President of the European Parliament, expressed his solidarity
with the Church in Nigeria. EPP Group Members Tunne Kelam (ET), Mairead
McGuiness(IE),MiroslavMikolasik(SK),AlojzPeterle(SL),MarijanaPetir
(HR), Davor Stier (HR), Csaba Sógor (RO) and Anna Záborská (SK) - all
actively engaged in discussions surrounding the persecution of Christianity.
The hearing, in July, raised awareness at EU-level and provided a follow-up
for the motion for resolution on the persecution of Christians in the world, in
relation to the killing of students in Kenya by terror group al-Shabaab, adopted
on 30 April 2015 in Strasbourg by Members of the European Parliament. In
this resolution, Members condemned the persecution of Christians and called
on the EU and its Member States to address the persecution of Christians as a
priority issue for their foreign policy.
The hearing consisted of two parts: the irst session concentrated on the
broader Middle East region, notably the cases of Syria and Iraq, and the
second on other areas of the world, by giving examples from Asia to Africa.
EPP Group Hearing on the Persecution of Christians in the World, Brussels, 1 July 2015
l-r: György Hölvényi MEP (EPP Group, Hungary) and Jan Olbrycht MEP (EPP Group, Poland), Co-Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural Relations
and Interreligious Dialogue, Manfred Weber MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, Antonio Tajani MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Vice-President
of the European Parliament, Teresa Jiménez-Becerril Barrio MEP (EPP Group, Spain), and Paolo Licandro, Deputy Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the EP
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Middle East
In May, Father Douglas Al-Bazi Chaldean, a Catholic priest from Baghdad,
met with EPP Group Members in the European Parliament in Brussels. He
gaveadetailedandirsthandoverviewof thecurrentsituationintheregion.
Father Douglas was previously kidnapped, tortured and eventually released
by an Islamist militant group. He stated that people need leaders not soldiers
in Iraq; furthermore, education is essential, and local churches are essential
actors in its provision. In addition to education, guaranteeing human dignity,
the private sphere of families and health care are critical for a prosperous
future in the region, he concluded.
Antonio Tajani MEP (IT), Vice-President of the European Parliament,
considering recent political developments, investigated possible geopolitical
scenarios in the Middle East.
Michael Gahler MEP (DE) questioned whether there is any hope for a spiritual
religious renewal within Islam. In his closing remarks Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL),
Co-Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group on Intercultural Relations
and Interreligious Dialogue, pointed out that Europeans should not look
the situation from their point of view; rather they should try to deepen their
understanding of local approaches.
György Hölvényi MEP (HU), Co-Chairman of the EPP Group Working
Group on Intercultural Relations and Interreligious Dialogue, emphasised that
thecurrentEUCommissionrulesdonotsupportthepossibilityof inancing
church activities in favor of those persecuted: this must be urgently changed.
Press and Communications Service
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Press and Communications Service
Bringing Europe closer to its citizens
Through its Press and Communications Service, the EPP Group in the
European Parliament works daily to promote its ideals and values, inform the
media and public of its political priorities and engage directly with European
citizens.Communicationactivitiesareoverseenandimplementedbyateamof PressOficerswhoassistjournalistsandprovidenewsreportsontheparliamentaryactivitiesundertakenbytheEPPGroup.OurPressOficersspecialise
in particular policy areas, and communicate regularly through a number of
channelsinall24oficialEUlanguages.Thisguaranteescomprehensivecoverage and effective delivery of information to Brussels-based journalists and
those in Member States.
The crises experienced by the EU in 2015 attracted unprecedented media
attention on Brussels. In response, the Press and Communications Service
intensiied its efforts in liaising with the Brussels-based press corps on
key issues of importance to the EPP Group. At present there are over
1,300 journalists accredited to the EU institutions in Brussels; of these over
80 are accredited to the European Parliament, with on average 100 using the
Parliament Press Room during each plenary session in Strasbourg. These numbersareanindicationthattheEUmatters,andrelectBrusselspositionasa
central European media hub.
The Press and Communications Service employs an innovative combination
of traditional communication methods and new media platforms in the provision of written, oral, audio-visual and social media material. To this end a
number of specialised teams work to ensure that the content of EPP Group
communications suficiently inform and engage European citizens. These
include: the Internet and Social Media Team; the EPP-TV and Meet Your
MEP Unit; and the Publications Team who produce and distribute an array
of material detailing the legislative process of the EU and how policies affect
theeverydaylivesof citizens.
Responsibility for the visual identity of the EPP Group also rests with the
Press and Communications Service. We make sure that the graphic guidelines andmorespeciicallytheGrouplogo-arecorrectlyappliedsothatthepublic
recognisestheEPPGroupasanidentiiablebrand.InOctober2015ournew
logo was launched at the Madrid Congress of the European People's Party.
The logo represents a visual symbol beyond language that can be adopted by
the EPP Group to communicate our values: people, Europe, solidarity.
Through a combination of these efforts the EPP Group’s media presence
increased considerably in 2015.
2015: A Year of upheaval
The role of the European Union became increasingly important in 2015 as
national media devoted more resources and space to the coverage of European
affairs. Political instability in Greece - and its implications for the wider EU the migration crisis, and the terrorist attacks on European soil dominated news
headlines across print, audio-visual and social media platforms in Member
States, and indeed globally. Such issues ensured that the public has never been
so engaged with and so opinionated about the EU project. The EPP Group
took this into account. To get our message across and fully engage with EU
citizens,ourworkwascarriedoutinclosecooperationwithourcounterparts
in the European Commission and Council, and the EPP Party.
To maximise the impact of communication in 2015 the Press and
Communications Service disseminated daily information on the activities and
policy work of the EPP Group in the European Parliament. News reactions
on the most topical EPP Group issues were found in our press releases - made
available in several languages, while each Friday our ‘Highlights’ offered valuable
insights on what is 'hot' and what is not in the European Parliament. Breaking
news coverage was simultaneously provided via real-time social media feeds,
EPP-TV, the Group website, and our Instagram and Flickr photo channels.
Staf: EPP Group Press and Communications Service
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The EPP Group worked hard to demonstrate a Parliament more visible to the
public throughout 2015. The role of the European Parliament as an important
stage for European leaders gave the institution a new political spotlight, and
more legitimacy. The plenary in Strasbourg became a debating platform for
several important European leaders, including Greek Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras, French President François Hollande and the German Chancellor
Angela Merkel. Through the appropriate media channels, the Press and
Communications Service helped to ensure these events were widely reported
on most major European news outlets. We also intensiied our efforts to
successfully turn this year's State of the Union speech by EPP Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker into an important media event.
Our embrace of social media platforms ensured an unprecedented ability to
deliver news to our audience. As developments unfolded during the crisis periods involving Greece, migration and the terrorist attacks we were active on
Twitter and Facebook with live reports. The EPP Congress in Madrid - and
the EPP Group Study Days which occurred alongside - received extensive
media coverage, aided with a dedicated website and live stream assisting outreach. Our presence was also made felt through traditional news channels such
as newspapers, TV and radio. Chairman Weber's meeting with British Prime
Minister David Cameron was widely reported in European print media in July,
to cite one such example.
In response to the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, the EPP Group
led a joint communication campaign throughout 2015, primarily focused
on a set of anti-terrorism measures. In March, concrete proposals were set
out in the EPP Group Position Paper on an Anti-terrorism Pact, highlighting the means by which the EU must intensify anti-terrorism measures to
strengthen citizens' security. Reacting immediately, the EPP Group reiterated these demands following the November Paris attacks. On 25 November
an own-initiative report by Rachida Dati MEP (EPP Group, France) on
the Prevention of Radicalisation and Recruitment of European Citizens by
Terrorist Organisations was overwhelmingly adopted in plenary in Strasbourg.
The report calls for a more proactive, harmonised approach to tackling radicalisationinEurope.Itspeciicallyfocusesonthepublishingandproliferation
of illegal content on the Internet. The media spotlight on terror ensured that
the EPP Group proposals generated widespread interest across all channels
in 2015.
The following presents a detailed overview of the work carried out by the
Press and Communications Service’s different units.
Rachida Dati MEP (EPP Group, France), Member of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the EP, Rapporteur on the report on the Prevention
of Radicalisation and Recruitment of European Citizens by Terrorist Organisations
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Internet and Social Media
Moving beyond traditional media – bringing bloggers into the fold
Mobile version of the website and Search Engine Optimisation
(SE0)
Following on from last year's success we organised another event for bloggers,
thistimeasmaller,moreintimateevent.Itcentredaroundonespeciicand
very timely topic: security policy. Bloggers were given the opportunity to carry
out personal interviews with relevant MEPs. The events help to build up longterm contacts between MEPs and the blogosphere.
In 2015, the Internet and Social Media team focused on further developing and
improving the usability of the Group’s website. A project aiming to optimise
the site for search engines started towards the end of 2015 and will continue
into 2016. It aims to make it easier for those seeking information on European
politicsandtheEPPGrouptoindit.
In March, just in time to meet the launch of a new algorithm from Google
favouring sites with mobile-friendly websites in its search results, we launched
the mobile version of www.eppgroup.eu.
New logo and graphic charter
Following the launch of a new logo adopted by the Group and the Party at its
political Congress in Madrid in October, we also launched a redesigned and
rebranded website with a more modern and simple look, to make our priorities
and key topics more accessible. Our social media channels were updated and a
new graphic charter published.
Facebook
Our presence on Facebook has earned us a reputation as an example to follow.
We are the only non-commercial organisation in the world to use Facebook
‘Global pages’. We run our communications on 14 sub-pages in local languages,
under the umbrella of our Global Facebook page in English.
In 2015, we launched 3 more local Facebook pages (German, Italian and
Maltese) and now have 14 global EPP Group Facebook pages, meaning that
the content managed by our team is also available in 14 languages. By the
beginningof 2016wewillhaveintroducedalsoCzechandLatvianlanguage
sub-pages. These local pages allow us to provide more relevant news to our
followers in their own languages. Our Facebook following is growing every day.
In 2015 we grew by more than 80% and by mid-December we were engaging
with more than 200,000 people on Facebook in Europe.
The rebranding project was a major exercise in internal communications – in
addition to the printed and digital material managed by the Secretariat of the EPP
Group, all of the European Parliament’s material – from its website to the logos
displayed on TV screens and at press conferences – also needed to be changed.
Similarly, 216 MEPs also needed help to update their websites, blogs, social media
channels,lealetsandpublicationsandothermaterial–inall24EUlanguages.
Twitter
EPP TV
The EPP Group Twitter account is currently the Twitter account with the
most followers amongst all the political groups in the European Parliament.
And there is still a lot of potential for growth.
TheEPPGroupPressandCommunicationsServicewastheirsttoestablish,
in June 2007, its own European Parliament Web TV platform. The Group
has a WebTV team with its own studio and a full-time camera operator and
technician. EPP-TV communicates the latest news from inside the European
Parliament and reports on EPP Group success stories, events and activities.
Almost all of our videos are originally produced in English and then translated,
dubbed or subtitled in German, French, Italian and Spanish. EPP-TV allows
Europeancitizenstobetterappreciatetheworkof theirMEPsthroughlive
coverage, short reports, documentaries, interviews and on-the-spot reactions
that are uploaded on the EPP Group website, and on our YouTube channel,
which has more than 930 subscribers. More than 180 EPP Group MEPs have
participated and contributed to our videos.
Our Twitter team worked closely with EPP Group Spokespersons in four major
areas: Economy and Environment, Foreign Affairs, Legal and Home Affairs,
and Budget and Structural Policies. They also provided technical support to
MEPs with social media campaigns; for example, the #UpToUs with MEP
Tom Vandenkendelaere MEP (BE) to encourage youth participation in politics.
By mid-November 2015, we had 48,199 followers – an increase of 2,478 over
a period of 90 days. Our account gains around 28 new followers per day –
approximately 68% of whom are male and 32% female.
EPP-TV also produces coverage on relevant news and topics that are
being discussed in the Parliament, quickly uploading the videos onto ‘The
Newsmarket’, an online video distribution platform that is accessible to media
professionals. From 01/01/2015 to 30/09/2015 we published 59 stories which
were downloaded (video/image) 255 times from media located in 35 countries
(Albania,Argentina,Australia,Austria,Belgium,Bosnia-Herzegovina,Brazil,
Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, India,
Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico,
Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey,
Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam).
Out of 16,450 tweets, our Twitter account gains, on average:
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25 link clicks per day
47 Retweets per day
22 likes per day
7 replies per day
Our top tweet earned 24.6K impressions.
Follow the link to view a selection of our most topical videos from 2015:
http://www.eppgroup.eu/videos
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Information and Promotional Material
Responding to the ever increasing numbers coming to meet our MEPs in
Brussels and Strasbourg involves ensuring that all visitors receive lealets,
brochures and supplementary material to inform and help them understand
the day-to-day activities of the EPP Group. The quality and origin of the
material we distribute is of utmost important to us: as a principle, the EPP
Group uses renewable material and European production for its promotional
material. At present, over 85% of the items the Group distributes are sourced
inEurope.Detailedcertiicationthatallmaterialcomplieswithemployment
and environmental directives is required from suppliers.
Meet your MEP Programme (MYMEP)
Since its inception in 2010 the "Meet your MEP Programme" launched and
managed by the EPP Press and Communication's Service has accommodated
more than 15,000 visitors in Brussels and Strasbourg. The Programme
showcases the daily work and activities of EPP Group MEPs and allows our
Members to invite regional journalists, young people, people with disabilities
and staffers of EPP sister parties in the national Parliaments to see them at work.
European Parliament Open Days
To celebrate Europe Day the European Parliament opened its doors on 2 May
in Strasbourg and 9 May in Brussels and Luxembourg. In addition, local EU
oficesacrossEuropeandallovertheworldorganisedaseriesof activitiesforall
ages. More than 40,000 people visited the Parliament's events in all three cities.
On Saturday 9 May, visitors in Brussels were able to participate in quizzes,
exhibitions and mini-conferences, as well as debate with EPP Group MEPs.
Visitors also had the opportunity to watch the documentary "L’homme qui
répare les femmes" detailing the work of Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor
known for his work treating rape victims. He was awarded the 2015 Sakharov
Prizeforhisendeavors.
In Strasbourg on 2 May visitors learned more about the institution and the
EPP Group through detailed presentations of our activities and information
about our work in the European Parliament.
Since 2015 was the European Year for Development, this year’s celebration
was focused on what the EU does to reduce poverty in the developing world.
Many activities were centred on development cooperation. Visitors learned
how the EPP Group actively participates in shaping development policy, and
howpeoplearoundtheworldandinEuropebeneit.
EPP Group Publications
In 2015 the Publications Team ran an extensive print and online publishing
programme to bring EPP Group policies and activities to the attention of
Europeancitizens.
In early 2015 a brochure entitled EPP Group Priorities 2014-2019:
A Reform Agenda for Europe's Future was produced in 18 languages,
presenting the Group's political framework for the new legislature.
In January the Position Papers on he EU's response to the Crisis in Ukraine
and Five Building Blocks for Growth and Jobsmarkedtheirstinaseries
of multi-lingual publications which directly focused on EPP Group policy
priorities. These were followed throughout 2015 by Position Papers on
the Digital Economy, Anti-Terrorism Pact, Climate and Energy Policy,
Migration, International Trade, Taxation, Data Protection, Towards a
European Defence Union, the External Dimensions of Energy Security,
Copyright and Performance-based Budgeting..
With a view to supporting demand from MEPs and distributing to visitors, a number of thematic publications were produced, including brochures on EU Development Policy and EU Transport Policy. A revised
Presentation Lealet outlined the structure, priorities and political orientation of the EPP Group. A Customised Delegation Lealet, produced in 23
languagesinformedMemberStatecitizensof theirEPPGroupMEPs’pro-
EPP Congress in Madrid
Manfred Weber MEP (DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP (far right of cameraman), Jean Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission (middle), and
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council (far left)
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ile, contact presence, and their assigned roles in Parliamentary Committees
and Delegations. Adhering to a more condensed and reader-friendly format, the updated Annual Activity Report summarised the activities and
highlighted the successes and political goals of the EPP Group in the
European Parliament.
Almost 15,000 printed publications were ordered by EPP Group national
delegations for distribution both in Brussels and Strasbourg, and in the MEPs'
respective Member States in 2015. Publications were additionally circulated
totheEPPGroupexternaloficesinParis,Rome,Berlin,Madrid,Bucharest,
and Warsaw.
The Publications Team continued to expand its range of interactive eBooks
available on the Issuu publishing platform. Since March 2013, a total of
84 publications have received over 100,000 'impressions'.
Combining our digital publications with EPP Group communication on social
media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter has served to inform, enlarge
and engage our audience.
Find a selection of EPP Group eBook publications to download for viewing
on the Publications Page of the Group website: http://www.eppgroup.
eu/publications or access our eBook display directly from the Issuu digital
publishing platform: http://issuu.com/eppgroup
In addition to producing newsletters and Service activity reports documenting
EPP Group initiatives and external meetings, the team also produced for
internal purposes branded stationery, business cards, signage for corridor and
panels for the various Services.
The European People’s Party (EPP)
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The European People’s Party (EPP)
About us
Structure
The European People’s Party (EPP) is the political family of the centre right,
whose roots run deep in the history and civilisation of the European continent,
and which has pioneered the European project from its inception. Tracing
back its roots to Europe’s Founding Fathers – Robert Schuman, Alcide De
Gasperi, and Konrad Adenauer – the EPP is committed to a strong Europe
based on a federal model that relies on the principle of subsidiarity.
The European People’s Party is horizontally engaged with all the main EU
institutions including the European Council, Council of the EU, European
Commission, and European Parliament. In addition to Parliament, the EPP
has Groups in the Committee of the Regions, the Council of Europe, OSCE
and NATO. Internally, the EPP has three levels of decision making: the
Presidency, Political Assembly and Congress.
Founded in 1976, the EPP is a party of values, based on the Christian view of
mankind and the Christian Democratic concept of society. The EPP strives
forademocratic,transparentandeficientEuropethatisclosetoitscitizens.
Through the promotion of the social market economy, the EPP aspires to
achieve a prosperous Europe. The EPP is the largest political party in Europe,
currently with 75 member parties from 40 countries, 14 heads of state and
government (9 EU and 5 non-EU), 14 European Commissioners, and the
largest group in the European Parliament with 216 Members.
Presidency
The EPP is led by the Presidency, an executive body. It decides on the general
political guidelines of the Party and presides over the Political Assembly. The
Presidency is composed of:
(i) the President of the EPP;
(ii) the President of the European Commission, the President of the
European Council, the High Representative for Foreign and Security
Policy, the President of the European Parliament (if these persons are
afiliatedwiththeEPP);
(iii) the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament;
(iv) the Honorary President(s);
(v) ten Vice-Presidents;
(vi) the Treasurer;
(vii the Secretary-General
The composition of the EPP Presidency as of 15 November 2015 is as follows:
President
Joseph Daul
France (UMP)
David McAllister
Germany (CDU)
Secretary General
Dara Murphy
Ireland (Fine Gael)
Antonio López-Istúriz White
Spain (PP)
Paulo Rangel
Portugal (PSD)
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski
Poland (Civic Platform)
Ex Officio Vice-Presidents
Antonio Tajani
Italy(ForzaItalia)
Jean-Claude Juncker
Luxembourg (CSV)
Marianne hyssen
Belgium (CD&V)
Donald Tusk
Poland (PO)
Manfred Weber
Germany (CSU)
Corien Wortmann-Kool
The Netherlands (CDA)
Vice-Presidents (alphabetical order by surname)
Treasurer
Kinga Gál
Hungary(FIDESZ)
Christian Schmidt
Germany (CSU)
Johannes Hahn
Austria (ÖVP)
Honorary President
Jyrki Katainen
Finland (Kokoomus)
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Sauli Niinistö
Finland (Kokoomus)
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Political Assembly
ThePoliticalAssemblydeinesthepoliticalpositionsof thePartybetweeneach
Congress,decidingonmembershipapplicationsandinalpoliticalguidelines.
The Political Assembly also decides on the budget and safeguards the political
presence of the EPP between Congress meetings. The Political Assembly is
composed of designated delegates from EPP member and associate member
parties, member associations and groups. The Political Assembly meets three
toivetimesayearanddeinesthemandateof theWorkingGroupswhich
prepare the Party’s policy documents and recommendations.
Congress
The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the Party. It is composed
of delegates from EPP member and associate member parties, member
associations and groups. The EPP Congress meets at least once every three
years. It elects the EPP Presidency and decides on the main policy documents
and electoral programmes, and provides a platform for the EPP heads of state
and government and party leaders.
The EPP has organised a total of 23 Congress
meetings:
2015 Congress XXIII in Madrid
2014 Congress XXII in Dublin
2012 Congress XXI in Bucharest
2011 Congress XX in Marseille
2009 Congress XIX in Bonn
2009 Congress XVIII in Warsaw
2006 Congress XVII in Rome
2004 Congress XVI in Brussels
2002 Congress XV in Estoril
2001 Congress XIV in Berlin
1999 Congress XIII in Brussels
1997 Congress XII in Toulouse
1995 Congress XI in Madrid
1993 Congress X in Brussels
1992 Congress IX in Athens
1990 Congress VIII in Dublin
1988 Congress VII in Luxembourg
1986 Congress VI in The Hague
1984 Congress V in Rome
1982 Congress IV in Paris
1980 Congress III in Cologne
1979 Congress II in Brussels
1978 Congress I in Brussels
EPP Congress Madrid, 22 October 2015
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EU Heads of State and Government of the EPP
(As of 15 November 2015, in alphabetical order by surname)
President
Prime Minister
Nicos ANASTASIADES
Cyprus (DISY)
Viktor ORBÁN
Hungary(FIDESZ)
Prime Minister
Prime Minister
Boyko BORISSOV
Bulgaria (GERB)
Pedro PASSOS COELHO
Portugal (PSD)
President
Prime Minister
Klaus IOHANNIS
Romania (EPP)
Mariano RAJOY
Spain (PP)
Taoiseach
Prime Minister
Enda KENNY
Ireland (Fine Gael)
Laimdota STRAUJUMA
Latvia (Vienotība)
Chancellor
Angela MERKEL
Germany (CDU)
Non-EU Heads of State and Government of the EPP
Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency
EPP Members of the European Commission
Dragan ĆOVIĆ
BosniaandHerzegovina(HDZBiH)
President
Prime Minister
Jean-Claude JUNCKER
President of the European Commission
Luxembourg (CSV)
Nikola GRUEVSKI
FYROM (VMRO-DPMNE)
Vice-Presidents
Valdis DOMBROVSKIS
Euro & Social Dialogue
Latvia (Unity)
Prime Minister
Isa MUSTAFA
Kosovo (LDK)
Kristalina GEORGIEVA
Budget & Human Resources
Bulgaria (GERB)
President
Serzh SARGSYAN
Armenia (HHK)
Jyrki KATAINEN
Jobs, Growth, Investment & Competitiveness
Finland (Kokoomus)
Prime Minister
European Commissioners
Erna SOLBERG
Norway (Høyre)
Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS
Migration,HomeAffairs&Citizenship
Greece (ND)
Elżbieta BIEŃKOWSKA
Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs
Poland (PO)
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Miguel Arias CAÑETE
Climate Action & Energy
Spain (PP)
Tibor NAVRACSICS
Education, Culture, Youth & Sport
Hungary(Fidesz)
Johannes HAHN
European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations
Austria (ÖVP)
Günther OETTINGER
Digital Economy & Society
Germany (CDU)
Phil HOGAN
Agriculture & Rural Development
Ireland (FG)
Christos STYLIANIDES
Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management
Cyprus (DISY)
Carlos MOEDAS
Research, Science & Innovation
Portugal (PSD)
Marianne THYSSEN
Employment, Social Affairs, Skills & Labour Mobility
Belgium (CD&V)
College of Commissioners
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Activities
Summits
EPP heads of state and government, party leaders in coalition governments
and/or in opposition, the EPP Presidency and the Presidents of the European
Council and European Commission meet for EPP Summits prior to the
European Council Summits. These important sessions offer EPP leaders an
informalandconidentialsettingtoseekconsensuswithintheEPPfamilyin
an effort to develop common positions at the European Council.
Ministerial Meetings
In 2007, the EPP inaugurated a new political process with the irst EPP
Foreign Afairs Ministers meeting in order to discuss the foreign policy
priorities on the EU Ministers’ agenda. Following this successful model, the
EPP then launched informal meetings with the EPP Ecoin Ministers in
2008, and again expanded the concept in 2010. The current list of meetings
includes: Foreign Affairs, Economic and Financial Affairs, Employment,
Competitiveness, Defence, Agriculture, Environment, Energy, Justice and
Home Affairs, Trade and General Affairs.
Working Groups
Working Groups are the backbone of the EPP’s political work, where
high-proile representatives from the EPP member parties develop
common positions and strategies on major policy areas and submit speciic
recommendationstothePoliticalAssemblyforinalapproval.
Working Group 1: European Policy
The European Policy Working Group has the task of preparing the EPP’s
most vital policy papers and Congress documents on European issues.
Working Group 2: Economic and Social Policy
This working group is focused on responding to the current economic
and inancial challenges facing Europe, demographic issues, and research
and development.
Working Group 3: EPP Membership
This working group promotes and facilitates the accession of new EPP member,
associate and observer member parties. When a party from an EU country is
accepted into the EPP, its elected representatives automatically join the EPP
Group in the European Parliament, and all other EPP Groups and organisations.
Campaign Managers Meeting
This committee coordinates with member parties to plan campaigns. The
exchange of experiences in past election campaigns, as well as the longterm preparation of European issues and the campaigns for the European
Parliament elections, brings added value to the member parties and to the EPP.
Associations
Youth of the European People‘s Party (YEPP)
YEPP, led by President Konstantinos Kyranakis,istheEPP’soficialyouth
organisation. YEPP’s members are national party-political youth organisations.
The purpose of all 58 member organisations, as well as for YEPP, is to provide
youngpeoplewithachanneltoinluencetheshapingof theirsocietieswith
democratic means and centre-right, Christian Democratic and conservative
ideas. YEPP brings together between 1 and 2 million young people in
39 countries of Europe, making it the largest party-political youth organisation
in Europe.
European Democrat Students (EDS)
EDSistheoficialstudents’organisationof theEPP.Foundedin1961,EDS
brings together students and young political leaders from all over Europe
to promote a political pro-European exchange. Led by Chairman Georgios
Chatzigeorgiou, EDS has 35 member organisations from 29 countries,
representing over 1,600,000 students and youngsters.
Think Tanks, Foundations
European Seniors’ Union (ESU)
Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
Founded in Madrid in 1995 and led by its President An Hermans, ESU is
the largest political senior citizens’ organisation in Europe. The ESU is
represented in 27 states with 36 organisations and about 1,269,000 members.
The ESU is dedicated to the advancement of rights of European senior
citizensandtheirengagementinsociety.
European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW)
Founded in 2007 as the Centre for European Studies and renamed in 2014 in
honour of the late EPP President, the Wilfried Martens Centre for European
Studies(MartensCentre)istheoficialthinktankof theEPP.LedbyPresident
Mikuláš Dzurinda, the Martens Centre serves as a common European
framework for national foundations and think tanks recognised by EPP member
parties. It is governed under the revised 2007 “EU Regulation on political
parties at European level and rules regarding their funding.”
The EUCDW is the workers’ organisation of the EPP with 24 member
organisations from 18 different countries. Led by Elmar Brok MEP (DE),
the EUCDW presses for the political uniication of a democratic Europe;
promotes the development of the EPP on the basis of Christian social
teaching; represents and defends worker interests in European policy; and
works for the achievement of Christian social principles and policies in the
European workers’ movements.
The core activities of the Martens Centre are its research and study projects,
which are complemented and supported by conferences, seminars, workshops
and publications, many of which are executed in conjunction with its member
organisations. The aim of the foundation is to contribute both to the public
awarenessof Europeancitizensonthedevelopmentof Europeanintegration
and to help decision-makers, such as EPP heads of state and government and
EPP party leaders, to formulate new and effective policy options.
Small and Medium Entrepreneurs of Europe (SME Europe)
Robert Schuman Institute
SME Europe, led by Nadezhda Neynsky, former EPP Group MEP, is the EPP
organisation for small and medium entrepreneurs, shaping EU policies in a
SME-friendly way. As a proactive organisation within the political networks of
Christian Democrats and Conservatives, SME Europe brings a new spirit and
a fresh entrepreneurial wind into the political debate.
The “Union of the Robert Schuman Institute for Developing Democracy in
Central and Eastern Europe” (RSI) has been operating under the auspices of
the EPP with an extended scope of activities since 1995. The RSI organises
internationalcoursesforpotentialyoungleaders,partymembersandoficials
of the EPP sister and co-operating parties of the developing democracies
in the region, which receive both theoretical and practical training. Since the
2004 EU enlargement, the Institute has focused mostly on eastern and southeastern European countries.
Women of the European People’s Party (EPP Women)
EPP Women, led by Doris Pack, former EPP Group MEP, is recognised by
the EPP as the oficial association of women from all like-minded political
parties of Europe. EPP Women has over 50 member organisations from
countries of the European Union and beyond.
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Publisher:
Editor:
Responsible:
Coordinator:
Address:
Internet:
Email:
Copyright:
Publications Team
Press & Communications Service
EPP Group in the Euopean Parliament
Pedro López de Pablo
Greet Gysen
Mark Dunne
European Parliament
Rue Wiertz, 60
B - 1047 Brussels
www.eppgroup.eu
[email protected]
EPP Group in the European Parliament
© European Parliament

annual activity report 2015 of the epp group

Transcription

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