Policy Focus
- Agriculture & Fisheries
- Economic Affairs
- Energy & Transport
- Enlargement
- Environment
- EU Politics
- Europe's Regions
- Foreign Affairs
- Health
- Justice & Rights
- Science & Research
Congratulations to the
MEP Awards 2008 shortlist
The shortlist has now been decided. Please see below for the three shortlisted candidates in each category. Voting is now open to all MEPs until Friday 19th September.
Agriculture & fisheries
Csaba Sándor Tabajdi (PES), Hungary
Tabajdi has been a member of the European parliament since 2004, having previously been an observer with the Hungarian delegation prior to the country’s accession to the EU. An economist by profession, he was state secretary in the Hungarian prime minister’s office and, from 1990, a member of the Hungarian parliament, where he chaired the committee for minorities. The 56-year-old member of the Magyar Socialist Party has taken a prominent role in public and legislative debate on the future of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) since 2003. He initiated and organised the first European agricultural academy in Hungary, the largest gathering ever of the Hungarian agricultural society on the future of the CAP, and believes the much-criticised policy should adapt to the realities and challenges of the global agricultural and food markets in the 21st century.
Neil Parish (EPP-ED), UK
Parish is a former farmer and businessman and, from 1989 to 1995, was a local councillor in the UK. The 52-year-old, elected in 1999, is on parliament’s delegation for relations with China. He has been praised for his work promoting the protection of farm animal welfare as chair of the agriculture and rural development committee and the intergroup for animals. He is also noted for his outstanding work on other issues relating to agriculture, including food production, availability of foodstuffs, quality aspects and farmers’ income.
Janusz Wojciechowski (UEN), Poland
A lawyer by background, Wojciechowski has been chair of the Polish People’s Party since March 2004 and was among the first wave of Polish MEPs elected to parliament, having previously served for a short spell as an observer to see how parliament works. The 53-year-old currently occupies the important post of vice chair of the assembly’s agriculture and rural development committee and also sits on the budgetary control committee.
Culture & education
Marie-Hélène Descamps (EPP-ED), France
A journalist by trade, Descamps was head of the press service for the UDF party and a press officer for former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing from 1988 to 1996. She was also a press adviser to Giscard d’Estaing at the Foundation for Democracy in Europe for three years until 1999, and has been parliament’s rapporteur for the report on digital libraries. She once worked as a production assistant and, currently, is a member of the culture and education committee in parliament. Descamps has been an MEP since 2002.
Ramona Nicole Mănescu (ALDE), Romania
Mănescu is particularly active in the youth field and is credited with doing an excellent job in promoting a written declaration in parliament calling on the EU to devote more attention to youth empowerment in EU policies. She supports calls to take young people more into account across a range of policy areas and involve them in the EU decision-making process. This idea has already been widely recognised by the European commission and member states, but she now wants this translated into concrete action at EU level. A former lawyer, the youthful Romanian is a member of the culture and education committee.
Pier Antonio Panzeri (PES), Italy
Panzeri was secretary general at Milan’s trade union headquarters from 1995 to 2003 and a member of the national leaders’ board of the Democratici di Sinistra party. An MEP since 2004, the 53-year-old is on the employment and social affairs committee and also a member for the delegation for relations with the US. In addition, Panzeri is an author and, in the past, has organised events to help civil victims of the war in the former Yugoslavia. He has also participated as an observer of the problems in the Middle East at the UN’s general assembly and was the co-author of a written declaration on health rights.
Economic & monetary affairs
Piia-Noora Kauppi (EPP-ED), Finland
After obtaining a law degree in 1997, Kauppi worked with the Democrat Youth Community of Europe from 1994 to 1996, was a deputy secretary in the Finnish parliament (1997-98) and secretary in the legislation directorate (1998-99). Kauppi was a member of the Oulu town council in Finland for three years until 2000, and has been an MEP since 1999. Her nomination citation says she is seen as a “fully committed, intelligent and open-minded MEP, who tries to understand the needs of European citizens and industry”. A member of two committees – legal affairs and women’s rights – Kauppi was also on the European Convention to draft a constitution for Europe. She plans to step down as an MEP next year and take over as the managing director of the Federation of Finnish Financial Services.
Bart Staes (Greens/EFA), Belgium
Staes is a former political researcher for the former Volksunie (People’s Union) party in the Belgian parliament. The 50-year-old is now a member of parliament’s budgetary control committee and its delegation to the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee, a body he chaired for two years from 2002. He knows parliamentary life particularly well, having worked as a political group assistant in the assembly from 1983 to 1999. He liked the place so much he decided to stand as an MEP in the 1999 elections and has been a member ever since.
Poul Nyrup-Rasmussen (PES), Denmark
Rasmussen – one of parliament’s genuine political big-hitters – is a former chief economist and chief executive in the Danish labour movement. The likeable Dane, who is a political science graduate, is also an ex-member of the Danish parliament and former president of the Danish Socialdemokratiet party. He reached the political heights in 1993 when he became prime minister of Denmark, a position he held with some distinction until 2001.The 65-year-old has been an MEP since 2004 and combines the job with that of president of the pan-European Party of European Socialists (PES). Most recently, he has hit the headlines with a campaign on hedge funds and the financial markets and is a member of parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
Employment & social affairs
Liz Lynne (ALDE), UK
A former speech consultant and actress, Lynne was a member of the UK parliament for five years from 1992 to 1997 and has been an MEP since 1999.Since being elected she has made a name for herself on a range of issues and was nominated for her work in the field of discrimination, which includes drafting reports on equal opportunities. She has also won acclaim for her lobbying campaign aimed at ensuring that anti-discrimination is covered by EU legislation. Lynne is a longstanding activist for disabled people’s rights, and her work also concerns people with mental health problems. Her latest report on the progress made in equal opportunities and non-discrimination will, it is hoped, contribute to providing better protection for those who are often considered social outcasts. She is vice chair of the employment and social affairs committee and a former vice chair of the all-party group on Kashmir.
Karin Jöns (PES), Germany
Jöns is a former journalist and was head of the Bremen/EU liaison office in the 1980s. Over the years she has also been active in various organisations, including the Workers’ Welfare Association, the Unified Service Sector Union and Amnesty International. The 55-year-old political science graduate has been an MEP since 1994. She is a member of the employment and social affairs committee and the delegation to the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly. She has also co-signed a motion for resolution on tackling breast cancer, an issue close to her heart.
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou (EPP-ED), Greece
A former academic researcher and senior education supervisor, Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou was awarded the order of the silver cross by the German president in 1994. A graduate in Greek and French literature, she is a member of parliament’s employment and social affairs committee and of the committee on women’s rights and gender equality. The 56-year-old has been MEP since 2004 and is author of a 2008 report on the situation of women in prisons. In 2007, she was rapporteur on a regulatory framework for measures enabling young women to combine family life with a period of study.
Energy
Alyn Smith (Greens/EFA), UK
A lawyer by profession, the 35-year-old Smith has been executive director of business for Scotland and a member of the Scottish National Party since 1997. A member of the agriculture committee, his nomination citation says he has demonstrated a significant interest in the energy sector and has worked tirelessly to address the major issues of our time. He’s worked closely with SeaEnergy (offshore wind farm development) and other renewable developers to advance new technologies which are seen as crucial to overcoming future energy challenges. Smith has readily grasped the importance of, and worked very hard to promote, sustainable energy and to ensure that renewable generation can obtain fair access to the grid. His homeland, Scotland, has large resources of renewable energy and it is hoped his work will help it to realise its potential, thereby contributing significantly to the EU’s 2020 emission reduction targets.
Alejo Vidal-Quadras (EPP-ED), Spain
One of parliament’s vice presidents and best-known faces, Vidal-Quadras is a nuclear scientist and was a member of the Catalan regional parliament, where he held various party posts and regional party positions. Elected an MEP in 1999, he sits on the temporary committee on climate change and the industry committee. You may not always agree with his proposals, but you have to appreciate his consistent approach to finding solutions and his understanding of the subject matter. The Spaniard has been extremely active in ensuring progress and success in parliament’s debate on the third energy package. Bringing clarity to a difficult debate, Vidal-Quadras has produced a widely supported report on the proposed revision of the cross-border electricity regulation, and has played a key role in facilitating a deal on the issue of unbundling. This has been fundamental in ensuring progress in what is a sensitive political debate.
Atanas Paparizov (PES), Bulgaria
The Bulgarian is widely seen as being one of the MEPs from a ‘new’ member state who has brought real added value to the legislative process. The Sofia-born deputy is a member of the committee on industry, research and energy and the delegation for parliament’s relations with the US. A former Bulgarian national parliamentarian, he has held several governmental posts and, appropriately for one of Bulgaria’s first MEPs, chaired the committee on European integration in the Bulgarian parliament. Earlier this year, he drafted a key parliamentary report on access to natural gas transmission networks.
Environment
Claude Turmes (Greens/EFA), Luxembourg
The widely respected Turmes is a former sports teacher and environmental science graduate and from 1995 to 1997, was chairman of the Luxembourg section of Friends of the Earth. The 47-year-old was elected to the Brussels assembly in 1999 and has since become a high-profile campaigner on a whole range of green issues, including the promotion of wind turbines. Turmes is seen as having actively contributed to the debate concerning the EU’s role in combating climate change, particularly in cutting Europe’s dependence on oil and securing a more sustainable energy supply. Through his work and contributions to European initiatives and legislation in the form of opinions, reports and written declarations, as well as numerous speeches, it is said that Turmes has helped to shape EU environmental policy in order to ensure a sustainable, innovative and competitive future for Europe. He sits on two committees: climate change and industry.
Caroline Jackson (EPP-ED), UK
Caroline Jackson worked as a university academic in the UK for four years, starting in 1969, and was a local councillor from 1970 to 1974. An MEP since 1984, she is a former deputy leader of the Conservative group in the European parliament (1997-99). The Briton is a long-standing member of parliament’s influential committee on the environment, public health and food safety, a body she chaired for five years from 1999. Just this year, she drafted a key parliamentary report on an EU directive on waste.
Jens Holm (GUE/NGL), Sweden
One of parliament’s youngest MEPs, the youthful Swede is a former voluntary worker and freelance journalist. He sits on the committee on environment, public health and food safety and the temporary committee on climate change. In the past, he has written several books and produced documentaries on a range of issues, including animal experimentation. Earlier this year, Holm drafted a report for the international trade committee, of which he’s a substitute member, on the trade in raw materials and commodities. He is seen in some parliamentary circles as a rising star.
Health & food safety
Hiltrud Breyer (Greens/EFA), Germany
The energetic Breyer is a former political scientist and local councillor in her native Germany. The 51-year-old, a founder member of the Greens, is now one of the longest serving current MEPs, having been elected to parliament nearly two decades ago. Breyer is seen as being truly committed to the animal welfare and conservation cause and, over the years, has relentlessly highlighted and promoted these issues in parliament. She is a member of two committees: environment and women’s rights.
Alojz Peterle (EPP-ED), Slovenia
Peterle, who sits on the foreign affairs committee, has an illustrious political record, having been Slovenia’s prime minister – the first since the country’s independence – and minister for foreign affairs (twice). He is also a former president of the Slovenian commission for European affairs and a member of the European Convention, which paved the way for the now-defunct EU constitution. A former professor of history and geography, the likeable Peterle was an observer in the European parliament for two years until his election to the institution in 2004. In parliament, Peterle is known for his work on promoting cancer care, as co-chair of MEPs against Cancer and rapporteur on the new EU health strategy. Peterle himself has promoted a healthy lifestyle for a number of years and, after his own experience of cancer, has invested great effort in raising awareness of cancer issues and helps to organise conferences for the European Cancer Patient Coalition.
John Bowis (EPP-ED), UK
The 53-year-old deputy’s impressive CV includes a stint as an international policy adviser on mental health to the World Health Organisation. Bowis was a member of the UK parliament for 10 years until the Tories’ heavy defeat in 1997, during which time he held various ministerial posts. He has spearheaded a campaign to support the declaration for the health of men and boys in Europe and contributed to raising awareness of this important – yet underdeveloped – area of European public health in parliamentary circles. His leadership resulted in an unprecedented number of MEPs learning about and supporting the need for major improvements in men’s health. A former local councillor, he has been an MEP since 1999, sits on two committees – climate change and environment – and is vice chair of the delegation to the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly.
Engineering & technology
Catherine Trautmann (PES), France
As vice chair of the industry committee and rapporteur on the revision of the electronic communications framework, Trautmann has shown exemplary leadership on key issues affecting European industry. She was particularly credited with managing the very difficult task of coordinating the work of the many rapporteurs on the telecoms package with a clear and inspiring vision of the future of the information society. A member of the Council of Europe in the late 1980s, she was also a National Assembly member.
Manolis Mavrommatis (EPP-ED), Greece
Mavrommatis is seen as a shining example of how MEPs should listen to all parties and stakeholders and, thereafter, strike compromises in helping to shape EU policy. A former sports commentator, covering major sports events such as the Olympics and the European football championships, he has been an MEP since 2004. He is vice chair of the culture and education committee and also a member of the petitions committee. Earlier this year, Mavrommatis authored a key report on the future of sport.
Angelika Niebler (EPP-ED), Germany
A lawyer by profession, she recently co-drafted a report for parliament on the significance of the liberal professions for Europe. She was a member of her district council and, since 2000, of the ZDF television board in Germany. The 45-year-old has been a member of the European parliament since 1999. Niebler is currently chair of the committee on industry, research and energy and also sits on the women’s rights and gender equality committee.
Internal market & consumer protection
Jacques Toubon (EPP-ED), France
Widely praised for his ability to present EU issues in a way that citizens can fully grasp their added value, Toubon is known for readily placing himself at the disposal of NGOs in an effort to convey helpful and sharp views on any issues at stake. He is a former French cabinet minister and was deputy secretary general of the RPR political party. Toubon also served as deputy mayor of Paris from 1983 to 2001 and is a former MP for Paris. He has been an MEP since 2004 and is currently a member of the internal market and consumer protection committee and vice chair of the delegation to the EU-Turkey joint parliamentary committee.
Toine Manders (ALDE), the Netherlands
A lawyer and lecturer by background, before he entered politics Manders worked as a businessman and industrial designer. He has also been a member of Asten municipal council and North Brabant provincial council in the Netherlands. Since his election to parliament in 1999 he has made a name for himself in the field of sports policy, campaigning on a range of issues, including controversial plans to limit the number of foreign footballers in domestic teams. An internal market committee member, he recently drafted a parliamentary report on timeshare holidays.
Kurt Lechner (EPP-ED), Germany
The former political scientist and economist has been an MEP for nine years. He was a member of the Rhineland-Pfalz regional parliament from 1971 to 1979 and then again after 1993. Lechner is a member of the internal market and consumer protection committee and a substitute member of the legal affairs committee. He drafted a key parliamentary report last year on consumer credit agreements.
Justice & civil liberties
Inger Segelström (PES), Sweden
The European Children’s Network nominated Segelström, praising her for her “strong engagement” in the promotion and protection of children’s rights. A lawyer by training, she served in the Swedish national parliament from 1994-2004 and has been a member of the European parliament for four years. The 56-year-old is a member of the committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs.
Hélène Flautre (Greens/EFA), France
Flautre has chaired the subcommittee on human rights in parliament since it was created at the start of the current mandate in 2004 and has been credited with giving the body increased influence and greater legitimacy. Despite the fact that it’s a consultative body, she has also succeeded in increasing its level of expertise through various reports, opinions, papers, technical surveys and by involving many NGOs. A former teacher and local councillor, she has been an MEP since 1999 and also sits on the foreign affairs committee and two parliamentary delegations.
Kinga Gál (EPP-ED), Hungary
Gál is a former academic and specialist in minority legislation in central Europe. Her writings have focused on bilateral treaties in central Europe and minority governance. A former political scientist and vice president of the government office for Hungarian minorities living abroad, Gál has been an MEP since 2004. The 38-year-old is vice chair of the committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs and a member of the subcommittee on human rights. Two years ago she drafted a report on the EU agency for fundamental rights.
Regional
Riitta Myller (PES), Finland
Myller, a social science graduate, used to work as a librarian and journalist in her native Finland, where she also served as a local councillor from 1979 to 1995. She was a member of the country’s national parliament from 1987 to 1995, during which time she held various posts. An MEP since 1995, Myller was vice chair of the PES group in parliament for eight years until 2004, and sits on the committee on environment, public health and food safety. She is also a member of the temporary committee on climate change.
Gisela Kallenbach (Greens/EFA), Germany
Nominated for her report on the territorial agenda and the Leipzig charter, Kallenbach has also been praised for her excellent work on regional and cohesion policies and her involvement in green issues. An engineer by profession, she was chief-of-staff for both the commissioner of environment, public order and housing in Leipzig (1990-2000) and the city’s deputy municipal administrator. She also served as international mayor for the UN mission in Kosovo. An MEP since 2004, Kallenbach is a member of parliament’s regional development committee.
Eugenijus Gentvilas (ALDE), Lithuania
After studying geography at university, Gentvilas went on to enjoy a successful political career and climbed through the ranks to become prime minister of Lithuania in 2001. Prior to that, he was elected to the Lithuanian legislature (Supreme Council) in 1990 and went on to become speaker to the same body. Elected to Klaipeda city council in 1995, he was an MP for two years in the 1990s and a minister for economics in Lithuania in 2001. He has been an MEP since 2004 and the 48-year-old currently sits on the regional development committee in Brussels and Strasbourg. The former lecturer is also on the delegation for relations with Belarus. He recently drafted a report for parliament on the possible dangers of economic sanctions against Belarus.
Research & innovation
Paul Rübig (EPP-ED), Austria
There can’t be many MEPs who were once blacksmiths, but it is one of the former jobs of the affable Austrian. He has also been an economist and run his family business. After having swapped the heat of the foundry for the political cauldron, Rübig became a member of his local land assembly and a member of the regional parliament. An MEP since 1996, he is a particularly active member of the industry, research and energy committee in parliament. The 55-year-old is also a member of the delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and the European Economic Area (EEA) joint parliamentary committee, as well as holding the office of vice chair of the Austrian chamber of commerce (since 2000). He drafted a significant and widely welcomed parliamentary report last year on roaming on public mobile networks.
Philippe Busquin (PES), Belgium
After graduating with a physics degree, Busquin worked as a teacher and assistant lecturer. In a distinguished political career, he has chaired the PS party in Belgium since 1992 and been vice president of the Socialist International since 1992. A long-time leading Belgian politician, he is a former minister in the Walloon region and former federal minister for education, the interior and social affairs. He also served as EU commissioner for research under the Romano Prodi commission from 1999 until 2004 before taking the well-trodden path to the European parliament. He currently sits on two committees: industry and climate change.
Reino Paasilinna (PES), Finland
A doctor of philosophy and former TV journalist and editor, Paasilinna once worked as press secretary and councillor to the Finnish ministry of foreign affairs (1974-83) and was a member of his country’s parliament (1983-89 and 1995-96). He was also director general of the Finnish broadcasting company for four years in the 1990s and deputy member of Finland’s delegation to the Council of Europe. An MEP since 1996, the social sciences graduate sits on the committee on industry, research and energy and is vice chair of the delegation to the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee.
Trade
Maria Martens (EPP-ED), the Netherlands
The 53-year-old deputy started out as a university lecturer in philosophy, followed by a four-year stint with the Netherlands Overseas Mission Council. Subsequent posts included chairing both the European Forum of National Committees of the Laity and the Dutch Episcopal Committee in 2000. Martens, a theology graduate, was elected an MEP in 1999 and is a member of parliament’s development committee and the delegation to the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly. She is also author of a report last year on the state of play of EU-Africa relations.
Caroline Lucas (Greens/EFA), UK
One of the best-known and most widely publicised British MEPs, the 47-year-old former journalist once worked as a communications officer and policy adviser on trade, environment and investment for the charity Oxfam (1989-99). From 1993 to 1997 she was a local councillor in the UK and was elected an MEP in 1999. Lucas is one of the most active members of the international trade committee and is also on the delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council. She has been widely praised for her work across a wide spectrum of policies, particularly her efforts to raise awareness of green issues. She drafted a 2006 report on cutting the climate change impact of aviation, jointly tabled a written declaration on the alleged abuse of large supermarkets in Europe last year and, this year, has campaigned for an end to bullfighting.
Gianluca Susta (ALDE), Italy
The 52-year-old Italian is a member of the international trade committee and a substitute member of the committee on budgets. A law graduate, he is a former president of the provincial council of Biella and a former vice president of the Piedmont regional government. He drafted a 2007 report on the so-called TRIPS agreement (on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) and is currently a vice chair of the ALDE group, the third biggest political group in parliament.
Development
Marie-Arlette Carlotti (PES), France
Carlotti was nominated for an award primarily for her efforts in the field of human rights and democracy, both within and outside Europe. She started her career as a company executive in the aeronautical industry and went on to become a member of the Socialist party national executive in France. She has been a national delegate for the party since 1998 and a member of the Bouches-du-Rhône departmental council since 1988. An MEP for 12 years, Carlotti currently sits on the development committee and on the delegation to the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly.
Alain Hutchinson (PES), Belgium
Nominated for his work on the promotion of human rights, intercultural dialogue and the rights of migrants and union workers until 1988, Hutchinson was director of the cabinet of the minister for health and social affairs of Belgium’s French-speaking community from 1988 to 1989. He held a similar cabinet post in the office of the minister-president for the Brussels-Capital region for 10 years after that. Hutchinson, who’s also worked as a social worker, served as a minister and state secretary for housing and energy for five years until his election to the European parliament in 2004. The Brussels-born politician serves on the development committee and the delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries, and is author of a 2006 report on the EU aid effectiveness package.
Ryszard Czarnecki (UEN), Poland
Born in London, Czarnecki has been nominated for what is described as his “active” role on behalf of social and economic justice in Europe, plus the defence of the objectives of intercultural dialogue. The 45-year-old is a former historian and TV journalist. Also an ex-MP in Poland, his fast-moving career has also seen him occupy posts as deputy minister for culture and minister for European affairs (1997-1999). A history graduate, he is a member of parliament’s development committee and substitute member of the foreign affairs committee.
Transport
Bogusław Liberadzki (PES), Poland
Nominated for his “very active and hard work for the European dimension of transport”, presenting the positions of professionals in the industry in the European parliament, Liberadzki is an economist and was his country’s deputy minister for transport and maritime economy from 1989 until 1993 and minister for the same portfolios from 1993 to 1997. He was a member of the Polish parliament from 1997 to 2004 and an observer in the European parliament for a year until becoming a fully fledged MEP in 2004. He is credited with bringing his skills as a scientist and university professor to help explain the often complex workings of the EU. Liberadzki is vice chair of the committee for budgetary control and a member of the transport committee.
Johannes Blokland (ID), the Netherlands
Blokland started his career as a teacher in environmental economics. He later went on to become chair of the GPV (Protestant) party and worked as a local councillor from 1974 until 1994. A member of a regional council in the Netherlands between 1982 and 1995, he has been an MEP since 1994. An economics graduate, Blokland sits on the temporary committee on climate change and is also deputy chair of parliament’s committee on the environment, public health and food safety. A busy year has seen him draft separate reports on the issues of waste batteries and better ship dismantling.
Reinhard Rack (EPP-ED), Austria
A member of his national parliament in Vienna from 1994, Rack is professor of law at the University of Graz. Other posts include spokesman on European affairs for the region of Styria (1990-94) and vice president of the European People’s Party (1996-99). Rack has been an MEP since 1995 and is currently a member of the assembly’s committee on transport and tourism. He is also a member of the delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand and sat on both the convention responsible for drafting a European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights (1999-2000) and the European Convention to draft a new constitution (2002-03). He authored a parliamentary report this year on the subject of urban mobility.
Campaigner of the Year
Ana Maria Gomes (PES), Portugal
Appropriately in an Olympic year, Gomes has campaigned on a number of China-related issues and was the author of a report on Chinese policy and its effects on Africa. She also drafted another keenly awaited report on EU policy in Iraq. After studying law, she worked as a diplomat, which included posts in London and Tokyo, and was a member of the Portuguese delegation to the UN commission on human rights. She was also head of cabinet to the country’s secretary of state for European affairs and is a former ambassador to Indonesia. A member of the foreign affairs committee, the Lisbon-born deputy co-chairs the subcommittee on security and defence and is a member of the Portuguese branch of Amnesty International.
Marian Harkin (ALDE), Ireland
Harkin has been nominated for her “outstanding commitment” towards the promotion and support of the estimated 100 million people who work as volunteers in Europe. Praised for her “exceptional engagement and passion”, Harkin is said to have worked to make politicians and all citizens aware that volunteering is central in building a cohesive and inclusive society based on solidarity and active citizenship. As such, it is said she gives “real meaning” to her mandate as an MEP. A former maths teacher, the Sligo-born deputy worked in Ireland for the National Statistics Board and has been a member of the national parliament in Dublin since 2002, and an MEP since 2004. She sits on two committees: regional development and petitions.
Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg (PES), Poland
Arguably best known for introducing a written declaration on the subtitling of all public service television programmes in the EU, the Wrocław-born deputy has been an MEP since 2004. The declaration was supported by 424 MEPs and, as such, forwarded to the European commission for a legislative proposal. Geringer de Oedenberg believes this initiative is extremely important to more than 83 million people in the EU with partial or complete loss of hearing, enabling them to have equal access to information, education and culture. It is also essential, she says, for the prevention of the social exclusion of deaf people and helps with foreign language learning in case of all viewers. A former economist and visual artist, pianist and TV presenter, she is currently vice chair of the legal affairs committee and a substitute member of the regional development committee.
The Parliament Magazine MEP Awards