By Martin Banks - 1st February 2007
Newly-elected Bulgarian and Romanian MEPs have wasted no time in securing top posts on European parliament committees.
Deputies from the two ex-Communist states, which joined the EU on 1 January, were elected as deputy chairs on several key committees.
Parliament today concluded a major mid-term shake-up in the constitution of the assembly’s numerous committees.
The changes see Romanian Socialist Ioan Mircea Pascu elected as deputy chair of the foreign affairs committee.
Five other Romanians were also elected deputy vice chairs.
They are Liberal group MEP Ovidiu Ioan Silaghi (budgetary control), Socialist Cristian Dumitrescu (legal affairs), EPP deputy Roberta Alma Anastase (security and defence), Liberals Alexandru-Ioan Mortun (environment) and Silvia Ciornei (industry).
Of the 18 new Bulgarian members, three were elected deputy vice chairs.
They are EPP member Konstantin Dimitrov (constitutional affairs committee) and ALDE members Filiz Husmenova and Socialist Evgeni Kirilov (both regional affairs).
Several committees have appointed new chairs.
Arguably the worst-kept secret in parliament – the replacement of German member Elmar Brok as chair of the influential committee by fellow EPP deputy Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, a former Polish minister - was confirmed.
One major surprise sees Miroslav Ouzky, a Czech MEP, replacing Karl-Heinz Florenz as environmental committee chair.
According to a well-placed Socialist group source, the ousting of Florenz has incensed several committee members.
“Questions have been asked over Ouzky’s suitability for the post and, in particular his commitment to climate change. Some members are also angry because Florenz was a seen as a very popular chairman of the committee,” said the source.
UK Liberal MEP Chris Davies was among members of the committee to raise concern, complaining that his CV made no mention of the environment and calling on him to comment on reports in Le Monde that he was a “climate change denier”.
It has also been suggested that some members from Ouzky’s own group were unhappy with his nomination.
Ouzky, however, strongly defended his election, saying that he had always fought for better air quality. He denied ever speaking to Le Monde or any other paper about climate change.
He said he sees his role as chairman as more managerial than political. He said he realises he is replacing a popular and able chairman and hopes to live up to him.
In contrast to the lukewarm reception he was given by committee members upon confirmation of his election, all groups heaped praise on Florenz for his term of office.
Under parliamentary rules, the new far-right group, called Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty (ITS), was entitled to two deputy commitee chairs but was unsuccessful in getting anyone elected.
A parliamentary source said that “ITS put forward candidates for two committees but was voted down in both”.
In the transport committee, the group’s Italian nominee, Luca Romagnoli, received only six votes and was heavily defeated by the Socialist candidate (35 votes to six).
ITS cried foul and argued that this was a betrayal of the “gentleman's agreement” which the groups traditionally draw up to share out the posts.
The group’s candidate for the culture committee vice chair was also heavily defeated.
Other committee changes include the election of EPP deputy Reimer Boge to the top post on the budgets committee, formerly chaired by Pole Janusz Lewandowski, and Socialist Herbert Bosch elected chair of budgetary control, formerly chaired by Hungarian Fazakas Szabolcs.
Elsewhere, Giles Chichester is replaced as chairman of the industry committee by German EPP deputy Angelika Niebler and her UK centre-right colleague Neil Parish replaces French EPP group leader Joseph Daul as chair of agriculture.
On the development committee, Josep Borrell, the assembly’s outgoing president, replaces Luisa Morgantini, while Helmuth Markov is elected chairman of the trade committee, replacing Enrique Baron Crespo.
The committee chairs which remain unchanged from the last parliamentary term include Jan Andersson (employment and social affairs), Arlene McCarthy (internal market), Philippe Morillon (fisheries), Giuseppe Gargani (legal affairs), Jo Leinen (constitutional affairs), Paola Costa (transport), Gerardo Galeote Quecedo (regional development), Jean-Marie Cavada (civil liberties), Nikolaos Sifunakis (culture) and Pervenche Beres (economic and monetary affairs).
The chairmanship of two sub-committees – Helene Flautre (human rights) and Karl von Wogau (security and defence) - also remained unchanged.
The chairs and vice-chairs are due to serve for the second half of the parliamentary term until the 2009 European elections.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.